Ok. With just about a week to go before the Superbowl, I have a couple recipes that you have got to add to your Sunday snack roster!
And the reaction people had to the sneak preview of this recipe on IG stories was enough for me to know that this had to be first up. And OH MY GOD is this good.
I had some requests for a plant-based substitute for everyone’s beloved fried chicken wings- a game day staple for many. Cauliflower seemed like a good sturdy choice for deep frying and indeed it worked very well! This easy gluten-free batter is crispy and light and turns a lovely golden brown, while perfectly cooking the cauliflower to tender- not mushy!! I also have to say, that in using a smaller size pot, I didn’t have to use an overwhelming amount of oil and the whole frying/cleaning up was really pretty easy and not at all traumatic!
Then comes the lovely sauce- sweet and a little spicy and sticky and lick your fingers amazing. I made this recipe and the kids were at a movie with Pete (Star Wars) and I’m not going to sugar-coat it. I ate almost an entire batch. Which is only to say that you should most definitely double the recipe if you are feeding more than a few people!
Also- important to note that this is absolutely meant to be eaten as it’s made when the fried shell is crispy. Having said that, Pete and the kids came and ate the remains I did not devour hours after the fact and still thought that they were incredibly LOL! We tried again the next day and they had a fresh batch and were even more excited. I find that honestly it is hard to lay the crispy cauliflower down without everyone devouring it immediately, so you won’t have to worry that it is sitting around too long!
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
- Batter:
- 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons rice flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground garlic
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- 1 ¼ cups gluten-free beer
- Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoons tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
- 2 tablespoons natural hoisin sauce (gluten-free)
- 2 tablespoons sambal (chili-garlic sauce)
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 fresno chili, thinly sliced
- 2 scallions, finely sliced on the bias
- 1½ tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- Oil for frying
- I used a smaller pot, and filled it ⅓ of the way with sunflower oil. I attached a candy thermometer to the side so I would know exactly what the temperature was.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients for the batter. Slowly add the beer, and whisk until smooth. Set aside while you make the sauce and bring the oil up to 375 degrees.
- In the jar of a blender, combine all of the sauce ingredients and puree on high until smooth. Set aside.
- When the oil reaches 375, take about 6 florets and dunk liberally in the batter and gently lower into the oil. Let the cauliflower fry for about 30 seconds and then it will pop to the top of the pot. Use a Chinese spider, or a slotted spoon to gently stir the cauliflower around until golden brown, about 1.5-2 minutes.
- Meanwhile, I like to take a large stainless-steel bowl and pour ⅓ of the sauce, a tablespoon of green onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. I remove the cauliflower, from the hot oil with a spider or slotted spoon and put it directly into the bowl. Mix the cauliflower with the sauce to coat the cauliflower and then add to a serving bowl.
- Immediately start the next batch! (Including adding another ⅓ cup of sauce to the stainless-steel bowl, etc. With one head of cauliflower, I did this in three batches.
Print Recipe
Could these be made in an air fryer?
I’m wondering the same. Air fryer?
What brand of gluten free hoisin sauce did you use?
sunluck!