Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Peixinhos da Horta (Deep Fried Green Beans)

My kids love green beans so the first time I served them this popular portuguese side dish, they couldn't get enough, they literally devoured these faster than I could fry them. Enjoy!

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.

Now because I just eyeball things and I've been making these since I was oh, about 14 years old or so, I don't have exact amounts so I am sharing a version of the recipe from Leite's Culinaria.


Peixinhos da Horta

Peixinhos da Horta
(Deep-Fried Green Beans)
Makes 6 to 8 servings




Note: I sometimes add about half a cup of finely chopped onion, it gives it that extra ZING. :)


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.
Peixinhos da Horta

6 comments:

  1. FYI, I posted those recipes you requested. I am going to have to look through all of yours. These sound good!

    Blessings!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ah! peixinhos da horta...Gosto tanto.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yuummmmmyyy! I like deep=fried okra - it's new to us and like popcorn!

    ReplyDelete