Whoever said salads aren’t indulgent and satisfying hasn’t tried one of Liam Charles’ concoctions. In this one, little cauliflower nuggets are deep-fried and drizzled in a blue cheese dressing.
Cauliflower Show Salad
Equipment
- Food processor
- Bowl
- Saucepan
- Deep-fat fryer
Ingredients
- 130 g gochujang (red chilli paste)
- 65 ml dark soy sauce
- 3 tbsp runny honey
- 3 tbsp water
- sunflower oil for deep-frying
- 180 g plain flour
- 1 tsp sea salt fine
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large cauliflower head cut into nugget-sized florets
- 3 tbsp sesame seeds toasted
- 3 tbsp chopped chives
- 4 bunches of romaine lettuce chopped
- 4 carrots julienned
- 1 large red onion thinly sliced
- 150 g walnuts toasted
Method
- Blue cheese dressing: Put the mayo, soured cream, buttermilk and 100g of the blue cheese in the bowl of a food-processor or in a blender, add the lemon juice and garlic and blitz until smooth. Transfer to a squeezy bottle or bowl and chill.
- The nuggets:Â Combine all the ingredients for the nugget sauce in a saucepan, place over a low heat and heat until it starts to simmer. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
- Pour sunflower oil in the deep-fat fryer up to the safety markers and heat to 170°C. If you don’t have a deep-fat fryer, use a large saucepan (filling the pan by no more than two-thirds) and a food thermometer instead. (If you don’t have a thermometer, chuck a piece of cauliflower into the oil and if it bubbles and floats, the oil’s ready.)
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt, pepper, cayenne and smoked paprika together, and in another bowl whisk the eggs. Dip some cauliflower florets into the eggs, then toss them in the flour mixture until well coated. Place on a plate and repeat with the rest of the cauliflower. Line a large tray with kitchen paper.
- Deep-frying:Â Working in batches, fry the cauliflower nuggets in the hot oil for about seven minutes, until golden brown. Remove the nuggets using a slotted spoon and put them on the paper-lined tray.
- Toss: Transfer the cauliflower nuggets to a large bowl, pour the nugget sauce over them, toss until well coated, then sprinkle with the sesame seeds and chives.
- Salad assembly: Combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl, give everything a good mix, then set aside until ready to serve.
- Assemble: Place the salad on a serving dish, top the salad with the cauliflower nuggets and a generous squiggle of blue cheese dressing, then sprinkle over the remaining crumbled blue cheese.
Nutrition
Second Helpings: 70 Wicked Recipes That Will Leave You Wanting More by Liam Charles is published by Hodder & Stoughton.
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