This SMOKED WHOLE CAULIFLOWER PICCATA is a fantastic side dish that the entire family will enjoy!
I never truly liked cauliflower until I was probably married. It’s not like I never liked it, my mom just didn’t really ever make it. We were more of a broccoli type of family! After I got married I would buy the mix pack of broccoli and cauliflower and I always wondered why the heck I never ate the veggie sooner. It is so damn delicious and not to mention so versatile. I don’t think I’ve had cauliflower that I didn’t like. Mashed. Yes please. Riced. Give it to me. Roasted. FACEPLANT!
I have to say though, lemon and cauliflower were made for each other! I always have loved “piccata” flavors, which mixes lemon and something briny, like capers or green olives. It was only obvious that I was going to use it with cauliflower. I decided to keep it whole because 1. why not and 2. it’s so easy; just plop the sucker in a pan and let it do it’s thing. No cutting (until you serve it), easy prep!
You all know I’ve been playing around a lot with my smoker, and I have been wanting to experiment more with vegetables and sides, cause all good hunks of meat need a tasty side as well! (you can find my smoked mac n’ cheese here) There is just something special about having a meal done on a smoker.
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower, leaves removed
- 4 meyer lemons, sliced
- 1 tbl lemon zest
- 2 tbl capers
- 1 cup ghee or butter
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
- sprinkle of salt
- OPTIONAL: fresh parsley or rosemary
Instructions
- Turn your smoker on to 375 degrees.
- Prep your cauliflower by removing all of the leaves and a little part of the stem. Make sure you keep the head in tact otherwise the florets will fall off.
- Slice your lemons and set on the bottom of a cast iron skillet. Place your cauliflower in the center and drizzle the oil all over the cauliflower.
- Wrap the skillet in aluminum foil and place in the smoker.
- Smoke for 30 minutes.
- While the cauliflower is cooking, take a small pot and melt the ghee. Mix in the garlic and capers.
- After 30 minutes, remove the foil and brush the melted ghee over the entire cauliflower.
- Keeping the cauliflower uncovered now, you will smoke it for another hour, brushing the melted ghee over the top 2 more times during that cooking period. It should pierce easily with a knife and top should be nice and golden!
- Carefully remove and sprinkle a bit of salt and top with lemon zest and fresh parsley or rosemary.
Notes
The oven method is done the exact same way!
Covering the cauliflower first is muy importante! That’s what’s gonna help cook the middle of the cauliflower. If you don’t do that first the outside of the cauliflower will get cooked, but the inside will still be crunchy.
This is great to make when you have company, not only because it is absolutely delicious, but because it just looks so darn pretty as a centerpiece on your table!
Whole30: yes
Paleo: yes
