This recipe is absolutely beautiful and even my partner, who is vegetarian, and at the same time, definitely doesn’t like cauliflower, is a big fan. I am confident that once the food is served nicely, it tastes better too, so today I put on my artist-glows and set a beautiful plate – something that I usually don’t do at home if it is only two of us eating. So maybe this is what made the difference, but for me, this recipe is delicious in any shape or form!
I especially like that if the cauliflower is roasted like that in the oven, it keeps the structure and integrity of cauliflower. Of course, it is nothing similar to a real steak, but in my humble opinion, it is better! Paired with the silky smooth mash and topped with dukkah, pomegranate, and coriander, it is a very nice dish that I would happily even enjoy dining out (but since it only takes a little over 30 minutes to cook I still rather prepare it myself).
I did not share the preparation for coriander oil in the recipe part, because this is just too simple to call it a recipe – just take a bunch of coriander and blend it with a little bit of salt and oil until you have the texture you like. I also didn't share the dukkah recipe with you, but this is only because I have shared it with you already, and you can find it here.
Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Cauliflower Mash
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
1 large cauliflower (I used green Romanesco, but any kind will work)
Oil, for frying
½ cup coconut milk
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste
To serve:
Dukkah spice mix (Use store-bought or prepare your own. Recipe here.)
Cilantro oil
Pomegranate seeds
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 200C/390F and cover a baking tray with parchment.
Cut the cauliflower in half, and then cut out thick (about 1-inch) slices so the core will hold them together. If the heart is very tough, feel free to peel it, otherwise, save as much of the cauliflower as possible – it is all delicious!
Heat a drop of oil on a frying pan and sear the cauliflower on both sides until nice and golden – it takes around 2 minutes on both sides. Season with salt and pepper, transfer to a baking sheet, and roast with a fan on for about 20 minutes until they are done. Halfway through the cooking time, turn them carefully.
Meanwhile, chop up the rest of the cauliflower and add it to the same pan you used to sear your steaks. Sear them lightly for a few minutes, season with salt, add ½ cup of water, cover with lid and simmer for 10 minutes. Once it is tender, transfer to a heat resistant bowl and blend with coconut milk and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.
To serve, divide the mash between plate, add the cauliflower steak straight from the oven and top with dukkah, cilantro oil, and pomegranate seeds.
By Kadri Raig
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