Warm salad of roast cauliflower, labna, olives and almonds

Name: Warm salad of roast cauliflower, labna, olives and almonds
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 300g cauliflower florets with 2-3cm heads; 1 tbsp olive oil; sea salt; freshly ground white pepper; 1/2 cup whole almonds with skin; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 120g spreadable labna; 1 cup pitted green olives, cut in half; 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest; 1/2 cup currants; 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

June 22, 2015

easyTime:30 mins - 1 hourServes:4

This warm salad traces its pedigree to the Middle East. As well as labna - a thick, cheese-like yoghurt - soft cheeses such as ricotta work well in the salad. You can deep-fry the cauliflower to give it a more intense flavour.

Ingredients

300g cauliflower florets with 2-3cm heads
1 tbsp olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground white pepper
1/2 cup whole almonds with skin
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
120g spreadable labna
1 cup pitted green olives, cut in half
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup currants
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

Method

Toss cauliflower florets with olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt and a grind of pepper. Roast at 220C for 15-20 minutes, turning half way, until golden brown but still holding their shape. Reserve to one side.
Reduce oven temperature to 180°C. Place almonds in a single layer on a tray in the oven and roast until golden, about 8-10 minutes, checking regularly. Remove, allow to cool and roughly chop.
Make dressing with the lemon juice and olive oil and season to taste.
Spread labna across the base of four plates.
In a bowl, toss the warm cauliflower with the roasted almonds, all remaining ingredients and the dressing. Divide mixture evenly across four plates and serve immediately.