Tempura Green Beans

Originally published on January 7, 2014

Did you know that today is National Tempura Day? I tell ya, it’s getting hard to keep up with all of these food holidays, with one landing on nearly every single day of the year. Best to just find the ones you really love and celebrate those alone, I find. Luckily, this is one of them. I’ve only made tempura twice, but it went off without a hitch each time. It’s pretty easy and to tell you the truth, I don’t know what all the fuss is about. Whip up a simple batter, plunge your food into it and then let it fry, baby! Just remember that all of your ingredients need to be at room temperature when mixing, and then chill everything until you’re ready to cook, as the batter especially needs to be cold, cold, cold in order to work out. It’s so good it’s worth the wait, and you can use this same batter with just about any vegetable, shrimp, and chicken too. Whatever you use, it makes an especially good addition when you’re having your own Chinese night, making sweet n’ sour chicken, or fried rice!

Ingredients:

1 egg yolk 
1 cup water 
3/4 cup all-purpose flour 
1/4 cup cornstarch, plus 2 tablespoons
1 1/2 pounds green beans, washed and trimmed 

Directions:

1.) Preheat a deep fryer to 340 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) Beat egg yolk and water together in a large bowl until they are thoroughly combined. Stir in the flour and cornstarch (very quickly) and stir only until the two are combined. Don’t worry about it if there are a few lumps in it. Chill batter in the fridge for 30 minutes.

3.) Working in batches so you don’t overcrowd the deep-fryer, quickly dip the green beans into the batter and then, using tongs, place them down into the deep-fryer. Cook until the beans are crisp and golden brown, which should take 1 to 2 minutes. When the beans are finished cooking, use a slotted spoon to take them out of the oil and then drain on paper towels.

4.) Serve and enjoy!