Ingredients
2 lb/910 g cauliflower, broken into bite-sized florets
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup/120 ml water
2 Tbsp gochujang
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp light soy sauce
½ tsp packed light brown sugar
2 Tbsp roasted salted peanuts
1 Tbsp chopped chives
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F/220C.
- Place the cauliflower florets on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt. Fold and toss to coat well and when I mean toss, be gentle, the worst part is losing cauliflower to the kitchen floor.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast the cauliflower till the florets turn golden brown and crispy, 20 to 30 minutes, stirring halfway through during roasting to evenly cook them. Remove the cauliflower from the oven and transfer to a serving bowl.
- You’re going to have some time while the cauliflower roasts, you could either watch an episode of Hacks or you could make the sauce (you should make the sauce).
- Place the water, gochujang, vinegar, ginger, soy sauce, and sugar in a small saucepan. Whisk till smooth, bring to a boil over medium heat, and remove from the stove. Taste and season with salt if needed (you probably won’t need to).
- Pour the hot sauce over the roasted cauliflower.
- Top the roasted cauliflower with the peanuts and chives. Serve warm.
Notes
- Get a microplane zester if you don’t already own one. I always keep two on hand to grate garlic, ginger, nutmeg, etc.
- There are many good brands of gochujang available; the one I keep at home is the Mother-in-Law’s brand but if you are already in love with another one, go with that.
- Keeping a few points in mind, you can make very good crispy cauliflower in the oven. The goal is to avoid overcrowding, so the larger the baking sheet or roasting pan, the better. This will allow the hot air from the oven to circulate and do a better job of crisping up those florets. Keep your florets, bite-size; if they’re too big or tiny, they will cook unevenly. The tinier burnt bits don’t bother me as much as the large ones that aren’t crisped enough. If you own an air fryer, cook the cauliflower in it.