Smoked whole cauliflower recipe (it's lush) and Bristol Fire School Date release

Good morning Team Fire! I write this from my bedroom, full of snot, sniffles and misery, my second day of the home bed office in full swing. Surrounded by dogs, cats, biscuit crumbs and empty mugs

To be honest, I am feeling pretty pathetic so hope you’ll forgive the brevity here. Keep heading straight on down to the bottom of the page if you’re here to snap up spots Bristol Fire School summer classes. They won’t hang around for too long!

I wanted to share one of my current favourite veg recipes, Whole smoked cauliflower with spiced soy butter and quick satay sauce, both as a written recipe, and a re-share of a reel I made last year that got pretty lost in Instagrams chaotic and rather irritating algorithm.

Whole smoked cauliflower with spiced soy butter and quick satay sauce

This recipe is all about layering flavours, colours and textures. Simply add a bowlful of steamed rice for a sharing main course or serve as a side dish for a crowd. I alway think cauliflower is a vegetable that only truly shines with a good lick of something dairy, be that cream, cheese or the soy sauce butter used here, but of course sub in non dairy equivalents if that’s your jam. The whole vegetable is used in this dish - if you have never eaten roast cauliflower stems and stalks you are in for a treat, they are far too good to waste.

Serves 2-6 as a vegetarian main or sharing side dish

1 large cauliflower

2 tbsp sesame oil

for the butter

125g butter, melted

3 cloves garlic, crushed

3 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp coriander seeds, crushed

2 tsp black peppercorns, crushed

1 tsp ground turmeric (or use a 25g piece of fresh turmeric, grated, if you can find it)

for the satay sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 banana shallots, finely chopped

50g fresh ginger root, grated

1 lemongrass stalk, very finely chopped 

2 cloves garlic, crushed

200ml coconut milk

200g peanut butter (smooth or crunchy, your preference! We all know crunchy is best)

2 tbsp soy sauce

salt and freshly ground black pepper

to garnish

1 red chilli, finely sliced

4 spring onions, finely sliced

a loose handful coriander, chopped

1 lime, cut into wedges

Fire up the barbecue ready for indirect grilling and reducing the air flow on the vents to create a gentle even heat.

Whilst the barbecue is firing up, set a really large pan of lightly salted water on the hob to boil. Trim the leaves and stems from the cauliflower and chop into bite sized pieces. Tip into a bowl and drizzle with a little sesame oil. Set aside. Once the water is boiling carefully lower in the cauliflower and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain well and place in a sturdy roasting tin and drizzle over a little sesame oil and season with salt and pepper

Add a couple of lumps of smoking wood to the fire for a smoky cauliflower. Set the roasting tin on the grill bars away from the fire and shut the lid to trap in the smoke and create an oven like heat. Roast for about an hour to an hour and a half, rotating the tin once or twice to make sure its cooking evenly, or until its tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.

Meanwhile, make the soy sauce butter by stirring together the melted butter, garlic, soy sauce, sugar, crushed coriander and pepper in a bowl. Set aside whilst the cauliflower cooks - it will solidify again, this is fine.

For the satay sauce, set a small pan over a low heat on the hob. Pour in the oil and add the shallot, ginger and lemongrass, along with a good pinch of salt. Cook very gently, stirring a few times, for a generous 15 minutes until the shallot is really soft and lightly caramelised. Stir through the garlic and cook for a further minute or two before pouring in the coconut milk and 200ml water. Spoon in the peanut butter and add the soy sauce and a good grind of black pepper. Stir over a low heat for around 10 minutes until you have a smooth creamy sauce. Keep warm until you are ready to serve.

Pile the soy butter on top of the cauliflower, and scatter the stems and stalks into the tin around the cauliflower. Slide the tin over the lit coals so it cooks with a little more direct heat now. Shut the lid and roast for another 15-20 minutes or so until the butter has melted down through the cauliflower and stems and stalks are tender.

To serve, drizzle a little of the warm satay sauce over the cauliflower and add the rest to a serving bowl for people to help themselves. Scatter over the chilli, spring onions and coriander and tuck in limes wedges for people to squeeze over. 

Bristol Fire School summer date release!

Right, summer dates. Ready to book right now. Classes are limited due to festival and new book writing/shooting commitments. The dates below are all clickable links and you can book straight on, places go on a first come first served basis. If you miss the slot you want never fear, there will be more in the autumn (not that I want to think about autumn yet). If you want more detail on each of the classes head here: Bristol Fire School

Tues 30 May - Fish and Seafood Over Fire

Fri 9 June - Kamado Masterclass

Fri 16 June - Intermediate Fire

Fri 23 June - Fire Fundamentals

Fri 30 June - Fish and Seafood Over Fire

Fri 7 July - Kamado Masterclass

Fri 14 July - Intermediate Fire

Fri 21 July - Fire Fundamentals

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If you’re a paying subscriber (have I said thank you?! I do thank you) then next week you’ll get bantz, I hope, with my favourite big hairy bear, Chris, or T-Bone Chops. I’m trying to persuade him to let me show you all the photo of *that* time he broke my knee in two. And he’s coming on via zoom to tell me all about the new book him and Christian, DJBBQ, have coming out imminently. The DJ himself will be coming on at a later date…

If you wanna upgrade your sub, the links below. And I would thank you kindly for that.

Next time I shall be fighting fit and full of bubble, until then… keep it smoky.

Big Love,

GT

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