Cauliflower Steaks with Pomegranate Sauce
By: ChefPriyanka
Published: Thursday, December 28, 2017 - 2:45pm

Ingredients




Cauliflower Steaks:
1 large head of cauliflower
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 dried red chili
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp fresh thyme
1/4 freshly ground nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 medium onion – diced
4 cloves of garlic – roughly chopped
olive oil
Pomegranate Sauce:
1 cup pomegranate kernels
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1 tbsp fresh orange juice
1/2 tsp orange zest
6-7 fresh mint leave
1 dried red chili
salt
pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 box baby arugula
1/4 cup pomegranate kernels
splash of fresh orange juice
1 tbsp olive oil

Preparation

1 Remove leaves from cauliflower and cut stem – don’t cut too far up as you want the cauliflower to stay intact. Place the cauliflower stem down and begin cutting 1 1/2 inch thick slices – you will likely get 3 whole slices our of the cauliflower. Try to keep the other whole chunks intact as much as possible. You’ll have a small few chunks – thats fine. Dice the onions and roughly chop the garlic. 2 Using a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder, grind together the coriander seeds, black peppercorns, dried chili, chili powder, thyme, nutmeg, and salt until coarsely ground – not too fine. Lay the cauliflower steaks flat on the cutting board. Drizzle each with a bit of oil – coating each side and make sure to get it in the crevices. Equally divide the spicy mixture among the steaks. Spread into the steaks until completed coated. 3 Heat a large skillet over medium-high flame. Pour in olive oil and once its hot, add in the steaks – don’t crowd the pan too much. Add add the onions and garlic to the pan as well. Saute each side of the cauliflower about 10-15 minutes – you want the florets should be charred golden-brown and then stem should be fork tender. Remove and let cool. Repeat until all the cauliflower steaks are cooked. 4 To make the sauce – blend all of the ingredient together until smooth. Pour in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and slowly simmer until sauce has reduced by about 1/4. Strain through a find mesh strainer and set aside. 5 Toss arugula with the orange juice, olive oil, and pomegranate. I also added in a sprinkle of salt. Place the arugula on a large platter -spreading evenly. Carefully place the steaks on top of the salad and drizzle with the pomegranate sauce. Serve!

About

Steak. What do you think of when you hear that word? Probably not what I think of. Ah, I still remember my first trip to the famed Peter Lugar’s Steakhouse in Brooklyn — where I didn’t eat anything and was slightly taken off guard. No need to get into details. What I did realize, though, is that people who eat steak tend to like that “meaty” texture and something to bite into.I was (obviously) determined to recreate this in a vegetarian dish.The first time I ate a cauliflower “steak” was a few years ago at David Burke’s Townhouse (now closed), and I was slightly confused. But I LOVED the concept — it was textured and flavorful, “meaty,” and more importantly vegetarian!I have recreated that dish in so many way and this time have come up with something that I think is perfect for the holidays — especially Christmas eve dinner!Meet my Cauliflower Steak with Pomegranate Sauce & Arugula.