Cauliflower has never tasted better than after a quick dip in a lemon herb marinade and a fast char on the grill!
It seems cauliflower and I have a thing. I find a place for it in every season…a comforting winter soup, tailgating fare, and the always seasonally appropriate roasted cauliflower, both sweet and tangy. Cauliflower knows no season, yet I am decidedly bringing the summer to some cauliflower in this dish.
While I’m a northeastern, four season girl all the way…summer has my heart. And to me summer equals grilling. Sure, I’ll smash a potato and throw it in the oven if grill space is at a premium, but if I have my druthers (and I often have some druthers) I’d grill everything (with the exception of my morning yogurt) if I could.
So let’s get our summer cauliflower on. Ready? Gather, slice, brush and grill!
How do I grill cauliflower? (You thought it, why not ask it?)
There are a couple of tips and tricks that will make your cauli-grilling experience so much easier.
- Plan on two 1-inch thick intact cauliflower steaks from one head. Slice two from top to stem right down the middle, while attempting to keep the two remaining outer sides as intact as possible.
- Trim the rounded edges from the two outer steaks so they will lay as flat as possible. Because they don’t have the benefit of the stem holding them together, use a skewer threaded through the heart of the biggest pieces to hold it together as they grill.
Blerg! My outer cauliflower steaks are falling apart!
Never fear! Your outer steaks may be breaking apart, but you don’t have to. If my trusty skewer trick isn’t working for you, just toss those pesky florets in some marinade, throw them into a grill basket and grill them until cooked though and slightly charred. No grill basket? Place those rebellious marinated cauliflower florets on a parchment lined sheet tray in a 475 degree oven and roast until browned and tender (15 mins-ish).
Can’t stomach dairy?
No problem. Easy pleasey, omit the parmesan cheese. Just be sure to add an extra sprinkle of salt to account for that missing salty flavor.
And as Bugs Bunny would say, that’s all folks. An easy, tasty, eye-pleasing summer side….summer-lover approved. Hope you enjoy!
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
- 1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, minced
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme, minced
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil + 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- * Minced herbs and additional grated parmesan for garnish
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Heat a grill to medium high. Remove the green outer leaves from a head of cauliflower. Cut two - 1 inch steaks from the center of the head, through the stem, being sure to leave the stem intact.
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Trim the rounded outer edges from the remaining ends and use a skewer to thread though the thicker pieces, creating a (pieced together) steak. Repeat with remaining piece.
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Whisk together the lemon zest, juice, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, herbs and oil.
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Lay the steaks on a sheet or plate and brush lightly with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
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Flip the steaks and spread one half of the marinade over the steaks and season with salt and pepper.
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Grill covered, marinade side up, for 2-3 mins. Carefully flip and distribute the remaining marinade over the steaks. Cover and cook an additional 2-3 mins. The skewered steaks may fall apart slightly, but no worries, just carefully turn so all of the pieces cook evenly.
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Sprinkle with parmesan and close the grill and cook 1-2 mins.
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Remove and serve with herbs and parmesan if desired.
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