Tempura Sprouts

with a blue cheese dip

Crisp, light tempura-battered sprouts served with a tangy blue cheese dip.

Makes 1 toastie

P.s. This is Day 9 of my ‘12 Days of Sproutmas’ series on socials!

Tips & Tricks:

Tempura Rules: Keep everything cold — flour, water and bowl. Mix the batter briefly so it stays lumpy and light.
Cornflour: A light coating of cornflour on the sprouts helps the batter cling and reduces any excess moisture.
Sprout Prep: Par-boiling frozen sprouts gives you a soft centre with a crisp exterior once fried. You can use fresh sprouts too, but frozen ones take out all the prep time. You can also try bettering raw sprouts, however you’ll end up with a much crunchier bite. Still delicious though!
Blue Cheese: Any creamy blue works — Gorgonzola, Dolcelatte or St Agur. Adjust and taste as you go until the balance is to your liking.

Deep-Frying Safety (important!)

Use the right pan: Choose a deep, heavy-bottomed pan and never fill it more than halfway with oil — one-third full is even safer.
Heat control: Keep the hob on medium and use a thermometer to stay around 180°C. If the oil smokes or starts to bubble up, turn off the heat immediately,
Keep water away: Moisture makes hot oil spit. Ensure vegetables, hands and utensils are completely dry.
Lower food in gently: Use a slotted spoon or spider; don’t drop the sprouts from height, and don’t overcrowd the pan.
Stay with the pan: Never leave hot oil unattended, and do not try to move the pan whilst the oil is still hot.
Clothing & hair: Tie long hair back and avoid loose sleeves. Keep tea towels and oven gloves away from the hob.
If a fire starts: Turn off the heat, cover the pan with a metal lid or baking tray, never use water, and leave it covered. Call 999 if needed.

Ingredients.

300g frozen Brussels sprouts

Cornflour, for dusting

Oil, for deep-frying

1 spring onion, sliced, to serve

Blue Cheese Dip:

50g / ¼ cup blue cheese

120g / ½ cup full-fat Greek yoghurt

1 tbsp mayonnaise

½ - 1 garlic clove

A squeeze of lemon juice, to taste

Dash Worcestershire sauce, to taste

Black pepper

Tempura Batter:

100g / ¾ cup plain flour

25g / 3 tbsp cornflour

1 egg yolk

180–200ml / ¾ cup cold sparkling water, or still bottled water

Pinch of salt

deep, heavy based saucepan

slotted spoon/skimmer/wok spider

sharp knife & chopping board

kitchen paper

Bring a pan of water to the boil. Add the frozen sprouts and cook for 4 minutes or until al-dente. Drain well and set aside to cool completely and dry out.
Make the dip: Add the blue cheese, yoghurt, mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce to a bowl or blender. Mix until smooth, then season with black pepper. Different blue cheeses will achieve different results so taste adjust lemon/salt/pepper/Worcestershire sauce accordingly. Refrigerate while you cook the sprouts.
Heat oil in a deep saucepan to 180°C / 356°F.
Meanwhile, prepare the tempura batter. Mix the egg yolk and sparkling water, then add the flour, cornflour and salt in one go and mix for 10–12 seconds — the batter should remain lumpy.
Dust the cooled sprouts lightly in cornflour, shaking off the excess.
Working in batches using chopsticks, dip the sprouts into the batter and carefully lower them into the hot oil. Fry for 2–3 minutes, until pale golden and crisp.
Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack. Repeat until all sprouts are cooked.
Serve immediately with the chilled blue cheese dip, and scatter with spring onions.