From The Cook’s Garden © 2025 by Kevin West. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.
A young cauliflower plant bides its time in the garden, attractive but vague. Nothing about it suggests flamboyant maturity. The faint, powdery bloom on its glaucous leaves looks like blushing in reverse, the applied pallor of a ballerina’s face. Then something unthinkable happens. Atop the apical bud, the plant forms a clenched fist of pure white, a strange color in the garden, and punches itself into existence. The curd swells into a head. Unless quickly snatched in at this ripe moment, it will burst open over several days, flying into pieces, an explosion of flowers. Such drama!
Before that happens, seize it and roast whole until browned and tender as flesh. The dressing is a matter of taste, but cauliflower favors the bold. Splashed with bagna cauda, a potent warm sauce flavored with garlic, anchovies, and garden thyme, the head is fit to serve on a platter as the centerpiece of a garden meal. For a vegetarian option, omit the anchovies.
Make the Bagna Cauda: In a small saucepan, combine the olive oil, butter, garlic, shallot, red chile flakes, thyme, and anchovies. Warm over low heat, without sizzling, until the oil is fragrant and infused, about 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat. Stir in the lemon zest and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Prepare the Cauliflower: Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Plunge the cauliflower into a large bowl of cold, salted water for a few minutes to purge aphids.
Drain and place the head upside down on a cutting board. Remove the small leaves that cling at the base like damp curls. Carefully pare the thickest part of the core while leaving it intact.
Place the head right-side up in a cast-iron skillet. Drizzle with olive oil and rub all over to coat. Sprinkle generously with salt, inside and out. Loosely cover with foil and transfer to the oven.
After 30 minutes, remove the foil and baste with olive oil. Continue to roast, uncovered, basting occasionally, until tender when poked with a skewer, 1 hour or more.
At the end, brown the head under the broiler for a few minutes, if you like. Bring to the table whole. To serve, cut into wedges and splash with the bagna cauda.
6 servings