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Cauliflower Steaks with Chermoula
Photography by Steve Klise. Styling by Marie Piraino.

Cauliflower Steaks with Chermoula

Headshot of Nicole Konstantinakos
By Nicole Konstantinakos
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Time

50 minutes, plus 1 hour for resting the sauce

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

Ingredient check listChermoula
Ingredient check listCauliflower

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

When you roast thick planks of cauliflower, they develop a meaty texture and become nutty, sweet, and caramelized. Many recipes, however, are fussy, involving transitions between stovetop and oven. We wanted a simpler method that produced four perfectly cooked cauliflower steaks simultaneously, so we opted for a rimmed baking sheet and a scorching oven. Steaming the cauliflower briefly under foil followed by high-heat uncovered roasting produced well-caramelized steaks with tender interiors. To elevate the cauliflower to centerpiece status, we paired it with a vibrant chermoula—a pungent Moroccan sauce of herbs and spices. We brushed the hot steaks with the bright sauce so they'd soak up its robust flavor.

Before You Begin

Look for fresh, firm, bright white heads of cauliflower that feel heavy for their size and are free of blemishes or soft spots; florets are more likely to separate from older heads of cauliflower. To keep the chermoula from becoming bitter, whisk in the olive oil by hand. You may have leftover chermoula; consider using it as a drizzle over rice, potatoes, other vegetables, or seafood or meat.

Instructions

    for the chermoula

  1. Pulse cilantro, garlic, cumin, paprika, cayenne, and salt in food processor until coarsely chopped, about 10 pulses. Add lemon juice and pulse briefly to combine. Transfer mixture to medium bowl and slowly whisk in oil until incorporated and mixture is emulsified. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour. (Chermoula can be refrigerated for up to 2 days; bring to room temperature and rewhisk before serving.)

    2. for the cauliflower

  2. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Working with 1 head cauliflower at a time, discard outer leaves and trim stem flush with bottom florets. Halve cauliflower lengthwise through core. Cut one 1½-inch-thick slab lengthwise from each half, trimming any florets not connected to core. Repeat with remaining cauliflower. (You should have 4 steaks; reserve remaining cauliflower for another use.)
  3. Place steaks on rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper and rub to distribute. Flip steaks and repeat.
  4. Cover baking sheet tightly with foil and roast for 5 minutes. Remove foil and continue to roast until bottoms of steaks are well browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Gently flip and continue to roast until tender and second sides are well browned, 6 to 8 minutes.
  5. Transfer steaks to platter and brush tops evenly with ¼ cup chermoula sauce. Serve with lemon wedges and extra chermoula.

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