Chermoula Cauliflower Steaks with Dried Fruits
Source: Christina Alexis, The Pleasure Principle Supperclub & dining Events
Recipe Type: Entrees | Seasons: Spring, Winter
This recipe was demonstrated at the Foodwise Classroom on March 30, 2024.
Serves 6-8
INGREDIENTS
3 heads of cauliflower (white, yellow and purple, if available)
2 cups pine nuts
3 cups dried fruit such as apricots, currants, figs, dates, cherries
Chermoula
1 bunch dill
1 bunch mint
1 bunch parsley
1 bunch cilantro
Cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, saffron, black pepper, mace
1 – 1 ½ cup of fruity olive oil
½ – 1 head of garlic
Salt and pepper to taste about ½ and ¼ cup, respectively
PREPARATION
Prepare your mise en place. Chop the cauliflower into 1.5” – to 2” steaks, keeping some of the root and leaves intact.
Prepare the chermoula ingredients for the blender: chop cleaned and dried herbs, peel the garlic, zest the citrus, corral the spices.
Blend all chermoula ingredients together to a consistency you like; if you prefer chunkier, blend on medium for short bursts of time; pulsing the mixture intermittently. If you prefer a smoother texture, blend on high and maybe add a touch more olive oil. Make this recipe yours!
Set the chermoula aside and small dice your dried fruits.
Generously salt and pepper the cauliflower like you would a steak, making sure to pat the seasoning into the cauliflower “meat”.
Let the seasoned “steaks” hang out for a bit while you toast your pine nuts. Make sure to do so on a dry pan, moving the pan frequently over medium – medium high heat.
Once the pine nuts are toasted, bring a large pan to temperature over medium-high heat.
Pat the steaks dry if any water has come out from the salt.
There should be nice, loud sear when the steaks hit the pan.
To increase contact, you can place a smaller pan atop the steaks as they sear. Sear on each side WITHOUT MOVING OR TOUCHING for about 3 – 5 minutes per side. You can place the steaks in a 350 degree oven to carry-over cook if you don’t like the cauliflower to be too toothsome.
To plate, shingle the (different color) cauliflower on a plate, top with chimichurri down the middle, sprinkle the dried fruit and pine nuts about the plate.
Serve with a steak knife and fork and enjoy!
