Fried Sweet Banana Peppers

Well, Max, here we are in our third week of 90 degree temperatures. Our flower and vegetable gardens look terrible! It isn’t the heat, it is the lack of rain. We are some 8 inches behind this summer and have had very little rain this past couple of weeks. About all that is doing well in the garden are the peppers and the tomatoes. Which, of course, are fortunately my favorite veggies.

Doing especially well are the Sweet Banana Peppers, and our favorite way of eating them is fried in a tempura-like batter. I’m sending along the recipe that I have been using, but I think the real secret to a crisp, crunchy batter is to substitute corn starch for some of the regular flour. It seems to make a much crunchier batter.

These need to be eaten the second they come out of the oil, and the person cooking them, me of course, should eat several to make sure that they are quality Fried Peppers.

This same batter will work with any vegetables that you fry like zucchini, onions, eggplant, green beans.

Fried Sweet Banana Peppers:

Batter:

½ cup flour
¼ cup corn starch
1/8 cup corn meal
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
Water

Mix flour, corn starch, corn meal, salt and baking powder in a bowl.

Cut yellow banana peppers into four long quarters. Remove seeds.

Add enough water to the flour mixture to make a batter that will cling to the peppers.

Place 8 to 10 pepper quarters at a time in the batter and make sure the entire pepper surface is covered.

Have about an inch or so of oil in a large frying pan. Heat to about 360 degrees, use deep fry or candy thermometer. With a pair of tongs, carefully place a few peppers at a time in the hot oil. Fry until golden brown (as little as a minute) and then turn over and fry the second side.

With tongs, lift out each piece, place on a paper towel, and repeat the process.

Do not stack the fried peppers. Serve at once with catsup or home made chili sauce.