Roasted Cauliflower Stir-Fry

by cookingwithauntjuju.com

Cauliflower is a favorite vegetable and when I read “roasted” and “stir-fry” I knew this would be a great recipe.

Roasted Cauliflower Stir-Fry, Adapted

  • 1 cup thinly sliced pork tenderloin, cut into thin strips
  • 4 tsp. Shaoxing wine (this is the best or any rice wine would be fine) or dry sherry
  • 1 tsp. sesame oil (roasted would add some additional flavor – you can buy this)
  • 2-1/2 tsp. dark soy sauce
  • 1 tsp. potato starch or 2 tsp. cornstarch

Combine the above ingredients and marinate for a couple of hours.

  • 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets (see Comment below)
  • olive oil for drizzling on the cauliflower and peanut oil for stir-frying
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 6 dried red chilies (Tien Tsin or chile de arbol)
  • 6 slices of fresh ginger (or chopped)
  • 4 scallions, cut into 1″ pieces
  • 1 tsp. sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp. Shaoxing wine (or any rice wine) or dry sherry
  • 1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. dark soy sauce

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the cauliflower in a single layer; drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes, turning after 10 minutes.

Heat 2 tbsp. of peanut oil over medium heat. Once again I am not using the traditional wok but I DO LOVE my electric Breville!  Add the chilies and ginger and cook for about 2 minutes. If you choose to chop the fresh garlic add it as well now. I minced the garlic and added it along with the pork. Turn the heat to high and add the pork strips, cook for a few minutes.

Stir in the cauliflower and cook for a minute.  I like to remove the ginger slices (you could always chop the ginger instead) as they are hard to see once they are coated in sauce and I don’t like biting into a big piece of ginger! Add the scallions, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine and the soy sauce; stir-fry to coat the mixture. Place the lid on the wok and bring everything to a simmer. Give another stir and serve over rice.  I leave the hot peppers as they are pretty obvious and they add some nice color.

This is so good I had to force myself to quit eating it. Just delicious…

Comment: America’s Test Kitchen recently commented on the different flavors of cauliflower.  If you only cook it for 15 minutes the cabbagelike taste and sulfurous odor of a compound known as carbon disulfide are dominant. If you cook it for 30 minutes the carbon disulfide dissipates, allowing the sweeter, nuttier flavors of other substances known as thioureas to come through. After an hour, nearly all of the flavor has dissipated, leaving the cauliflower bland and flavorless.

Something to keep in mind when you are cooking cauliflower… In the recipe above the cauliflower was not cooked any longer than 30 minutes, probably close to 25,  and was very tasty!

Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.com 

I have adapted this from: http://thewoksoflife.com/2014/05/easy-roasted-cauliflower-stir-fry/

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Can you see the steam flowing out of the cauliflower dish in the picture below. I did not waste any time serving it or eating it for that matter. dsc_9894

37 thoughts on “Roasted Cauliflower Stir-Fry”

  1. This looks delicious, Judi! I have green and purple cauliflowers in the fridge. I might turn them into this later; I’ve been bored with plain roasted or steamed cauliflowers. I didn’t know about the 30-minute mark to get rid of the sulfur smell! Good to know 😄

    Reply

    • Thanks Angie – I never grew green or purple cauliflowers – what fun. I read the info from America’s Test Kitchen as a footnote to a cauliflower soup recipe after I made this stir-fry. Now I know why the cauliflower tasted perfect!

      Reply

  5. That’s very interesting regarding the cooking time and flavor of cauliflower. I love it no matter how it’s cooked or raw but John can’t stand it so I never cook it when he’s around. I would love this recipe.

    Reply

  11. Judi,
    I love cauliflower and am always looking for new recipes. So happy to learn about how the cooking timing changes the taste. I like the Asian flavor combinations in this sauce too!
    Thanks for bringing it to the party at Fiesta Friday!

    Reply

  12. What a great idea. I have been eating lots of cauliflower of late but I don’t have many great recipes. Thank you for sharing this one.

    Reply

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