Fried Cauliflower with Garlic and Croutons

Name: Fried Cauliflower with Garlic, Olive Oil and Croutons
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Italian cuisine
Ingredients: Cauliflower (0.5-0.6 kg) 1 head; Hot pepper (fresh or dried) 1 pc; Garlic 4-5 cloves (1/2 head); Olive oil 50 ml (and a little for serving, optional); Greens (parsley, basil) 0.5 bunch; Sugar 1 tsp (if boiling in water) (5 g); Water 1/4 cup (for simmering, if needed), plus water for boiling if you have no steamer (50 ml); Salt, black pepper to taste; Fresh white bread or baguette optional

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30 mins

Fried cauliflower turns out really tasty. It is simple and quick to make, with no batter or breading. The florets are lightly steamed, then fried in olive oil flavored with garlic and hot pepper. It is a surprising and very tasty hot vegetable appetizer, and I recommend trying it.

A small head is enough for a treat for two. Strictly speaking, it is a modified inflorescence, a beautiful white or yellowish bumpy dome that looks like a mushroom. It consists of smaller florets pressed against each other. Each little floret sits on a short branching stalk growing from the common core.

Cauliflower is a dietary product and is highly valued in cooking. Most frozen vegetable mixes contain these florets. We usually make cauliflower soup or add it as one of the ingredients in vegetable soups. By the way, once the florets are cut off, the head itself is great for vegetable stock, along with carrot, onion and roots.

Frying cauliflower is a pleasure. You can’t really underdo it, because even slightly raw it is very tasty. Besides, vegetables cooked al dente taste better, and they are very much in fashion right now. The dish can be an appetizer or a side, whichever you prefer. It is a very healthy appetizer: cauliflower is a source of vitamins and minerals in its own right and contains anti-cancer compounds. Olive oil, garlic and hot pepper mean simplicity, health and an unusual flavor.

I recommend buying small heads, since they consist of smaller florets that you won’t have to cut up. Don’t buy heads that have turned green; they should be white or slightly creamy. They should also be firm, with no signs of limpness.

For frying we use no batter or breading. For a light, even softness, it is worth cooking the cauliflower briefly in water, or better yet steaming it. The florets are then fried in flavored olive oil. For that, garlic cloves and pieces of fresh hot pepper are fried in the hot oil. They can stay in the dish, although we prefer to throw them out. For serving we fry croutons from very fresh bread, which makes them airy and crunchy.

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Ingredients

2 servings

Cauliflower (0.5-0.6 kg) 1 head
Hot pepper (fresh or dried) 1 pc
Garlic 4-5 cloves (1/2 head)
Olive oil 50 ml (and a little for serving, optional)
Greens (parsley, basil) 0.5 bunch
Sugar 1 tsp (if boiling in water) (5 g)
Water 1/4 cup (for simmering, if needed), plus water for boiling if you have no steamer (50 ml)
Salt, black pepper to taste
Fresh white bread or baguette optional

Step-by-step recipe

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How to prepare the cauliflower

Break a small white head of cauliflower into florets. To do this, break off the lower green leaves, which are ordinary leaves. With a sharp knife, cut off the small florets one by one, leaving 1.5-2 cm of the short stalk. You can keep the thick common core for soup.
If you have fresh chili, remove the seeds and use it when flavoring the olive oil. It’s better to add dried pepper at the end so that the fried cauliflower is fragrant.
Briefly cook the cut florets, literally 5-6 minutes. It is best to do this in a steamer, since the florets get less wet and fry better. If you have no steamer, boil them in ordinary water with 1 tsp of sugar (5 g) added. That keeps the cauliflower white and improves the flavor. Transfer the cooked florets to a bowl and cover with an upside-down plate.

How to fry the cauliflower

Flavor the olive oil. Peel 4-5 garlic cloves and crush them with the flat of a knife. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and fry the garlic for 3-4 minutes. It flavors the oil, and then you can throw it away. If you use fresh chili, chop it coarsely and add it to the oil.
Fry the florets uncovered. Immediately add the pre-cooked cauliflower florets to the hot oil and fry them over medium heat, stirring. Gradually the fried cauliflower will turn golden. Don’t overfry it; it should become an even dark yellow, then slightly brown. If you use dried chili, add it at the end of frying. Then season the cauliflower with black pepper and a little salt.
Try one floret for firmness. If you think the cauliflower is a bit raw, add a quarter cup of water and simmer the vegetables, covered, over low heat for 5-10 minutes. The water is quickly absorbed by the florets.
Add the herbs. Pick the leaves off the parsley and basil sprigs and chop them with a knife, not too finely. When the cauliflower is ready, take off the lid if you simmered it and let off any excess moisture if there is any. The florets should be dry. Add the chopped herbs to the pan and stir. After 1 minute, remove the pan from the heat.

Serving

Fry the croutons: cauliflower goes exceptionally well with fresh warm croutons. To make them, take the freshest, softest white bread or a baguette. Cut it into slices 1.5-2 cm thick and fry on a very hot dry frying pan until nicely golden and crunchy.
Put the hot cauliflower into small deep bowls or ramekins. Fried cauliflower is served hot. If you like, season it with more pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil.

Calories and macros

100 kcal

Serving ≈ 310 g

Protein6 g28% of kcal
Fat1 g10% of kcal
Carbs14 g63% of kcal

100 g32 kcalProtein 2.1 gFat 0.3 gCarbs 4.7 g

Calculated from the recipe ingredients, excluding salt and spices. Data: USDA and Matvaretabellen.

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