I hope you are all doing well – I seem to be saying that with almost every blog, every email, every text and when I happen to see someone; though that is pretty rare as I work from home and don’t really need to leave the house very often. Pretty sure 2020 is going to be a year of reflection, a year of hope, a year of change and a deep look into our own priorities and hopefully we are open to make some adjustments where needed.
I am pretty sure it was a couple of weeks ago; time seems to be flying and standing still at the same time. When NH opened up restaurants to outdoor seating; we met up with a few (6 maximum) friends at a Taproom for dinner and drinks. We ordered some apps for the table and one of them caught my attention and I knew; actually a couple of us mentioned we could totally make this. I was already planning on it in my head I would be making this at some point.
That point happened last night and I am a little obsessed with them. General Tso’s Cauliflower is a perfect combination of sweet and spicy plus a little healthy and unhealthy. I will be making this again and I will also be making the sauce for chicken in the near future.
General Tso's Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil plus more for frying
- 3 scallions thinly diced save some for garnish
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 strip orange zest thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon go chu jang Korean sweet & spicy hot pepper paste
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon ginger or 1/4 tsp ground
- 2 teaspoon plus 3/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 large eggs
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 large head of cauliflower cut into large florets
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the peanut oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Stir in the scallions, garlic and orange zest and cook, stirring, until the garlic has turned golden, about 1 minute. Add the sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, sriracha, go chu jang and 3 tablespoons water. Bring to a boil and cook until the sugar dissolves completely and the sauce become fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Stir 2 teaspoons cornstarch into 1/4 cup cold water in a small bowl or measuring cup. Whisk the mixture into the boiling sauce until thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
- Fill a large Dutch oven halfway with peanut oil and heat over medium-high heat to 350 degrees F. Set a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet and set aside. Beat the eggs in a large bowl with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Add the cauliflower florets to the bowl and toss with the egg mixture. Sprinkle in the remaining 3/4 cup cornstarch a little bit at a time until the cauliflower is well coated
- Fry the cauliflower in 3 batches; gently place the cauliflower in the hot oil and cook, keeping the pieces separated and adjusting the heat as necessary to keep the oil temperature at 350 degrees F, until light brown and crisp, about 6 minutes. Remove the cauliflower with a spider or slotted spoon and set on the prepared wire rack to drain briefly. Transfer the cauliflower to a large bowl while it is still hot and toss with the sauce to evenly coat. Transfer to a serving plate and top with scallions.
Stay healthy and strong!