Recipe: Cauliflower Show Salad by Liam Charles
INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)
Blue cheese dressing
• 100g mayo
• 100g soured cream
• 100ml buttermilk
• 140g blue cheese, crumbled
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp garlic granules
Nugget sauce
• 130g gochujang (red chilli paste)
• 65ml dark soy sauce
• 3 tbsp runny honey
• 3 tbsp water
Cauliflower Nuggets
• Sunflower oil, for deep-frying
• 180g plain flour
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large cauliflower head, cut into nugget-sized florets
• 3 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
• 3 tbsp chopped chives
Salad
• 4 bunches of romaine lettuce, chopped
• 4 carrots, julienned
• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 150g 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
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 oil in the deep-fat fryer and heat to 170°C. If you don’t have a fryer, use a large saucepan (fill by no more than two-thirds) and a food thermometer.
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
Working in batches, fry the nuggets in the oil for about 7 minutes, until golden brown. Put them on the paper-lined tray
Toss
Transfer to a bowl, pour on the sauce, toss until coated. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and chives
Assemble
Top the salad with the nuggets and dressing, then sprinkle over the crumbled blue cheese
For more recipes like this, get your hands on a copy of Second Helpings by Liam Charles – available now on Amazon.