Gordon Ramsay's bang bang cauliflower is the perfect mid-week veggie supper

Chef Gordon Ramsay needs no introduction, love him or hate him, he knows how to curate a winning menu, and over on YouTube he has racked up a staggering more than 19 million subscribers. 

His latest cookbook Ramsay in 10 is inspired by his YouTube series of the same name. It's jam-packed full of crowd-pleasing recipes - 100 to be exact - and every single one will take you just 10 minutes to make. Think One Pan Pumpkin Pasta, Chicken Souvlaki and Microwave Sticky Toffee Pudding. The idea being, with each time you make a recipe, you'll get faster thanks to Gordon's shortcuts to speed up your cooking, reduce your prep times.

For a quick, mid-week veggie supper, try this Bang Bang Cauliflower, a fun veggie-friendly take on the Chinese classic. 

Gordon says: "Something happens to cauliflower when you stir-fry or roast it at high temperatures – it becomes nutty and sweet as it caramelises and seems like a different vegetable from its boiled or steamed cousins. I’ve borrowed the sauce here from bang bang chicken, a Chinese dish from Sichuan province, which has been much adulterated in the US. It should be sweet and hot, wherever it’s from.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/2 cauliflower, cut into florets (flowerets), tender leaves (if any) reserved
1 heaped tbsp rice flour
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 small red onion
2–3cm (3/4 –1 1/4 inch) piece of fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp sesame oil
Small handful of coriander (cilantro) leaves

For the bang bang sauce
2 tbsp maple syrup or agave syrup
2 tbsp Cholula or sriracha hot sauce
4 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

Method

1. Start by making the bang bang sauce: put all the ingredients for it into a bowl and stir until fully combined. Set aside until needed.
2. Toss the cauliflower florets in the rice flour.
3. Place a wok over a high heat and add the vegetable oil. When hot, add the cauliflower florets and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add the reserved cauliflower leaves (if any) and stir-fry for another 3–4 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, peel and slice the onion; peel the ginger and cut into small strips; peel and crush (mince) the garlic.
5. Place a small saucepan over a medium heat and add the sesame oil. When hot, add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally for 2 minutes, until soft.
6. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the bang bang sauce.
7. Pour the onion mixture into the wok and stir until the cauliflower is fully  coated. Pour the cauliflower into a serving dish, sprinkle with the coriander leaves and
serve with boiled rice and green vegetables.

Recipe from Ramsay in 10 by Gordon Ramsay, published by Hodder & Stoughton, £13, out now.