Miso Marinated Cauliflower

The miso marinade in this recipe is an absolute game-changer. We use it in so many things in the RMB Kitchen. I have a batch made up most weeks so I can drizzle it on wild salmon before cooking and eating with green beans + lots of toasted sesame seeds. You can use Leftover marinade for anything. Really delicious on Mushrooms whilst sauteeing.

Miso is one of those magical ingredients that pairs so well with sweet + savoury dishes enhancing everything with that Unami taste.

That’s why it works so well in this recipe with the nuttiness of cauliflower.

INGREDIENTS

1 whole large cauliflower

3 tbsp olive oil plus more to drizzle

salt + pepper

For the marinade

6-8 tbsp of white miso paste (darker miso can work here too but it's harder to mix and the taste will be slightly different)

200ml of Mirin ( I use Clear spring )

5 tbsp of maple syrup or honey

1 tbsp of rapeseed oil

Juice + zest of a lemon

Toppings

Pomegranate seeds

Roasted pistachios

Coriander, chives, parsley

Toasted sesame seeds

METHOD

• Prep the cauliflower by removing the leaves (don't throw these away - I cook them up in a bit of olive oil to add to salads)

• Cut off the root enough that the cauliflower can sit flat on a surface but is still held together

• Place into a steaming basket and steam for 3-5 minutes or so depending on the size of your cauliflower, you don’t want to over steam it

• Take it off the heat and carefully put onto a large baking tray to cool

• Mix all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl with a big whisk, making sure they’re well combined

• Pour half of the marinade over the cauliflower and use a brush or your hands to really get the marinade inside

• Leave this to marinate for a few hours or you can cook straight away

• To cook, heat the oven to 185c, drizzle the cauliflower with olive oil + season

• Put the tray into the middle of the hot oven + cook for 20 mins

• Remove the tray and use the basting brush to ensure the lovely miso juices are getting into the cauliflower

• Put the cauliflower back into the oven and cook for a further 10 minutes

• Take it out and drizzle with the rest of the marinade and then cook for another 10-15 minutes until it's starting to brown

If you’re busy then you can chuck all the marinade on at the beginning and bring it out after 30-40 mins and it’ll still be delicious.

Your oven may be hotter than mine so you may need it on a lower temperature and keep an eye on it. Although I must admit I really like the almost charred ends if it does go a little over.

To serve

Put the cauliflower on a large serving plate and spoon any remaining juices from the pan on top. Grate over the lemon zest and squeeze over the juice, then sprinkle over any or all of the toppings.

Serve in slices (if it crumbles too much then it just means it was steamed for a bit too long) as a veggie main or as part of a show-stopping table spread.

Eat it cold in salads.

Pop in a wrap with shredded cabbage and tahini drizzle.

Serve with rice as a kind of poke bowl.

Or eat it straight from the tray with a spoon.

Enjoy 🧡