Lebanese Cauliflower

I love the deep-fried cauliflower – arnabeet mekleh (or mekle) – often seen as part of a Lebanese mezze, but it can be a touch too oily. So I usually roast my Lebanese cauliflower in the oven instead. Roasting gives the same great caramelised flavour with less mess and fewer calories, just be sure to cook it long enough so that it gets all those delicious caramelised flavours. Serve it with some flatbread a few other Lebanese dishes – baba ghanoush, ful medames and fattoush for example – to create a tasty mezze meal. A glass or two of Angus Vinden’s vibrant basket press shiraz works a treat with a Lebanese feast like this; it’s bright Hunter fruit, but in a modern elegant style. Leftover roasted Lebanese cauliflower keeps for days in the fridge and tastes just as good the second time around too.

Serves 4 as part of a mezze