Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic Herb Butter
Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic Herb Butter – Roasted until tender and golden, then coated in a rich garlic herb butter for an easy, flavorful, and impressive side dish.
Ingredients
- 1 medium head cauliflower
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- ½ cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ¾ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon granulated onion
- ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Remove the large outer leaves from the cauliflower. Trim the bottom of the stem just enough that the cauliflower sits upright.
- Place the cauliflower stem side down in a Dutch oven.
- In a saucepan over low heat, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Don’t brown the garlic.
- Remove from the heat and stir in thyme, paprika, granulated onion, granulated garlic, salt, and black pepper.
- Brush approximately half of the garlic-herb butter generously over the cauliflower. Work some of the butter down into the spaces between the florets.
- Pour the chicken broth around the cauliflower into the bottom of the Dutch oven. Don’t pour it over the top because you want the seasonings to remain on the cauliflower.
- Cover the Dutch oven and roast for approximately 20 minutes.
- Insert a thin knife into the cauliflower near the center. It should be partially tender but still offer some resistance. If it is still quite firm, cover and roast for another 5 minutes.
- Remove the lid and brush the cauliflower with the remaining garlic-herb butter.
- Continue roasting uncovered for 15 – 20 minutes* until the outside is a deep golden brown and an knife slides easily into the center. The cauliflower should be tender but still firm enough to cut into wedges. About halfway through, spoon some of the buttery pan juices from the bottom of the Dutch oven over the cauliflower.
- Remove from the oven. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter to the hot liquid surrounding the cauliflower and gently swirl until melted.
- Sprinkle with parsley and, if desired, 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice. Taste the sauce and adjust the salt and pepper.
- Cut into thick wedges and serve each piece with some of the garlic butter sauce from the bottom of the Dutch oven.
- *Note: Roasting times will depend on the size of your cauliflower as well as how crisp tender you like it. Roast it to your desired tenderness. Some like it crisp-tender, while others like it soft and fall-apart tender.
Amy is the host of the cooking show "Amy Learns to Cook." She is a self confessed "cookware junkie" who has an entire room in her house filled with cookware and kitchen gadgets. She is on a mission to become a better cook. 
