Cauliflower Steaks with Red Pepper Butter Bean Purée
This dish is packed with great rich flavour and texture, topped with a bit of peppery watercress and toothy slivers of almond. Simply omit the parmesan to make it vegan!
Ingredients
2 large cauliflowers
¼ cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, grated
1½ tsp sweet smoked paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
50g freshly grated parmesan (optional)
2 tins white beans, drained and rinsed
3 jarred roasted red peppers (we used Lindo)
1 Tbsp sherry or red wine vinegar
50g fresh herbs or watercress, to serve
¼ cup toasted slivered almonds
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Trim the outer leaves from the cauliflowers, but keep the core attached. Cut each cauliflower into 2-3 thick steaks (the outer pieces will fall apart - you can keep them for another use or just roast alongside as florets). Arrange the steaks on a baking paper-lined tray.
Combine the olive oil with 3 of the garlic cloves, 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika, and the dried oregano. Brush half the mix over the top of the cauliflower steaks. Bake for 15 minutes, then carefully flip the steaks and brush with the remaining oil mix. Bake for another 15 minutes. Scatter the parmesan over the cauliflower and bake for a further 10 minutes, or until crisp.
Meanwhile, heat the beans with a ¼ cup water until warmed through. Put into a blender or food processor with the peppers, the remaining clove of garlic, the remaining ½ tsp sweet smoked paprika, and the vinegar and purée until smooth. Add a little extra water if necessary to make a smooth purée. Add salt and pepper to taste.
To serve, smear the warm purée onto each plate and top with a cauliflower steak. Sprinkle with a handful of greens and scatter over the almonds.