Ex Bubala chef Helen Graham is back with a new veg-focused Christmas centrepiece recipe for us. She's picked a whole cauliflower because 'it feels so dramatic and never fails to make an impact and get people excited'. There’s quite a lot of Indonesian/Malaysian influence here with the peanut tahini which is so rich and decadent, but the lime oil cuts through it so perfectly. If you cant find lime leaves, feel free to sub for fresh curry leaves or just leave out altogether.
Preheat oven to 200c fan. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and blanch the cauliflower for 10 minutes. Drain and allow to steam dry in a colander for a further 10 minutes before transferring to a lined baking tray. Mix together the oil, turmeric and salt in a small bowl and then distribute over the cauliflower - easiest to use your hands here to make sure its thoroughly covered. Roast for 25-30 minutes until golden.
To make the confit garlic, add the garlic and oil to the smallest saucepan you have and set on a low heat. Cook for 20 minutes until the garlic is starting to turn golden. Add the kaffir lime and chilli and sizzle for 2 minutes before decanting into a heat proof bowl. Stir in the salt, paprika, lime juice and maple syrup.
To make the satay tahini, add the tahini, peanut butter, maple, soy, lime juice and salt to a bowl and whisk together. Slowly whisk in the water until you have something that resembles pancake butter in consistency.
Place the cauliflower on a serving dish, pour over the satay tahini and spoon over the confit garlic. Garnish with the crispy shallots and coriander.
