![Skillet Chicken With Mushrooms and Caramelized Onions](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2021/03/30/dining/yf-chicken-with-mushrooms-and-onions/merlin_185308269_36ffc313-cc76-49cf-b406-3e6e20a4d34f-mediumThreeByTwo440.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
Cauliflower Piccata
![Cauliflower Piccata](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2001/10/07/dining/hm-cauliflower-piccata/merlin_195006624_9fe19ba9-b756-415a-9fe7-f65fc4ade92f-articleLarge.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- 1cauliflower, cut into large 2-inch florets
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1(15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained (optional)
- 1shallot, finely diced
- 3garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1cup vegetable stock
- 4tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2tablespoons capers, drained
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- Parsley, chopped, for garnish
- 1lemon, sliced, for serving
Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the cauliflower florets onto a sheet pan and drizzle with 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with kosher salt and black pepper, and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cauliflower is golden and tender. Remove from the oven, add the chickpeas, if using, and toss to combine.
- Step 2
Heat a medium skillet to medium-high. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the shallot, and sauté until soft and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer, stirring constantly to keep from scorching. Pour the stock into the pan and simmer until reduced by half, about 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, then stir in the butter, capers, lemon zest and juice. Season with ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and a few turns of black pepper.
- Step 3
To serve, place the cauliflower and chickpeas, if using, on serving plates. Top with the lemon-caper sauce. Top with parsley and serve with lemon slices.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
I think roasting the chickpeas along with the cauliflower would be better. Aren’t chickpeas always better roasted and a bit crunchy?
I made this over Christmas and it was a very real hit with my family, in particular my daughter and grandson who are both committed vegetarians. Watching my two vegetarians so thoroughly enjoy this was a very personal delight. And what little was left over was reheated and served to my grandson the following day. Why this note? To thank Hetty and the NYT for providing a recipe that helped a retired guy trying to become a cook hit a jackpot that still makes him/me smile. Thank you very much.
We really enjoyed this. Made the sauce as in the recipe but the cauliflower I had was smaller than I had thought so I also roasted a courgette to add. The sauce was easy to make and full of flavour. We had it with some quinoa and stir-fried chard with a bit of chilli. Will definitely use this sauce again
No. Not everyone thinks chickpeas are better crunchy. Think Hummus. Or lots of other things.
Delicious, versatile sauce. Not changing the recipe here, just adding an option because I didn't have a cauliflower and the recipe was crying out to be made. Made sauce as directed with half white wine/half veg stock, and used a pinch or two of cayenne, otherwise as directed. Served over 1/2 lb cooked, drained cascatelli (new pasta shape and a gift that had to be tried) mixed with 14 oz can quartered artichokes (in water). Parmesan on top. Fabulous.
Likely you're buying the wrong capers. Look for Sicilian capers packed in wine vinegar (one brand I like is Caravaglio). Brined, rinsed, packed in salt, rinsed, then packed in wine vinegar for packaging. Far less "saltiness" and you'll note different herb notes like mustard and oregano. As a fallback I'll buy salt-preserved capers in the caputo size. I have jars of 8 different capers in my kitchen, they all taste different.
I made this with cauliflower AND broccoli florets and Farro on the side. It was delicious, a 'hit', and I will make it again and often. Next time, though, I will only use slices from 1/2 of a lemon. IMHO, a whole sliced lemon was excessive, wasteful, and didn't add to the dish. We had some leftovers & the next day, I warmed the Piccata & sprinkled some crumbled Feta on top. We actually thought that the Feta added to the recipe, which was truthfully one of the best veggie recipes in a long while.
Substitute vegan “butter” for the butter to make this a good vegan recipe. Definitely needs some green veggies to go with it.
I prefer to toss the cauliflower florets with a bit of olive oil in a bowl, rather than drizzle the oil over the florets in the sheet pan. One uses less oil, and it doesn't burn onto the bottom of the pan. I usually drain and rinse the chickpeas, and toss them in the same bowl. I also add salt right there on the bowl.
Sauce is tasty. Maybe too much butter. Would be good on chicken. Not crazy about it on cauliflower. I added currents. Don’t.
I feel a bit rude leaving this comment on a vegetarian dish so let’s just say this is hypothetical. You COULD add pan fried chicken, use that pan to cook the shallots, garlic etc., add yellow squash in with the cauliflower, ommit chickpeas, double the sauce (but keep the butter at 4tbs) and have a tasty, more veggie filled chicken piccata. Hypothetically!
As another reviewer suggested, I roasted the chickpeas with the cauliflower. Otherwise, made as directed, and served over brown rice. Delicious!
Not bad, but not great. One of the things i love about chicken piccata is the flour-dredged & pan-fried meat that gives flavor and richness to the sauce. This recipe really misses that. I might try this again with cauliflower "steaks" that are pan fried instead of oven-roasted florets.
Loved this! Made it almost as directed; added the chickpeas to the already roasted cauliflower for about 15 minutes before serving atop baby arugula and alongside pan-seared cod. The rich sauce wilted the arugula and that was awesome.
I suggest sauteing capers before adding them to the sauce (like in NYT's "Spicy and Saucy Cherry Tomato Pasta") and agree with reviewers who roasted chickpeas. I roasted them separately since they don't take as long as the cauliflower. I also agree the amount of sauce needs to be increased. I upped by 50% but reduced butter by half - don't care much for the buttery flavor of the original one. No need for the sliced lemon - it's lemony enough. Really like the result, will make it again!
Good , I would add more sauce
I didn't expect much, but made this because I had a cauliflower I had to use, and had all the other ingredients. It is delicious, and I enjoyed it more with each bite. I had it on its own--no pasta, rice or anything--and it had a really surprising delicacy. Yum!
so good. Substituted 1/2 cup white wine for broth and added the drained chick peas to the cauliflower pan 5 minutes before the cauliflower was done. Tossed the cauliflower mixture with the sauce. Guests asked for the recipe. :-)
Love this recipe. It's in the regular rotation as a primary dish meal - I serve it over Farro. Only adjustments are similar to others - I toss the chickpeas onto the roasting pan for about 10 mins before pulling the cauliflower out of the oven; I'll sometimes add wine to the sauce; and I toss the cauliflower in the prepared sauce before serving.
We loved this. Slices from half a lemon made the presentation really pretty.
So delicious! I roasted the cauliflower in my Crueset in the oven at 350º for an hour, put the cauliflower in a bowl after it came out, and then used the same pot to make the sauce on the stove. I only used half the suggested amount of butter and it was still very rich.
Fabulous for AIP diets (hard to find fabulous in this category): no chick peas or pepper, add a spoonful of coconut butter to make it creamy.
I added kale for some color which nicely wilted in the hot sauce. I enjoyed this dish immensely. My family thought the lemon flavor was too strong. I might cut back on the lemon next time to accommodate all.
Added a little dry vermouth to the sauce, a touch of yellow curry, otherwise followed recipe exactly and it was a huge hit. We did serve a mixed salad as well and as others noted, the added greenery just added to the tastes. Oh, no lemon slices needed to enjoy all the flavors.
Delicious! It's also good if you make it with a lot less butter.
Loved this. Roasted the chickpeas along with the cauliflower, delicious!
Add the chickpeas after 10 minutes
This is so delicious and easy!!!! Doubled sauce, roasted chickpeas, and added some pine nuts and parm. Otherwise exactly the same. Served over couscous.
I made this recipe with the cauliflower a while ago, and I just made it again to serve with sauteed mushrooms, over pasta. We're vegans so I used vegan butter. And I pickled sliced ramps in a salt brine last spring -- so I used those instead of capers, which I did not have. So so so excellent, OMG this sauce is the best!
I like the idea of roasting the chickpeas… maybe adding them after 10 minutes. I added arugula along with the parsley, which gave it a nice peppery herbal kick. This is money. I might even try crosscutting the entire cauliflower into thin steaks, after a blanching, then lightly breading them? Is that crazy talk?
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