Fried Cauliflower
A historical recipe from Domestic French Cookery, 4th ed., by Sulpice Barué (1836).
A historical recipe
Domestic French Cookery, 4th ed., by Sulpice Barué (1836). Project Gutenberg eBook #34837.
From an old book: a historical recipe, not current advice. Its methods, additives and storage may be unsafe by today's standards.
France
Known as a French recipe, with similar versions prepared across other nations.
Ingredients 3 ingredients
- a spoonful of sweet oil
- a spoonful of brandy
- three beaten eggs
Cook safely
Keep children and pets away from the hob and the oven, and keep oven gloves and a lid within reach.
- Hot oil. Never put water on an oil fire: turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid or a damp tea towel. Pat food dry before it goes into hot oil, and lower it in gently, away from you.
- Boiling water and steam. Turn pan handles inward, away from the edge of the hob. Lift lids away from you, and pour hot water away from your body: steam burns too.
- Sharp knives. Cut on a board that doesn't slip (a damp cloth under it helps), and curl the fingers of the hand that holds the food.
Method
Chef Wood
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- Wash a fine large cauliflower, and cut it into quarters.
- Having boiled some water with salt, throw the cauliflower into it, and boil it till you can nip it easily with your fingers.
- Take it out and drain it.
- Then put it into a pan with salt, pepper and vinegar, and let it lie half an hour, turning it frequently.
- Make the following batter, which must be prepared half an hour or more before it is wanted, that it may have time to rise.
- Take three table-spoonfuls of flour, three beaten eggs, a table-spoonful of butter melted in a little warm water, a spoonful of sweet oil, and a spoonful of brandy.
- Stir all together;
- and if you find it too thin, add a little more flour;
- cover it, and let it set half an hour.
- Then beat to a stiff froth the whites of the eggs, and stir them hard into the batter.
- Dip your quarters of cauliflower into this mixture, and fry them of a fine light brown.
- When the cauliflower is done, let it remain in the pan a quarter of an hour before you send it to table.
- Lay fried parsley round it.
- Broccoli may be fried in the same manner.
Plating
Cookware for this recipe
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Frying pan
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Saucepan
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Chef's knife
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Wooden spoon
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Colander