Equipment
Ingredients
Main
- 200 g sea beans, washed thoroughly and patted completely dry
- 1000 ml vegetable oil, for frying
Batter
- 60 g all-purpose flour
- 40 g rice flour
- 150 ml sparkling water, ice cold
Garnish
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 111 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbohydrates
- 23 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 50 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Potassium
- 122 mg
- Calcium
- 17 mg
- Iron
- 1.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 19 mg
- Phosphorus
- 36 mg
- Zinc
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 14 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.15 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.18 mg
- Niacin
- 1.1 mg
- Folate
- 12 mcg
- Water
- 108 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Rinse the sea beans thoroughly under cold water to remove any grit. Pat them completely dry with paper towels. Any residual moisture will cause the hot oil to splatter and make the batter soggy.
Pour the vegetable oil into a heavy-bottomed pot, ensuring it is no more than half full. Attach a deep fry thermometer and heat the oil over medium-high heat to 180 degrees Celsius (355 degrees Fahrenheit).
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and rice flour. Lightly dust the dried sea beans with the extra 20g of all-purpose flour in a separate bowl to help the batter adhere.
Just before frying, pour the ice-cold sparkling water into the flour mixture. Mix gently with a whisk or chopsticks until barely combined. Do not overmix; lumps are perfectly fine.
Working in small batches, dip the floured sea beans into the cold batter, allowing any excess to drip off, then carefully lower them into the hot oil.
Fry the sea beans for 1 to 2 minutes, using a spider skimmer to gently separate any clumps. They should become crispy and maintain a pale golden color.
Transfer the fried sea beans to a wire cooling rack set over a baking sheet to drain excess oil. Do not add salt. Serve immediately with fresh lemon wedges on the side.
Chef's Notes
- Sea beans act like little sponges for ocean water. Never add salt to the batter or the finished dish until you have tasted a piece, as their natural brine is usually more than enough.
- Using a 50/50 blend of all-purpose flour and rice flour (or cornstarch) disrupts the gluten network, yielding a much lighter and crunchier crust than wheat flour alone.
- Temperature management is critical. Frying in small batches ensures the oil temperature does not drop drastically, which would result in greasy, oil-logged sea beans.
- Sparkling water introduces aeration to the batter. The contrast between the ice-cold batter hitting the hot oil creates the signature tempura-style bloom.
Storage
Troubleshooting
Batter is doughy and heavy instead of crispy
Cause: The batter was overmixed or the sparkling water was not cold enough, developing gluten.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Use ice-cold liquid and mix only until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Keep the batter bowl resting over an ice bath if frying large quantities.
Batter falls off the sea beans in the oil
Cause: The sea beans were too wet before battering, or they were not dusted with flour first.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once in the oil
Prevention: Ensure thorough drying and an even, light dusting of dry flour before dipping into the wet batter.
Cultural Context
Sea beans, also known as samphire or salicornia, are coastal succulents that grow in salt marshes and along shorelines across North America, Europe, and Asia. Historically forage foods for coastal communities, they have recently become prized in modern gastronomy for their crisp texture and bright, natural taste of the sea.
