Batter-Fried Vegetable

👨‍🍳 Method

1. 1
   Cook the cauliflower in salted water 10 minutes, until it is tender but still firm to the bite. Drain, let cool and pat dry well.

   ⚙ Cooking in salted waterStovePotColander

   💡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.
2. 2
   In a bowl, mix the flour and salt.

   Bowl
3. 3
   Add the egg and beer and mix just until the batter comes together: a few small lumps are fine.

   Whisk

   💡A cold, lightly mixed batter stays light: long mixing develops the gluten in the flour, and the coating comes out tough instead of crisp.
4. 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, until golden.

   ⚙ Deep-fryingStoveSlotted spoonCandy/oil thermometerDeep pot for frying

   💡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.

   💡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.
5. 5
   Transfer to paper towels.

   Paper towels