Cauliflower Piccata is my take on a vegetarian version of Chicken Piccata. I love the sauce that makes chicken piccata so wonderful, but being a vegetarian I never eat the chicken. So, I decided that I needed to find something to substitute the chicken for so I would still be able to get my dose of that yummy sauce. So here’s what I came up with.
Why use Cauliflower?
It’s good for you!
According to Google, Cauliflower is well-known for its anti-inflammatory effects that may boost immune health and reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. Cauliflower provides a significant amount of antioxidants, which are beneficial for reducing inflammation and protecting against several chronic diseases.
It tastes delicious!
I decided that cauliflower would pair perfectly with the lemony, briny buttery sauce that is used in chicken piccata. I knew that roasting the cauliflower would be a safe bet and I was right. The cauliflower gets a little toasted on the outside but still stays nice and tender on the inside. It literally melts in your mouth.
What you need to make Cauliflower Piccata
First, you need two large heads of cauliflower, a couple of small shallots, butter, and olive oil. You will also need vegetable stock, lemon juice, white wine, capers, and green olives.
How to make Cauliflower Piccata
First, let’s start with prepping the cauliflower. Carefully remove the outer leaves and some of the stems. Be careful you need to keep the core intact so the florets do not fall off. You are going to slice them into what I’m calling 1/2 inch planks. You will get about 4 planks per whole cauliflower. If you don’t care about the appearance feel free to just use florets and separate them from the thick stem and core.
After you have sliced the cauliflower into planks, carefully place them on two separate baking sheets. (4 on each). Do not use foil or parchment paper. I found that they brown better with nothing on the pan. Next, drizzle both sides with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. Using your fingers, rub in to get all the nooks and crannies. Lastly, roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the edges start to turn brown. Now you are going to carefully flip them over and continue roasting for another 10 minutes. After that, remove it from the oven and set it aside until your sauce is ready.
Time to make the Piccata sauce
First, you need to melt the butter and warm the olive oil in a large pan. Add your shallots and sauté until soft and a little brown and caramelized. Be careful not to step away from this, they can burn easily. (I know because it happened to me!). Once the shallots are nice and golden it’s time to deglaze the pan.
Deglazing is just a fancy cooking term that means to pour liquid into a hot pan which allows all of the caramelized bits stuck to the bottom of the pan to release. There is a ton of flavor in those little bits stuck to the pan, so it’s important to incorporate them into your sauce.
After you pour the wine into the pan be sure to use a wooden spoon to scrape up the bits. You might not have anything stuck to the pan because you used a nonstick pan, that’s ok. Let the wine reduce a bit to burn off the alcohol.
Next, add the vegetable broth, lemon juice, capers, and olives. Bring this to a simmer and cook for about 2-3 minutes allowing it to thicken slightly. This is not a thick sauce. It is much more like a broth than a “sauce.” Finally, add in the butter. Lower the heat and whisk to incorporate. This is when the sauce really comes together. Once the butter is fully melted turn off the heat.
Serve it up!
Use a large platter that can hold the sauce and cauliflower. Lay the cauliflower on the platter slightly overlapping the pieces a bit. Pour the sauce over the cauliflower, be sure to get all of the capers and olives. That’s it! Dinner is served. I love this dish as a main course, but if you want to serve it as a side dish that works as well. Serve it alongside my easy mashed potatoes, and a big green salad.
Cauliflower Piccata
Roasted cauliflower is topped with a classic Piccata sauce flavored with fresh lemon, capers, and caramelized shallots. Perfect vegetarian main dish or can be served as a side dish.
Ingredients
- 2 heads of Cauliflower, cut into 1/2 inch planks
- 6 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 small shallots finely diced or 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
- 1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 2-3 lemons for 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 4 tbsp capers
- 1/2 cup green Castelvetrano Olives, sliced in half or left whole
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Carefully cut cauliflower into 1/2 inch planks. If some of the florets break off that’s ok. Just add them to the baking sheet.
3. Lay cauliflower planks onto a cookie sheet. Spread-out, you will need to use 2 cookie sheets to avoid overcrowding. If there is too much on the cookie sheet the cauliflower will steam and not brown.
4. Drizzle the cauliflower with some olive oil, salt, and pepper
5. Bake 15-20 minutes until edges are slightly crisp and browned. Cooking time varies you may find that it takes much longer than the time I have indicated. Keep cooking until golden brown. Remove and set aside until sauce is ready.
6. Make Sauce.
7. Melt 2 tbsp of butter and 2 tbsp of olive oil in a pan.
8. Add shallots and cook until crispy. About 3-5 minutes.
9. Deglaze the pan by adding in wine. Scraping up any bits of shallot that are stuck to the bottom of the pan. Let reduce 1-2 minutes.
10. Add the broth/stock, lemon juice, capers, and olives. Bring to a simmer and cook another 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened.
11. Finish the sauce by whisking in 4 tbsp of butter until fully combined. Remove from heat.
12. Place cauliflower onto a large serving platter overlapping slightly and pour over the piccata sauce. Serve immediately!
This dish is great served with mashed potatoes or pasta. It can be served as a delicious main dish or a side dish as well.
Notes
- If you have a hard time keeping the cauliflower in planks because the florets keep falling off, it's ok! You can still make this recipe. The cauliflower just won't be in planks. If you decide to use florets instead you still need to use 2 baking sheets when roasting the cauliflower. Try to keep the cauliflower separated and not touching. This helps prevent it from steaming. Too much on the pan and you won't get the crispy brown edges.
- Do not use parchment paper or aluminum foil on the baking sheets. I found that a bare pan works best in achieving the golden-brown surface.
