Ingredients
| 1 celery heart, washed and cut into 4 cm pieces |
| 200g cream cheese |
| 2 cloves of garlic, crushed |
| Small bunch of parsley, finely chopped |
| Vegetable oil for frying |
| 4 portions of baby leaf salad |
| For the tempura batter |
|---|
| 150g plain flour |
| 200ml sparkling water |
| For the vinaigrette dressing |
| 3-6 tbsp olive oil |
| 1 tsp french mustard |
| 1 tbsp Vinegar |
| Salt and freshly ground black pepper |
Step by step
- Blanch the celery pieces in boiling water for about 3-4 min. Drain and dry well with kitchen towel.
- Mix together the cream cheese, garlic and parsley. Either place in a piping bag and pipe into groove of the celery, or fill the celery using a broad knife.
- To make the tempura batter, whisk the water and flour together into a light batter, about the consistency of double cream.
- Fill a saucepan with vegetable oil to 4cm deep and heat to about 170C/340F.
- Using tongs pick up the celery a piece at a time. Dip into the batter, shake off the surplus and gently lower into the hot fat. Cook on a gentle heat so they don’t colour too quickly, and cook right through (about 6-8 minutes); they should be a pale yellow colour. When they are done, remove from the pan and place on kitchen towel to drain off excess oil.
- Whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together. Serve the celery tempura with the salad and dressing.
Tip:
To check the oil has reached the right temperature, drop in a little of the batter. If it sinks and then rises back to the surface, the oil is ready.
Alternatives:
Use a good quality herb & garlic cream cheese instead of the cheese, garlic and parsley.
