Alice Hart's Sticky Alliums

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ 425°F/ Gas 7 and peel the garlic

Cut the cauliflower into small, bite-size florets and add to 1 [2] baking tray[s] with 2 [4] whole garlic cloves (save the rest for later) and 2-3 tbsp olive oil

Season generously with salt and pepper and roast for 30-40 min or until golden

Meanwhile, peel and cut the onion[s] into 2cm wedges

Peel and halve the shallots

Heat a pan (preferably non-stick) with a matching lid with 2 tbsp [4 tbsp] olive oil over a medium heat

Once hot, add the onion and shallot with a large pinch of salt and cook for 4 min or until slightly softened 

Meanwhile, add the lentils to a pot with plenty of cold water, bring to the boil, then cook on a low heat for 25-30 mins or until tender

Add the balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp [2 tbsp] sugar and 2 tbsp [4 tbsp] water to the onions

Reduce the heat to its lowest setting and cook the onions, covered, for a further 20-25min or until they’re sweet and sticky

Meanwhile, add the hazelnuts to a small baking dish

Put it in the oven for 7-9 min or until they've darkened slightly in colour and are starting to crack

Set the toasted hazelnuts aside to cool

Meanwhile, zest the lemon[s]

Chop the parsley (stems too) and the remaining garlic finely

Chop the cooled hazelnuts finely

Combine everything in a bowl for serving - this is your gremolata

Drain the cooked lentils, then return them to the pot

Dress them with a dash of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and season generously with salt and pepper

Tip: Cut the remaining lemon into wedges for serving!

Once the cauliflower is fork tender, blitz the cauliflower and garlic in a food processor with a drizzle of olive oil (and a knob of butter if you’re not vegan) until smooth

Taste and season generously with salt and pepper

Tip: For a smoother mash, add more olive oil or a splash of milk (if you're not vegan)