Recipe: Cauliflower with Tandoori Chicken Skin
Prep Time:
20 minutes
Cook Time:
1 hour, 15 minutes
Servings:
4 servings
Ingredients
  • Chicken skin from one 3½-pound chicken
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 2 tablespoons tandoori masala spice
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ cup packed cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
  • ½ cup packed mint leaves
  • ⅓ cup buttermilk
  • ⅓ cup whole-fat Greek yogurt
  • 1 small garlic clove, roughly chopped
  • ¾ teaspoon garam masala
  • ¼ cup canola oil
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • Canola oil, for frying
  • 1 small head cauliflower, cut into 1½-inch pieces (10 cups cauliflower florets)
  • Kosher salt, to taste
Directions
  1. Make the tandoori chicken skin: Place the chicken skin onto a cutting board, skin-side facing down, and use the back of a large knife to scrape away the fat. Lay the cleaned chicken skin onto a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet and chill in the fridge to dry out, uncovered, for 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
  2. Preheat the oven to 300°. Place the air-chilled chicken skin in a large bowl and massage with the oil, masala and salt. Return the skin to the wire rack, laying it flat and skin-side up, and and bake until crisp, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool for a few minutes before cutting into large pieces.
  3. Make the raita: In a blender, mix the cilantro, mint, buttermilk, yogurt, garlic and garam masala on medium speed until smooth. Lower the speed and add the oil in a steady stream until emulsified. Adjust the seasoning to taste with salt. Makes 1 cup and can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
  4. Fry the cauliflower: In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, add enough oil to fill to a 2-inch depth and bring to 400° over medium-high heat. Working in batches of 3, fry the cauliflower, flipping occasionally with a large slotted spoon or spider, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer the cauliflower to a paper towel-lined sheet tray and immediately season with salt. Repeat with the remaining florets.
  5. To serve: Spoon 3 tablespoons of raita into the bottom of 4 serving bowls and place the cauliflower over top. Garnish with chicken skins and cilantro leaves, and serve with the extra raita.