Cauliflower Piccata Recipes

CAULIFLOWER PICCATA WITH LEMON CAPER SAUCE

Steps:

• Note: This recipe works best if you measure everything ahead of time and set it beside the stove. With everything ready to go, the recipe goes pretty quickly.
• Steam the cauliflower according to your preferred method (see here for tips on using the Instant Pot). You can slice the cauliflower into "steaks" or just use the florets. (Note: As you can see in the photos, I sliced my whole head of cauliflower into two large "steaks" and then chopped the remaining cauliflower into florets.)
• Toss lemon slices and garlic with sugar. Set aside.
• Place 1 cup flour in a shallow baking dish. Add salt and black pepper and stir to combine.
• Heat a large skillet or saute pan over medium heat. (Note: You'll want a pan that can hold all of the cauliflower, so it's probably the largest one you have.)
• Add 2 Tbsp oil to the heated pan and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan.
• Working quickly, dredge each piece of cauliflower in flour, shake off the excess, and place the cauliflower in the hot pan.
• Cook on both sides until deep golden brown and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes total. Set cauliflower aside and return pan to heat.
• Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to heated pan and then lemon slices and garlic.
• Saute until garlic is fragrant and lemons are starting to turn golden in spots, 1 to 2 minutes (watch it closely and remove it from heat if the garlic starts to turn brown).
• Pour charred lemons and garlic back into the bowl they were marinating in and return pan to heat.
• Add shallots and oregano to heated pan.
• Cook until shallots are tender, ~1 minute.
• Add 1 Tbsp flour and stir until no dry spots of flour remain.
• Add white wine and broth to pan, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
• Increase heat to bring sauce to a simmer.
• Simmer until sauce reduces by half, about 5 minutes.
• Remove pan from heat and whisk in butter and capers until butter melts.
• Return cauliflower florets to pan and gently spoon sauce over top. Stir in lemons and garlic.
• Top with parsley.
• Serve over pasta or rice.

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER "PICCATA"

Steps:

• Place cauliflower on a cutting board and trim off inedible leaves. Trim off the bottom of the cauliflower stem but make sure to keep the core intact. Cut the cauliflower in half and cut 1-inch-thick "steaks" out of each half. Reserve remaining cauliflower for a later use. Brush both sides of the cauliflower steaks with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
• Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler to high. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place cauliflower steaks on the sheet.
• Broil for 10 minutes. Carefully flip using a spatula and broil for 6 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, whisk chicken broth, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and cornstarch in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add butter, capers, and cook, whisking constantly, for 3 minutes. Turn heat off and let sauce sit for 1 minute.
• Divide cauliflower between serving plates, drizzle sauce over the top, and garnish with chopped parsley.

CAULIFLOWER PICCATA

Steps:

• Rinse cauliflower and remove outer leaves. Trim the stem so it's about level with the bottom of the crown. Set the crown on a cutting board, stem side down, and slice in half, making a cut straight down the center. Continue making parallel cuts, about 3/4 inch apart, to cut the cauliflower into about 6 slabs.
• Stir flour, salt and pepper together in a shallow dish.
• Coat the bottom of a large nonstick skillet generously with oil and place over medium heat. Take one of your cauliflower slabs and dredge each side in the flour mixture. If you have a tough time getting it to stick, try brushing the surface of the cauliflower with a bit of non-dairy milk or water. Place the coated cauliflower slab into the skillet. Repeat for remaining slabs, arranging in a single layer in the skillet and avoiding overcrowding. Cook them in batches if they don't all fit nicely, adding oil to the skillet as needed.
• Cook cauliflower slabs for about 5 minutes, gently flip and cook five minutes more on opposite side, until they're just tender. Handle them carefully, as the coating is rather fragile. Remove from skillet and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
• Place vegan butter into skillet. When butter is melted, add shallot. Lower heat and cook for 5 minutes. Add wine, lemon juice and capers to skillet. Raise heat back up to medium and bring to a simmer. Allow to cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Taste-test and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
• Return cauliflower to skillet, and allow to cook just another minute or so, so it tenderizes a bit more and the coating sucks up some of the sauce.
• Divide pasta onto plates and top with cauliflower. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

CHICKPEA PICCATA WITH PARMESAN CAULIFLOWER MASH

Steps:

• Make the Cauliflower Mash: In a large pot, bring 1 cup chicken stock* and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil. Add the cauliflower and return to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and steam cauliflower for 18-20 minutes, or until cauliflower is very tender.
• Drain the cauliflower and transfer to a food processor*. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and add it to the food processor along with the milk. Process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the processor as necessary. (Add extra milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, if a thinner consistency is desired). Add cheese to food processor and pulse until the cheese is just combined. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.*
• Meanwhile, make the Chickpea Piccata: Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and sauté until softened, about 2 minutes. Add in the garlic, ¼ teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. (*Optional - For a thicker sauce, sprinkle in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring.)
• Add the wine, increase heat to medium-high and cook until reduced and thickened, about 4 minutes.
• Add the chicken stock, lemon juice and chickpeas to the pan. Cook until liquid is again reduced and the chickpeas are warmed through, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in 3 tablespoons of butter, capers, and parsley until melted and sauce is velvety, about 1 minute. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.
• To Serve: Divide cauliflower mash evenly among plates and make a small well in the center. Top with chickpeas and piccata sauce. Garnish with lemon slices, grated parmesan and parsley. Enjoy!

CAULIFLOWER PICCATA

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the cauliflower florets onto a sheet pan and drizzle with 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with kosher salt and black pepper, and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cauliflower is golden and tender. Remove from the oven, add the chickpeas, if using, and toss to combine.
• Heat a medium skillet to medium-high. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the shallot, and sauté until soft and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer, stirring constantly to keep from scorching. Pour the stock into the pan and simmer until reduced by half, about 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, then stir in the butter, capers, lemon zest and juice. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and a few turns of black pepper.
• To serve, place the cauliflower and chickpeas, if using, on serving plates. Top with the lemon-caper sauce. Top with parsley and serve with lemon slices.

CAULIFLOWER PICCATA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment and lightly spray with olive oil cooking spray.
• Remove the outer leaves and bottom portion of the stem from the cauliflower, then slice into 1-inch slabs. Depending on the size of the head, you will have 3 to 4 steak slabs and the rest will be florets. (You'll roast those along with the slabs.)
• Place the cauliflower on the prepared baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Roast until the edges are crisp and slightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until crispy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add in the wine and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, scraping up any bits of crispy shallots stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add in the vegetable stock, lemon juice and capers and cook until slightly thickened, another 2 to 3 minutes.
• Remove the cauliflower from the oven, divide between 2 plates and top with sauce. Garnish with parsley and serve.