RECIPE

© Akiko Ida & Pierre Javelle

Cauliflower Fritters

• Recipe by José Andrés

To create these wonderful tapas, José Andrés makes a batter with crunchy nubs of chopped cauliflower florets, fries spoonfuls in a skillet and then tops the fritters with yogurt sauce and a dollop of caviar.

• Fast
• Make-Ahead

Ingredients

1. 1/2 large head of cauliflower, florets finely chopped (2 cups)
2. Salt
3. 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4. 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
5. 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
6. 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
7. 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
8. 3 large egg whites
9. 1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for frying
10. 6 tablespoons whole-milk yogurt
11. Salmon caviar, for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and cook for 2 minutes. Drain well, then spread the cauliflower on a paper towel–lined baking sheet to cool; pat the cauliflower dry.
2. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 teaspoon of salt with the baking powder, cumin, coriander, pepper and allspice. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt at high speed until firm peaks form. Fold in the cauliflower and the spice mixture.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet. Very lightly oil the skillet. Drop tablespoons of the fritter batter into the skillet and cook over moderately high heat until browned on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to moderate and cook until browned on the other side, about 2 minutes. Transfer the fritters to a large rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining batter, coating the skillet with oil as needed.
4. In a small bowl, blend the yogurt with the 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil and season with salt. Reheat the fritters in the oven, about 2 minutes. Garnish each fritter with 1/2 teaspoon of yogurt sauce and some caviar. Transfer to a platter and serve.

Make Ahead

The fritters can be fried earlier in the day and kept at room temperature. Reheat before serving.