Yardbird’s Mr Matt Abergel shares a recipe for Korean Fried Cauliflower.

Although here in London we cannot fully understand what it means to be an American citizen, in America, on 4 July, we do grasp the concept of throwing a good party, whatever the occasion. And, as far as we can tell, Independence Day is certainly a time for celebration. Celebration via fireworks, alcohol, and maybe a barbecue or two. So far, so straightforward. But – so go the universally accepted rules of party attending – one cannot turn up to a party empty-handed, nor can one host a party without supplying things with which to satisfy guests.

So, what to cook? On 6 July, Chicken And Charcoal by Mr Matt Abergel will be published. If you are unfamiliar with Mr Abergel, in 2011 he founded Yardbird in Hong Kong, an izakaya-style institution with a party atmosphere; think free-flowing booze, loud music and grilled chicken on a stick.

Before its release, and to give you plenty of time to prep, we asked Mr Abergel for a preview of his book, and for him to send us one of his favourite recipes. Whip up this “KFC” dish, and all of your guests should be happy (including the vegetarians).

Serves 4

12 x 25g florets of cauliflower

20g salt

3ltr vegetable oil, for deep-frying

3g white sesame seeds, to garnish

1 lime wedge, to serve

For the KFC batter

400g Yardbird chicken flour mix (see below)

400g tempura batter (see below)

For the KFC sauce

100g garlic

500g sugar

50g mirin

150g Korean chili paste

250g red yuzu kosho

1 egg yolk

700g tempura flour

Mix the egg yolk with 150ml iced water. Place the tempura flour in a large mixing bowl, then gently add the egg and water. Make sure you don’t over-mix.

Keep the batter chilled at all times. Reserve in the refrigerator until ready to use.

500g Japanese karaage flour

100g potato starch

250g tempura flour

Mix all the ingredients together. Store in an airtight container or sealed bag until ready to use.

First, make the KFC batter. Whisk all the ingredients with 480ml ice-cold water until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.

To make the KFC sauce, blend the garlic with 1.5ltr almost-boiling water until smooth. Place the garlic paste in a pan with the sugar, mirin, Korean chili paste and red yuzu kosho, then mix well. Reduce over a low heat for 1–3 hours, stirring frequently, until the mixture has the consistency of a thick barbecue sauce.

Soak the cauliflower florets in 2ltr water and the salt for 1 hour. Just before cooking, remove the cauliflower from the saltwater solution and put in the batter, completely coating each floret.

Heat the vegetable oil in a deep fryer, or a deep saucepan, to 350°F/180°C. One by one, carefully drop the battered cauliflower florets into the hot oil, making sure that the pieces don’t stick to the bottom of the fryer or to each other. Once all the florets are in the fryer, fish out any stray bits of batter. Fry the florets until they are deep brown in colour, about 3 minutes.

Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack, then on a paper towel. Transfer the cauliflower to a bowl. Immediately cover with a generous amount of room-temperature KFC sauce.

To serve, stack the sauce-smothered cauliflower florets in a serving bowl. Garnish liberally with the white sesame seeds and a lime wedge. Eat while hot

Chicken and Charcoal (Phaidon) by Mr Matt Abergel is out now