How do you prepare the perfect batter for crispy and dry fried foods? Here, this is the question I was asked last week in chat. The answer for me was simple: a whole egg, cold sparkling water, and flour. Actually, the answer I gave was more complex. I explained to the girl that she should keep the water in the refrigerator because it needs to be very cold sparkling water. Then I told her to sift the flour well and to use a whole egg with a pinch of salt to help dissolve the egg white and yolk. I then explained the steps and the resting time, which is essential for a dry and crispy fry like at a restaurant. So, in the end, I thought: “I practically wrote my grandmother’s batter recipe in chat, maybe I should write about how to prepare the batter for frying vegetables, meat, or fish on the blog too!”
So here I am this morning with photos and video recipe for the batter to fry and get crispy and dry vegetables with step-by-step procedure. A message from you can be an input to update the blog. There is never a beginning and an end in cooking, that is certain, and so the batter for frying enters the basic cooking preparations that we should all know. Just as, in the end, it can be the homemade butter béchamel or the choux pastry for cream puffs. I also published the recipe for the homemade panko, perfect for getting crispy and dry fried foods like those we love so much when we eat typical Japanese cuisine!
As a great fan of fried foods and savory dishes, these delicacies could not be missing from the blog, simple and quick to prepare. Among my favorites, of course, are the meatballs in all their variants and declinations. From the classic fried meatballs to the fried meatballs with rice and tuna, then the fried cheese potato balls or the fried chicken meatballs. To conclude this frying journey, unmissable and must-try are the cheese balls! I already feel happy at the thought of enjoying all these delights!
And you might say: but batter isn’t used to prepare these recipes. Of course not, but since we will be turning on the stoves to fry, don’t you already feel like having battered vegetables? Or, as in this case, some fried sage leaves? Come on, I can see you: you’re already drooling!
Below you will find all the recipes mentioned above. Each link will take you directly to the recipe you chose to read! Remember that I wait for you every morning in the Facebook group and fan page of Le Ricette di Bea with the Recipe of the Day! An unmissable appointment to start the day with a sweet or savory treat!
Let’s now move on to the preparation of the batter for frying and obtaining crispy, dry, and tasty vegetables.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 6 People
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, All seasons
- Energy 123.47 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 24.83 (g) of which sugars 0.34 (g)
- Proteins 4.44 (g)
- Fat 1.52 (g) of which saturated 0.54 (g)of which unsaturated 0.96 (g)
- Fibers 4.37 (g)
- Sodium 19.95 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 50 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
What are the ingredients for the frying batter
- 1 egg (at room temperature)
- 150 ml sparkling water (maximum 170 ml of very cold water)
- 200 g flour
You can vary the type of flour, using also rice flour or flour for perfect frying, to help you achieve even crispier and tastier results!
Key recommendation: I indicated in the ingredients list the sparkling water or fizzy water, a dose ranging from 150 ml to 170 ml. This depends on the type of flour you will use and especially on how well it is sifted before being used to prepare the perfect frying batter!
I did not indicate the amount of cooking oil, sage or other ingredients, as you can fry products different from mine, with greater or lesser quantities. I decided to show you how to fry sage for convenience, but especially to highlight the frying batter!
Tools for preparing the batter for crispy and dry fried foods
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Hand whisk
- 1 Scale
- 1 Glass
- 1 Sieve
- 1 Plastic wrap
- 1 Refrigerator
- 1 Pot
- 1 Slotted spoon
- 1 Tray
- 1 Paper towel
If you don’t use a pot, as I did and as my grandmother did, you can use a frying pan on the stove or you can use a traditional fryer. I had one many years ago that worked great and the fried foods were perfect! I don’t have an air fryer, so I don’t know and can’t tell you if this batter can make fried foods crispy and dry using this tool.
Steps for the perfect crispy and dry frying batter recipe
As you can tell from the ingredients list, we will use only an egg, some flour, and sparkling water to make the batter for frying vegetables. We will add a pinch of salt to dissolve the egg well and nothing more. There are, however, some tips to keep in mind and they are as follows.
The water must be very sparkling and cold from the refrigerator. It is very important to avoid the batter having lumps that could transfer to what we are going to fry.
The flour must be well sifted, so I suggest you choose a sieve with small holes. This will help us, like the sparkling water, to obtain a smooth and homogeneous mixture.
The egg must be at room temperature, so it can be easily incorporated into the mixture.
Having said that, let’s move on to the actual preparation of the perfect batter for frying.
Let’s take a bowl and the hand whisk. Crack the egg into the bowl and add a pinch of salt. Sift the flour. You can also use a flour for crispy frying, if you have it available, otherwise, plain flour or rice flour will do just fine.
Now give a light mix with the hand whisk and start gradually adding the sparkling water taken from the refrigerator, slowly, continuing to stir. As mentioned, it might be necessary to add about 20 ml more water. This depends on the type of flour, the temperature, and how large the egg we chose is. With a large egg, for example, there is more liquid, so the indicated 150 ml of water might be sufficient.
Once you have obtained a smooth, lump-free cream, that sticks to the whisk dripping gently, you can cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Also, this step of the recipe is very important: the batter’s temperature, once the resting time is over, will be perfect to counter the heat of the oil in which we are going to fry the vegetables, creating that nice outer crust that we like so much.
When we are ready, we can heat the oil, continuing to keep the bowl with the batter in the fridge. Once the correct temperature for frying is reached, we can take the batter and dip the vegetables or sage leaves, as in my case.
Dip the sage in the hot oil and let it cook for a couple of minutes on each side, turning the leaves gently with a slotted spoon. Place a sheet of paper towel or frying paper on a tray and put the freshly fried vegetables on it to absorb any excess oil.
Proceed with the cooking of the ingredients you have. Choose any accompanying sauces and serve the battered vegetables to your family or guests.
I just have to wish you bon appétit and remind you that I await you every day here on my blog with many easy, quick, and delicious recipes like this one!
I hope that grandmother Licia’s batter recipe will help you understand any mistakes you might have been unconsciously making or help anyone trying homemade batter for the first time. I am also curious to know how you prepare your batter and, if you like, let me know by writing a comment or a message in chat.
Tips for the perfect batter for frying
As mentioned, there are many tips in the recipe text, but here I want to add a detail. The oil you use for frying is as important as the entire preparation process of the perfect batter for frying. Choosing the right oil is a big topic to tackle: there will be olive oil lovers for frying, those who prefer frying oil written on the label, and those who choose various seed oils, and so on. What I feel like recommending is to choose a medium-priced and quality frying oil, with smoke point indicated on the label. Choosing oils with a high smoke point is important both for health and to avoid the formation of harmful compounds during cooking.
