Buffalo Cauliflower Hot Wings

One of my favorite foods used to be hot wings. The first Superbowl party that we hosted after I switched to a veg diet left me feeling a little angry because I had to make a batch of my beloved hot wings for everyone else but couldn't enjoy any of them myself. I swore that by the next year's game I was going to find a suitable replacement. Cauliflower seems to be the new "it" food, replacing meat in a lot of recipes. Some critics will say it's one of the most bland foods there are, but if you know how to properly spice it up, that stuff is pretty damn delicious.

After playing around with a few cauliflower recipes, I thought why not apply the same spices that I used for my chicken hot wings and try it on the cauliflower too? The worst that could happen is it would turn to mush and we'd just have to throw the batch away. But, after the first attempt, I knew I had a winner of a recipe on my hands, one that I could make for the game so I could enjoy the eats just as much as everyone else.

Jason wasn't thrilled when I changed up our dinners after switching up my diet, but he's adjusted without too much complaint. When I tell him we're having cauliflower hot wings, he gets pretty excited because these have become one of his favorite foods. I had my in-laws over for dinner last week and whipped up a batch and my father-in-law commented 3 times during dinner how much he loved them, then again on his way out the door.  All of this praise from meat eaters definitely says something about this recipe. If you are a critic of cauliflower thinking it's bland, try this recipe. I'm sure you'll change your tune afterwards.

Author: Theresa M

 Buffalo Cauliflower Hot Wings

INGREDIENTS:

• Oil for frying
• 1 large head cauliflower
• 1 cup of milk
• 1/2 cup butter *real butter, not a spread*
• 1/2 cup Franks original flavor hot sauce 
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2  teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1  teaspoon salt 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a mixing bowl, mix together the flour, paprika, cayenne pepper and salt. Cut cauliflower into wing sized pieces, dip into milk, then place in a large zip top bag. Pour flour mixture over the cauliflower, seal bag, and shake until all the pieces are coated with the mixture. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Pour oil 1 inch deep into a frying pan and heat over medium-high heat. Place cauliflower into the hot oil so 1/2 of each floret is covered in the oil. Fry for 4 minutes or until the bottom side of the cauliflower is a golden brown, then turn each piece over to submerge the other half in the hot oil. Fry for an additional 4 minutes. Remove from pan and drain on a paper towel.
3. While the cauliflower is frying, in a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, hot sauce, black pepper and garlic powder until well blended. Pour over the fried hot wings. Serve immediately.

I'm sure these could also be made in a deep fryer or even an air fryer (though I don't think they'd turn out as good air fried since the cauliflower won't get completely soft with that method), but I have yet to try cooking them these ways myself. I use my Calphalon skillet (affiliate link) and they turn out perfect every time.

What's your favorite way to enjoy cauliflower?