Tempura Asparagus
While I try to eat as locally as possible, I often can't resist buying out of season vegetables during those long winter months. Much as I love potatoes - and I do love potatoes - one can't survive an entire season on root vegetables alone.
But, I do have standards - as all girls must - and refuse to eat asparagus out of season. To me, it's a harbinger of spring; the promise of the bounty to come and the first local, green thing for months. And how do I reward myself after a long winter of waiting? With a little frying, of course.
Here spring's first vegetable meets Japanese tempura to make a delightfully crunchy treat. These are perfect as a snack, or as crowdpleasing finger food at your next cocktail party. You could even add a little oomph by using beer instead of seltzer in the batter.
A few notes on this recipe: I opted for grapeseed oil for frying, but other neutral oils - such as canola or safflower - would also work well, though avoid soy oil. You could use olive oil, though I'm not wild about the results as it tends to leave a bitter flavor. Regarding flour, I used whole wheat pastry since that's what I had on hand, though all-purpose or an alternative flour - such as spelt - would also work well. Just make sure you use something that is fine milled.
Tempura Asparagus
Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Total time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
Grapeseed or other neutral oil for frying
1 1/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup seltzer water
1 bunch thin asparagus - about 20 stalks - woody ends trimmed
Instructions
Pour oil to depth of 2" in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan or a wok, then set over medium flame. Allow oil to reach 375 degrees (this will take a couple of moments). If you don't have a thermometer, use a wooden skewer to gauge the temperature: bubbles will form around the skewer when the oil is ready.
Meanwhile, combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda, then slowly add in the seltzer water. Whisk until you have a nice batter - don't worry about a few lumps.
In batches of three of four, dip the asparagus spears into the batter, then gently lay them in oil and fry til golden - about 45 seconds.
Drain asparagus on a wire rack or on paper towels, than season with sea salt and lemon juice Serve immediately.
