15th October 2024
Light Meals, Sides & Soups
Lemon Roasted Cauliflower with Capers & Preserved Lemons
This recipe is a Middle Eastern inspired side dish, featuring spices and lots of lemony goodness. Charred lemon halves and finely diced preserved lemons are mixed through smoked paprika cauliflower florets, that have been roasted and pimped with whole coriander and cumin seeds, as well as capers. We like to eat this with pita breads and Lebanese Yoghurt & Tahini Sauce
The preserved lemon is optional ~ in fact I usually make it without as my eldest really doesn’t like their flavour! But if he isn’t home I put them in, as they cut through the rich cauliflower, adding another salty and exotic element to the dish.
Lemon Roasted Cauliflower with
Capers & Preserved Lemons
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 large cauliflower (approximately 800 grams), broken into florets
1 large lemon, cut in half
1 - 2 heaped tablespoons capers
2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
4 - 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Cracked pepper
Optional: 1 preserved lemon, insides removed and skin finely diced
Method
Preheat oven to 200C and line a large roasting tray with baking paper.
Spread the cauliflower florets out evenly on the oven tray and place the lemon halves cut side down. Sprinkle over the capers, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and paprika, then drizzle a generous amount of olive oil over. Top with sea salt and cracked black pepper, and mix together using your fingertips, so all the cauliflower is coated with the spices.
Bake for 45 minutes or until the cauliflower is cooked through and there is a lovely char on the lemons. Turn the cauliflower a few times while it is cooking to ensure it roasts evenly on all sides.
Remove from the oven. Squeeze over the juice from the charred lemons, and stir through the preserved lemon if using.
Serve as part of a mezze platter, or as a filling for pita breads.
