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Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

Ingredients

  • 1 head cauliflower, 1/8thed on its longitude and cut into 2" florets

For the brine

  • 2l water
  • 250ml vinegar
  • 50g salt
  • 20g sugar

For the "wings"

  • 300g buttermilk
  • 30g franks hot sauce
  • 175g flour
  • 175g rice flour
  • 5g salt
  • 5g baking powder
  • 5g pepper
  • 5g paprika

For the buffalo sauce

  • 300g franks hot sauce
  • 20g worcestershire sauce
  • 15g minced garlic (about 4 cloves
  • 115g cold butter, cubed
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch/cornflour

For frying

  • 500ml rice bran oil, or any other high smoke point oil like peanut, avocado, safflower, sunflower, etc.

Method

  1. Combine water (2l), vinegar (250ml), salt (50g), and sugar (20g) in a large saucepot. Bring it to a boil.
  2. Cut cauliflower (1 head) into florets by removing the bottom of its stem with a paring knife, then cutting it into 8ths on its longitude axis. Cut each eigth into 2-inch florets with a good amount of stem for each floret.
  3. Remove saucepot from heat and add the in-tact pieces of cauliflower. Leave the small crumbly pieces behind and save them for another meal. Let the cauliflower sit in the brine to pickle for 1 hour.
  4. Meanwhile, combine buttermilk (300g) and franks hot sauce (30g) in a small bowl. In another medium bowl, combine flour (175g), rice flour (175g), salt (5g), baking powder (5g), pepper (5g), and paprika (5g).
  5. Remove cauliflower florets from brine and let drain on paper towels. A few at a time, dredge florets in the flower mixture, then the buttermilk mixture, then back in the flour mixture. Tip: use slotted spoon for wet mixture and tongs for dry to keep your hands clean and your utensils separate.
  6. Heat rice bran oil (500ml) in a medium saucepan until it reaches 350°F/175°C. Fry cauliflower in batches for 4 minutes. Tip: don't disturb cauliflower florets in oil for the first minute to let the crust set up.
  7. In a small saucepan, combine franks hot sauce (300g), worcestershire sauce (20g), and minced garlic (15g or 4 cloves). Simmer for 10 minutes on low. Add butter (115g) slowly, mixing after each addition to emulsify. Pour about 1/4 cup of this mixture into a small bowl. Stir in cornstarch/cornflour (1 tbsp) to make slurry. Once mixed, add it back to the sauce and cook for another 5 minutes.
  8. Finally, toss the cauliflower with the buffalo sauce in a bowl. Serve with ranch or bleu cheese dressing.