Photo: Andrew Olanoff/WFIU
Enjoy this dish with your favorite dipping sauce, like some aioli, ketchup or our amazing beet vinaigrette.
This traditional Japanese dish will taste especially local — We’re using beer from the Upland Brewing Company in the batter!
I picked up some local acorn squash for this recipe because you can eat the skin and all. If you purchase it from a grocery store, you will want to peel off the waxy coating.
When mixing the batter, make sure the ingredients are cold. This will help the batter adhere to the veggies. Do a test-run in your fryer. If the batter doesn’t adhere well, add more flour.
Enjoy this with your favorite dipping sauce, like our Beet And Honey Vinaigrette With Orange.
Acorn Squash Tempura
Ingredients
- vegetable oil, for frying
- 2 acorn squash-local, unwaxed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unbleached flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 cup ice-cold beer
Cooking Directions
- Wash and cut squash into thin ½ moon shapes. Combine remaining ingredients for batter, mix just to combine.
- Heat oil to 350 degrees.
- Do a test batch by frying one or two pieces until lightly browned and crunchy. The batter should be light and crisp. If too thin add some more flour, little by little. If too thick a touch more beer or water.
- Just before serving toss the squash in the batter and fry until crispy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Drain on paper towel and season with salt while hot from the fryer.
- Serve straight away with assorted dipping sauces.
