This dish came together on a whim. Five o’ clock was rapidly approaching, and with it, a dining room full of hungry guests. But I had resolved to put a new side dish on that evening’s menu. Well, when under pressure, we can surprise ourselves with what we can accomplish, and what started as a freaked-out throw-together became a delicious discovery. Crunchy, creamy cauliflower drizzled with a bit of honey and finished with hot pepper flakes is a welcome surprise of flavor—not unlike crispy hot honey chicken.

　　This recipe was excerpted from ‘Big Heart Little Stove' by Erin French. Buy the full book on Amazon. Get more cauliflower recipes→

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What you’ll need

　　Chevron

　　Chevron

　　Red Pepper Flakes

　　$6 At Amazon

　　Honey

　　$11 At Amazon

　　Deep Fry / Candy Thermometer

　　$37 $24 At Amazon

　　

Ingredients

Serves 6 to 8

　　1 medium head cauliflower, cored and cut into 2-inch florets

　　1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

　　Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　1½ cups club soda

　　1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

　　Neutral oil, for deep-frying

　　2 Tbsp. honey

　　1½ tsp. chile flakes

　　Grated zest of 1⁄2 lemon

　　Maldon salt

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

　　

Step 2

In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower with the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Spread the cauliflower out on a baking sheet and roast until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

　　

Step 3

In a medium bowl, whisk together the club soda and flour; set aside.

　　

Step 4

In a deep fryer or large, deep skillet, bring a few inches of oil to 375°F.

　　

Step 5

In a large bowl, lightly toss the roasted cauliflower in flour, then, working in batches, dredge the florets in the batter and fry until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Be careful not to overcrowd the oil, or the florets will lower the temperature of the oil and become soggy.

　　

Step 6

Transfer the hot fried cauliflower to a platter; drizzle with the honey; and sprinkle with the chile flakes, lemon zest, and a few generous pinches of Maldon salt. Eat straightaway and hot!

　　From Big Heart Little Stove by Erin French. Copyright (c) 2023 by the author and reprinted with permission of Celadon Books, a division of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC. Buy the full book from Amazon or Macmillan.