One of the first steps in any recipe involving cauliflower is almost always "cut into bite-sized florets." It's what we do when we want to toss it with pasta, sausage, and breadcrumbs or bake it with broccoli and cheese. Florets, florets, florets. But what about cutting thick, hearty slices and sautéing them like a chicken breast? Or a filet?
Bon Appétit has a great recipe in its January issue that does just that—and what a simple, healthy, beautiful dish it is.
Turns out you don't always have to reduce a head of cauliflower to a pile of bite-sized buds. It is compact and sturdy enough to be sliced into slabs, then seared (for a crispy crust) and put in the oven (for a soft, tender center).
These "steaks" are topped with a sauce of chopped olives, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh parsley, and lemon juice. Quick, fresh, and lovely as a meatless meal. With much less chopping.
• Cauliflower Steaks with Olive Relish and Tomato Sauce, at Bon Appétit.
Do you ever cook cauliflower this way?
Related: Basic Technique: How to Cut Cauliflower
(Image: Lisa Hubbard)
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Sounds like: http://www.marthastewart.com/349641/tree-life-cauliflower
This dish might be the single best use for truffle oil or salt.
Its not only in the January issue of Bon Appetit but also in the Jan/Feb issue of Everyday Food. It does look beautiful and think I would enjoy it but my husband, who is now much more open to meatless meals than in the past, may not be so welcoming. The sauce has to be REALLY interesting.
@myself: meaning, truffle oil/salt instead of the sauce mentioned in the recipe. Faster, simpler, and lets you taste the cauliflower, too.
I just ordered a cauliflower "steak" from a restaurant in Chicago. It was a little charred and served with anchovy chipotle butter. Amazing.
When I saw this in BA, it was sort of an Oh! moment. Don't know why it never occured to me before. I didn't braise the cauliflower slices, though, I coated them in oil and seasonings and stuck them in the oven on a non-stick cookie tray. Came out caramelized around the edges and really good.
Unfortunately, cutting cauliflower on the dangerous side encouraged me to try different ways of cutting it. So yesterday I hacked the crap out of it.
Still tasted like cauliflower, though. Broccoli is next...
Flora is a wonderful restaurant in Oakland, CA that often served a brilliant cauliflower steak over a cauliflower puree as one of its vegetarian mains. I actually have not been to the restaurant in a few years, but this was one of my favorite dishes there.
One of my fave veggie meals is braised cauliflower with onions (which also get camelized), a glug of soy sauce, over rice with goddess dressing.
I've done this as well. I cooked the cauliflower in olive oil and then added garlic, lemon juice and capers and it was delicious.
my favorite is Cauliflower & Kale Cream Soup with Pan-Roasted Pine nuts http://www.mazamag.com/2011/12/cauliflower-kale-cream-soup-with-pan-roasted-pine-nuts/
I love this Spicy Cauliflower Steak recipe - filling on its own or as a delicious side...http://www.bchydro.com/etc/medialib/internet/documents/pshome/pdf/vij_cauliflower_steak_recipe.Par.0001.File.vij-cauliflower-steak-recipe.pdf
They published this technique a few years ago, serving the steaks over a cauliflower puree. Sounds like what @yumesoba described. Stunning dish, I've never forgotten it.
@mango1227: May I ask what restaurant? That sounds awesome.
Speaking of unusual cauliflower preparations, I made a cauliflower "couscous" once that rocked. I grated the florets and it was a raw awesome treat.
I am so going to try this - it looks stunning. I might try breadcrumbing it as well, or might that be too much?