February 06, 2023

Crispy Honey Cauliflower Wings

Cauliflower is one of those veggies that everyone seems to love. With so many different ways to enjoy it, it’s easy to see why it is such a staple. Some of our favourite ways to enjoy cauliflower and it’s many nutritional benefits are:

Cauliflower Rice – amazing fried in olive oil and garlic salt, as an addition to any stew, casserole or, well – any meal really! Also amazing mixed with a bit of brown rice if you like to include some simple carbs to your meal.

Cauliflower cheese – the classic! Easy to exchange the cheese with vegan cheese if you so desire, and the perfect accompaniment to roast meals, or with grilled protein and salad.

Cauliflower salad – there are so many variations of cauliflower salads, but when it’s mixed in a blender with a bit of curry powder, a teaspoon of honey, a handful of dried cranberries and sunflower seeds and a dollop of olive oil, you can’t really beat it!

Cauliflower Puree – The best kind of puree! So creamy and delicious when mixed with a bit of olive oil and salt to add a beautiful texture to your meal with a flavour that doesn’t overpower.

Cauliflower Steaks – perhaps the newest version of cauliflower to make it to our tables, cauliflower steaks can be dressed in any way you like. Pop in a frying pan and fry on high for a crispy outer and garnish with your favourite flavours.

And of course.. Sticky Cauliflower wings! This recipe is one of our favourites. The soft, mushy middles and crispy outside with the sticky, delicious sauce is incredibly hard to resist. An excellent alternative to the meaty kind of buffalo wing recipe, this cauliflower dish can be enjoyed as a snack, or added to a big bowl of rice with some fresh steamed peas, sliced cucumber and avocado.

Best created with fresh cauliflower (as the frozen kind can be a bit stringy), you can also use cauliflower rice to create this recipe if you’re wanting something more saucy.

Enjoy!

The Steens Team x

INGREDIENTS

Crispy Cauliflower

1 head of cauliflower broken into florets [around 650-700g]
¾ cup panko breadcrumbs [45g]
6 tbsp about ⅓ cup fine breadcrumbs [60g]
½ cup chickpea flour [60g] ¾ cup water

Sesame Sauce

3 tbsp soy sauce low sodium [45ml]
1 tbsp rice vinegar [15 ml]
¼ cup Manuka Honey [60ml]
1 tbsp sesame oil untoasted [15ml]
½ tsp ground ginger
½tsp red pepper flakes or to taste
1cup water
Cornstarch slurry: 2 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water
2-3stalks of green onion chopped
Sesame seeds for garnish

Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C).

Cut the cauliflower in half and cut the green bottom off. Break the cauliflower into medium sized florets. Then cut the stems off. The florets should all be around the same size.

Prepare chickpea flour “egg” wash by adding chickpea flour and water into a bowl and mix together until smooth.

Add the breadcrumbs into a big bowl.Using one hand add a floret into the chickpea flour “egg” wash and drip off excess.

Then using the other hand coat the floret in the breadcrumbs, or pop into a container and give it a good shake to coat.

Place the cauliflower on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Once they are all on baking sheet place in the oven for 20-25 minutes. They will be golden and look dry when they are done.

While they cook prepare the sauce. First, make the cornstarch slurry by adding the water and cornstarch to a small bowl and whisking together.

Then in a big bowl or measuring add all of the sauce ingredients except the slurry and Whisk together. Once it is whisked add the slurry in and whisk again.

Heat the sauce up on a low heat in a pot on the stove. It should start out light brown and milky looking and turn dark and slightly more transparent. Stirring it every so often for about 5-10 minutes.

Once the cauliflower is done cooking let it cool for 15 minutes before tossing in the sauce.

In a big bowl add some of the green onion, half of the sauce and the cauliflower. The add a little more sauce on top and coat. I like to add some sauce and then toss to make sure everything is getting evenly coated.