I love cauliflower because it lends itself so well to all cooking styles. I know there is the recent craze with cauliflower rice and tabouli but be it in a soup, roasted or in a curry, a stir fry or a humble cauliflower cheese, they are all delicious. People talk about pantry staples and if I were to talk about fridge staples, cauliflower will probably be in my top 5.
You can feature these cauliflower steaks as a main course or a starter for a vegan degustation meal.
CAULIFLOWER STEAKS WITH CANNELINI BEANS & ROASTED CHICK PEAS
INGREDIENTS
1 large cauliflower weighing at least a kilo
1 tablespoon garam masala powder
1-2 teaspoons chilli powder
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
400g tin of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed well
400g tin of chick peas, drained and rinsed well
1 tablespoon ground almonds
¼ preserved lemon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper
Pickled green chilli to garnish
METHOD
Working from the centre (head) of the cauliflower, cut down to the heart to create four steaks a centimetre thick. Transfer the remaining florets to a sauce pan for later use.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Lay the steaks out on a baking tray and brush both sides with olive oil. Sprinkle the garam masala, salt and chilli powder evenly on the steaks. Cook the steaks for 25 – 35 minutes.
Use a tea towel to dry the chick peas well. Transfer them onto another baking tray. Toss in a tablespoon of oil and sprinkle salt and chilli powder. Roast the chick peas until nice and crispy for 30 -35 minutes. You may need to shuffle them once in a while to ensure they are cooking evenly.
While the steaks and chick peas are roasting, prepare the mash. Add a few tablespoons of water to the florets and cook for ten minutes or so until they are soft and tender. Mix in the cannellini beans along with almond powder. Season with salt and continue cooking for a further five minutes. Transfer contents to a food processor. Add the preserved lemon, lemon juice and a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Blitz to a fine, velvety mash and adjust seasoning.
To serve, spoon a bit of the cannellini bean mash on a plate. Place a steak and drizzle the roasted chick peas. Serve with a pickled chilli on top.
CAULIFLOWER STEAKS WITH A TOMATO GINGER BROTH
1 large cauliflower weighing at least a kilo
1 tablespoon garam masala powder
1-2 teaspoons chilli powder
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
300g of tinned plum tomatoes
50g carrot, chopped
30g ginger, peeled and chopped
1-2 green chillies, slit in the middle
Pinch of sugar or honey
Salt to taste
Working from the centre (head) of the cauliflower, cut down to the heart to create four steaks a centimetre thick. Transfer the remaining florets to a sauce pan for later use.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Lay the steaks out on a baking tray and brush both sides with olive oil. Sprinkle the garam masala, salt and chilli powder evenly on the steaks. Cook the steaks for 25 – 35 minutes.
While the steaks are cooking, prepare the broth. Heat the sunflower oil in a sauce pan. Fry the finger for a minute, add the carrot, tomato, chilli. Add 150ml of water and bring the contents to a boil. Cover with a lid and cook on a simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt and honey or sugar. Remove the lid and cook uncovered for a further five minutes.
Fish out the chillies and discard. Use a stick blender and blend to a fine liquid.
To serve, pour some of the broth into a serving bowl. Place a steak on top and serve immediately.