Cauliflower fritters are a Palermo street-food classic from the friggitorie – hot and salty from the fryer and finished with a squeeze of lemon juice, says Ben Tish. Delicious.
Serves 4
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
- ½ a large leafy cauliflower, cut into florets and leaves thinly sliced
- 1.5-2 litres groundnut oil, for frying
for the batter:
- 50g plain flour
- 50g cornflour
- 30g parmesan, finely grated
- 2 salted anchovies, finely chopped
- zest of ½ an unwaxed lemon
- ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- 1 large free-range egg
- 75ml cold sparkling water
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method:
- Cook the florets and leaves in boiling salted water for 5 mins or so. Drain well, refresh under cold water, drain again.
- To make the batter, mix the flours with the cheese, anchovies, lemon zest and cayenne. Make a well and add the egg. Mix with a wooden spoon, gradually adding the fizzy water and drawing the flour into the centre, until you have a smooth, thick batter. Season well. Add the cauliflower florets and leaves and stir to coat.
- Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer or deep pan to 180°C (a cube of bread dropped in will brown in about 30 secs). Drop heaped tablespoons of the cauliflower into the hot oil and fry for 2 mins, or until crisp and golden brown. Lift out with a spider or slotted spoon onto a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain while you continue frying.
- Sprinkle sea salt liberally over the fried cauliflower and serve with homemade aioli.
Taken from Sicilia by Ben Tish, published by Bloomsbury at £26. To buy from The Week Bookshop for £20.99, call 020-3176 3835 or visit theweekbookshop.co.uk.
-
Has Putin launched the second nuclear arms race?In Depth Historian Serhii Plokhy explains why the Kremlin’s nuclear proliferation has begun a dangerous new era of mutually assured destruction
-
Femicide: Italy’s newest crimeThe Explainer Landmark law to criminalise murder of a woman as an ‘act of hatred’ or ‘subjugation’ but critics say Italy is still deeply patriarchal
-
Quiz of The Week: 22 – 28 NovemberQuiz Have you been paying attention to The Week’s news?
-
We Did OK, Kid: Anthony Hopkins’ candid memoir is a ‘page-turner’The Week Recommends The 87-year-old recounts his journey from ‘hopeless’ student to Oscar-winning actor
-
The Mushroom Tapes: a compelling deep dive into the trial that gripped AustraliaThe Week Recommends Acclaimed authors team up for a ‘sensitive and insightful’ examination of what led a seemingly ordinary woman to poison four people
-
‘Chess’feature Imperial Theatre, New York City
-
‘Notes on Being a Man’ by Scott Galloway and ‘Bread of Angels: A Memoir’ by Patti Smithfeature A self-help guide for lonely young men and a new memoir from the godmother of punk
-
6 homes built in the 1700sFeature Featuring a restored Federal-style estate in Virginia and quaint farm in Connecticut
-
Film reviews: 'Wicked: For Good' and 'Rental Family'Feature Glinda the Good is forced to choose sides and an actor takes work filling holes in strangers' lives
-
Nick Clegg picks his favourite booksThe Week Recommends The former deputy prime minister shares works by J.M. Coetzee, Marcel Theroux and Conrad Russell
-
Park Avenue: New York family drama with a ‘staggeringly good’ castThe Week Recommends Fiona Shaw and Katherine Waterston have a ‘combative chemistry’ as a mother and daughter at a crossroads
