Portuguese Deep-Fried Green Beans
May 10, 2004 posted by David Leite
Peixinhos da Horta
by David Leite
adapted from Pap’Açôrda
Makes 6 to 8 servings
The literal translation of the title of this dish is “little fish from the garden.” The name comes from the fact that once the beans are cooked, they resemble a tangle of slender fried fish that are popular in Portugal. Serve them as a side dish, a starter, or even a snack.—David Leite
convert Ingredients
1 pound green beans, trimmed
About 4 cups peanut oil, for frying
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup water
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Method
1. Cook the beans in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Drain, cool in a bowl of ice water, and drain again.
2. Heat the oil in a deep fryer or a large saucepan over medium-high heat to 350°F (175°C). Combine the flour, water, eggs, baking powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl; whisk until a smooth batter forms.
3. Dip six beans at a time into the batter, shaking off any excess. Add the beans to the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 4 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beans to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with more salt and serve hot.
Recipe © 2004 David Leite. All rights reserved.
© 2009 Leite’s Culinaria, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of use.
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We actually used whole wheat flour (which happened to leave some excess batter). But they were perfect. Super delicious!
This is the original tempura, which [it's believed that] the Portuguese took it to Japan in the 16th century. The Italians fry almost every fresh vegetable using this technique. You can make the frying batter lighter by using carbonated instead of plain water.
Nuno, actually I have a recipe in my new book that features a batter made lighter by the use of carbonated water. It’s adapted from a recipe by José Avillez.
This looks fantastic! Growing up in an Azorean household, I hated vegetables (even sopa de couve!!) It turns out, my mother, and most women in my family, don’t know how to cook vegetables. This recipe looks great and I can’t wait to try it.