Catfish and Vegetable Tempura-The Fish Lady-Episode 15
Catfish and Vegetable Tempura
1 catfish, filleted and cut into cubes
1 cup cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup ice water
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
Vegetable oil for frying
Assorted vegetables such as zucchini, eggplant, sweet potatoes, and green beans
Slice zucchini, eggplant and sweet potatoes into 1/4 inch slices, trim green beans. Set aside.
Heat the vegetable oil to 350-375 F (make sure there is at least 1 1/2 inch deep oil for frying). In a bowl mix the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. In a measuring cup mix the water and egg together. Pour the egg water into the flour and stir gently. Lumps are ok. Dip the vegetables into the batter and fry in the oil for 2-3 minutes, flipping the vegetables if needed. Dip the fish cubes into the batter and fry 3-4 minutes. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Serve with a slice of lemon or lime.
Tips: Have the fish and vegetables prepped and the oil up to temperature before mixing the batter. Fresh batter will fry up light and crispy, batter that sits will fry more like dough. If you plan to fry a lot of items then make fresh batter every 10-15 minutes.
