Breaded Cauliflower Antipasto the ultimate snack to keep hungry guests under control before a holiday meal but it’s also perfect for a game night. Jan was first introduced to this delicious snack or antipasto during an Easter dinner almost 40 years ago at Vito’s parents’ home. Curiously, while popular in Italian-American households, it is rarely seen on a restaurant menu. Ever since the first bite, you will be in love with Breaded Cauliflower Antipasto. Try it yourself, perhaps as an appetizer before Beef Braciole, and enjoy!
Prep Time: 10 minutes, Total Time: 1 hour.
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Ingredients:
- 1 medium to large white or orange Cauliflower, cut into bite-size florets
- 3 large Eggs, beaten in a shallow bowl
- 1 ½ cup of Unseasoned Breadcrumbs on a dinner plate
- ½ cup of Cooking Oil, recommend Olive/Canola Oil blend, more as needed
- Salt to taste
Preparation:
- Set-up your assembly line as follows from right to left:
- Bowl with cauliflower florets
- Bowl with beaten egg
- Dinner plate with breadcrumbs
- Large wide frying pan
- Platter with two layers of paper towels
- Heat the oil in the frying pan over a medium heat, i.e. no blue clouds of smoke
- Place four cauliflower florets in the egg and turn to coat.
- Move egg-coated florets to the bread crumbs plate and coat.
- Place the breaded florets in the flying pan and repeat with 4 more florets so you have 8 florets frying at a time.
- Fry on all sides, turning gently with tongs, until golden brown and remove move to the platter.
- Add some additional oil to the pan as needed, waiting until the oil is hot until proceeding to fry again.
- Transfer the breaded cauliflower to a serving platter, season with salt and serve.
*Notes:
- Use the assembly line method as this will minimize the clean-up.
- Wear an apron in case of spattering.
- Use long-handled BBQ tongs to turn the florets while they are frying.
- Make sure the platter with the fried breaded cauliflower is not too close to the stove as to prevent the paper towels from catching fire
- You can serve the cauliflower with your favorite marinara sauce at room temperature or just as is, which is how I like it.