I took my first flight in almost two years to Florida earlier this month. A group of us were gathering for a small work meeting and excited to see each other outside of a video call.
We had dinner the first night at the SeaSpray Inlet Grill in Boca Raton. We enjoyed a selection of appetizers including Sticky Cauliflower. It was so good we ordered more. My colleague, Christopher M, said it best – it was like General Tso’s Chicken but with cauliflower. I asked our server if the chef would share the recipe. He didn’t have to ask as he already knew the answer – soy glaze with sesame seeds on roasted cauliflower. We clearly were not the first to ask.
I’m continually amazed at how versatile cauliflower is – there are so many things one can do with it. And to think that I resisted it for so many years as it was not a childhood favorite.
While you’re roasting the cauliflower, prepare the glaze and toast the sesame seeds. If you want the sauce to be a bit more ‘sticky’ add more honey. The version we had in Florida was more sticky and completely covered the cauliflower – I opted for a slightly more healthy take. You can prepare the sauce a day or two in advance and reheat it on the stove or in the microwave.
If you are gluten-free or wheat-free, be sure to use gluten-free soy sauce and hoisin sauce. Joyce Chen makes both a gluten-free/low sodium soy sauce and gluten-free hoisin sauce. Tamari is also a good gluten-free alternative to traditional soy sauce.
Once the cauliflower is roasted, toss it with the sauce and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and minced scallions on top. We served it with a nice rare piece of tuna. You could also serve it as part of an appetizer course – preferably passed at the table as it’s a bit messy (hence the name).
| Sticky Cauliflower | | Print |
- 1 head cauliflower (about 2-1/4 pounds), cut into florets
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt
- ¼ cup soy sauce (see Notes)
- ¼ cup honey (see Notes)
- 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce (see Notes)
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon white sesame seeds, toasted
- 2 scallions, minced
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Toss cauliflower florets with olive oil and kosher salt.
- Arrange cauliflower on a baking sheet and roast until tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile add soy sauce, honey, rice wine vinegar, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes to a small saucepan. Bring to a slow boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently (so it doesn’t burn), and boil for about 5 minutes until slightly reduced and a thicker consistency. (You can boil longer for it to get thicker.)
- Remove cauliflower from the oven and place on a platter. Drizzle with soy glaze (you may not need all of it), sesame seeds and scallions.
- If you have leftover soy glaze, it keeps covered in the refrigerator for two weeks.
* To make this sauce thicker, you can either boil it longer or add more honey.
OMG! I’m going to make this for my family! Thank you, Nicole!
Spenser – I told you I’d make it! I had to make good on my promise. Happy New Year!
We just made this for a side dish tonight with Soba with bok choy and shiitake as our main. It was a delicious way to kick off the new year with satisfied taste buds and nourishment in the soul. Thanks for sharing the recipe, Nicole! Happy 2022!
Spenser – I am so pleased to hear that you liked it. Sounds like a good combination of flavors. Happy New Year to you!
This is an intense sauce. I glazed a piece of salmon with it and roasted the salmon with the cauliflower. It was yummy, but you certainly will have extra sauce. I’m looking forward to figuring out what to do with the rest of it.
Susie – Your salmon and cauliflower combination sound good! We used the leftovers on another batch of cauliflower (not terribly creative).