Air Fryer Whole Cauliflower Head Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why do you soak cauliflower before cooking? ›

If you're planning to roast the cauliflower whole or slice it into steaks, slice off the thick stem at the base. Drop the whole cauliflower head upside-down into cool, salted water. Let it soak for 10 to 15 minutes to remove dirt, residue and bugs.

Undercooking It. Overcooking is bad, but undercooking cauliflower is an equally off-putting problem. "When making cauliflower steaks or roasting florets, if you don't roast it in the oven long enough it will be warm but still hard and unenjoyable to eat," says Michalczyk.

Coat 2–3 cauliflower florets at a time in the egg whites, then coat in the panko mixture. Repeat with the remaining florets. Place the coated florets on the cooking trays, then place the trays on the top and middle racks of the air fryer. Turn the wheel to select the ROAST setting; press the wheel to select.

If cooking a whole head of cauliflower at once, you can try scoring an "x" into the bottom of the stock to promote more even cooking or roasting. This will minimize your potential to have an overdone outside and underdone center. Avoid cooking cauliflower in aluminum or iron.

Food Science

Cauliflower contains some phytonutrients, these nutrients may react with iron cookware and gives the cauliflower a brownish color. To prevent this add some lemon juice to the cauliflower or to the water in which it is blanched.

Caramelization is the key to giving the roasted cauliflower flavor. Give all the florets a thorough rinse in a colander. Shake them dry. Spread the florets out in an even layer on the baking sheet.

Baking soda is often used as a natural cleaning agent, and it can be used to brighten up your veggies too. Sprinkle a little in the water before boiling to prevent cauliflower from yellowing and make corn look more vibrant.

The separated florets have to be washed properly under a tap. This removes dirt and large parasites such as worms. The next step is cleaning the cauliflower in mildly warm water in which a little salt was dissolved. This process – which should last 10-20 minutes - destroys several microbes and large parasites.

Cooking instructions

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the cauliflower florets and cook for 4-5 minutes until just tender. Drain and refresh in iced water, drain again and transfer to a large ovenproof dish.

Start by preheating the oven to 425°F. Don't go any lower with the oven temperature here—a hot oven helps the cauliflower florets crisp up and caramelize as they cook. If your oven has a convection setting, I recommend using it! It'll help the cauliflower brown beautifully.

Why is my fried cauliflower mushy? ›

The secret to giving cauliflower the perfect texture when battering and frying, is to not parboil it. When you fry cauliflower with batter, it also cooks the cauliflower. So if you parboil beforehand, you will end up with mushy cauliflower.

There are two really simple techniques that bring out the best in cauliflower: grilling and pickling. Dumping cauliflower florets in a mixture of salt and lemon juice for 45 minutes to an hour turns them into spiky little flavor bombs, delivering high-pitched squeaks in salads, sandwiches or the stew recipe here.

Season the florets with salt and pepper, and cover the pot. Let them steam until the tip of a knife or fork can be inserted easily without resistance, 8 to 10 minutes, depending on size. The ideal steamed cauliflower should read al dente, never mushy.

The general rule of thumb is about 20 minutes. Cauliflower that is overcooked will lose up to 50% of its vitamins and minerals. If you want a healthy meal, cook it for just a few minutes less.

Next, transfer the florets to a colander and place them under running water to wash off the dirt and bigger bugs. After this, it is suggested to blanch them in salt water to kill bacteria and parasites for 10–20 minutes.

Mildly Marinated Cauliflower is the perfect balance of pickling spices. There's a sweet tang that children will love and don't hesitate to add it to salads.

Steps for cleaning cauliflower:

Take all the floret halves and place them into a water-filled bowl / pan. Move around the florets; allow the florets to soak in the bowl / pan for five minutes.

You need to completely submerge the head in water, so a bucket that can fit the whole head is best. Add about 2 Tbsp salt per quart warm water to get it nice and salty. Submerge the head, florets down (they float, so a weight to keep it submerged will help). Let sit 5-10 minutes, remove, rinse, and eat as you please.