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This dish is a fixture on Ester's menu. It can be shared between two-to-four people, or eaten as a main. Chefs at Ester use a wood-fired oven but turn your home oven up as high as it can go to achieve a similar result. Lindsay says roasting the cauliflower on a high heat gives the vegetable a delicious, nutty flavour and texture.

Ingredients

1 whole head of cauliflower

1 cup of round mint leaves

½ cup of roasted almonds, chopped roughly

Extra virgin olive oil

Juice of half a lemon

Salt and black pepper

For the almond sauce:

100g almond meal

150ml water

200g extra virgin olive oil

2 egg yolks

Brown rice vinegar

Sea salt

Method

1. Put the almond meal in a saucepan with the water and heat gently to approximately 50C.

2. Pour almond mixture into a blender and mix to a smooth paste, season to your taste with the vinegar and salt.

3. While still blending add the two egg yolks then slowly add the oil as if making a mayonnaise, check seasoning and you are done.

4. Quarter the cauliflower and steam on high for approximately 10 minutes or until a skewer will go into the stem area with just a little resistance. Let cool to room temp.

5. Heat your oven to as hot as you can get it. In a roasting tray or a cast iron pan roast the steamed cauliflower until parts are a dark golden brown, which should take about 10–15 minutes (any charred parts are fine and just add flavour).

5. When done, remove from the oven and dress simply with the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and black pepper.

To serve: Cover a plate with the almond sauce and sit the roasted cauliflower on top, scatter the mint and some chopped almonds over the top.

Mat Lindsay spoke to Good Food's Jane Holroyd