A vegetarian version of the retro classic, our cauliflower Kyiv recipe gives the original chicken Kyiv a run for its money. With a crispy exterior, the garlicky cauliflower almost melts in the mouth. The garlic herb compound butter leftovers can be used to make garlic bread or simply melted over boiled veggies. It can also be easily made vegan by using a plant-based spread instead of dairy butter.
Remove the stalks and leaves from the cauliflower. Starting from the middle, cut out 4 slices, around 1cm. You need flat edges in order to get an even crisp coating, so use the round ends of the cauliflower in a different dish
Set up a steamer basket over a pan of boiling water and steam the cauliflower steaks for 5 minutes. You can steam 2 pieces at a time in a regular-sized basket. The cauliflower should be cooked all the way through, but still firm. Place in the fridge to chill
Make the garlic butter by mixing the garlic, herbs and a pinch of salt through the softened butter until evenly distributed
Once the cauliflower has chilled, spread the butter over two of the slices and then top each with the remaining slices creating a garlic butter sandwich. You won’t need all of the butter but do be generous! Place back in the fridge so the butter sets solid. This is important as it stops the butter from leaking out too much during cooking
Set up a breadcrumbing station; spread the flour out on a plate, add the beaten egg and milk to a wide dish (big enough to lay the cauliflower flat in) with a pinch of salt and fill a third wide dish with the breadcrumbs
Once the cauliflower is chilled, carefully tap the Kyivs in the flour on both sides including the edges. This will give the egg a better surface to cling to. Next dip in the egg so it is completely covered, then into the panko breadcrumb dish. Pat the crumbs tightly on to the cauliflower, ensuring you cover the sides properly so that the butter doesn’t all melt out. You may want to double-dip the cauliflower in the egg and breadcrumbs again to ensure a complete coating
Place a frying pan big enough to hold one of the Kyivs over a medium heat and add about 1cm of vegetable oil. Once shimmering hot, shallow-fry the cauliflower so the oil reaches halfway up the side, then once nicely golden, flip it over to crisp up the other side
Drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle with salt, capers and parsley. Serve warm with sides such as potatoes and peas
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