I don’t believe in small sandwiches. A good sandwich sound have big flavours, contrasting textures, and lots of layers. This is one of those sandwiches. The heart is a cauliflower steak, marinaded in chimmichurri sauce, coated in a crunchy batter, and smothered in more chimmichuri. Layer it up with your favourite burger fixin’s, on a great gluten free bun or sub roll with a little mayo and I don’t know anyone who won’t love it.
If you’ve been looking at vegan food for a while then cauliflower steaks won’t be new to you, but I know that they’re just not that popular to my meat eating friends. I understand. Taken at face value, the very idea of a cauliflower steak can symbolise what every meat eater thinks is the worst of vegan food. A thick slab of cauliflower (remembered as the veg that gets boiled till falling apart), surely can not compare to the big flavours everyone expects of a steak, right? My advice? Really don’t compare the two – done right, a cauliflower steak has tons of flavour and texture but it won’t be the same as a steak. It’s a whole new thing and I can’t recommend it enough.
- Makes: Serves 3-4
Ingredients
For the Cauliflower Steaks:
- 1 Large Cauliflower, cut into 1cm thick steaks*
- 95g Gluten Free Flour
- 20g Chickpea Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 300ml Water
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp Chilli Flakes
- 4 Cups Gluten Free Cornflakes
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Oil for frying
For the Chimmichurri Sauce:
- 180ml Good Olive Oil
- 2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 1/2 cup (packed) Finely Chopped Parsley
- 4 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 Red Chilli, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
- 1 tsp Salt
- Pepper to taste
For the Sandwiches:
- Gluten Free Buns
- Vegan Mayo
- Tomato Slices
- Lettuce
Directions
Start with the Chimmichurri sauce. Mix together all the ingredients in a jar and put into the fridge to allow the flavours to mix. I like to make this the night before to give the sauce plenty of time but if you don’t have time try to at least give it 15 minutes.
Place the cauliflower steaks on a lined baking tray and brush with a little sauce. Allow them to marinade for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees (200 Fan/425 F). Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through and basting again with a little more chimmichurri. When done the stalk of the cauliflower should be easily pierced by a fork but not be soft. Allow to cool while mixing up the batter.
In a wide bowl, mix together both flours, baking powder, salt, and water into a slightly thick batter. It should be the somewhere between single and double cream, still with body but thin enough coat all the nooks and crannies. Place the cornflakes onto a wide dinner plate and cover with the oregano and chilli flakes. Crunch up the flakes so they resemble panko breadcrumbs. Toss well so the flakes are well coated in the herbs and chilli.
Put plenty of oil in a pan and let it get heat to 170 degrees. Carefully coat the cauliflower steaks in batter, allowing the excess to drip off. Toss the steaks with the cornflakes, pressing lightly to ensure a good coating. Carefully add the coated steaks to the oil, making they don’t overlap, and fry until golden on both sides. Drain well before topping with a thick coating of the chimmichurri sauce.
Serve in toasted buns smeared with a little vegan mayo, with your favourite fixin’s like lettuce and tomato. Tasty!
Notes
* If you’re struggling to cut your cauliflower into steaks, then cut into bitesize florets and follow the same steps. These crunchy cauliflower bites will work perfectly in a sub roll. If you follow this path, then you may need to whip up some more chimmichurri sauce to properly coat them.
Allergy Notes; This recipe is vegan, gluten free, nut free, and soy free! If you react to any of the ingredients I’ve included then let me know and I can suggest substitutions
