Vegan Brussels Sprout Fried Rice With Crispy Cauliflower. New Music From Courtly Love.

Vegan.

Guaranteed to make this post more popular.

I entered Toffee Triple Chocolate Cupcakes With Salted Caramel Icing in a cupcake contest a few weeks ago. Didn’t place, but you know what did? Second runner ups were VEGAN Sweet Potato Cupcakes With Cranberry filling. Alright, they sound pretty darned good, but I think Vegan in the title upped the popularity. (Astonishing to me is that cupcakes titled “White On White” (vanilla with vanilla icing) were the winners).

I didn’t make this recipe because it was vegan, but because I though it sounded different and really good.

Different…Yes.

Really good…..Oh Yes!

The crispy cauliflower gets all infused with sherry-soy sauce then placed upon a bed of fried rice studded with brussels sprouts.

You won’t miss the meat.

Vegan Brussels Sprout Fried Rice With Crispy Cauliflower

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons sherry
2 teaspoons soy sauce, divided
2 teaspoons chili bean paste, divided
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
Two 1/2-inch thick slabs of cauliflower (try to slice directly through the core so that the florets remain attached)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seed oil
1 cup sliced or shredded brussels sprouts (about 8 sprouts)
3 cups cooked day-old white rice (works better than freshly cooked, which tends to clump)
4 green onions, sliced
Cilantro, chili oil and pea shoots (to garnish)

Directions:

1. Combine wine, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon chili bean paste in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add cauliflower slabs and any additional florets. Cook, shaking occasionally, until bottom of cauliflower is crisp and well-browned, about 5 minutes.

3. Flip cauliflower and cook until second side is crisp and browned, about 3 minutes longer. Remove from heat and add wine mixture, stirring as it reduces to coat the cauliflower. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.

4. Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in a large wok over high heat until smoking. Add brussels sprouts, toss to coat with oil, then cook without moving until charred on one side, about 45 seconds. Toss and repeat until well charred all over, about 2 minutes total. Transfer to a bowl and wipe out the wok.

5. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons vegetable oil and toasted sesame oil over high heat until smoking. Add rice and green onion. Cook, stirring constantly, until rice is coated with oil and individual grains are separated.

6. Return brussels sprouts to wok and cook, stirring occasionally, until everything is heated through, about 1 minute. Add remaining soy sauce and chili bean paste to wok and stir to coat rice.

7. Serve immediately, topping each plate of fried rice with a slab of cauliflower. Garnish with cilantro, chili oil and pea shoots, if you like.

Serves 2

Recipe slightly adapted from Serious Eats