A whole cauliflower roasted in the oven until caramelized, drizzled with brown butter and chives, is a sight to see. It’s as delicious as it looks. Serve as a side dish, or even an appetizer.
A whole cauliflower roasted in the oven until caramelized, drizzled with brown butter and chives, is a sight to see. It’s as delicious as it looks. Serve as a side dish, or even an appetizer.
You haven’t had cauliflower until you’ve had brown butter cauliflower. It’s like never having PB&J…you just need to do it!
Roasting a whole cauliflower and basting it in brown butter is a real side dish show-stopper for the holidays. It’s not only handsome as heck, but it tastes as good as it looks.
Even serve it as an appetizer with a big steak knife right in the center of the table.
Vibing cauliflower? Make my warm Mediterranean Cauliflower Salad!
Other Cauliflower Recipes You’ll Love!
- Creamy Brown Butter Cauliflower & Pancetta Risotto
- Chicken Sausage, Toasted Walnut, and Mozzarella Cauliflower Rice
- Mediterranean Cauliflower Salad
Equipment
- Cast-iron or other oven-safe skillet
Ingredients
- 1 medium whole cauliflower about 5” across
- 6 tablespoons salted butter softened
- 1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Handful of fresh chives snipped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the core of the cauliflower head so that the cauliflower lies flat (level) on a cutting board. Remove all green leaves.
- Place cauliflower in a cast iron skillet or other oven-safe skillet. Drizzle cauliflower with olive oil and use hands or a basting brush to rub entire cauliflower with the olive oil.
- Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil, so the cauliflower will steam in the foil.
- Place in 400-degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and roast for another 25 minutes.
- For brown butter: Keep cauliflower in the oven. Mix softened butter with black pepper. Use a spoon to smash softened butter on top of cauliflower in a thick layer, so the butter immediately starts to melt down the sides of the cauliflower. Roast cauliflower for 10 more minutes. You’ll see the butter melt and run down the sides of the cauliflower, browning in the bottom of the pan and toasting the top of the cauliflower head.
- Remove from oven and baste cauliflower head with the brown butter in the bottom of the pan. Garnish with snipped chives.
- Serve with a big steak knife family-style, or cut into florets and serve.
