Air fryer cauliflower have this light, crispy finish, with an internal texture that melts in your mouth and bestows so much more flavour.
With the amount of bland, boiled cauliflower I’ve eaten in my life, I was about ready to retire from eating it entirely . . . until I bought my air fryer. To celebrate my new-found love of the humble cauliflower, here are three of my favourite variations that I will certainly never retire from my meal plans.
For two-drawer air fryers, either split the florets between both drawers for the cauliflower cheese or BBQ bites, or cook in two separate batches if using only one of the drawers.
Serves: 2
Time: 25 minutes
Cauliflower cheese
Ingredients
- 1 small cauliflower (700g), cut into 5cm florets
- 100ml (generous ⅓ cup) double cream
- ½ tsp each of salt and ground black pepper
- 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
- 60g extra-mature Cheddar cheese, grated
- 60g mozzarella, grated
- Vegetable oil in a spray bottle, for greasing
Method
- Place the cauliflower florets in a microwave-safe bowl, add 1 tablespoon of water and loosely cover with a plate. Microwave on full power for 7–8 minutes (900W) until cooked through. Alternatively, boil in a small saucepan for 5 minutes, then drain.
- Transfer the cooked cauliflower to a large bowl, add the cream, salt and pepper, mustard and Cheddar, then mix well.
- Heat or preheat the air fryer to 200°C (crisping tray or basket removed).
- Add the cauliflower cheese to the air fryer and air fry for 5–6 minutes. Sprinkle the mozzarella on top and air fry for another 4–5 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.
- Serve with a roast dinner centrepiece and lots of gluten-free gravy.
Crispy BBQ cauliflower bites (pictured)
Ingredients
- 1 small cauliflower (700g), cut into 2.5cm florets
- 2 tbsp garlic-infused oil
- 3 tbsp gluten-free plain flour or cornflour
- 5 tbsp gluten-free BBQ sauce
- Small handful of spring onion greens, finely chopped
- Blue cheese dip (shop-bought), to serve (optional)
- Vegetable oil in a spray bottle, for greasing
Method
- Add the cauliflower florets, garlic-infused oil and flour to a large bowl, and mix to combine.
- Heat or preheat the air fryer to 200°C. Generously grease the base of the air fryer basket or crisping tray by spraying it with oil.
- Add the cauliflower to the air fryer basket and air fry for 15 minutes until golden brown in places, turning over and spraying with oil halfway through. Remove to a (cleaned) bowl, add the BBQ sauce and toss until well coated.
- Sprinkle with the spring onion greens and optionally serve alongside a blue cheese dip or use as a fajita/taco filling alongside your usual favourite toppings.
Gunpowder cauliflower steaks
Ingredients
- 1 large cauliflower (about 1kg)
- 4 tbsp garlic-infused oil
- 2½ tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes or Kashmiri chilli flakes
- 1 tsp dried fenugreek
- ½ tsp salt
- 1½ tsp gluten-free plain flour or cornflour
- Small handful of coriander, finely chopped, to serve
- Vegetable oil in a spray bottle, for greasing
Method
- Slice the cauliflower using a large knife, creating two thick “steaks”, 2.5cm thick, from the middle of the cauliflower. Reserve the rest of the cauliflower for a future dinner or for one of the recipes above—you should have the perfect amount left over for either the cauliflower cheese or bites.
- In a small dish, combine the garlic-infused oil, garam masala, chilli flakes, fenugreek, salt and flour. Brush onto the cauliflower steaks on both sides.
- Heat or preheat the air fryer to 180°C. Lightly grease the base of the air fryer basket or crisping tray by spraying it with a little oil.
- Add the cauliflower steaks to the air fryer basket (both should comfortably fit without touching) and air fry for 18–20 minutes, turning over and spraying with oil halfway through.
- Sprinkle with chopped coriander and serve alongside air fryer chips, sweet potato cubes, roast potatoes or rice and onion rings.
Other recipes you may be interested in:
This is an edited extract from Gluten Free Air Fryer by Becky Excell published by Quadrille. Photography: Hannah Hughes.
