The smell people dislike in cauliflower comes from overboiling it. Eight minutes is enough; a fork should go in but meet resistance. Drop it straight into iced water and the cooking stops and the colour stays white. A slice of lemon in the boiling water also keeps it from yellowing.
Ingredients
For the salad
For the tahini sauce
For the top
Method
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Break up the cauliflower
Break the cauliflower into florets of an even size; different sizes cook in different times.
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Boil
Boil for 8 minutes in salted water with a slice of lemon. A fork should go in but meet resistance.
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Into iced water
Drain and drop straight into iced water. The cooking stops and the colour stays white.
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Dry it
Drain and dry with kitchen paper. Dressing will not cling to wet cauliflower.
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Make the dressing
Whisk the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt. Add the water a little at a time; the tahini will seize first and then loosen.
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Add the olive oil
Pour in the olive oil slowly, whisking as you go.
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Combine
Toss the cauliflower, parsley and spring onion with the dressing.
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Serve
Scatter with chilli flakes and pomegranate seeds.
Tips
- Do not boil it longer than eight minutes; the smell of cauliflower comes from overcooking.
- Do not skip the iced water, which both stops the cooking and keeps the colour.
- Tahini dressing seizes first, so do not panic and add too much water; it loosens a spoon at a time.
- Do not dress the cauliflower before drying it, as dressing will not cling to a wet surface.
Nutrition
Values are per serving and approximate.