Whole Roasted Jerk Cauliflower

Recipe from Gregory Gourdet

Adapted by Korsha Wilson

Updated Jan. 24, 2024

Whole Roasted Jerk Cauliflower
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Hadas Smirnoff.
Total Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour 25 minutes
Rating
4(154)
Comments
Read comments

This stunning vegetable dish from the chef Gregory Gourdet of Kann in Portland, Ore., applies his interpretation of Jamaica’s enduring smoky and earthy jerk seasoning to the creamy texture of roasted cauliflower. A little sugar in his jerk glaze brings out the spices’ complexity and helps the cauliflower brown. At Kann, the cauliflower is served with a coconut sour cream which tempers the spicy heat of the Scotch bonnet chile and offers a cool contrast to the cauliflower. This works great as a side dish or as a main course served alongside a salad. —Korsha Wilson

Featured in: Exploring Caribbean Food, Island by Island

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

    For the Cauliflower

    • 1large head cauliflower (about 3 pounds), leaves removed
    • 3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1tablespoon kosher salt

    For the Jerk Glaze

    • ¼cup coconut aminos or tamari
    • 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • ¼cup chile oil, homemade or store-bought
    • 2tablespoons coconut sugar or brown sugar
    • 1tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or ½ tablespoon dried thyme
    • ½teaspoon black peppercorns
    • ½teaspoon allspice berries
    • 2dried or fresh bay leaves
    • 1moderately spicy fresh red chile, such as Fresno, stemmed and halved
    • 1scallion, trimmed and roughly chopped
    • 1large garlic clove, peeled
    • 1small shallot, roughly chopped
    • ½Scotch bonnet or habanero chile, stemmed and seeded if desired
    • 1(1-inch) knob ginger, peeled and thinly sliced against the grain
    • ¼whole nutmeg or ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • Zest and juice of 1 lime
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

431 calories; 32 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 21 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 35 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 18 grams sugars; 8 grams protein; 1064 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the cauliflower: Set an oven rack 10 inches or so from the broiler. Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

  2. Step 2

    Trim the base of the cauliflower so it can sit flat. Flip the cauliflower base-side up and cut a deep “X” into the base, stopping when you reach the stems of the florets. This helps the core and base cook at the same rate as the rest of the head.

  3. Step 3

    Rub the cauliflower all over with the olive oil, then season the cauliflower all over with the salt. Sit the cauliflower in a large, heavy ovenproof skillet (11- to 13-inch works best) and roast to soften up the cauliflower (it’ll go from white to cream in color), 30 to 35 minutes. Pour ½ cup of water directly into the skillet and keep roasting until the cauliflower has patches of light golden brown and is just tender enough to easily be pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, 20 to 25 minutes more.

  4. Step 4

    Meanwhile, make the glaze: While the cauliflower is roasting, combine the glaze ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until completely smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    When the cauliflower is tender, remove it from the oven and heat the broiler. Use a flexible spatula or silicone pastry brush to rub the top and sides of the cauliflower (don’t neglect those lower sides!) with the glaze.

  6. Step 6

    Broil the cauliflower, basting it after 5 minutes with the juices in the skillet and trying your best to get that flavorful liquid in all of its nooks and crannies, until the top has spots of black char, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve hot or warm.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

4 out of 5
154 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

David Shepherd

Where's the coconut sour cream recipe to accompany?

M

Is there any reason this wouldn't work (in favor of something quicker) to chop up the cauliflower, then roast it with the sauce?

VaDad

Outstanding. I quartered it to serve like a lettuce wedge and drizzled pan drippings over it. Also, I had a bit of glaze leftover and brought it to the table. The whole shebang disappeared. It's definitely a party piece that guests will rave about.

Michelle

I didn't want to heat up the whole house, so I cooked the head of cauliflower in the slow cooker, then broiled it with the sauce in the toaster oven. Still delicious. I think an air fryer would also work well with the florets broken up.

Ellen

Two suggestions. First, just buy Walkerswood jerk seasoning. It’s as good as anything I’ve had in Jamaica or made myself. You can add sugar to it and thin it out with water to make it a glaze. Second, if you put this under the broiler, only the very top of the cauliflower will get blackened. For the second step, I would just raise the oven temperature to 425-450 and roast it until it’s browned.

Andrea

Trader Joe’s has coconut amino.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Credits

Adapted from Gregory Gourdet

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.