Gordon created this dish for his daughters, who demanded vegetables instead of meat. It works as a stunning dish with great depth of flavor, but it is also satisfying and beautiful enough to stand as a vegetarian main cours
To prep the cauliflower, break off the thick leaves and slice off the stem so that the bottom of the cauliflower is flat & stable on the cutting board. Slicing into thick “steaks” ensures that the cauliflower doesn’t break down into florets while cooking, & slicing into equal sizes allows for even cooking
Brown the butter in the pan & baste the cauliflower steaks with it just like you would a rib eye. The nutty flavor of the milk solids in the gently cooked butter is how it got its name.
Prep
• All of the vegetables in this dish can be cleaned & cut up to three days ahead. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or store in airtight plastic containers.
• Green olives discolor within a day when cut unless held in olive oil. The pistou can be made ahead of time & stored in glass jars & refrigerated for up to a month.
• The cauliflower steaks can be marinated in olive oil, harissa, & seasoning a day ahead and stored in ziplock bags.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Peel the leaves off the cauliflower & cut the stem leaving 1 inch or enough for the florets to stay intact. This will leave the base flat & stable on the cutting board & make it easier to cut into the cauliflower evenly. Wet your chef’s knife liberally before cutting the steaks to make the knife slick & nonstick when making contact with the vegetable. Cut 1 inch off the left & right edges of the cauliflower leaving about 2 inches of the center intact. Then slice the remaining portion in half, resulting in two 1-inch steaks from each head of cauliflower. The more even the steaks, the more evenly they will cook.
Drizzle a sheet tray with 4 ounces of olive oil. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons harissa powder & 2 pinches of Maldon salt over the oil. Rub one side of the steaks in the olive oil/harissa mix & pour 1 ounce of olive oil & the remaining harissa powder over the other sides. Finish with another 2 pinches of Maldon salt.
Heat two large cast-iron skillets on medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil in each. Once the pans are smoking, place the steaks in the hot pan & let brown on one side for 90 seconds or until the edges begin to char. Turn the steaks over gently, add 2 tablespoons of butter to each pan, melt, and brown to give the steaks a nutty flavor. Baste the steaks with the browned butter. When the butter is frothy, split vegetable stock into the pans & let it come to a boil. Remove from the stovetop & place side by side on the middle rack of the oven. Roast for 8 to 10 minutes. Use a paring knife to test the doneness of the cauliflower. If you feel resistance, continue cooking; if it pushes into the flesh easily, it is finished cooking. Transfer to a platter to rest.
Olive Pistou
In a medium bowl mix the quartered olives with olive oil, orange juice, orange zest, lemon juice, lemon zest, & parsley. Season to taste with salt & pepper.
Porcini Mushrooms
Heat a large sauté pan on medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Cut the porcinis in ¼-inch slices lengthwise and move to the side of the cutting board. Cut the shallots in half lengthwise then turn them onto the cut side for stability to thinly slice. Add the porcinis to the pan and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the shallots and garlic into the pan and continue to cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, or until the shallots and garlic are translucent.
Zest lemon into the pan and add the olive pistou. Stir together. Lower the heat to medium-low. Chiffonade the mint and sprinkle over the mushrooms. Add the capers and stir in to incorporate. Turn off heat and season to taste with more salt & pepper if needed.
Plate + Garnish
Plate 2 steaks with cores facing each other. Spoon the olive pistou/mushroom mixture over the steaks. Finish with a drizzle olive oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice and tuck the garlic or chive blossoms into the mixture atop the steaks. Plate cauliflower steaks individually if serving as a main.
View line-by-line Nutrition Insights™: Discover which ingredients contribute the calories/sodium/etc.
|
||
Serving Size: 1 Recipe (615g) | ||
Recipe Makes: 1 Serving | ||
|
||
Calories: 3338 | ||
Calories from Fat: 3315 (99%) | ||
|
||
Amt Per Serving | % DV | |
|
||
Total Fat 368.4g | 491 % | |
Saturated Fat 79.3g | 397 % | |
Monounsaturated Fat 241.6g | ||
Polyunsanturated Fat 34.7g | ||
Cholesterol 152.6mg | 47 % | |
Sodium 1276.7mg | 44 % | |
Potassium 366.2mg | 10 % | |
Total Carbohydrate 21.5g | 6 % | |
Dietary Fiber 6.4g | 26 % | |
Sugars, other 15.1g | ||
Protein 4.1g | 6 % | |
Powered by: USDA Nutrition Database Disclaimer: Nutrition facts are derived from linked ingredients (shown at left in colored bullets) and may or may not be complete. Always consult a licensed nutritionist or doctor if you have a nutrition-related medical condition. |
Calories per serving: 3338
Get detailed nutrition information, including item-by-item nutrition insights, so you can see where the calories, carbs, fat, sodium and more come from.
There are no reviews yet. Be the first!
What would you serve with this? Link in another recipe.