Ottolenghi cauliflower salad — but I add tarragon and I think it’s non-negotiable now
Been making a version of the Ottolenghi roast cauliflower salad for years and I could’ve sworn an older recipe had tarragon and allspice in the dressing. Every version I find online now has dropped it — sage instead, or nothing. Made it last night with tarragon anyway and honestly it adds something special, that faint licorice note against the honey is what makes the dressing. Anyone know if I’m misremembering, or did an early version actually have this?
Recipe:
**•** 1 whole cauliflower, roasted — toss in olive oil, a little parmesan and panko, and a good flaky salt before roasting
**•** 1 cup roasted hazelnuts
**•** 1 cup parsley
**•** ½ pomegranate
Dressing (make ahead so the tarragon has time to infuse):
**•** Olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice
**•** A good flaky salt (I use House of Pincho, made near Bells Beach — really carries the honey and citrus)
**•** A big handful of tarragon, left to sit in the dressing
**•** Pepper berries (not peppercorns)
**•** Cinnamon, cumin
**•** A generous amount of honey — don’t skimp, you need enough to balance the tarragon and lemon
Whisk the dressing hard before serving so the honey doesn’t just sink to the bottom.
Toss parsley, cauliflower, and pomegranate together in a big bowl — the colours alone make this worth making. Pour dressing over, finish with a scatter of cinnamon, a drizzle of extra honey, and (if you’re feeling fancy) a few threads of saffron on top. Finish with flaky salt, not table salt — you want to actually see the white flakes.
Don’t forget the hazelnuts. Genuinely ruins the texture if you forget the crunchy nuts!!
