espagnole sauce<\/p><\/div>\n

Let’s take espagnole a step further to pack a real flavor punch!<\/p>\n

After saut\u00e9ing shallots and mushrooms, red wine is added and cooked until most of the wine is evaporated. The finished espagnole is added to the shallots and mushrooms and the gravy is brought to a simmer.<\/p>\n

This transforms the mother sauce espagnole into the small sauce of champignon, a.k.a. red wine mushroom gravy.<\/p>\n

And what a gravy! Tonight, we’re having leftover gravy over veggies and smashed potatoes.<\/p>\n

Versatility of Cauliflower Steaks<\/strong><\/p>\n

We never tire of a good cauliflower steak. There are so many sauces that pair well with this amazing superfood, including chimichurri, hollandaise, pesto, marinara and cheese sauce.<\/p>\n

There are a couple of quick cooking methods that yield great results. You can brush the cauliflower steaks with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast in a 425-degree F oven for about 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the steaks.<\/p>\n

Grilling until tender, about 8-10 minutes per side, is another way to prepare the steaks.<\/p>\n

However, our favorite cooking method is braising, because it’s an easy way to control the gentle cooking process while flavors are infused into the cauliflower.<\/p>\n

Having our mise en place for the cauliflower steaks before we start the gravy, makes it easy to have the steaks and sauce done close to the same time.<\/p>\n

Simple Steps to Cutting Cauliflower Steaks<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n
1. Choose the largest cauliflower heads.<\/li>\n
2. With a paring knife, remove outer leaves and trim stem end, without coring the cauliflower.<\/li>\n
3. Hold cauliflower with its base on a cutting board.<\/li>\n
4. With a sharp chef’s knife, make one cut lengthwise through the center of the cauliflower to divide it in half.<\/li>\n
5. Now cut a 1 to 1-1\/2 inch-thick steak from the interior of each half. Be sure to save the ends for other uses.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
   

   mise en place for braising cauliflower steaks<\/p><\/div>\n

   Place the cauliflower steaks in a glass baking dish with vegetable stock, white wine, bay leaves and garlic cloves. Cover with foil and bake for about 45 minutes, flipping each steak halfway through.<\/p>\n

   

   braised cauliflower steaks<\/p><\/div>\n

   Transfer the steaks one by one from the braising liquid to a plate. Serve with red wine mushroom gravy and garnish with chopped Italian parsley.<\/p>\n

   Dinner’s on!<\/p>\n

   We’d love to hear what you thought about the gravy and if you served it with another dish.<\/p>\n

   This recipe is absolutely delicious as is. However, we have to admit that pan fried cauliflower steaks are also pretty darn good. For those occasional splurges, check out a guest post we did for the American Culinary Federation’s blog, We Are Chefs<\/em>, titled Redefining Chasseur Sauce<\/a>. In this post, we pan fried the cauliflower steaks for an added crispy dimension, serving it with chasseur sauce.<\/p>\n

   The Power of Cauliflower\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

   \n
   • Eating cauliflower is like winning the antioxidant and phytonutrient lottery.<\/li>\n
   • Cauliflower is a member of the cancer-fighting cruciferous family of vegetables.<\/li>\n
   • Cauliflower is anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich.<\/li>\n
   • Sulforaphane in cauliflower has been found to significantly improve blood pressure and kidney function.<\/li>\n
   • Cauliflower is a good source of vitamin C, vitamin K, protein, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, fiber, vitamin B6, folate, pantothenic acid, potassium and manganese.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n