Smoked Whole Cauliflower with Spiced Soy Butter and Satay Sauce

1. Stage

Fire up the grill for indirect grilling:  For a charcoal grill , push the lit coals onto one side. You will be cooking over the side without any coals.  For a gas grill , turn one burner on to high heat. You’ll be grilling over the burners that are kept off.

2. Stage

Boil the cauliflower:  While the grill is firing up, fill a large pot with water and 1 tablespoon salt and set it over high heat on the stovetop. Bring it up to a boil.  Meanwhile, set the cauliflower on a cutting board and trim the leaves and bottom stems only. The cauliflower should stay whole; don’t cut them into florets.  Chop only the trimmed leaves and bottom stem into bite-sized pieces. Tip them into a medium bowl and drizzle with 1 tablespoon sesame oil. Set it aside.  Carefully lower the whole cauliflower into the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Drain well into a colander set in the sink and place it on a sturdy roasting pan or all-metal round skillet—it should have no plastic or wooden parts—and drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil over it and season with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and the black pepper.

3. Stage

Add the wood for smoking:  For a charcoal grill , add a couple lumps of wood chunks (any kind, like oak, apple, cherry, or hickory) on top of the fire.  For a gas grill , rest a couple lumps of wood chunks directly on the lit burners so that it catches on fire and smolders as the cauliflower cooks. If it burns through and falls off the burners, just add more.  The smoke from the wood chunks will come, no need to wait for it before placing the cauliflower on the grill.

4. Stage

Smoke the cauliflower:  Set the roasting pan on the grill bars away from the fire and shut the lid to trap in the smoke and create an oven like heat. The grill should be at 275°F to 300°F as the cauliflower roasts. You may need to adjust the vents on your grill to maintain this temperature. Roast the cauliflower for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours, rotating the pan once or twice to make sure it cooks evenly, until it’s tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.

5. Stage

Toast and crush the coriander seeds and black peppercorns:  In a small skillet set over medium heat on the stove top. Add the coriander seeds and black peppercorns. Toast, stirring frequently, until they turn a light golden brown and are fragrant, about 2 minutes. Use a mortar and pestle to pound the coriander seeds and black peppercorns until no longer whole but still a little coarse. You can use a spice grinder to do this. Transfer them into a medium bowl to make the spiced soy butter.

6. Stage

Make the spiced soy butter:  To the medium bowl with the ground coriander seeds and black pepper, stir in the melted butter, garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, and turmeric. Set it aside—it’s fine if the butter solidifies.

7. Stage

Make the satay sauce: Set a small skillet over low heat on the stove top. Add the sesame oil, shallots, ginger, lemongrass, and salt. Use a little less salt if your peanut butter is salty. Cook for a generous 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are soft and lightly caramelized.  Stir in the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the coconut milk, water, peanut butter, soy sauce, and black pepper. Increase the heat to medium, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes until you have a creamy sauce. Keep covered off the heat until you are ready to serve.

8. Stage

Cook the cauliflower with the soy butter:  Pile the spiced soy butter on top of the smoked cauliflower. It’ll melt and drizzle down the sides of the cauliflower. Scatter the sesame oil-coated chopped leaves and stem in the pan around the cauliflower. Slide the pan over the lit coals or burners so it cooks with more direct heat. Shut the lid and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until the chopped leaves and stem are tender.

9. Stage

Serve: I serve the cauliflower straight from the pan it cooked in. Drizzle a bit of the warm satay sauce over the cauliflower and add the rest to a small serving bowl for guests to help themselves. Scatter the chilis, scallions, and cilantro on top, and tuck in the lime wedges for guests to squeeze on top of the cauliflower. The cauliflower should be tender enough to scoop with a spoon. Did you love the recipe? Give us some stars below!