Vegetarian Miso Glazed Cauliflower Steak

by James Bacon

Fresh herbs are the perfect way to elevate or balance richer dishes or ingredients. This recipe combines fresh coriander, mint and chilli with vinegar and lemon juice to create a zingy salsa verde that brings a sharp grassy flavour that cuts through the earthy richness of the umami cauliflower steak perfectly.

Kitchen tools needed: Cole & Mason Clavering granite Pestle and Mortar, Grater, frying pan

Ingredients for Miso Cauliflower steak:

• 2 Cauliflowers
• 4tbs white miso paste
• 2tbs light soy sauce
• 1tbs honey
• 1tbs rice wine vinegar
• 1tbs sake
• 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• Ingredients for the Coriander, Mint and Chilli Salsa Verde
• 90g of fresh Coriander
• 45g of fresh Mint
• 1-2 Green chillies (depending how spicy you like it)
• 50ml rice wine vinegar
• 25g of fresh root ginger
• 2 gloves of garlic
• 150ml of vegetable oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt to taste (start with 1 tsp and add more if you like)
• A good pinch of sugar

Method:

1. Roughly chop all the solid ingredients for the coriander Mint and chilli salsa verde and place in the Clavering Pestle and Mortar (you can grate the ginger and garlic first, this will speed up the process) now pound and grind everything into a rough dry paste, then add the wet ingredients and work it together to form a smooth salsa. Tip into a bowl and refrigerate for at least 1/2 an hour.
2. Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees (180 fan). Mix all the ingredients for the miso glaze in a bowling set aside. Now it’s time to cut the cauliflower into steaks and there’s only one rule, cut through the centre stem to keep the steak together. I like mine quite thick so I slice down the centre , then 1 1/2 inches either side to create 2 fat steaks, you can cut this centre area in to 3 but they will obviously be thinner. Store the outside florets that fall away for Cauliflower rice or a little cauliflower cheese or whatever you want.
3. Heat some oil in a large frying pan to high heating then start browning the steaks on each side (be careful they can become fragile), once they’ve browned nicely you can slather the miso glazed on one side then flip and then the other side (I use a pastry brush so I can get the glaze into all the little gaps), place the pan in to the oven for 10 mins. Take out and flip the cauliflower steak and cook for a further 10 mins until they’re dark and sticky.
4. Serve in the centre of the plate with a good spoon of the salsa verde, more of the fresh herbs and slices of green chilli. You can also sprinkle some chopped ginger and lemon zest for more zing.
5. You can prepare the Salsa Verde salad a day before and set aside in the fridge to let the flavours intensify.