Cruciferous Crusade; A Fried Cauliflower Recipe.

From time to time, someone will ask me: “How do you feed all these children?” The answer is twofold: I buy all the things I can in bulk, and a cauliflower is cheaper than a pack of steaks, so occasionally we are vegan/vegetarian. That doesn’t mean we don’t eat well though. One of my favorite foods is deep fried cauliflower. My grandmother made a kickass deep fried cauliflower, so it is childhood comfort food for me. This is not her recipe, as I never had a chance to learn how she made it, but my version is also tasty.

What you’ll need:

• 1 cauliflower
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. corn starch
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. cajun seasoning
• salt
• water
• 1 cup fine breadcrumbs
• oil for frying

Wash and cut your cauliflower. There are two ways to ensure deep fried cauliflower is cooked just right. The first is by blanching larger pieces of cauliflower, but…

(I certainly don’t!)

The second way is to cut your cauliflower into smaller, thinner pieces and heat your oil to not too high a temperature (335F is good).

Mix the flour, corn starch, baking powder, baking soda, cajun spice, and salt. Add enough water to create a smooth batter. Have your fine breadcrumbs ready in a separate bowl.

The best way to coat your cauliflower before frying is to dip each piece in the batter, then roll it into the breadcrumbs, and fry until golden brown. If you are cooking for less than 4 people, this is absolutely the way to go. If like me you are cooking for a hungry pack of jackals, do what I do: chuck the batter in your bowl of cauliflower pieces and mix it up so all are coated. Repeat process with the breadcrumbs. The “pack of jackals” method does not coat the cauliflower as evenly, but will still come out golden and delicious just the same. I love to serve mine with home made garlic sauce, but that is personal preference. Tzaziki, ranch, tahina, ketchup, blue cheese… the options are endless. Shown here served with rice and lentils for a vegan meal:

As you can see, this is kid approved food. Little Miss Polaris is in absolute food bliss with fried cauliflower:

Enjoy!