WHOLE ROASTED CHAR SIU CAULIFLOWER

This idea came from an Instagram post that caught my attention by delightful Tony Tan (@tonytan53), well noted chef, author and historian.

Tony suggested roasting a whole cauliflower with char siu sauce, the same used to create barbecue pork. With respect to his char siu recipe (in his book Hong Kong Food City), some ingredients are not readily available unless you have access to an Asian supermarket, or already in your pantry. I had a play over lockdown and was forced to simplify and use ingredients readily available at home or within my 5km and came up with this combination. I have used miso paste as a substitute a Chinese red fermented bean curd. And if you have neither, try using oyster sauce instead. The testing results all proved super tasty.

serves 4-6

1 large cauliflower (about 900g-1kg)

3 spring onions, thinly sliced 

sea salt 

sauce:

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons honey, warmed

½ teaspoon five spice powder

2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine (or use dry sherry)

2 tablespoons brown miso (or red fermented bean curd, or oyster sauce)

Pre-heat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan-forced). Line a baking tray with baking paper or foil. Place a rack on top. Pour in about a cup of water, just to cover the base, but not over the rack. This helps prevent the sauce catching and burning on the base of the tray.

Bring a saucepan of salted water, large enough to hold the cauliflower, to the boil. Carefully, lower the cauliflower into the water, cover with lid and bring back to the boil. Cook for 2 minutes. To remove, place a colander in the sink and gently tilt the saucepan and pour the water out, allowing the cauliflower to fall into the colander to drain. Protecting your hands with a tea towel, carefully transfer the drained cauliflower, stem side down onto the rack on the prepared tray.

In a small bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients to combine. Brush the warm cauliflower all over using a third of the sauce. Roast for 20 minutes, then remove and brush again all over with another third of sauce, return to the oven. Note that you may have to rotate the baking tray each time, to avoid hot spots in your oven to ensure even cooking. If the cauliflower is browning too quickly cover the top with a piece of foil. Roast for another 20 minutes and repeat brushing with the last of the sauce and continue roasting for 15 minutes until golden brown and the cauliflower is cooked through, test doneness by inserting a skewer through the centre core, until just tender. 

To serve, transfer the roasted cauliflower onto a serving plate. Sprinkle over the spring onions. Serve with steamed rice. 

ALTERNATIVE: cauliflower floret cooking option

Break the cauliflower into florets, coat in the sauce and spread over a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake in 180°C oven for 30 minutes until cooked through and golden brown. If browning too quickly cover the florets with a piece of foil.

Recipe by Fiona Hammond, August 2021