Wrap Your Cauliflower Wings In Rice Paper For A Satisfying Crunch

Cauliflower has completed the transition from a reliable sidekick to the indispensable star of the meatless plate. The cruciferous vegetable has a hearty texture and absorbs flavor well, giving diners a meat-like mouthfeel and versatile taste experience. One of the most popular cauliflower-meat swaps is the cauliflower wing, but when you want a crispy, texturally strong plant-based wing, the dish can be a source of disappointment. Combating this and giving your cauliflower wings a satisfying crunch is, however, as easy as wrapping them in rice paper.

Cauliflower cooked straight in fat can become overly tender, resulting in a softness that doesn't quite translate to the wing experience. Rice paper, a thin, plant-based "paper" that's often used to wrap vegetables in a roll style, offers a texture that more easily gets crispy when fried on the stovetop. Applying this trick to get crispier cauliflower wings is astoundingly easy to execute. Sauteeing rice-paper-wrapped steamed cauliflower florets in oil for a few minutes is the simplest way to get the crisp texture that will elevate your meatless wings. These papered wings also work deep fried or in the air fryer, but a pan fry allows more control over the texture than deep frying (it can easily get soggy or burnt). Meanwhile, the smaller amount of oil used on the stovetop will lend itself to crispness, whereas an air fry may result in a lack of uniform crispness due to the absence of oil.

What is the best way to take advantage of these extra-crispy rice paper cauliflower wings? One option is to stick to the classics and opt for buffalo flavoring. Employ this recipe for buffalo wing sauce, which calls for only four ingredients: butter, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, and hot sauce. Or you can use the sauce from this sticky garlic cauliflower recipe, which offers a tangy, spicy complement to your wings' crispness, or this sweet and spicy Thai chili sauce for a dynamic pairing.

Another worthwhile option is to build layers of flavor. You can do this by adding flavor to your cauliflower as you steam it; just add spices and other flavoring agents to the pot. This is an option for rice paper cauliflower wings with less of an emphasis on external sauces and can be a good opportunity to bust out some five-star dipping sauces. Try this method out by adding salt, pepper, and garlic as you steam your cauliflower before giving it the rice paper treatment, then dip your wings in this avocado tzatziki sauce.