Many years ago, when my children were small, our best friends introduced us to a restaurant in Atlanta that was famous for their T-bone steaks. They have been in business since 1932. At the time we were going there, it was located on Lee Street, but now it is on Lake Dow Road in McDonough, Georgia. The thing I liked best about Pilgreen’s was their fried cauliflower. It was battered in a beer batter and deep fried, and served up with seafood cocktail sauce or horseradish sauce. Either one makes it sooooo gooooodddd!
Yesterday, I discovered that I had all the ingredients on hand to make up some gluten free fried cauliflower here at home. And while I was making it, I was reminiscing about all the times we ate there with Bobby and Sharon Jones and their son, Johnny. Sometimes other friends would show up and it would be a wonderful time.
To make the beer batter:
1 bottle of gluten free beer (I used a new one I found in Flagstaff called New Grist, made with sorghum and rice, and it is good!)
1 cup of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Biscuit and Baking Mix
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
Mix all ingredients well and let it sit for about half an hour before using. Cut up the cauliflower into florets. Dip each floret into the batter, and deep fry in canola or corn oil until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes on high heat. Remove from oil and let drain on paper towels.
I didn’t have any kind of sauce for the batch I made, but it still tasted good. Almost like they make at Pilgreen’s. This batter would also make some yummy onion rings. I made fried eggplant too!
Susan Shepard says
OMG girl…..years ago my Dad used to take us to Pilgreen’s on Lee St. on his night off, (Monday). I was probably 8-14 yrs. I can’t remember exactly when. I would have been late 50’s and 60’s. Later, after they closed, there was one on LaVista near North Lake Mall.
By chance, did you ever go to a drive-in on Lee Street – Joe Cotton’s?
Fab Grandma says
I never went to Pilgreen’s, or anywhere else, when I was growing up. We lived out in the country, in Austell and Douglasville. I didn’t get to Pilgreen’s until the late 1970’s, and never went to Joe Cotton’s.
Judy Bell says
Gluten free or not, you’ve made my mouth water! Mmm. Mmm!
geogypsy says
This looks real tasty. Always nice when a memory food can be reproduced. Now all you need is okra. 😉
Freely Living Life says
WOW! **drooling**
That looks delicious. We love fried eggplant but never heard of fried cauliflower. Thanks for sharing. We will have to give this a try sometime soon!! It may be just the trick to get my youngest to actually eat veggies! *wink* 🙂
Cheers,
The Freely Living Life Family
Fab Grandma says
I think the fried cauliflower is a southern thing–we can take perfectly healthy food and turn it into calorific monstrosities!~ LOL!
Tina says
Fried cauliflower is AMAZZZZING!!! If you like cauliflower at all, and even if you don’t, you should definitely try this!
Barbara says
I love anything fried, but this looks especially delicious! I think it’s the only way I’d get my husband to touch cauliflower! lol
Lynn Barry says
hey…great to be back in touch…I have missed you! UDI UDI UDI~~~~XO
Laura says
OMG!!! We moved to Atlanta in 1959 w/my parents, due to a transfer w/Eastern Airlines. Pilgreen’s was our go to place for ALL special occasions! I’ve raised my kids on their wonderful food! We ate at Lake Dow on 1/9/12! The cauliflower is amazing… Thank you for this recipe! My daughter and myself are gluten intolerant and this is a great way to have it at home and not drive an hour and a half!!!
Fab Grandma says
I LOVE Pilgreens! I just wish I could still eat wheat so I could have some of their fried cauliflower. But, this recipe is as close as you can get to Pilgreen’s and be gluten free.
Brittany says
I made this for the Super Bowl and it tastes EXACTLY the same. Which seems virtually impossible when making glutinous things gluten free. I’ve been going to Pilgreen’s as long as I can remember, my mom grew up going to the one on Lee Street and my brother and I used to beg her to make the hour drive up from Macon when we were growing up. Thank you for making such a comforting food possible. I ended up using Gluten-Free Bisquik because its what I had on hand, and I had to add a little more than a cup ( 1 1/4 cup) of mix with the beer because it was just a little too thin and didn’t fry well. Thank you again for the recipe!