Recreate the UK's top takeaways at home

We are currently living through the age of 'one-click away', where we can hop on our phones and order pretty much anything directly to us. With most takeaways, the food you've ordered will even arrive within the hour! But convenience comes at a price - takeaways are the most expensive they've ever been and frequently ordering them is no good for your health. That's why fakeaways are the tasty solution to your fast food cravings.

Deliveroo recently published the UK's top trending dishes and we are going to show you exactly how you can cook up your very own fakeaway versions of each dish landing in the top 10. In 6th place is boneless wings from Wingstop BUT, we have already had a lot of chicken on this list so we're shaking things up and doing a killer vegan version instead!

Ingredients

For the Cauliflower Wings:

• 1 large head of cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
• 100g all-purpose flour
• 240ml unsweetened plant milk (such as almond or soy)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 100g panko breadcrumbs (for extra crunch, optional)

For the Buffalo Sauce:

• 120ml hot sauce (such as Frank's Red Hot Sauce)
• 2 tbsp vegan butter, melted
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp garlic powder

To Serve (optional):

• Vegan ranch or blue cheese dressing
• Celery sticks
• Carrot sticks

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 220°C (Fan 200°C, Gas Mark 7). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Prepare the batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, plant milk, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper until smooth. If using panko breadcrumbs for extra crunch, place them in a separate shallow dish.

3. Coat the cauliflower: Dip each cauliflower floret into the batter, ensuring it's well-coated. Allow any excess batter to drip off. For extra crunch, then dredge in panko breadcrumbs. Place the coated florets on the prepared baking sheet, ensuring they're not touching.

4. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the coating is golden and crispy.

5. Prepare the buffalo sauce: While the cauliflower is baking, mix together the hot sauce, melted vegan butter, apple cider vinegar, and garlic powder in a large bowl.

6. Coat the baked cauliflower: Once the cauliflower is done, carefully toss the baked florets in the buffalo sauce until evenly coated. Return the coated florets to the baking sheet.

7. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the florets are crispy and the sauce is absorbed.

8. Serve your vegan boneless buffalo wings hot with vegan ranch or blue cheese dressing, accompanied by celery and carrot sticks.

Approximate cost & savings

As of March 2024

Wingstop (Bristol-based) - £8.75 (for one serving)
Fakeaway vegan wings - £11.30 (for four servings)

• Cauliflower (1 large head): £1.00 - £1.50
• All-Purpose Flour (100g): About £0.10 from a 1.5kg bag priced at £0.75 - £1.50
• Plant Milk (240ml): About £0.30 from a 1L carton priced at £1.20 - £2.00
• Panko Breadcrumbs (100g): About £0.50 from a 200g pack priced at £1.00
• Hot Sauce (120ml): About £1.00 for a small bottle, depending on the brand
• Vegan Butter (2 tbsp): About £0.40 from a 250g block priced at £1.80 - £2.50
• Apple Cider Vinegar, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Salt, Pepper: Minimal, let's estimate around £0.50 for these combined, assuming you already have them in your pantry.
• Vegan Ranch or Blue Cheese Dressing: About £2.00 - £2.50 for a small bottle
• Celery and Carrot Sticks: About £1.00 - £1.50 for both

Total estimated savings: £5.93 (for one serving)

This is an approximate cost breakdown based on generic supermarket prices in the UK. Prices can vary based on the store, brand, and quality of ingredients. Keep in mind that prices can fluctuate and specials or bulk purchases can reduce costs.

Healthier but just as tasty! Keep checking back for more recipes that recreate your favourite takeaways.