Cauliflower Steaks with Orange-Basil Butter

Roasted Cauliflower Steak with Orange Basil Butter - beyond heavenly!

5 from 4 votes

Cauliflower Steaks with Orange-Basil Butter

Roasted Cauliflower Steak is juicy, crispy, hearty and unbelievably delicious -- though a vegetable and not a steak in the true sense of the word. The Orange-Basil Butter is sweet, aromatic and melts perfectly over the perfectly oven-roasted cauliflower.

Prep Time25

Cook Time15

Total Time40

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: best vegetables to roast, great side dishes for meats and stews

Servings:

Calories: 165kcal

Author: Valentina K. Wein

Ingredients

For the butter

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 generous tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped
½ teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon fresh orange juice
⅛ teaspoon salt
a couple turns of freshly ground black pepper

For the cauliflower

1 (approximately 2¼-pound) whole cauliflower
olive oil for the baking sheet
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 500℉.
For the butter. To make the butter, in a small bowl, mix the butter with the basil, zest, juice, salt and pepper. Either fill a couple of spaces in a rubber ice cube tray with the butter, or roll it into a log in plastic wrap. Place it in the refrigerator to firm up, about 30 minutes. (You can really refrigerate it in any form you'd like to -- it's just easier to slice so it's pretty, from the ice tray or log.)
Prepare the cauliflower. Remove the outer green leaves from the cauliflower and cut just a tiny portion of the root off, keeping most of it intact. Cut the cauliflower into approximately 1-inch slices -- some might break apart, some will stay together -- both are okay.
Drizzle a thin layer of olive oil on a sheet pan. Set aside.
Dredge both sides of each slice into the olive oil on the baking sheet. They should be well coated, so drizzle a bit more if necessary. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
Roast. Place the baking sheet in the preheated 500℉ oven. Roast until it's deep golden brown, and it's tender all the way through, about 12 minutes per side. (Flip them over halfway through the cooking process.)
Add the butter and serve. While the cauliflower is still hot, add a dab of the butter to each portion and serve.

Notes

Nutritional information is only an estimate.

Nutrition