46 DECEMBER 2019
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Sausage-Spiced
Cauliflower Steaks
ACTIVE 25 MIN; TOTAL 50 MIN
SERVES 8Toasted fennel seeds, black pepper, and
orange zest lend a sausage-like flavor to
these roasted cauliflower steaks. Flipping
the cauliflower during roasting ensures
there are plenty of caramelized florets
under the marinara and melty cheese.3 medium cauliflower heads (about
11 / 2 to 2 lb. each)
5 Tbsp. olive oil
11 / 2 tsp. fennel seeds
1 tsp. fine sea salt
1 tsp. black pepper(^1) / (^2) tsp. orange zest
(^1) / 4 tsp. garlic powder
1 cup best-quality marinara sauce
8 oz. fontina cheese, shredded (about
2 cups), or 8 (^2 /^3 -oz.) provolone
cheese slices
(^1) / (^4) oz. Parmesan cheese, grated
(about 2 Tbsp.)
- Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in
upper third of oven. Cut each cauliflower
head vertically through core into 2 to 3
(^3 / 4 -inch-thick) steaks to form 8 steaks.
(Reserve remaining cauliflower for
another use.) Arrange steaks in a single
layer on a large rimmed baking sheet.
Brush oil evenly on both sides of steaks. - Cook fennel seeds in a small saucepan
over medium-high, stirring occasionally,
until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to
a mortar, and crush using a pestle (or
coarsely grind in a spice grinder). Stir in
salt, pepper, orange zest, and garlic pow-
der. Sprinkle mixture evenly over both
sides of cauliflower steaks. - Roast cauliflower steaks in preheated
oven until golden brown and tender, about
30 minutes, flipping halfway through
roasting time. Remove from oven;
increase oven temperature to broil. - Spread cauliflower steaks evenly with
marinara; top with cheeses. Broil until
cheeses melt and start to brown, 6 to 8
minutes. —ANNA THEOKTISTO
MAKE AHEAD The cauliflower may be cut 1
day ahead, wrapped in plastic wrap, and
stored in refrigerator. Sausage spice can
be made several days ahead and stored in
an airtight container at room temperature.