GRILLED CAULIFLOWER WEDGES WITH HERB TARATOR

Grilled Cauliflower Wedges With Herb Tarator image

Cauliflower's versatility extends all the way to the grill, where it takes on complex flavor and a range of textures. While the exterior becomes burnished and crisp, the interior turns sweet and nutty, offering deep meaty smokiness that can satisfy vegetarians and carnivores. And although a whole grilled cauliflower looks impressive, it is far easier to cut it into wedges to reduce the cook time and to provide more surface area to get charred and caramelized. Pair with an earthy Lebanese-style tarator for an easy weeknight dinner. Tarator is a Middle Eastern tahini sauce that is brightened with a heavy dose of lemon. Eaten throughout Eastern Europe and the Middle East, tarator can either be a cold cucumber soup, a yogurt-based dip, or a sauce. Sometimes walnuts or stale bread are added. I learned this version of tarator from my friend Elham Abi-Ghanem, who is of Lebanese heritage.

Provided by Hetty McKinnon

Categories Cauliflower Almond Garlic Dill Mint Lemon Juice Coriander Cumin Herb Vegetable Vegetarian Grill/Barbecue

Number Of Ingredients 15

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Ingredients

Tarator
¼ cup sliced or slivered almonds
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 cup chopped dill
½ cup mint leaves
½ cup tahini
⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
Cauliflower and assembly
1 small cauliflower (about 1½ lb.)
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil (for drizzling)
½ tsp. ground coriander
½ tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. turmeric
Handful of tender herbs (such as dill, mint, parsley, cilantro, basil, and/or chives)

Steps:

Tarator
Toast almonds in a dry small skillet over medium heat, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool. Set aside for serving.
Blend garlic, dill, mint, tahini, and ⅓ cup water in a blender or food processor until a thick paste forms. Add lemon juice and blend again, adding an additional 1-2 Tbsp. water if sauce is too thick. It should be easily spreadable but not runny. Season with salt and lots of pepper.
Cauliflower and assembly
Remove outer leaves and trim stem from cauliflower so it sits flat. Cut cauliflower into 4 wedges.
Whisk oil, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and a big pinch of salt in a large bowl to combine. Add cauliflower and coat in oil. The cauliflower can fall apart easily, so handle with care and use your fingers to work oil into the uneven surface.
Prepare a grill for medium-high heat (if using a charcoal grill, bank most of the coals on one side of the grill). Place cauliflower, cut side down, on grate over hottest part of grill and grill, undisturbed, until char marks form, about 3 minutes (you can carefully lift to check, but try not to move too much). Turn over onto other cut side and grill, undisturbed, until grill marks form, about 3 minutes. Turn onto uneven floret side and slide over to cooler part of grill or reduce heat to low and cover with lid. Grill until tender (if a bamboo skewer easily slides through the thickest part, it's done), 10-15 minutes. (And if you don't have a grill, you can do this in a grill pan over high. Once pan is very hot, add cauliflower, reduce heat to medium-high, and cook both cut sides as above. When you turn cauliflower over onto uneven floret side, reduce heat to low and cover pan with foil to finish cooking.)
To serve, spread some tarator onto individual plates or a platter. Arrange cauliflower wedges on top and dollop remaining tarator over. Scatter mixed tender herbs and almonds on top.