Direction :

1. Preheat oven to 550°F with oven rack in center of oven. Trim stem of cauliflower, keeping leaves intact, so it will sit level on a rimmed baking sheet—I line mine with parchment paper. Bring a large pot of water to a boil in a stockpot over high heat. Stir in the 1/3 cup kosher salt until dissolved.
2. Add cauliflower to water; place a heatproof ceramic plate on top of cauliflower to keep it submerged or use a lid and partially cover the pot. Boil until tender and a fork inserted in cauliflower meets no resistance, 10 to 13 minutes—NOTE: If you are using a smaller head of cauliflower, consider reducing the boiling time to 8-10 minutes. Using a spider, gently lift cauliflower from water, and let drain in spider or transfer to a colander and drain in the sink. Let stand until cauliflower has cooled slightly and is dry to the touch, about 15 minutes. Place cauliflower, stem side down, on a rimmed baking sheet.
3. Rub 1 tablespoon olive oil between hands, then rub over cauliflower to apply a thin, even layer OR:  drizzle the cauliflower with some of the tablespoon of oil, then coat your hands with the remainder and rub the oil all over it. Sprinkle 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt over the cauliflower (salt might clump in some places). You may need to turn the cauliflower upside down and rub it in the salt that falls on the sheet pan. Bake in preheated oven until dark brown, about 25 minutes—this may take longer depending on your oven. If you find it’s not getting as dark as you would like, you can run it under the broiler, watching closely the entire time.
4. Meanwhile, make the yogurt sauce: stir together the yogurt, lemon, and salt.
5. To serve, smear the yogurt onto a plate. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with za’atar.
6. Remove cauliflower from the oven, and carefully rub with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Place on top of yogurt smear. Serve hot.