Aug 23, 2007

Cauliflower Fritters

Sandra Campo sprinkles these fritters with grated pecorino romano cheese while they're still hot, allowing the cheese to meld with their crisp exterior. She also uses the batter to make fritters with swiss chard; just blanch the chard in salted water, drain, and rinse. Form small handfuls of chard into balls, squeeze out excess liquid, dip in batter, and fry as instructed below.

Salt
1 large head cauliflower, cored and cut into 2"–3" florets
2 1⁄2 cups finely grated pecorino romano cheese
2 1⁄2 cups flour
2 cups milk
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 eggs
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add cauliflower and cook until just tender, about 6 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside in a colander to let drain; pat completely dry.

2. Whisk together 1⁄2 cup of cheese, flour, milk, garlic, eggs, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl until smooth to make a thick batter.

3. Pour oil into a deep skillet to a depth of 1⁄2" and heat over medium-high heat. Working in batches, drop cauliflower into batter and turn to coat thickly. Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer battered cauliflower to oil and fry, turning occasionally and spooning hot oil over the top, until deep golden brown all over, 5–7 minutes. Transfer fritters to a paper towel–lined plate as they are done, generously sprinkling each layer with some of the remaining cheese. Serve fritters hot or at room temperature.

SERVES 6