Blumenkohl-Käse-Patties (cauliflower cheese patties)

Method

1. Steam or boil the cauliflower florets until fully tender, about 10 minutes. Drain very well.
2. Pulse the cauliflower in a food processor to a fine, rice-like texture, or mash by hand.
3. Squeeze the cauliflower firmly in a clean tea towel, in batches, until you can wring out no more liquid; this is the step that determines whether the patties hold together.
4. Combine the squeezed cauliflower, eggs, cheese, breadcrumbs, parsley, salt and pepper in a bowl, mixing to an even, slightly sticky mass.
5. Shape into 12 patties, about 2 cm thick.
6. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Fry the patties in batches, 4 minutes per side, until deep golden brown and firm.

Method in the Thermomix

Written for a TM5 or TM6, 2.2 litre bowl. This covers steaming and ricing the cauliflower; frying is conventional.

1. 900 ml water into the bowl. Cauliflower florets into the simmering basket. Steam 15 min / Varoma / speed 2.
2. Tip the steamed cauliflower into the dry bowl, discarding the water. Chop 5 sec / speed 5, to a fine, rice-like texture.
3. Tip out and squeeze dry in a tea towel as in the hand method. Continue from step 4 of the hand method.

Notes

• Squeeze the cauliflower as dry as you possibly can. Skip this and the mixture is too wet to hold its shape, spreading and falling apart the moment it hits the hot pan.
• Rice the cauliflower finely rather than leaving large chunks. Big pieces make the patties crumbly and harder to bind, while a fine, even texture holds together well.
• Do not crowd the pan. Patties fried too close together steam rather than crisp, so fry in batches with room around each one.
• They keep for 3 days in the fridge and reheat well in a dry pan, though they are best fresh, when the exterior is crispest.

Ingredient substitutions

• Grated hard cheese can be any firm, well-flavoured cheese; a stronger one gives more flavour to compensate for the mild cauliflower base.
• Breadcrumbs can be swapped for the same weight of ground almonds for a lower-carb, gluten-free version.
• A pinch of smoked paprika or curry powder in the mixture is a good, easy variation.