Cauliflower Steak and Salad

Making the most of the last of this seasons bounty

Cauliflower makes a delightful steak, it’s texture light but firm and satisfying. Coated in a light batter gives a more substantial feel and a crisp crunchy coating. 

A lovely accompaniment is something fresh and crunchy. I like to use the whole vegetable, stalk, leaves and florets in this salad, treating each element as an individual ingredient. 

To finish everything off, some roasted baby leeks and a few crunchy pumpkin seeds.

Serves 2
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
1 cauliflower
2 baby leeks
Rapeseed oil
Apple cider vinegar
1 dessert spoon of honey
1 tsp cumin seeds
A couple of handfuls of pumpkin seeds
Sea salt flakes
100g flour
Cold water
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tsp caraway seeds
¼ grated nutmeg
Fresh ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200°C

1. Start by separating the steaks. Cut off the leaves and save them for the salad, then cut the cauliflower in half don the stalk. Cut a thick slice from one side and a second from the other, these are your ‘steaks’. Put them to one side while making the salad. 

2. Cut the remaining florets in half then finely slice, including the stalks. Discard any tough or damaged leaves, then slice them and mix everything together in a bowl. 

3. Add enough vinegar to coat everything evenly, then add double that of oil. Season with honey, salt and pepper and leave to marinade.

4. To make the batter, mix the flour, turmeric, caraway seeds, nutmeg, a healthy pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper. Gradually mix in enough cold water to make a double cream consistency. 

5. Heat a generous puddle of oil in a heavy bottomed frying pan over a moderately high heat. Coat each cauliflower steak with the batter, then fry in the pan on one side for a few minutes until the edges begin to brown. Flip the steak, add the whole washed leeks to the pan and put in the oven to finish cooking for 10 minutes. 

6. Once soft, remove the steaks from the oven and season with salt. Peel the burnt leek skins, slice and add to the salad.

7. To finish off the salad, toast the cumin seeds and pumpkin seeds and stir through the salad. 


Serve with flatbreads and some yoghurt dressing.

Robin Popham
Chef at ‘Create Terroir’ and Sandy Lane Farm veg box customer