Roasted Cauliflower Steaks w/ Brown Butter + Thyme

We just finished up with another incredible restaurant week here in Minneapolis, MN and while it’s sad every time it ends, I don’t really anticipate dining out any less frequently just because there aren’t $30 three-course meals everywhere  One thing I love about restaurant week is that the menus feature the “best of the best” that these chefs have to offer.  It’s such a great way to get inspiration for my own kitchen experimenting.

I’m happy to say that the best thing I ate this past week was quite simple to recreate in my own kitchen with a little research and precision.  I got this cauliflower as a side dish at the mind-blowing Cafe Lurcat, but I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

Lightly simmering the cauliflower in browned butter and then roasting it in a ridiculously hot oven makes the edges irresistibly flaky and crispy unlike any roasted cauliflower I’ve ever made before.  I also like slicing it down the middle into “steaks”… it offers non-traditional way to enjoy a vegetable that most people don’t eat much of!

What will you need?

1 cauliflower head

2 tbsp salted butter

1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

Ground black pepper and ground white pepper

How do you make it?

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Yes, we want it really hot.

Slice your cauliflower into steaks by cutting two, half-inch-thick slices down the middle of a cauliflower.  Save the smaller pieces from around the edges to roast and serve as well!

In a small skillet, heat your 2 tbsp of butter and bring to a simmer.  Once the mixture starts to turn slightly brown but before brown flakes start appearing, turn the heat down and allow to sit for a minute.

Add your cauliflower to the butter mixture and cook slightly on low heat for about 3 minutes.

Spread the mixture onto a rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle on the fresh thyme leaves and a pinch of the ground peppers. Bake  until golden and crisp on the outside, about 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven, plate all of the little pieces first, then the steaks on top. Enjoy immediately as is!

I swear on all things holy, you will LOVE this.  Golden, crispy, tender, buttery.