This has always been one of my favorite vegetarian / vegan dishes that Chef Brian Gazda prepares. He has always said that the reason it tastes so good is because of the many steps involved and the depth of flavor these many steps produce. So during the pandemic and our closure I received a private cooking lesson from Chef Brian and in addition to the complete recipe below we have also produced this video to walk you through the various steps of making this delicious dish. If you notice our little visitor coming in and out of the video, we were closed and Annie decided she should have free rein of the hotel and go where she pleased. Since re-opening she is back to her usual routine, generally in my office or in the lobby with a visit to the kitchen door for a sausage in the morning.
I hope that you enjoy this delicious dish and have as much fun making it as I did!
Thank you
Eleanor Koeppel
1/2 Cup of Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon of Salt and Pepper
1 Cup of Sharp White Cheddar
Cut the Cauliflower head like a steak, one head of Cauliflower should yield you two steaks about 1 1/2 inches wide. Reserve the remainder of the Cauliflower head for soups or stock.
Season the Cauliflower steaks with a healthy amount of olive oil and salt and pepper. Place in a shallow pan, wrap with plastic wrap, then cover with aluminum foil and place in a preheated oven for 45 minutes. Take it out and let it rest and cool for a while.
Once the Cauliflower has rested, saute in olive oil in a hot saute pan until it has a nice color on both sides, place on a sheet pan, sprinkle liberally with sharp cheddar cheese and bake in a 400 degree oven until bulling and browned.
3 Cups of White Balsamic – reduced down to half and chilled.
3 Cups of Black Lentils
4 Tablespoons of Chopped Parsley
4 Roasted Red Peppers
2 Cups of Golden Raisins
4 Small Shallots Diced – salt and let rest.
The Lentils are cooked carefully in salted cold water, bring to a slight boil for about 20 minutes. The lentils will be soft but pay attention and do not overcook them. Strain, lay them out on a sheet tray to stop the cooking process and season again with salt and pepper and lightly toss with about one cup of your reduced and chilled white balsamic vinegar. Roast your red peppers and remove the seeds and chop lenghtwise. Add the chopped shallots, parsley, raisins and red peppers to cooled lentils and gently warm this mixture in a saute pan adding a touch of butter and vegetable stock to facilitate the cooking.
4 Roasted Red Peppers
2 Cups of Marinara Sauce
Sherry Vinegar
1 Cup Marcona Almonds
Chopped Parsley
Salt & Pepper
Paprika
Cayenne Pepper
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend well. This sauce if refrigerated will hold for up to a month and can be used in many dishes.
Place a good dollop of Romesco Sauce on the plate, place the cheesy bubbly cauliflower on top, drape the lentils over one side of them and sprinkle some chopped almonds over. Garnish with some parsley and enjoy!