Ingredients:
- 2 quarts water
- ½ cup milk
- 3 cups cauliflower florets, stems split for even cooking
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1 Tsp. baking powder
- 1 Tsp. salt
- 1 cup cold water
- 1 egg
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- As needed, vegetable oil for frying
- To taste, salt and black pepper
- ½ cup Sriracha or Franks Red Hot Sauce
- ½ cup melted butter
Instructions:
- Bring the water and milk to a boil. (The lactic acid in the milk helps keep the cauliflower white when cooked).
- Add the cauliflower in two separate batches to the rapidly boiling water for about two minutes or until it is still crunchy. Check by tasting one for your desired tenderness.
- Shock the cauliflower in a bowl of ice and water to stop the cooking. Repeat with the remaining sprouts. When the sprouts are cold, drain all the ice water and pat them dry with a paper towel. Reserve.
- Sift together into a bowl the first measure of flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the water, egg and vegetable oil. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients, whisk until smooth. The batter should be a little thinner than pancake batter. If too thick, add more water. If it is too thin, add more flour. Reserve.
- Heat a deep fryer with vegetable oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Add enough of the batter to coat the sprouts. Remove a few at a time, let any excess batter drip off and carefully place in the fryer. Fry only eight sprout pieces at a time until a very light golden color. Drain on paper towels.
- Whisk together the hot sauce and melted butter. Use to coat the fried cauliflower and serve.
