Cauliflower can be bland and boring if not treated correctly, but browning the vegetable in the oven coaxes out deep, almost meaty flavors that transform it into a satisfying vegetarian main.
In this recipe from “ Milk Street 365: The All-Purpose Cookbook for Every Day of the Year,” we cut thick cauliflower steaks from the center section of the whole head, then brush them with olive oil on both sides and season with salt and pepper before cooking them in a scorching hot oven.
The steaks are roasted until tender throughout and browned on the bottom, anchoring the dish with a crispy edge and deep umami. A cheesy, mildly spicy topping of Parmesan, briny capers and pickled peppers is spooned on top before a final stint in the oven, building layers of salty, piquant flavor that highlight the nutty sweetness of the vegetable.
This dish is delicious with any sweet pickled pepper, but use South African Juanita peppers, sometimes referred to as Peppadew peppers, if you can find them. Be sure to blot the peppers and capers with paper towels before mixing the topping to minimize the moisture released and encourage browning.
You should get two steaks per head. The ends that are left over tend to fall apart because they’re detached from the core, but don’t discard them — use them to make cauliflower rice, roast them separately or make them into soup.
Cauliflower Steaks with Pickled Peppers, Capers and Parmesan
Start to finish: 45 minutes
Servings: 4 to 6
Ingredients:
- Two 2- to 2½-pound cauliflower heads, trimmed
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper
- ½ cup Peppadew peppers OR sweet cherry peppers, patted dry and finely chopped
- ½ cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, finely grated (½ cup)
- ¼ cup drained capers, patted dry and roughly chopped
Directions:
Heat the oven to 500°F with a rack in the middle position.
Mist a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
Halve each cauliflower top to bottom. From the cut side of each half, slice off a 1½-inch-thick slab to make a total of 4 “steaks”; reserve the ends for another use.
Brush the steaks on all sides with 4 tablespoons of oil and season with salt and pepper.
Roast on the prepared baking sheet until browned on the bottoms, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the Peppadews, parsley, Parmesan, capers and the remaining 2 tablespoons oil.
After the cauliflower has roasted for 20 minutes, spread the Peppadew mixture onto the steaks. Continue to roast until the topping is well browned and the steaks are tender, another 8 to 10 minutes.
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