Whole Roasted Cauliflower with honey and spice rub

I remembered this recipe recently due to the fact that some friends of mine had their first harvest of honey late this summer and were kind enough to share. The recipe is from "The Olives Table" by Todd English. If you have this cookbook, it can be found on page 145.

Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Honey -and-Spice Rub

Serves 4

Honey and Spice Rub

1/2 cup honey
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 tbsp finely chopped peeled ginger or 2 tsps ground ginger
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 bay leaves, crumbled
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 head cauliflower, leaves intact
1/2 cup to 1 cup water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

To make rub:  Place all rub ingredients in a small bowl and mix together until well combined. Set aside.

Place the cauliflower, leafy side down, in a baking pan just big enough to hold it snugly, and drizzle the rub over it. Place the cauliflower in the oven, and bake until golden brown, about an hour. Add 1/2 cup of water to the pan, and cook until the cauliflower is well browned and soft, about another 30 minutes. Check occasionally to see if the water had evaporated, and if necessary, add more water.

Remove cauliflower and slice it. Pour the cooking liquid over the slices and serve.

My notes: I never leave the green leafy part on the cauliflower and it works just fine. I also have never added more than 1/2 cup of water. I do vary the spices from time to time, but this method produces a nice dish, just a bit different from the normal style.

Enjoy!