How long does it take to make Batter-Fried Vegetable?

Cauliflower in tempura-beer batter: cook the florets in salted water about 10 minutes, until tender but still with bite, dust lightly with flour, dip in a batter of about 1½ cups flour and 2 cups very cold light beer, and deep-fry until golden; if the batter is too thick, add a little beer.

32 minTotal

22 minActive time

10 minSetting

Step by Step

#	What to do	How long
1	Cook the cauliflower in salted water 10 minutes	10 min
2	In a bowl, mix the flour and salt	1 min
3	Add the egg and beer and mix just	1 min
4	Heat the oil' in a deep pot' to 180°C (355°F) and dip the cauliflower in the batter, piece by piece, and fry in small batches for 3–4 minutes	20 min
5	Transfer to paper towels	—

How to Tell It's Done

until it is tender but still firm to the bite
until the batter comes together: a few small lumps are fine
until golden

Tips

A cold, lightly mixed batter stays light: long mixing develops the gluten in the flour, and the coating comes out tough instead of crisp.
Don't overload the oil: every piece that goes in cools it down. Fry one piece as a test, then the rest in several batches, and transfer to paper towels.

Common Mistakes

The water should taste like a seasoned soup, not like sea water: a heaping teaspoon of salt per liter. Add the salt once the water is boiling.
Keep the oil at 170–180°C (340–355°F): too cold, and the food soaks up oil; too hot, and it browns outside before the inside cooks. Without a thermometer, dip the tip of a wooden spoon in the oil: when medium bubbles form around it right away, the oil is hot enough.

More Ways

A batter of a cup of flour, a cup of soda water, light beer or water and 2 eggs, with salt and pepper; dip each cooked cauliflower floret in it, deep-fry and transfer to paper towels.

The full recipe: Batter-Fried Vegetable →