Spicy crispy roasted cauliflower coated in a buttery cayenne sauce full of flavour using my Peri Peri sauce to create a unique homemade buffalo sauce you’re going to love.
This super delicious recipe is a spin on the traditional made with chicken wings popularised in America. These are the perfect snack for watching the footy or add them to the buffet table to excite the vegetarian and meat eaters alike. Indeed, with my flavour bomb buffalo sauce, they are sure to be gobbled up by anyone who likes the classic style buffalo wings. If you want to cool them down a bit, simply make a peri peri mayonnaise or serve with a ranch style dipping sauce.
If you wanted to turn them into a vegetarian meal, you can add some green beans, or garden peas on top of some creamy mash or for a lighter lunch, toss them through a salad with snow peas, baby spinach, toasted walnuts, thinly sliced red onion and top it off with some crumbled Persian feta.
Did you know? Buffalo wings are named after the New York city they were invented in. Legend has it they were invented in 1964 at the famous ‘Anchor Bar’ in downtown Buffalo. One night, Dominic Bellissimo pleaded with his mother Teressa to cook something for a group of ravenous friends who had been out partying and turned up late at night. Without much on hand, she deep-fried a batch of chicken wings and tossed them in hot sauce, butter, and a few ‘secret' ingredients. They were an instant hit. Dominic’s friends devoured the wings and couldn’t stop licking the sauce from their fingers. Word spread like wildfire, and soon people started flooding to the bar, begging for a taste of the wings. Thus, the famous Buffalo wing tradition was born.
Chef Dylan tip: Make sure that you cut the cauliflower into similar sized pieces. This will ensure even cooking. Create lots of flat edges. Instead of pulling the florets apart to look like the tops of round trees, slice the florets in half or quarters, which creates a flat side. When you arrange the cauliflower on the baking tray, place the flatter edge down. As the cauliflower roasts, the flat edge will get nice and brown. Don’t overcrowd the baking tray. Arranging the cauliflower too close together causes them to steam instead of roast. Roast the cauliflower at a high temperature. To get the crispy brown tips and caramelised stems, cook them at 220°C.
Woodfordia, December 2008
The long line of snaking hippies look hungry eyed as they eagerly await their third meal of the day, dinner. This mob never miss a beat when it comes to free food, and the line has been growing steadily the past few days as hundreds more volunteers flock to rural Queensland to help with the festival build. It’s not a bad deal really, in exchange for their time on one of the building, fencing, arts or bar set up crews, they can camp for free, get 3 meals a day and receive a free wristband for the 5-day festival.
My kitchen crew have come and gone the past 3 years and this year I’ve roped in two of my brothers to join me once again. We’ve been travelling the East Coast together in a van and as far as their talents go in and out of the kitchen it’s a refreshing change to socialise with another group of humans. It’s talent night and before we ‘the three brothers’ hit the stage we need to ensure the assembly line for dinner is a success. “Hey Middy, how’s the veg looking?” I ask. “Yeah, sweet bro. the cauliflower is looking sweet as. The vollies are going to froth when they see the menu for tonight”.
Every night has a theme, and tonight’s theme is ‘Aussie barbecue with an American twist’. The buffet is laden with sizzling hot snags, pork, veg and vegan, crispy chicken wings, potato salad, a quinoa roasted pumpkin and sweet potato salad and my latest culinary whip up the pièce de résistance: crispy cauliflower ‘buffalo wings’, because if I’ve learned anything from assuming the role of head chef of the catering team for the past 3 years running, it’s that it pays to look after the carnivores and herbivores alike.
“We ready, Middy? We’re waiting on that first tray of cauliflower” I command. “Sure, just a minute. I’m getting blasted over here with hot air. How come there’s no AC in this part of the kitchen” Mitchell protests as he saunters towards me, casually slipping the bain marie tray into the last slot. “We’re good to go, bro. You know that’s all good vibes in there. They’re going to love this spread tonight” Mitchell says confidently. “Well, you can take the credit for many of the happy faces tonight brother. They’ve crisped up perrfectly” I say. “That American guy, Owen, is going to flip his lid when he tries them with that buffalo sauce. They’re next level bro,” Mitchell chimes, flicking the Shaka as he grabs a plate to save a serve for himself.
Add this dish to your next buffet table and give these tasty morsels a try.
PREP TIME: 5mins
COOKING TIME: 10 mins
SERVINGS: 2-4
INGREDIENTS
FOR CAULIFLOWER
1 small head cauliflower
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 Tbs GAUCHO
FOR BUFFALO SAUCE
100g unsalted butter
100 mls SHAKA ZULU peri peri sauce
METHOD
Roast Cauliflower
Heat the oven to 220°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Cut cauliflower into florets. Add the florets to a large bowl. the baking sheet
Add the oil, and GAUCHO and toss to coat.
Spread out cauliflower on the baking tray facing as many of the flatter edges down onto the baking tray so that they brown nicely.
Oven roast, turning after 15 minutes. Continue to roast until the edges are crisp and brown and the stems are tender ~ 20 to 25 minutes.
Buffalo Sauce
When the cauliflower is almost done, make the buffalo sauce.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan (or use a microwave).
Take the pan off the heat, and then whisk in the SHAKA ZULU peri peri sauce.
TO SERVE
In a large bowl, coat roasted cauliflower with your buffalo sauce and then place back into the oven to glaze for 5 minutes.