Southern fried cauliflower
A delicious Southern fried cauliflower dish perfect for sharing or as a side, featuring crispy battered florets and a zesty sauce.
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Course Appetizer, side
Cuisine Southern
large saucepan
shallow dishes
slotted spoon
tray
paper towels
- ½ large cauliflower
- 225 g self-raising flour (1 ½ cups)
- 1 tablespoon ground paprika
- 2 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 250 ml buttermilk (1 cup)
- 3 eggs
- Vegetable oil to deep-fry
- 125 g whole-egg mayonnaise (½ cup)
- 2 teaspoon sriracha chilli sauce
- Micro herbs to serve
- Lemon wedges to serve
Trim the cauliflower and cut into large florets (you should have about 400g cauliflower florets). Sift the flour, paprika, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne and a large pinch of salt onto a large plate. Stir in the oregano. Pour the buttermilk into a shallow dish. Whisk the eggs in a separate shallow dish.
Working in batches, place the cauliflower in the buttermilk and turn to coat well. Add to the flour mixture and toss to coat. Shake off excess. Add to the egg and turn to coat well, draining excess before returning to the flour mixture. Turn to coat well. Transfer to a plate.
Pour enough oil into a large saucepan to come halfway up the side and heat over medium-high heat. Working in batches of about 4-5 pieces (don't overcrowd the pan), deep-fry the cauliflower for 2 minutes or until golden. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a tray lined with paper towel to drain. Transfer the cauliflower to a serving dish. Season with salt.
Combine the mayonnaise and chilli sauce in a small bowl. Sprinkle micro herbs over the fried cauliflower. Serve with the mayonnaise mixture and lemon.
Keyword cauliflower recipe, crispy cauliflower, fried cauliflower, Southern fried cauliflower, vegetarian appetizer