Cut me a slab of that Cauliflower

Cauliflower is just the bleached version of broccoli, the most blasé of the new world cabbages, and the source of my newest creations.

I always had a strange relationship with cauliflower.  It was white, boring and the only reason I would eat it was because I covered the entire thing in cheese.  But as I grew into a more mature and experienced diner I came to understand and appreciate the subtlety of this mutated cabbage.  With the proper application of heat and time cauliflower became more than just a vehicle for cheese sauce, it became a meal.

Way back when this whole blog stated I wrote about our Roasted and Grilled Vegetable Carving Station, where we present a trio of different colored whole roasted cauliflowers for our guests delight.  The flavor and color achieved through high heat roasting was extraordinary and left me wanting more!  I started playing with the idea of seared and roasted cauliflower in more nontraditional roles, say sandwiches.

This little guy is my seared cauliflower slider with a fresh and spicy puttanesca sauce.  The cauliflower was sliced thick, seasoned with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, and then seared on a smoking cast iron griddle.  The cauliflower sizzled to a golden brown exterior and soft smooth interior.  The buttery texture of the cauliflower was enhanced by the different textures of each ingredient in the puttanesca sauce, which paired beautifully its flavorful bouquet of fresh tomatoes, garlic, capers, herbs and a touch of anchovy.  This little slider was an Italian flavor bomb that left you quickly reaching for a second… or third.

But its summer, and my summers are always sponsored by my friends south of the border.  Chips, guacamole, salsa and margaritas are the tunes by which my summer plays.  So why not take these cauliflower sliders for a flavor journey down south?  Presenting our Charmoula slider with house crafted guacamole.  First we rubbed the cauliflower with our signature charmoula blend of paprika, cumin, and cayenne; sear the slices on a hot cast iron griddle, then toss with our refreshingly bright charmoula sauce, a mixture of extra virgin olive oil, lemon and lime juice, parsley, cilantro mashed garlic and a bit of the charmoula rub.  The rub produces a wonderfully intense spice flavor which was cooled and mixed with the very fresh tasting sauce.  Then the intensity of the cauliflower was chilled by the smooth and chunky guacamole.  This slider will fit in perfectly on all of my summertime tables

Now sliders have their places, but what if you want a more substantial treat let’s talk about steak, cauliflower steaks.  We sliced the whole head of cauliflower into thick steaks, seasoned them liberally with olive oil, kosher salt and cracked black pepper, then seared the steaks to a golden crust.  These bad boys were packed full of savory flavors and a wonderful texture.

Why keep that wonderful puttanesca sauce only on the sliders, here we layer the seared cauliflower steaks with that rich sauce and freshly shaved parmesan.  The sauce helped turn this often bland vegetable into a rich and filling dish.

Not into the pasta sauce angle? Ok, how about a salt and cracked black pepper seared cauliflower steak topped with a crisp chardonnay sauce and served on a bed of black “forbidden” rice tossed with roasted cherry tomatoes and shaved brussel sprouts.  The intensity of the cracked black pepper and salt perfectly seasoned the golden seared cauliflower steak, and the chardonnay sauce (made with capers, shallots, vegetable stock, parsley, Dijon mustard and a big knob of butter) was the perfect dress for a wonderful dish.  The oven roasted tomatoes in the black rice bust with a rich and dark tomato flavor, and the shaved sprouts added a body and earthiness to the rich rice. 

But since it is summer lets revisit the charmoula slider.  Why not make a beautiful charmoula rubbed cauliflower steak, served over dirty rice topped with fresh avocado.  The spice paired with the sautéed pepper and onions in the rice was a perfect complement to the spicy and intense charmoula rub.  The fresh avocados added a perfect little note to finish off this deep south dish. 

Next time you peruse the vegetable aisle, take another look at cauliflower.  It’s not broccolis boring cousin anymore!

Stay tuned for more inspired dishes from Lon Lane's Inspired Occasions Research and Development Department!