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1
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil, set up a large bowl of well-salted ice water, and line a baking sheet with paper towels.
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2
Toss the cauliflower florets into the boiling water.
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3
When the water returns to a boil, cook the cauliflower for 2 more minutes, then drain and immediately plunge into the ice water.
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4
When the cauliflower has cooled, drain it and lay it out to dry on the prepared baking sheet.
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5
(While you wait, you can get your dipper goingnow thats what I call multitasking!)
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6
Pour the peanut oil into a large saucepan over medium-high heat; the oil should come 1 1/2 to 2 inches up the sides of the pan.
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To see if its hot enough, drop some flour into it.
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If the flour sizzles and floats quickly, youre good to go.
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If the flour burns or the oil begins to smoke, its too hot, so reduce the heat.
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While the oil heats, set up your standard breading procedure (see below): one bowl of flour, one bowl with the egg-water mixture, and one with the bread crumbs and grated Parm.
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11
Then set up your drying situation next to the stove by putting a couple layers of paper towels on a baking sheet.
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When the oil is hot, dredge the cauliflower in the flour and shake off the excess, then run it through the egg mixture, and finally through the bread crumbParm mixture.
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13
Repeat this process with all the cauliflower.
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14
Working in batches so you dont overcrowd the pan, fry the cauliflower until brown and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes; then transfer to the paper towels, sprinkle with salt, and serve hot, hot, hot with the garlic dipper.
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15
In a medium bowl, toss the bread with enough water to really moisten it up; you want it almost soggy.
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Then squeeze out the excess water and put the bread, vinegar, and garlic in a food processor and puree, puree, pureeit should be really smooth!
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17
While the machine is still running, drizzle in the olive oil until combined.
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Season with salt and more vinegar if you likeI like a very bright, acidic dipping sauce.
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19
Put the dipper in a dish and serve it along with the cauliflower.
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20
The point of the standard breading procedure is to coat somethinganything, reallyin bread crumbs so when its fried, it comes out with a nice even, crispy coating.
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21
The key ingredients here are flour, egg wash, and bread crumbs, but there are two pieces of essential equipment that are often forgottenthe wet hand and the dry hand.
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22
In between these two essentials is the continental divide, and never the two shall cross.
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Start by using your dry hand to coat whatever ingredient you plan to fry in flour and shake off the excess.
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Then, still using your dry hand, pick up the ingredient and drop it into the egg wash without letting your dry hand get wet.
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Then, using your wet hand, pick up your ingredient and drop it into the bread crumbs.
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Switch back to your dry hand to pack on the bread crumbs for a firm, even coating.
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By following this simple dry-wet-dry-hand approach, your ingredients will be properly breaded AND there will be no clumpage on the ends of your fingers.
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28
Ta-da!
