Cauliflower Piccata
If you’re as much a fan of chicken piccata as I am, you are going to love this cauliflower version.
Any dish with a piccata sauce is just loaded with umami which will delight your taste buds. What’s not to love about shallots, garlic, and capers in a savory sauce made with butter, chicken stock, and lemon juice? Then cauliflower, which has been roasted to caramelized perfection, is served with this tasty piccata sauce along with either cannellini or chickpeas. Although optional, I didn’t skip them as I love legumes.
Hubby and I are always watching our carb intake, so we had the cauliflower piccata as a side dish to accompany steak. If I were to throw carb caution to the winds, I think serving this over some spaghetti would be absolutely scrumptious.
Cauliflower Piccata
Ingredients
- 1 cauliflower, cut into approximately 1-inch florets
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas or cannellini, drained (optional—I used cannellini)
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 4 tbl. unsalted butter
- 2 tbl. capers, drained
- Zest of 1/2 to 1 lemon (I used 1/2)
- 1 to 2 tbl. lemon juice (I used 1 tbl.)
- Parsley, chopped, for garnish
- 1 lemon, sliced, for serving – optional
Fran’s Notes
I really do love lemon, but I prefer not to have dishes overpowered with lemon to the point where my lips pucker up. You can start out with half the lemon called for as I did. If it’s not lemony enough for you, just add the rest to your liking.
Directions
Heat the oven to 425o F. Place the cauliflower florets onto a sheet pan and drizzle with 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper to taste, and roast for 20 to 25 minutes until the cauliflower is golden and tender. Remove from the oven. If the piccata sauce is not ready yet, keep the cauliflower warm either by tenting with aluminum foil or by returning to oven with the heat turned off.
While the cauliflower is roasting, heat a medium skillet to medium-high. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the shallot, and sauté until soft and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer, stirring constantly to keep from scorching. Pour the stock into the pan and simmer until reduced by half, about 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, then stir in the butter, capers, lemon zest and juice. Add the beans if using. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a few turns of black pepper.
Place the cauliflower on a serving plate and top with the lemon caper sauce. Garnish with parsley and serve with lemon slices (optional).
A recipe from The New York Times