Ingredients
- 1 cauliflower, cut into small florets
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ cups breadcrumbs (i use panko crumbs)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- sesame seeds, to serve
- 1 spring onion, finely sliced, to serve
Honey Soy Sauce
- ⅓ cup honey
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
Cauliflower Wings
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
- Place the eggs in a medium sized bowl and whisk them together. In a separate bowl, add the breadcrumbs, paprika, salt and pepper, and stir to combine.
- Dip the cauliflower florets first into the egg mixture, completely coating them, then dredging them in the breadcrumb mixture.
- Place the coated florets on a tray lined with baking paper.
- Bake the florets for 20-25 minutes, flipping them halfway through, cooking until golden and crispy.
Honey Soy Sauce
- While the wings are cooking, prepare the sauce. Combine all sauce ingredients together in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
To Serve
- When the wings are ready, remove from the oven and toss them with the sauce until they are completely coated. Transfer to a serving bowl/plate and sprinkle with sesame seeds and spring onions.
I was first introduced to cauliflower wings several years ago at a picnic with friends. A friend had brought along so buffalo cauliflower wings with an avocado type sauce and it was a highlight food dish to the picnic that i thoroughly enjoyed. I’m not always a big fan of vegetarian dishes but these cauliflower wings that I had that day started me exploring my own recipe and now we have honey soy cauliflower wings.
Preparing the wings
Preparing the wings is a simple enough task. The most important part I would say is to ensure you cut the cauliflower florets small, and of a fairly consistent size. If your florets are too big, they are likely to still be raw in the middle. Inconsistent size will lead to a similar problem, or you will burn some to ensure all are cooked through.
If you have ever made schnitzel before then the crumbing process for these wings is virtually the same. I use two bowls; one filled with beaten egg and one filled with breadcrumb mix. From here, I take my florets and working in batches, dip them in egg and then into the crumb mixture, ensuring they are evenly coated all over.
Following this, you simply place the crumbed florets onto a lined baking tray and then cook in the oven until they are golden and crispy all over.
The honey soy sauce
While the wings are cooking, take the honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar and corn starch, and combine them all together in a saucepan. Bring the saucepan to the boil and then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes. The final sauce should have thickened.
When the wings have finished cooking, transfer them to a bowl, pour the sauce over and then stir to coat.
Serving the wings
Start by transferring your wings to a serving bowl, then sprinkle over some sesame seeds and a bit of finely sliced spring onion. The wings can be served plain or with your choice of dipping sauce.
I have served them several times with a spicy mayonnaise type sauce made by mixing 1 cup Japanese mayonnaise with 1 tablespoon sriracha. A ranch sauce or avocado cream would also work nicely.
