"Chicken"-Fried Cauliflower Steak with Mashed Potatoes & Mushroom Gravy
Serves 4Prep 30 minCook 40 minTotal 1 hr 10 min
Prep and cook times are estimates — every kitchen moves at its own pace. Plus 10 minutes resting the breaded steaks.
This is Sunday dinner, rebuilt from the ground up. We first made this dish back in 2019 — thick cauliflower steaks, double-dredged in a soul-food seasoned batter and fried crisp in avocado oil, piled onto real mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy made from scratch. This version is the one we always wanted it to be: the steaks get seasoned inside and out, the coating actually stays on, and the gravy has the deep, peppery richness that makes you go back for more.
If a cauliflower steak has ever let you down — raw in the middle, falling apart, bland under the crust — this is the recipe that fixes all of it.
Directions
- Cut the steaks: pull off the outer leaves and trim the stem, but keep the core intact — that's what holds the steaks together. Stand each head on its stem and slice vertically into 3/4- to 1-inch slabs. You'll get 2–3 good steaks per head; save the loose florets for another meal.
- Par-cook (don't skip this): steam the steaks 4–5 minutes until just fork-tender — a knife should meet slight resistance. This is the whole trick: a thick raw steak won't cook through in fry time, and par-cooking keeps it from falling apart. While the steaks are still warm, shower both sides with a pinch of salt and a dusting of the seasoning blend — seasoning the cauliflower itself, not just the crust, is what separates good from great. Cool completely, then pat very dry.
- Make the wet batter: stir the vinegar into the oat milk and rest 5 minutes (vegan buttermilk). Whisk in the flour, cornstarch, and half the seasoning blend until smooth — thin pancake-batter consistency.
- Make the dry dredge: whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and remaining seasoning in a wide shallow dish.
- Bread them: working one steak at a time, go dry dredge → wet batter (let the excess drip off) → dry dredge again, pressing firmly so the coating adheres. Set on a rack and rest 10 minutes — the coating sets and won't slide off in the oil.
- Start the potatoes: cover the quartered potatoes with cold salted water, bring to a boil, and cook until completely tender, 15–20 minutes.
- Make the gravy: if using the porcini, soak in 1 cup hot water for 20 minutes, then chop and add with the cremini; strain the soaking liquid through a fine sieve and use it as part of the broth. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 Tbsp vegan butter and brown the mushrooms HARD in a single layer — don't crowd the pan, let them sit until deeply golden, 6–8 minutes. Add the onion and cook until soft, then the garlic for 1 minute. Stir in the remaining 1 Tbsp butter and the flour; cook the roux 2–3 minutes, stirring, until it smells toasty and turns light brown. Slowly whisk in the warm broth. Add the tamari, thyme, and black pepper. Simmer 5–8 minutes until thick enough to coat a spoon. Dissolve the miso in a ladle of the hot gravy and stir it back in (never boil miso hard). Stir in the plant cream if using. Salt to taste — it should be bold.
- Mash the potatoes: drain, return to the hot pot for 2 minutes to steam dry, then mash with the vegan butter first and beat in the warm oat milk until creamy. Season assertively with salt and white pepper; fold in the roasted garlic if using. Keep warm, covered.
- Fry: heat 1/2 inch avocado oil to 350°F. Fry the steaks 3–4 minutes per side until deep golden and crisp. Drain on a wire rack (not paper towels — the crust stays crisp). Sprinkle with a pinch of salt while hot.
- Plate it like Sunday dinner: a swoop of mashed potatoes, the cauliflower steak leaning on top, and gravy over everything — at the table, not ahead, so the crust stays crunchy. Finish with parsley or chives.
