Looking for a fun alternative use for seltzer? Just add flour and salt to turn it into a beautifully light and fluffy tempura batter!
We’re big fans of seltzer in my house – we drink it almost every day. It’s our go-to bubbly beverage of choice. I love that it doesn’t contain high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors or any added colors or dyes. We typically keep unflavored seltzer at home, and add a slice of lemon, lime, orange, etc. depending on what flavor (if any) we’re in the mood for. I like making “sparklers” with half juice and half seltzer for my 4-year-old, who feels super fancy drinking something fizzy.
But did you know that seltzer can be used for more than just drinks?
I’ve been wanting to try out making tempura fried anything in my tiny kitchen for a long time now, and this was the perfect excuse. The carbonation in seltzer makes the batter light and airy, and the sky is the limit with what goodies you can batter and fry up!
I picked up a big bag of French green beans (they’re the skinny ones) from the wholesale club, since I knew they’d fry up quickly in my tempura batter and be the perfect starter for dinner.
I headed over to the beverage aisle at my local grocery store to pick up a 12 pack of the Original flavor of Vintage® Seltzer. I grabbed a pack of the Lemon-Lime as well – it’s really tasty and the natural fruit flavor is really nice – much better than other brands I’ve tried in the past. It also comes in Mandarin Orange, Lemon, Lime, Pomegranate, Seedless Watermelon, Raspberry, Raspberry – Lime, and Wild Cherry. So many choices!
So, back to the matter at hand. The tempura batter. You need one can of seltzer to make it – and it needs to be cold, so make sure you give it some time to chill before you start this process.
You also want to wait to mix your batter until the oil has reached 375°F. You want to just combine the ingredients (being careful not to overmix!) and start frying batches of beans right away.
I set up a baking sheet lined with paper towels right next to my cast iron Dutch oven (my go-to vessel for deep frying!) and popped a wire rack on top of it so I could transfer each batch of beans on it to drain once they were cooked. A quick sprinkle of salt while they’re still hot and you’re good to go!
These turned out so well – they were nice and crispy, even when reheated!
We took the leftovers the next day and placed them in a single layer on a foil-lined broiler pan sprayed with oil. We baked them at 375°F for 4-6 minutes and they went right back to their originally crispy selves. Amazing!
My family really enjoyed the two different dipping sauces. It’s nice to be able to get totally different flavors with the same dish.
And the graphic designer in me was so giddy that my sauce bowls just happened to match the Vintage® Seltzer brand colors. It was totally kismet!
Ready to try it out for yourself? You can get a digital coupon for $1 off a 12 pack of Vintage® Seltzer here, and be sure to check out their store locator before you head out!
Looking for a fun alternative use for seltzer? Just add flour and salt to turn it into a beautifully light and fluffy tempura batter!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat 2-3 inches of oil in a large, deep pot (preferably cast iron) to 375°F.
- Once the oil is up to temperature, place flour and salt in a medium bowl. Pour in cold seltzer and whisk until just combined (mixture will be lumpy).
- Working in batches of 10, place beans in the batter and toss to coat. One by one, pull each bean out, letting the excess batter drip off, and place gently into the hot oil, being careful not to splash. Repeat until you have 10 coated beans in the hot oil.
- Fry, using tongs to flip occasionally, until golden brown on all sides, about 2-3 minutes. You may need to use the tongs to separate the beans from each other if they are touching and stick together.
- Remove beans to a paper towel-lined tray that has been topped with a metal cooling rack. Immediately sprinkle with a little kosher salt and repeat the entire process, 10 beans at a time, until you have used up all of the beans.
- For the Sriracha Aioli Dipping Sauce: In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, sriracha and cilantro.
- For the Soy Ginger Dipping Sauce: In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, ginger, honey, rice vinegar and sesame oil. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
Notes
Original Recipe by Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen - Ashley Covelli
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I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
