I RECENTLY made some tempura vegetables - tempura being a batter which is extremely light and wonderfully crispy.
Ingredients (Serves 4)
Salt
450g vegetables (your choice, could be baby corn, cauliflower, peppers, whatever you fancy)
115g plain flour
Two eggs separated
175ml ICE COLD water (I like to have a small bottle of water in the fridge for such occasions)
Vegetable oil for frying
Method
Boil the vegetables for a couple of minutes, then drain and refresh in cold water.
Put the flour in a large bowl with a pinch of salt. Whisk the egg yolks and iced water together, then whisk in the flour to make a smooth batter.
Beat in two tablespoons of oil. In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Then fold them into the batter
In a large heavy based saucepan or in a deep fat fryer, heat the oil to 190c (test to see if it’s hot enough by dropping in a bit of batter - if it sizzles your oil is ready). Dip the vegetables into the batter to coat, then deep fry them for three minutes, until golden and puffy. Drain on a piece of kitchen paper and continue with the rest of the vegetables.
Serve with dips of your choice. This batter was equally delicious used on fish with some salad and homemade wedges. (Potatoes sliced into quarters with the skin left on. Drizzle olive over them,a little bit of dark soy sauce and oven bake for approximately 30 minutes).
