Peixinhos da Horta | 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
Directions
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.
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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.
Oh thank you for posting this! Am cooking them now – and my picky 4-year-old who hates veggies just devoured two of them. Yummy!