Buffalo Cauliflower (Gluten free!)

Ok BEFORE y'all clown me.

i KNOW I aid using vegetables to replace meat is stupid,

BUT

This is IT. It's not TERRIBLY hard to make. Let's fuckin GO.

You will want to make the buffalo sauce first, or at least get it going. You don't have to use this recipe or even make it from scratch, however, I like this:

1/4 white onion, sliced

4 garlic cloves

1/2 large red tomato

1/2 red bell pepper, sliced

1 Jalapeno, seeds removed.

3 habanero peppers, seeds removed.

2 TBS apple cider vinegar

2 TBS sugar

1 cup Hot sauce (any brand, I use Crystal, you can use Franks, Louisiana, or whatever)

1 cup earth balance, room temp.

Preheat oven to 450. Toss vegetables with oil, salt, and pepper, and roast until pretty nice and brown. It's fine if bits of it get crispy or dark. That extra caramelization is GOOD, it adds depth to the sauce so don't be afraid. Pull it when it's done and let cool, but don't let it get totally cold.

Add the roasted veg to a blender with everything else except earth balance, and then blend it all. Add the earth balance in small pieces to emulsify it all together. If you don't have a blender and you're like me, don't worry, you CAN make this recipe in a Nutribullet.

Now to the cauliflower. Cut it into small pieces, about 1/2 inch to 1 inch big. blanch it in boiling water just to partially cook it. You don't need to fully cook it, as it'll cook a bit more while it's frying and you don't want it to turn to mush. Preheat some oil to 350 degrees F.

To batter it:

3/4 cup rice flour

1/4 cup club soda (roughly)

optional: 2 tbs potato starch

The carbonated water will make your batter light and crispy, which will help keep it from being greasy and stodgy. The potato starch isn't totally necessary, but it does help to bind the batter a little bit in place of egg. You can still make it very well without it if you can't get it. you want a thin batter, somewhat thinner than pancake batter. if it;s too thick, feel free to thin it out with more club soda.

Dip the cauliflower pieces in the batter with either hands, a fork, or tweezers if you got em, then drop them in the oil, one piece at a time. Leave a few second between pieces, this will allow the batter on each to start to fry before you add the next piece, this helps to keep them from all getting stuck together into a huge mass. When they're done, drain them on some paper towel, salt them, then toss in a bowl with the sauce.