CAULIFLOWER MARSALA

CAULIFLOWER MARSALA image

Categories Side Bake Fry Dinner Cauliflower

Yield A4 Servings

Number Of Ingredients 18

Ingredients

1 pound maitake mushroom, large stems removed, cut into small pieces
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 large heads cauliflower
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1 teaspoon water
1½ pounds baby portabello mushrooms, quartered
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium shallot, finely diced
3 cups Marsala wine
2 cups vegetable stock
1½ tablespoons soy sauce
8 sprigs thyme
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup chopped parsley
½ pound strozzapretti or fusilli, cooked according to the package directions (optional)

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350° F. On a foil-lined sheet, spread the maitakes. Drizzle with 2 TBls of oil and season with S&P. Bake, stirring occasionally, until golden (25 mins). Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Remove leaves from C'flower, leave the core intact. Place one head of C'flower, stem side up and cut crosswise, starting at the center, into two 1" steaks. Keep the other florets for later. Repeat with the second head. Place the flour in a dish with 4 tsps of salt and 2 tsps of pepper. In a separate dish, whisk the eggs and water. Coat the C'flower steaks in the egg mixture, drip off, dredge in flour mixture, shake off any excess flour. In a 12" sauté pan over med-high heat, heat 2 TBls of oil. Add 2 C'flower steaks to the hot oil and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, ~2 mins/side. Transfer to a cooling rack and repeat with the remaining C'flower steaks. To the empty sauté pan, add the remaining 2 TBls of oil. When the oil is hot, add the portabellos in small batches and cook until golden brown on one side, about 2 mins. Return all the cooked mushrooms to the pan, season to taste with S&P. Reduce to low, add the garlic and shallot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 3 mins. Increase heat to med-hi, add the Marsala and cook until reduced by half, about 4 mins. Transfer the sauce to a small bowl and place the cauliflower steaks, in a single layer, back in the pan. Pour over the Marsala sauce, veg stock and soy sauce, add the thyme sprigs. Cover, reduce heat to low, cook until a cake tester can be easily inserted in the core of the cauliflower, about 12 to 15 mins. Transfer the C'flower to a rimmed platter. Increase the heat to med-hi and reduce until the sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon. Whisk in the butter and season to taste with S&P. Pour the sauce over the C'flower and garnish with the maitakes and parsley. Serve immediately, accompanied by pasta if desired.