A MasterChef Australia Recipe by Simon Toohey Featuring Black Garlic
This iconic MasterChef Australia dish by Simon Toohey proves that vegetables can be every bit as indulgent and impressive as any centrepiece protein.
Golden roasted cauliflower is layered with a rich sherry caramel, silky black garlic toum, and bright lemon yoghurt — creating a dish that is bold, balanced and deeply satisfying.
It’s a masterclass in flavour: sweet, savoury, tangy and umami — all in one bite.
Recipe Details
Serves: 4
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
Cauliflower with Sherry Caramel
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2 large cauliflowers, cut into thick steaks
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50 ml extra virgin olive oil
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80 g caster sugar
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50 ml sherry vinegar
Black Garlic Toum
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2–3 Noosa Black Garlic Cloves (or equivalent to 1 bulb)
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4 cloves garlic, peeled
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3 shallots, finely diced
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40 ml extra virgin olive oil
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100 ml grapeseed oil
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Salt & pepper
Lemon Yoghurt
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100 g Greek yoghurt
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2–3 tsp lemon juice
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Zest of ½ lemon
Roasted Hazelnuts
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30 g hazelnuts
Garnish
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Mushrooms, thinly shaved
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Nasturtium leaves or micro herbs
Method
1. Prepare the sherry caramel
Place the sugar into a pan over medium heat and allow it to melt, swirling gently until it becomes a deep amber caramel.
Carefully add the sherry vinegar and a splash of water, whisking until smooth. Set aside.
2. Roast the cauliflower
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Heat a pan over medium heat. Brush the cauliflower steaks with olive oil and sear until golden on both sides.
Transfer to a tray, brush generously with the sherry caramel and roast for 25–30 minutes, until tender and deeply caramelised.
3. Make the black garlic toum
In a pan over low-medium heat, cook the shallots and garlic in olive oil until soft.
Add the Noosa Black Garlic Cloves and cook until sticky and aromatic.
Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth, slowly adding grapeseed oil to emulsify into a silky, creamy toum.
Season to taste and refrigerate until needed.
4. Roast the hazelnuts
Place hazelnuts in the oven and roast until golden.
Rub in a tea towel to remove skins, then roughly chop.
5. Prepare the lemon yoghurt
Mix yoghurt with lemon juice and zest until smooth and lightly tangy.
To Serve
Arrange the roasted cauliflower on a serving plate.
Spoon or pipe:
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black garlic toum
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lemon yoghurt
Finish with:
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roasted hazelnuts
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shaved mushrooms
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fresh herbs
Serve warm.
Serving Suggestions
Perfect as:
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a standout vegetarian main
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a shared centrepiece
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a gourmet side dish
Serve with:
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grilled meats or fish
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flatbreads or sourdough
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a crisp white wine
Why Black Garlic Works Here
This dish is all about balance:
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Cauliflower → nutty, caramelised
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Sherry caramel → sweet, acidic
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Toum → rich, creamy
Black garlic transforms the toum by adding:
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deep umami richness
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subtle sweetness
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complex, savoury depth
It elevates a simple vegetable into something truly restaurant-worthy.
Recipe Source & Image Credit
This recipe is by Simon Toohey, featured on MasterChef Australia (Network 10):
https://10.com.au/masterchef/recipes/roasted-cauliflower-with-black-garlic-toum-and-sherry-caramel/r190617xwdva
Recipe: Simon Toohey, MasterChef Australia
Image credit: Network 10 / MasterChef Australia