Buffalo cauliflower

This recipe was developed for us by local chef, food writer, caterer and teacher, Alan Rosenthal. Find out more about him and his recipes on his website or follow him on Instagram.

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There’s something incredibly comforting and a little bit naughty about dipping crispy deep-fried cauliflower florets into rich salty blue cheese & buttery chilli sauces. Apart from the cauliflower, there really is nothing healthy about this recipe; but the occasional indulgence is absolutely fine in my book! Of course, if you want a less calorific and simpler version of this recipe, rather than frying, you could rub the florets in a little olive oil and roast in a hot oven until browning at the edges.

Serves 4 as a side or starter

Ingredients

1 small cauliflower, broken into small florets

50g panko breadcrumbs

50g plain flour

2 eggs

Vegetable oil for frying

For the blue cheese sauce

200g Danish blue

100g mayonnaise

100g soured cream

1 tbsp milk

Squeeze of lemon juice

For the chilli sauce

5 tbsp Franks hot sauce (or alternative hot chilli sauce)

1 tbsp apricot jam

25g butter

Method

To make the cheese sauce, simply mix all the ingredients together with a fork until well combined but with a few lumps of cheese remaining.

Next, add the flour and panko breadcrumbs to two separate wide bowls. Crack the eggs into a third bowl and beat them well. Toss the cauliflower florets in the flour, shaking off any excess. Next add a few of the floured florets to the beaten egg bowl and, using a fork, turn them over a few times to ensure well covered in egg. Then transfer them into the bowl with the breadcrumbs and toss them around until covered. Repeat this process with the rest of the florets.

Fill a wide deep pan (or use a deep fryer if you have one) with enough vegetable oil to come to about 3 inches deep. Ensure the oil does not come over halfway up the pan. Heat the oil until it reaches 180°C (if you don’t have a thermometer, drop a piece of white bread in the oil. It should take around 45-60 seconds to turn brown).