Soy-glazed Korean Cauliflower “Wings”
Korean cuisine has been an emerging trend in the food world: from the colorful Bibimbap, to savory Kimchi, to crispy soy glazed Korean Fried Chicken.
Buffalo wings are the perfect comfort food to combat a stressful workday. Partner it with creamy ranch dressing and you’ll forget why your Monday was so manic after all. BUT, there’s a new way to enjoy your traditional buffalo wings—Korean style.
Ah, soy glazed chicken. My children are a fan of this. They are picky eaters, but when it comes to Soy Glazed Chicken, they go all out. However, since we decided to go on a plant-based diet, I had to find a way to still give them their favorite without the chicken meat.
At first I was kind of hesitant because I thought that no vegetable substitute could measure up to the real thing. Boy was I so wrong.
The cauliflower florets that I used instead of chicken wings were even crispier, and it absorbed the sauce better, so it was a lot more flavorful. They also resembled chicken drummets and take less time to cook.
Nevertheless, the verdict was not mine to give. When I prepared this for my picky eaters, my fingers were crossed as they carefully examined the plate of Soy glazed “chicken”. They got a floret each, took a bite, and when I heard that cruuuunch, I knew that I have won them over.
My husband, who was the biggest chicken wings fan in the family, has also loved the cauliflower florets. Now he asks me to cook it for him while watching the game. I also whip up a batch when I needed to unwind from a hectic workweek.
Here’s how I did it:
Ingredients:
• 2 cups organic peanut oil
• 1/2 cup organic cornstarch
• 1/2 cup almond or coconut flour
• 1/3 teaspoon organic aluminum free
• 1/2 cup toasted organic sesame seeds
• 1/3 cup unsweetened organic coconut flakes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1/3 cup organic vodka
• 1 head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets
• 4 to 5 Finely sliced scallions
• 1 cup Soy glazed sauce
Instructions:
1. First, preheat oil to 350°F in a large wok, Dutch oven, or deep fryer.
2. Next, combine cornstarch, flour, baking powder, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, sesame seeds, and coconut in a large bowl and whisk until homogenous. Add water and vodka and whisk until a smooth batter is formed, adding up to 2 tablespoons additional water if batter is too thick. It should have the consistency of thin paint and fall off of the whisk in thin ribbons that instantly disappear as they hit the surface of the batter in the bowl.
3. Afterwards, add cauliflower to batter. Working one at a time, lift one piece and allow excess batter to drip off. Carefully lower into hot oil. Repeat with remaining cauliflower until wok or fryer is full. Do not crowd pan. (You’ll be able to fit about half of the cauliflower in each batch). Fry, using a metal spider or slotted spatula to rotate and agitate pieces as they cook until evenly golden brown and crisp all over, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and season immediately with salt. Keep warm while you fry the remaining cauliflower.
4. Lastly, toss fried cauliflower with sauce and serve immediately, sprinkled with extra sesame seeds and scallions.
Soy Glazed sauce:
Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup organic soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons organic rice wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup organic mirin
• 3/4 cup organic brown sugar
• 2 cloves organic garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh organic ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed dried organic red pepper
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 1/4 cup finely sliced organic scallions
Directions:
First, heat soy sauce, vinegar, mirin, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, crushed red pepper, and sesame oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Whish until sugar is completely dissolved. Make slurry by mixing corn starch with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl and whisk into sauce. Bring to a boil and cook until sauce is slightly reduced and thickened. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
