Opinion – Terra Vegana: How to make a fish fillet with cauliflower

At three in the morning, I wanted to eat breaded fish accompanied by putanesca pasta — not that this is a usual combination, or that I eat fish. The will can only have been born from that broad spectrum called “a pregnant woman’s desires”.

There are those who want to eat tomato with chocolate, watermelon with margarine, bread stuffed with condensed milk, rice with ice cream, açaí with beans. Which means my wish would be largely acceptable if it weren’t for the fact that I’m vegan.

I emptied my bladder—the pressure is so great, but it drips out—, went back to bed and slept soundly. If the desire really persisted, I would go after my big fish with putanesca as soon as the sun came up, almost as if I forgot that fish is a living being (with feelings and emotions) and that industrial fishing poses a threat not only to marine life, but to our own lives.

Healthy oceans are essential for the existence of any type of ecosystem, and fishing activity undermines corals, kills many more fish and seafood than it actually sells, leaves traces of plastic garbage (nets, buoys, etc.) the imbalance of food chains by preferring certain species (especially fish) to the detriment of others that are less marketable.

When I woke up, determined to entrust my husband with the mission of solving that forbidden desire, I remembered a time when I cried with sobs in one of the most starred kitchens in Brazil — and in the world.

I was an intern at the Maní restaurant, and, as such, I performed less noble functions, such as cleaning fish, for example. The kitchen where the peeling happened was isolated from the restaurant itself, so I took the opportunity to listen to any playlist that gave me the strength to stand for hours and hours with a machete in hand. At that time, I was neither vegan nor vegetarian.

One day, while cleaning a fish’s head for the famous moqueca broth, my fingers slipped and sank into the animal’s gelatinous eyes. They were eyes like mine, like ours. I held them, already crushed in my palm, and began to cry.

To my misfortune, the sous chef of the service entered the kitchen at this exact moment: “You’re in a Michelin star restaurant, you know that?”.

You don’t work with music, much less with a dirty apron, in an award-winning restaurant, I knew.

He paused the Rationals MC — it was playing “The Diary of a Detainee,” I’ll never forget — and began frantically scrubbing the bloody countertop. Seeing me cry, he apologized and left without ever knowing the real reason for my tears.

The five seconds of pleasure in eating that fried fish wouldn’t be worth it, I knew as soon as my husband, still waking up, reminded me of a getaway I had at a New Year’s barbecue. The smell of the curd cheese made me blind, and I tried a little piece, a little embarrassed, judged by some, authorized by others — pregnant women can do anything. I couldn’t recognize the cheese as food, I thought it tasted super weird, and I still felt bad for sticking with my veganism.

But how do I deal with my craving, knowing that eating fish wouldn’t be a choice and that even if I did decide to make an exception, I would probably be disappointed? Breading a cauliflower! Why not? Fish in the sea, cabbage on the plate, pasta in the package — the sauce ended up on top of the vegetable, served on a bed of arugula.

Before the recipe, a few brief clarifications, especially for those who are just starting to venture into vegetable cooking. The flaxseed flour serves as the beaten egg in the milanesa: mixed with water, it becomes slightly gelatinous, just like the white of the egg.

For breading, I chose almond flour, due to the fat content, essential for the success of a good vegetable breading, especially when we choose to bake instead of frying. This ingredient is easily found in natural markets or in the Cereal Zone, it can also be prepared at home (just crush the almonds), or even replaced with manioc flour, as long as the olive oil is perfect. Finally, nutritional yeast, added to almond flour, is not essential, but adds flavor to the breading.

I was completely satisfied with this version of cauliflower half “steak”, half sea, Italian mezzo. I hope you stay too.

Vegan putanesca cauliflower

INGREDIENTS

1 small cauliflower.

2 ½ tablespoons of flaxseed meal.

5 tablespoons of water.

⅔ cup of almond flour.

1 cup of tomato sauce.

¼ cup of black olives.

2 tablespoons of capers.

½ onion.

3 cloves of garlic.

1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast.

½ teaspoon of smoked paprika.

¼ teaspoon of turmeric.

¼ teaspoon of black pepper.

Olive oil and salt, as needed.

Parsley leaves and sliced ​​almonds to finish.

Arugula, a handful.

PREPARATION

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
2. Mix the flaxseed meal with the water in a deep dish. Season with a pinch of salt. Book for 10 minutes.
3. In a shallow dish, add the almond flour, nutritional yeast, paprika, turmeric, black pepper and a good pinch of salt. Mix and reserve.
4. Wash and dry the cauliflower. Cut into lengthwise slices, 1½ inches thick.
5. Dip each slice of cauliflower into the flaxseed mixture, then into the almond flour mixture. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat, parchment paper or greased with olive oil (to prevent the steak from sticking to the baking sheet) and repeat the process with the other slices and foils.
6. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, turning halfway through (if your oven has a top and bottom heat option, no need to turn). The cauliflower should be golden brown and have a crispy crust.
7. Toast the sliced ​​almonds in a skillet over medium heat. Reserve.
8. While the oven works, prepare the sauce (use the almond pan and save dishes): cut the onion into cubes and sauté in olive oil and salt. Peel and cut the garlic into thin slices, and add to the onion. Chop the olives and capers and add to the sauté, which should turn golden brown before the tomato sauce is added. Mix everything and let it reduce over low heat for ten minutes.