A shining example of how plant-based dishes can easily stand up to their carnivorous counterparts, Chantelle Nicholson's spiced cauliflower florets are served with an earthy, nutty sesame seed dressing and a zingy, fiery green chutney.
Preheat an oven to 200°C fan/220°C/gas mark 7. Toast the cumin seeds in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for a minute or 2 until fragrant, then set aside. Toast the coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds and black mustard seeds in the same pan until fragrant, then transfer to a spice grinder or pestle and mortar. Add half the cumin seeds to the spice mix and blitz or grind to a powder. Stir the salt into the spice mix and set aside
Cut the cauliflower into 8 large wedges, then place in a large baking tray. Strip the leaves from the stems of the cauliflower and set aside, then place the stems in the tray with the cauliflower wedges. Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil over the cauliflower wedges and stems, then sprinkle over the spice mix and give the tray a good shake to ensure everything is well coated. Place in the oven for 15 minutes
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cauliflower, leaves and stems removed and reserved
olive oil, for drizzling
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Meanwhile, place all the ingredients for the green chilli chutney into a blender with the remaining toasted cumin seeds. Blitz until almost smooth, taste for seasoning and set aside
For the sesame dressing, place the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan overe a medium heat. Toast the seeds heavily, stirring regularly, until they’re a deep golden brown. Place the seeds with the rest of the ingredients in a blender and blitz into a smooth paste (add a little more water if needed). Taste for seasoning and set aside
Once the cauliflower has been roasting for 15 minutes, drizzle the reserved cauliflower leaves with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, then add them to the baking tray with the wedges and stems. Return to the oven for another 5 minutes, until everything is golden and crisp
To serve, place a large spoonful of the sesame dressing on the base of each plate. Top with the cauliflower wedges and stems, then spoon over the green chilli chutney and finish with the crispy leaves
From New Zealand law student to group operations director and now sole owner and chef-patron of Tredwells in London, Chantelle Nicholson’s hard work and determination has seen her rise through the ranks of Marcus Wareing’s restaurant empire.
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