Beer – battered cauliflower with a spicy tomato and paprika sauce

Serves: 4 – 6
Difficulty level: Easy
Time: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

Sauce:
10ml (2 tsp) olive or avocado oil
1 red onion, chopped
5ml (1 tsp) garlic, peeled and crushed
15ml (1 tbsp) paprika
5ml (1 tsp) dried chilli flakes
125ml (½ cup) red wine
1 x 400g tin tomatoes
5ml (1 tsp) sugar
2,5ml (½ tsp) fine salt
1,25ml (¼ tsp) ground pepper
Handful fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, washed
10 fresh basil leaves, washed
15ml (1 tbsp) sour cream

Cauliflower:
600g cauliflower florets, washed
Oil, for deep-frying
225g cake flour
2,5ml (½ tsp) fine salt
2 large eggs, beaten
250ml (1 cup) craft beer
Salt, to taste

METHOD:

1. For the sauce, heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and fry until it starts to soften, 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, paprika and chilli flakes, and fry for another minute. Pour in the wine and let it simmer for 3 minutes before adding the tinned tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper. Allow the sauce to simmer, 10 minutes. Pour into a food processor, add the parsley, basil and sour cream, and pulse until smooth.
   2.For the cauliflower, bring a pot with salted water to a boil. Add the florets and boil, 2 minutes. Refresh them under cold water and dry them off. Halve any florets that look too big to be eaten by hand.
   3. Heat the oil in a large pot for deep-frying. Whisk the flour, salt, eggs and beer together to form a lumpy batter. Once the oil is hot, dip the florets into the batter, carefully drop into the hot oil and fry until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towel and season lightly with salt. Serve the crispy battered florets with the sauce on the side.

Cook’s tip: This beer-batter recipe can be used for battered fish as well – add a teaspoon of dried dill to the mixture for extra flavour.

Recipe courtesy of Food & Home Entertaining