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Cauliflower Fritters
Cold cooked cauliflower Salt and pepper Batter V Sprinkle pieces of cauliflower with salt and pepper and dip in Batter I or V. Fry in deep fat, and drain on brown paper.
A leftovers dish: cold boiled cauliflower, battered and deep-fried. The whole success of it rests on the cauliflower being dry and the fat being hot enough.
- The batter referenceBatters I and V belong to a numbered list elsewhere in the book. Any plain frying batter works: about 1 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 egg and 2/3 cup milk or water beaten smooth, rested 20 minutes. A thinner beer or tempura-style batter fries crisper.
- Dry the floretsCold cooked cauliflower holds water in its crevices. Blot each piece well before seasoning, or the batter will slide off and the fat will spit.
- Fat temperature375F. Below that the batter absorbs fat and goes heavy; much above it the coating browns before the inside is hot through. Fry in small batches so the temperature does not crash.
- How longTwo to three minutes, until the crust is deep gold. The cauliflower is already cooked, so you are only heating it and setting the batter.
- Deep fatThe recipe specifies only "deep fat"; in a book of this period that would most likely have been lard or beef drippings. Any neutral oil with a high smoke point does the job; use enough depth that the pieces float free rather than sit on the pan bottom.
- DrainingBrown paper here means the coarse absorbent wrapping paper then found in every kitchen. A wire rack over a tray is better than paper of any kind, which traps steam and softens the underside.
- Cooking it freshIf starting from raw, boil or steam florets until just tender, then cool and dry them completely. Warm cauliflower steams inside the batter and the crust separates.
- YieldA medium head gives roughly four servings as a side or a light entree. The recipe itself says nothing about serving; lemon, or a tomato or cheese sauce, suits it.