Smoky, tangy, salt, sweet . . .
I may be the only American 90’s kid who grew up with an electric wok on the counter but no grill in the backyard. Grilling—or any kind of live fire cooking—was a mystery to me until the day my sous chef plopped a small Japanese tabletop grill on my side of the line and told me it was my responsibility. Then I had to learn—fast.
Since then, I’ve been obsessed with grilling everything from zucchini to chicken to artichokes. Okay, so I live in a tiny NYC apartment with no grilling equipment except for a stove-top grill pan that gives me some cheat “grill marks” and a decent amount of char on my food. This summer I’ve grilled everything from cabbage to artichokes to chicken teriyaki. And now, this.
Grilled cauliflower steaks topped with a tangy eggplant caponata. Juicy tomato marries with the rich eggplant to create a luxurious relish that’s rich and satisfying while somehow also managing to feel incredibly fresh and light. With the occasional pops of brininess from the capers and the olives, it all comes together to create a perfect accompaniment for the lightly charred cauliflower. Smoky, tangy, salty, sweet . . . it’s the perfect meal to eat, sitting on the back porch on a late-summer evening.
Whether you grill outdoors every weekend, own a green egg that’s completely rusted in your backyard, or, like me, have to make do with a grill pan, I hope you’ll take some inspiration from this post and do some grilling of your own. Or, at the very least, make this caponata and toast up some pita bread to serve with it. Celebrate summer while it lasts.
Enjoy!
Grilled Cauliflower with Caponata
(Serves 4)
For the capontata:
6 tbsp. olive oil, divided
2 small globe eggplants (about 1 ¼ lb.), cut into ½-inch cubes (about 7 cups)
3 tsp. Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided
1 small yellow onion, chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped (about 1 cup)
1 large celery stalk, thinly sliced (about ½ cup)
4 plum tomatoes (about 1 lb.), chopped
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. granulated sugar
½ cup pitted green olives, sliced
2 tbsp. capers
2 tbsp. golden raisins
For the cauliflower and assembly:
1 large head cauliflower
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. Diamond Crystal kosher salt
¼ cup fresh basil
Special equipment:
Grill or grill pan
Method
Heat 4 tablespoons oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add eggplant, season with 1 teaspoon salt and cook, tossing occasionally, until tender and charred in spots, 4-5 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside.
Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat in the pan and add onion, red pepper, celery, garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 7-8 minutes. Add tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes have broken down into a saucy stew, about 5 minutes more. Stir in red wine vinegar, sugar, and cooked eggplant; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and cook, uncovered, until thickened to a chunky stew, 2-3 minutes more. Stir in olives, capers, and raisins, and season with remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Serve warm or at room temperature.
For the cauliflower steaks and assembly:
Heat a grill for medium high heat (alternately, heat a grill pan over medium high heat on the stove). Clean and oil the grill grates.
Cut the cauliflower head into slices ¼-inch thick. Place the four center steaks on a sheet pan (reserve the rest of the cauliflower, which will be crumblier, smaller pieces, for something else); drizzle both sides with olive oil and season with salt.
Grill until charred on both sides and cooked through, about 6 minutes per side. Serve topped with caponata and fresh basil.
Originally posted on September 7, 2022.
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