Culture: Face to Face
Crisp Tempura Vegetables with Miso-Mustard Sauce
Makes: 8 to 12 servings as an hors d’oeuvres (1/2 cup dipping sauce) Total Time: 40 minutes Hands-On Time: 30 minutes
For the sauce: 1/3 cup water
1/4 cup white or yellow (aka mellow) miso 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoons unrefined cane sugar
For the batter: Canola, grapeseed, or peanut oil, for frying 1 cup all-purpose flour, chilled 1 cup rice flour, chilled
2 1/3 cups ice cold seltzer water or pale ale beer 1 red or sweet onion, cut into 1-inch slices and separated into rings
1 large sweet potato or yam (about 8 ounces), sliced into 1/4-inch rounds 8 ounces green beans, ends trimmed 8 ounces broccolini, ends trimmed 1 head fennel, quartered and cored 15 sprigs fresh Italian parsley Kosher salt, to taste
Lemon wedges, for serving For the sauce:
Whisk everything together, taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Chill in refrigerator until ready to use. (Sauce can be made up to 4 days ahead.)
For the tempura: For the crust:
Line a baking sheet with paper towels then fill a large saucepan with at least 2 inches of oil (about 6 to 8 cups oil). Insert a deep frying thermometer and heat the oil to 350°F over medium-high heat.
Meanwhile, prepare the batter. Combine flours in a medium bowl then nest it in a second bowl of ice water (to help keep the batter as cold as possible). Add the cold seltzer or beer to the flour and
8 ounces vanilla wafers or graham crackers 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the custard:
1 cup Meyer lemon juice 1/2 cup lemon juice 1/4 cup unrefined cane sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 (14 ounce) container sweetened con- densed milk
1 (8 ounce) mascarpone cheese or cream
Serve hot or warm with dipping sauce, lemon wedges, and extra salt.
Notes: If you can’t find rice flour, use a mixture of equal parts all-purpose flour and cornstarch. The key to a good tempura is to have all the ingredients as cold as possible and to keep the oil at as consistent a temperature as pos- sible. To do so, chill all the ingredients (vegetables, flours, and seltzer before using) and use a deep frying (aka candy) thermometer to make sure the oil is properly heated.
Meyer Lemon Icebox Pie Bites
Makes: 48 mini pie bites Total Time: 20 minutes, plus 3 hours baking and setting time Hands-On Time: 20 minutes
whisk until just combined. (There should be a few lumps left – if you over whisk it will get gummy.)
Place a handful of the prepared veg- etables in the batter and toss to coat. Remove vegetables one by one and let excess batter drip off. Place carefully into heated oil and cook, stirring a few times, until just beginning to color, about 1 minute for the thinner vegetables and 3 minutes for the thicker vegetables. Remove to paper towels, season with salt, and repeat to cook all vegetables.
cheese, softened Pinch salt
Whipped cream, for garnish Candied citrus or ginger, for garnish (op- tional)
Thinly sliced mango or kiwi, for garnish (optional)
Heat oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle.
For the crust:
Place wafers or graham crackers in a food processor and process until broken up (you want 2 cups total). Add butter and pulse until moist. Divide mixture among two (24-well) mini muffin pan and press mixture evenly in the bottom and up the sides of the muffin wells. Bake until crust is golden brown, about 5 minutes, then remove from oven.
For the custard:
Whisk or blend remaining ingredients together until smooth then divide among prepared crusts. Place in 350°F oven and bake until edges are set but center is still a bit loose, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool com- pletely, at least 1 hour.
Cover and freeze until chilled and set, at least 2 hours or overnight. When frozen, run a small butter knife dipped in hot water around the perimeter of each tart and remove. Cover and return to freezer until ready to serve. (Can be done up to 2 weeks in advance.)
Serve frozen or chilled, topped with a dollop of whipped cream and, as desired, a piece of candied ginger or citrus or a slice of fresh kiwi, and serve. (Tarts are best eaten when still frozen or chilled.)
Notes: Tarts should be eaten within 30 minutes of removing from freezer for best texture. If you can’t find Meyer lemons, substitute it with equal parts orange and lemon juice.
24 V! March--May 2012
www.vivrantmagazine.com
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