Deep frying has gotten a bad rap.
Think about it like this... You're immersing your food in a really hot environment and steaming it from the inside out. This recipe will help you do it right, so your fries won't hold onto too much excess oil.
Green beans are getting the deep-fried treatment today. This tempura batter is so light that you'll be able to see an outline of green in the finished fries.
A Better Batter
We'll start with basic ingredients for tempura batter -- flour, corn starch, sugar, salt and beer. Then you can add whatever flavors you like, from chili powder to sesame seeds.
You don't want to make the batter too far in advance, no more than an hour or so, or it will start to separate and the beer will lose its effervescence.
Speaking of the beer, you can use cheap brew for this recipe. No beer in the fridge? Soda water works just fine, or in a pinch, use still water and some baking soda.
Put the whisk away -- you'll use your hand to mix the batter! Don't worry about the clumps. In fact, be sure to not over-mix the batter or it will become tough. The batter should be thinner than pancake batter, but thicker than crepe batter.
More Than Mayo
What about a dipping sauce?
This Asian-flavored aioli would be a classic accompaniment. If you want to try your hand at homemade ketchup, this recipe is for you. Or, you'll be surprised by how tasty this beet vinaigrette is.
Ingredients
- vegetable oil, for frying
- 1 pound of green beans
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unbleached flour
- additional 1 cup flour in a separate bowl
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 cup ice-cold beer (PBR is just fine)
- 1 egg, beaten
Instructions
- Snap the stem ends off the beans.
- Combine salt, flour, cornstarch, sugar and beer for batter. Mix with your hands just to combine. The batter should be thinner than pancake batter, but thicker than crepe batter. If it's too thin, add some more flour little by little. If it's too thick, add a touch more beer or water.
- Heat oil to 350-degrees.
- First, drop the beans into some flour. Then, submerge them in the beaten egg, and then it's into the batter.
- Drop the battered green beans into the oil one at a time to prevent them from clumping together. Fry until crispy, 2-3 minutes.
- Drain on paper towels and season with salt while the beans are still hot. Serve straight away with your favorite dipping sauces.
