Entertaining Asian

Char siu cauliflower

Name: Char siu whole roasted cauliflower recipe
Yield: 2
Cuisine: /asian
Ingredients: 20.00 ml fine salt; 500g cauliflower; Neutral oil (such as canola or vegetable oil), to drizzle; Thinly sliced long green shallots, to serve; Steamed rice, to serve; 2 garlic cloves, chopped; 20.00 ml light soy sauce; 1 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce; 1/2 tsp white pepper; 20.00 ml hoisin sauce; 2 cubes red fermented bean curd (see note), mashed; 1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice; 20.00 ml honey or maltose, or to taste; 20.00 ml (rose dew cooking wine, from Asian grocers) or brandy; Few drops red food colouring (optional)

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by delicious. team

delicious. team

Dec 09, 2024

"This recipe was born during lockdown. At that time I realised that if I’m to eat seasonally, there will be an abundance of the same vegetable. Hence the creation of char siu-flavoured cauliflower, which gave me one more exciting way to serve this brassica when I had a glut of it. Packed with the flavours of a great char siu, it’s seriously delicious. Presenting a whole cauliflower in its glorious roasted splendour is also a visual treat." – Tony Tan.

This recipe is an edited extract from Tony Tan’s Asian Cooking Class by Tony Tan, Murdoch Books, AU$59.99.

1 tbs fine salt
1 cauliflower (500g), leaves removed
Neutral oil (such as canola or vegetable oil), to drizzle
Thinly sliced long green shallots, to serve
Steamed rice, to serve

Marinade

2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbs light soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 tbs hoisin sauce
2 cubes red fermented bean curd (see note), mashed
1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice
1 tbs honey or maltose, or to taste
1 tbs mei kuei lu chiew (rose dew cooking wine, from Asian grocers) or brandy
Few drops red food colouring (optional)

Method

1.

Preheat oven to 240°C/220°C fan-forced.
2.

Fill a large pot two-thirds full with water and bring to the boil over high heat. Add 1 tbs salt and submerge the cauliflower. Reduce heat to medium and leave it to simmer for 10-12 minutes, until just tender.
3.

Meanwhile, blitz marinade ingredients together with a stick blender until smooth.
4.

Drain the cauliflower and pat dry. Transfer to a baking tray, smear marinade all over it (if you like, reserve excess to baste and pour over at the end), then drizzle with oil. Place cauliflower in oven and roast for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180C/160C fan-forced and cook, brushing now and then with excess marinade, for another 20-30 minutes, until beautifully caramelised and crisp. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes, then top with sliced shallot and serve with steamed rice.