Cauliflower Fried In Butter Food

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER STEAKS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Cut off the cauliflower stems, then place the heads cut-side down and slice into 1/2-inch-thick steaks. Arrange on a baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides. Transfer to the oven and bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, flipping after the first 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the pine nuts to a dry medium saute pan and toast over medium heat until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add the raisins and butter and season with salt. Cook, tossing, until the butter has melted and coats the pine nuts and raisins. Off the heat, stir in the parsley.
• Transfer the roasted cauliflower to a serving platter. Pour the pine nut-raisin mixture over the top. Season with salt.

CHICKEN-FRIED CAULIFLOWER

Steps:

• For the gravy: Melt the butter, in a medium saucepan, over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour, and cook, whisking, until the flour is smooth and a deep golden brown, about 7 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk and simmer until the mixture thickens, whisking to remove any lumps, 4 to 6 minutes. Season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Remove from the heat, cover to keep warm. Reheat before serving, adding water by the tablespoon to thin it, as desired. Stir in the chives right before serving.
• For the cauliflower: Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Trim the base of the core from the cauliflower and then cut the head into 1-inch-thick slices. Cut any florets that fall off into 1-inch pieces. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper over both sides of each cauliflower slice. Set aside.
• Whisk together the flour, white pepper, baking powder and 2 teaspoons salt in a shallow bowl. Pour in 3 tablespoons of the milk and use your fingers to work it in, making a shaggy flour mixture. Whisk together the eggs and the remaining milk in another shallow bowl. One at a time, dredge each cauliflower steak, and the 1-inch pieces, in the flour mixture, dip in the egg mixture, and then return to the flour mixture, pressing firmly to coat. Transfer the breaded steaks to a rack on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Set another rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Heat about 1-inch of oil in a cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven over high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F. Fry the steaks, one at a time, with some of the smaller pieces until golden brown, turning once, about 5 minutes (return the oil to 350 degrees F between each steak). Transfer the finished cauliflower steaks to the rack on the baking sheet, season lightly with salt and keep warm in the oven while you continue frying the remaining cauliflower in batches.
• Serve hot with the warm gravy.

KUNG PAO CAULIFLOWER

Steps:

• Whisk together the sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, vinegar and sesame oil in a medium bowl.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the scallion whites and jalapeños and cook, stirring, until the jalapeños are soft and the seeds start to turn golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the ginger and cook, stirring, until soft, about 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the chili sauce mixture. Bring a boil and let cook until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.
• Fill a large heavy-bottom pot, fitted with a deep fry thermometer, with 2-inches of oil and heat the oil to 350 degrees F over medium-high heat. Set a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet.
• Whisk together the eggs, cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water in a medium bowl. Fold in the cauliflower until well coated in the batter. Add one-third of the cauliflower to the oil with a slotted spoon and fry, stirring as needed and adjusting the heat to maintain temperature, until golden, crispy and tender on the inside, about 6 minutes. Remove the cauliflower with the slotted spoon and transfer to the rack. Sprinkle with salt. Fry the remaining cauliflower, in 2 more batches, making sure the temperature of the oil comes back to 350 degrees F between each batch.
• Add the fried cauliflower, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper to the sauce and gently toss to coat well. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with cilantro, peanuts and the reserved scallion greens.

CAULIFLOWER "MAC" AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a baking dish with butter.
• Cook the cauliflower in the boiling water until just crisp-tender, about 10 minutes. Drain well.
• In a large saucepan, heat the milk and butter over medium heat. Whisk in the dry mustard and add some hot sauce, salt and pepper. Just before the milk comes to a boil, turn off the heat and stir in the pepper jack and goat cheese. When melted and smooth, stir in the cauliflower. Spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle over the Parmesan.
• Bake until the top is golden brown and the mixture is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let rest for a few minutes before serving.

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Toss the cauliflower with the olive oil, garlic, and red pepper on a baking sheet; sprinkle with the salt and thyme and toss again. Roast until golden and tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.