Mock Mashed Potato with crispy onions and shallots Recipe

Spoon the mashed cauliflower into a baking dish. Set it aside for now.

For the crispy onions, pour the grape seed oil into a deep saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer. Turn the heat to high and let the oil come up to 360 degrees F.

While the oil heats, whisk together the white rice flour, arrowroot starch, ½ cup sparkling water, and kosher salt in a small bowl. Stir until smooth.

The batter should be the consistency of a thin pancake batter; add an extra 2 to 3 tablespoons of sparkling water or a little more flour if needed to get it just right.

Add the sliced shallots and onions to the tempura batter, making sure each slice is well coated. Give the batter a quick stir before adding each batch, as the flour tends to settle at the bottom.

Once the oil reaches 360 degrees F, carefully drop in as many coated onion slices as you can without crowding the pan. The oil temperature will drop, which is fine; wait for it to return to 350 degrees F before adding the next batch. Fry each batch for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until the onions are golden brown and crisp.