Caramelised Cauliflower Steaks & Risotto

Free recipe to enjoy for epic midweek dinners with a zesty herb dressing

There’s no denying that cauliflower has quickly risen through the ranks of veggies to rockstar status! For good reason too! It’s bloody delicious & goes a long way, especially when you get creative and incorporate it into other preparations, like this risotto which uses as it melts through as the risotto cooks.

There are three components to this recipe with each one able to be taken and used on its own with other things to create new meals. First the zesty dressing which is great over roast veggies, salads, seafood, meats like roast or grilled chicken, lamb chops or a slow roast lamb shoulder and to finish pasta dishes like a seafood pasta, or a Osso Bucco ragu. Next is the cauliflower steaks which make for an amazing main course! Dress them up into nearly any cuisine like from a curry sauce to Asian and one I love it to make them into parmi’s by topping generous amounts of a good tomato ragu, cheese and then roasting or under a grill until the cheese is golden and melted. Thirdly, the cauliflower risotto, a meal to itself that can sit well without the cauliflower steaks or top it with a nice piece of fish, some scallops or even some crispy proscuitto.

White wine - if you want to leave out the wine, sub in more stock.

Zesty Dressing - if you want a shortcut, use a store bought pesto or herbie dressing and spike it with lemon zest and juice.

Cauliflower - I have found roast pumpkin works a treat in place of the cauliflower and if you grate some pumpkin as well and add it at the beginning in place of the finely chopped cauliflower, it melts through for a delicious roast pumpkin risotto.

Serves 2 as a main of 3-4 as a shared lighter meal

Ingredients

1 cauliflower

5 tbsp olive oil

salt, pepper

1 brown onion, finely diced

2 clove garlic, roughly chopped

1 1/2 cups arborio rice

1/2 cup white wine

1L vegetable broth

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1/2 cup grated parmesan plus extra to serve

handful flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

zesty salsa

2 large handfuls flat leaf parsley

2 sprig rosemary, finely chopped

Zest & juice 1 lemon

1 tbsp capers, chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Method

For the zesty dressing, combine the ingredients and season to taste. Set aside.

Preheat an oven to 220C.

Cut two 2cm steaks form the centre as they are held together by the core, so won’t fall apart.

Finely chop the remaining of the cauliflower to give you 2 cups. if nay extra, reserve for another use or add it in to the risotto, it wont make too much of a difference.

Preheat a large frying pan over medium high heat, add 2 tbsp of olive oil and the cauliflower steaks, cooking for 2 minutes each side to caramelise, then transfer to a baking tray and roast for 12 minutes.

For the risotto, bring he stock to a simmer in a small saucepan, keep hot.

Place a medium saucepan over a medium/high heat and add 3 tbsp olive oil, the onion, garlic, a good punch of salt and sweat (cooking witohut colour) to soften for 2-3 minutes. Add the rice, chopped cauliflower and cook for 2 minutes stirring.

Add the white wine, stirring through and allowing to absorb then start to ladle in the broth a little at a time, stirring the risotto constantly to allow the stock to absorb and the rice to become creamy as it cooks.

Add more broth once the previous one has been absorbed.

You want a loose creamy consistency to the risotto and the rice just cooked. 

Sometimes the stock may have evaporated too much through cooking and you will require a little more stock or water can be used.

Turn off the heat, stir ½ cup grated parmesan and 2 tbsp butter, some chopped parsley, season to taste and place a lid on to rest for 2 minutes. Reheat the cauliflower steak if needed in the oven and serve together with the risotto, zesty dressing and more parmesan.