The last time I made cauliflower “steaks,” I was playing with the chicken-fried idea and I served them with a miso-mushroom gravy.
This time, my approach is lighter and brighter. In this recipe by Jodi Moreno in More With Less (Roost Books, 2018), they’re coated in a chickpea-flour batter, pan-fried and served with a chunky, sharp sauce made from thinly sliced scallions, grated ginger, sesame oil and lime juice.
The only trick to cauliflower steaks, by the way, is in the cutting. It’s hard to know just how many steaks you’ll get out of a head, because at a certain stage of the slicing you’re out of stem, which means that the florets no longer hold together. No worry. There’s enough batter for you to fry up all the stray bits, too.
Crispy Cauliflower Steaks With Ginger Scallion Sauce
Servings: 4 to 6
MAKE AHEAD: The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Ingredients:For the sauce:1 teaspoon peeled, grated fresh ginger root6 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced1 jalapeño or mild green chile pepper, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced1 tablespoon fresh lime juice1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil1 teaspoon honey¼ teaspoon sea salt, or more as neededFor the cauliflower:1 large head cauliflower1 cup chickpea flour1 cup water1 teaspoon garlic powder (granulated garlic)½ teaspoon sea salt½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper3 tablespoons grapeseed, sunflower or other vegetable oilMethod:
For the sauce: Stir together the ginger, scallions, jalapeño or mild green chile pepper, lime juice, toasted sesame oil, honey and salt in a medium bowl. The yield is 2/3 cup.
For the cauliflower: Trim and discard the green leaves and any brown stem off the bottom of the cauliflower. Place the cauliflower on a cutting board, stem side down. To create steaks, you’ll be starting in the middle and working your way outward. Cut the cauliflower down the center, then cut each half into 1/2-inch-thick slices, starting from the cut side and working toward the outer edge, repeating until the steaks no longer hold together. You should end up with 3 or 4 whole steaks. Break up the remaining pieces into florets.
Whisk together the chickpea flour, water, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a wide, shallow bowl.
Line a plate with paper towels. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, dip a few of the steaks into the batter and turn to coat evenly. Transfer them to the pan; cook for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown and crisped. Transfer to the lined plate. Repeat with any remaining steaks.
Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Toss all the remaining florets into the batter so they are well coated, then transfer them to the pan and fry, turning every 2 minutes or so, until golden brown and crisped.
Restir the sauce; taste and add more salt, as needed. Serve the cauliflower steaks warm, with spoonfuls of the sauce on top.
Nutrition: Per serving (based on 6): 190 calories, 7 g protein, 19 g carbohydrates, 11 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 320 mg sodium, 5 g dietary fiber, 6 g sugar
Source: Adapted from More With Less: Whole Food Cooking Made Irresistibly Simple, by Jodi Moreno (Roost Books, 2018).
