Shatter-Crust Buffalo Cauliflower Bites with Blue Cheese Dip

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The bar-snack cauliflower that actually stays crisp. Florets get a thin cornstarch-and-flour batter, roast hot on a preheated sheet pan until the coating blisters and crackles, then take a fast toss in emulsified hot sauce and butter before a final blast in the oven that sets the glaze instead of soaking it. Cool, chunky blue cheese dip and celery sticks on the side, exactly like wings.

Ingredients

• 1 large head cauliflower (about 2 lb), cut into 1 1/2-inch florets
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup cold water or seltzer
• 3 tbsp neutral oil, plus more for the pan

• 1/2 cup cayenne pepper hot sauce (Frank's RedHot style)
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 tsp cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 oz blue cheese, crumbled
• 2 tbsp buttermilk or milk
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp finely chopped chives
• freshly cracked black pepper

• 3 ribs celery, cut into sticks
• 2 tbsp thinly sliced scallion or extra blue cheese crumbles

Instructions

1. Set a rimmed baking sheet on the middle rack and heat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Letting the empty pan preheat is what crisps the underside of each floret, so give it at least 20 minutes.
2. Make the dip while the oven heats: mash 2 oz of the blue cheese with the sour cream and mayonnaise until mostly smooth, then stir in the buttermilk, lemon juice, chives, a generous amount of cracked pepper, and the remaining 1 oz of crumbles for texture. Refrigerate until serving.
3. Cut the cauliflower into 1 1/2-inch florets with a flat side where possible, and pat them completely dry with a towel. Wet florets steam instead of crisping.
4. Whisk the flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. Add the cold water and 1 tablespoon of the oil and whisk to a smooth batter about the thickness of heavy cream. If it feels thick, add water 1 tablespoon at a time.
5. Add the cauliflower and fold with a silicone spatula until every floret is coated in a thin film. Lift each piece out, letting excess batter run back into the bowl for a few seconds — you want a coating, not a shell.
6. Carefully pull the hot pan from the oven, add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, and swirl. Arrange the florets in a single layer with at least 1/2 inch between them; they should sizzle on contact. Roast 15 minutes.
7. Flip each floret with tongs and roast another 10 to 12 minutes, until the coating is dry, golden, and crackly and the thickest stems give easily to a paring knife.
8. While they roast, make the glaze: warm the hot sauce, honey, vinegar, Worcestershire, and garlic powder in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until steaming but not boiling. Off the heat, whisk in the butter a piece at a time so the sauce emulsifies into something glossy that clings rather than splitting into a puddle of grease. Keep warm.
9. Tip the hot cauliflower into a large bowl, pour over about three-quarters of the glaze, and toss quickly — 15 seconds, no more. Return the florets to the hot sheet pan in a single layer and bake 4 to 5 minutes to set the glaze onto the crust.
10. Pile onto a platter, drizzle with the reserved glaze, and scatter with scallions or extra blue cheese. Serve immediately with the cold blue cheese dip and celery sticks; they are at their crispest in the first 10 minutes.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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