Smoked cauliflower, spiced garlic butter
Serves 4–6
Ingredients
1 large cauliflower, leaves and stems trimmed off and sliced into bite-sized pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
125g butter, softened
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
A handful of fresh oregano or marjoram sprigs, leaves picked and chopped
1 heaped tbsp cumin seeds, bruised in a pestle and mortar
1–2 tsp chipotle chilli flakes (optional)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Fire up the barbecue ready for indirect grilling. While the charcoal is getting to temperature, bring a really large pan of lightly salted water to the boil on the hob.
Put the cauliflower leaves and stem pieces into a mixing bowl, and toss with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, then set aside.
Cut a thin sliver off the base of the cauliflower so it sits nice and level, then carefully lower it into the boiling water and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain well and place in a sturdy roasting tin. Drizzle a little oil over the cauliflower and season with salt and pepper.
Once the barbecue is ready for cooking, add a few lumps of smoking wood or a handful of smoking chips. Rest the tin away from the fire and shut the lid. Cook for an hour, checking once or twice, and rotating the tin so it cooks evenly. After an hour, loosely cover the cauliflower with foil to prevent it drying out – it should have absorbed lots of lovely smoke flavours – and cook for a further 45–60 minutes, or until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.
To make the spiced butter, mash together the soft butter, garlic, chopped herbs, cumin seeds and chilli, if using, and add a little salt and pepper to taste.
Remove the foil from the cauliflower and tip in the chopped stems and leaves, spreading them out in the tin. Use a knife to spread the butter over the surface of the cauliflower and move the tin directly over the fire. Cook for a further 15–20 minutes, until the butter has melted and the stems are tender but still with bite.
To serve, lift the cauliflower on to a plate and spoon over the wilted stems and butter.
