Instant Pot Whole Cauliflower

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 250 C / 480 F if you want to finish the cauliflower with a little roasting.

Step 2

Mix the spice rub in a bowl and rub the cauliflower all over with butter. Sprinkle with the spices and rub them in on all sides. Place cauliflower inside a round baking tin or a steamer basket, if you have one.

Step 3

Add a cup of water to the Instant Pot and place the trivet on the bottom. Place the cauliflower dish on top the trivet or place the cauli head directly on the trivet and close the lid. Set the Instant Pot to Manual/Pressure Cook, HIGH pressure for 5 minutes.

Step 4

While the cauliflower is cooking, prepare the crumbs and the glaze (if using).

Step 5

Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add the butter or other cooking fat/oil. Once melted, add the diced bread and toss through. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring a couple of times, before adding the garlic, lemon zest, thyme and salt. Stir and cook together for another minute or two, until garlic gets fragrant and golden (don’t let it burn to get too brown though, as it will turn bitter). Set aside.

Step 6

Whisk the glaze ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Step 7

Once the Instant Pot timer’s up, release the pressure manually using the quick release if you plan to finish the cauliflower in the oven. If not, allow the pressure to release naturally.

Step 8

If roasting, transfer the pre-cooked cauliflower head carefully to a baking dish lined with parchment paper and brush the glaze all over. Pop in the hot oven for 10 minutes to get a nice crust. If not roasting, simply brush with the glaze.

Step 9

Top the cauliflower with the garlic bread crumbs (make sure to discard excess cooking juices from under the cauliflower first so that crumbs don’t get soggy). Add any other toppings you like.

Step 10

To serve, cut the cauliflower into wedges and serve with some crumbs over the top.