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Prep time
30 minutes
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Cook time
30 minutes
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Serves
4
Author Notes
Nashville Hot Chicken—fried chicken doused in a heavily spiced oil post-fry—is a local staple in (you guessed it) Nashville, Tennessee. In this vegetarian-friendly riff on the sandwich, the chicken is switched out for crispy fried cauliflower. Cauliflower florets are double-dredged with seasoned flour and a hot-sauce-laced buttermilk mixture, then fried to deep-golden perfection. Finally, they’re brushed with a lip-tingling cayenne-infused oil and layered on an Arnold®, Brownberry®, or Oroweat® Sesame Seeded Sandwich Bun with cabbage slaw, pickles, and mayonnaise. The plush, pillowy bread is perfectly constructed to soak up some of that delicious spicy oil.
While cabbage slaw might not be traditional when it comes to Nashville Hot Chicken—or cauliflower, in this case—sandwiches, the cooling, herb-laced crunch tames the fiery cayenne pepper for a balanced bite. If you want to stay on the classic Nashville Hot Chicken path, skip the slaw and just enjoy the fried cauliflower with a generous slather of mayonnaise and some pickles.
Looking for a little more fire? I got you, heat-seeker. Just increase the cayenne powder by up to 1 tablespoon and decrease the paprika by the same amount. You just want to make sure that you have 4 tablespoons of the two spices in total. —Asha Loupy
Test Kitchen Notes
This recipe is shared in partnership with Arnold®, Brownberry®, and Oroweat®. —The Editors
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Ingredients
- For the Nashville hot cauliflower
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2 1/2 tablespoons
cayenne powder
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1 1/2 tablespoons
paprika
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2 teaspoons
garlic powder
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1 1/2 teaspoons
kosher salt
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1/2 teaspoon
brown sugar
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1 1/4 cups
all-purpose flour
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1/3 cup
canola oil, plus more for frying
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1
large head cauliflower (about 12–16 ounces), leaves removed and cut into very large florets
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1 cup
buttermilk
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2 tablespoons
vinegar-based hot sauce, like Crystal
- For the slaw and sandwiches
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1/4 cup
buttermilk
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2 tablespoons
fresh lemon juice
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1 tablespoon
mayonnaise, plus more for spreading
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1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
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1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
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1 1/2 cups
green or red cabbage, shredded
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1
small carrot, shredded (about 1/2 cup)
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1/4 cup
fresh dill, roughly chopped
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4
Arnold®, Brownberry®, or Oroweat® Sesame Seeded Sandwich Buns
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12–16
dill or bread and butter pickle chips
Directions
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In a small bowl, mix the cayenne, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and brown sugar. Take 1 tablespoon of the spice mixture and transfer it to a medium bowl. To the medium bowl, add the all-purpose flour, mix well, and set aside.
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Heat 1/3 cup canola oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Carefully pour over the remaining spice mixture and let sizzle for 1 minute before stirring. Stir well and set aside.
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Toss the cauliflower in the spiced flour, lightly coating each floret. In another medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and hot sauce. Shaking off most of the flour from the florets, transfer them to the buttermilk mixture, tossing them to coat. Dip one floret at a time back into the spiced flour and then place on a wire-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining florets and then let sit for 10 to 15 minutes. (This will allow the buttermilk to hydrate the flour for a crispy crust.)
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While the cauliflower is resting, make the slaw by whisking together the buttermilk, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the shredded cabbage, carrots, and dill, then toss to coat and refrigerate until ready to assemble.
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To fry the cauliflower, add a couple inches of canola oil to a large, high-rimmed skillet or Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat to about 350°F. Fry the cauliflower in batches until golden-brown and crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes, flipping halfway through. Transfer the cauliflower back to the wire-lined baking sheet after frying.
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Stir the reserved spiced oil and brush it on one side of the fried cauliflower, flip and brush the other side as well.
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To assemble the sandwiches, mound some of the cauliflower florets on the bottom bun . Pile some slaw on top of the cauliflower, along with a few pickle chips. Slather mayonnaise on the top bun and place on the sandwich. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches and serve immediately.
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