Cauliflower schnitzel, green goddess

A delicious vegetarian option to make for a hungry share plate loving crowd. It’s fresh, fragrant and super crunchy. So good for sharing or for a delicious, easy lunch or dinner.

Cauliflower schnitzel aka popcorn cauliflower, though I prefer schnitzel — is battered in corn flakes and panko crumb plus parmesan to get a really delicious golden exterior.

Just make sure the parmesan is vegetarian, or use another vegetarian hard cheese!

The green goddess sauce is vegan and is made from a base of pepita seeds, which blend really nicely and are complemented by a variety of fresh herbs such as spring onion and dill.

Ingredients:

Preserved lemon, sliced thin

Grated parmesan, optional - for garnish

Cauliflower Schnitzel:

1 head of cauliflower

1 cup cornflakes, crushed into a small pieces

1 cup panko crumbs

1/2 cup grated parmesan, optional

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp onion powder

pinch of salt

2 eggs, whisked

1/2 cup olive oil or vegetable oil, for frying — or enough to generously coat the bottom of the pan

Green goddess sauce:

Large handful of mixed fresh herbs, approximately 2 cups worth, such as: dill, spring onion, chives, basil

200g pepita seeds

1 green cayenne chilli, deseeded

2 tbsp olive oil

juice of 1/2 a lemon, approximately 1 tbsp

4 garlic cloves, rough chop

pinch of salt

Method:

To make the green goddess sauce: Bring a pot of water to a rapid boil and have a bowl of ice water with lots of ice ready next to the pot. Drop the herbs into the boiling water and remove after 1 minute. Keep this water to use for the cauliflower. Drop into the ice water immediately. Squeeze out the extra liquid so it’s one big ball of herbs. Rough chop into smaller pieces so it’s easier to blend. Add to a blender with all of the ingredients and blend until smooth. You may need to add a shot glass of water to help thin it out.

To make the cauliflower schnitzel: In the same pot of hot water as before, bring the water to a boil again. Boil the cauliflower head whole upside down for 6 minutes. After 6 minutes, turn off the heat and remove from the water and let cool on a plate. Once it’s cool enough to cut into, cut into bite size florets.

Crush cornflakes into small pieces using a morter and pestle or a food processor.

Add eggs to a bowl and whisk to combine. Add flour, smoked paprika, onion powder, salt to a bowl and mix gently to combine. Add panko crumb, cornflakes and parmesan to a bowl and mix to combine.

Working in batches of a handful of cauliflower florets at a time, dip the cauliflower into flour, shake off the excess, then into egg, then into the panko/cornflake crumb.

Bring a large frying pan to medium heat with oil. Wait until the oil is hot to add the cauliflower. You’ll know it’s hot enough if the cauliflower loudly sizzles when it goes into the oil. Fry cauliflower on both sides until golden brown, approximately a few minutes on each side. Leave to cool and crisp on a plate lined with paper towel and salt immediately.

To plate: add a few spoonfuls of green goddess sauce to a plate and smear to create a large center circle. Add cauliflower on top of the green sauce. Add preserved lemon slices on top and finish with a grating of parmesan.

Enjoy straight away!