Bang Bang Cauliflower Tacos

Ingredients

• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 60 g panko breadcrumbs
• 6 small corn tortillas, warmed
• 1 small cauliflower, cut into small florets
• 0.25 red cabbage, finely shredded
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
• 2 spring onions, sliced
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp sriracha
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 15g coriander, leaves picked
• Soured cream, to serve
• Pickled jalapeños, to serve
• Avocado salsa, to serve
• Seasoned black beans, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oven to 220°C fan and line a large baking tray. Set out three shallow bowls: plain flour whisked with the smoked paprika, a generous pinch of salt and a few twists of pepper in the first; beaten egg in the second; panko in the third. Toasting the paprika happens on the tray — but season the flour properly now, because raw spice on raw flour tastes dusty, and this is your one chance to build it in.
2. Working a handful at a time, roll the florets in the seasoned flour, dunk in the egg, then press firmly into the panko so every crag is coated. Lay them on the tray with clear space between each one — crowd them and they steam instead of crisping.
3. Drizzle generously with the vegetable oil — this is what blooms the paprika and crisps the panko in the oven heat — and roast for 18–20 minutes, turning once halfway, until the crumb is deep golden, fragrant, crisp at the edges and the cauliflower yields to the tip of a knife.
4. Meanwhile, whisk the mayonnaise, sriracha and sweet chilli sauce in a small bowl until glossy and vivid coral pink. Taste — it should be punchy, sweet and properly fiery. Adjust salt and heat now, not at the table.
5. Warm the tortillas in a dry pan over a medium-high heat for about 30 seconds a side, until soft and lightly blistered in patches. Stack and wrap in a clean tea towel as you go — they go leathery the moment they cool.
6. Pull the cauliflower from the oven and hit it with a small squeeze of lime juice while it's still hot — the acid cuts through the richness of the sauce to come.
7. Build each taco: a tangle of red cabbage on the warm tortilla, two or three crispy florets on top, a generous zigzag of bang bang sauce, then a scatter of spring onion and coriander leaves. Bring the lime wedges, pickled jalapeños, avocado salsa and black beans to the table so everyone finishes their own.