Let’s say that one of your New Year’s resolutions is to eat healthier and lose some weight. Join the crowd, right?
In practice, what we probably mean – among other things – is that we plan to eat more vegetables and less meat. It’s a challenge. But if you try this dish – a wonderful vegetarian version of breaded veal (or pork or chicken) cutlets swimming in a marina sauce – you will see how easy and satisfying it can be to turn a resolution into reality.
You start by slicing a whole head of cauliflower into cutlets. The idea is to end up with thick slabs of the vegetable. One easy method for doing this is to cut the head in half down the center, then turn each half on its cut side and cut the halves into 1/2-inch-thick slabs. There will always be a few loose bits from the ends, but those also can be breaded and cooked as described below.
You’ll want to take care with the breading, too. It’s a three-step process: dust the steaks lightly with cornstarch, coat them well with an egg mixture, then finish them with a layer of breadcrumbs. This is standard operating procedure among culinary pros. The three layers provide a more substantial crust than any other single coating or combo of coatings.
Now it’s time to brown your vegetable cutlets. You could do it in a skillet – just as you would a breaded meat cutlet – but that would require a ton of oil (those breadcrumbs just soak it up). And remember, it’s the New Year and you’re on a new path. So we bake them instead, which requires a lot less oil. The key is to place the cutlets fairly close to the heat source. In my electric oven that’s the top of the stove. If they’re not properly browned at the end of the prescribed cooking time, just leave them in the oven a little longer.