Equipment
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 250 g brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
- 200 g green beans, trimmed
- 100 g scallions, cut into 5cm segments
Batter
- 240 ml buttermilk, chilled
- 120 g fine yellow cornmeal
- 125 g all-purpose flour
- 4 g baking powder
- 2 g baking soda
- 6 g kosher salt
- 3 g garlic powder
Coating and Frying
- 30 g all-purpose flour, for dusting
- 2000 ml neutral oil
- 5 g flaky sea salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbohydrates
- 75 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 8 g
- Sugar
- 7 g
- Sodium
- 1335 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 2 mg
- Potassium
- 746 mg
- Calcium
- 186 mg
- Iron
- 4.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 124 mg
- Phosphorus
- 383 mg
- Zinc
- 2.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 69 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 65 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.9 mg
- Vitamin K
- 184 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.21 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.23 mg
- Niacin
- 1.5 mg
- Folate
- 84 mcg
- Water
- 180 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the halved Brussels sprouts for 2 minutes to soften their dense cores. Immediately transfer them to an ice bath to halt the cooking process. Drain well.
Thoroughly pat the blanched Brussels sprouts, green beans, and scallions completely dry using paper towels. Moisture is the enemy of a crisp crust.
Pour the neutral oil into a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, ensuring it is no more than half full. Attach a deep-fry thermometer and heat the oil to 185°C (365°F) over medium-high heat. Set a wire rack over a baking sheet nearby.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, 125g of all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and garlic powder. Pour in the cold buttermilk and whisk gently until just combined. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes.
Toss the dried vegetables in the remaining 30g of all-purpose flour to create a dry surface for the batter to grip. Shake off any excess flour, then dip a handful of vegetables into the batter, allowing excess to drip back into the bowl.
Carefully lower the battered vegetables into the 185°C (365°F) oil using a spider skimmer. Fry in small batches to avoid dropping the oil temperature. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, turning occasionally, until the batter is deeply golden and puffed.
Transfer the fried vegetables to the prepared wire rack to drain. Immediately sprinkle with flaky sea salt while the residual surface oil is hot so the salt adheres. Allow the oil to return to 185°C (365°F) before frying the next batch. Serve hot.
Chef's Notes
- Hydrating the cornmeal for just 5 minutes before frying is crucial; it ensures the batter is fluffy rather than gritty on the palate.
- Blanching the Brussels sprouts slightly softens their dense core. Without this step, they would remain too raw in the center during the short frying time required for the batter.
- Always salt fried foods the moment they emerge from the oil. The residual surface heat and oil help the salt stick securely to the crust.
- Using cold buttermilk limits gluten development in the flour, which keeps the crust crisp and tender rather than chewy and dense.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Loses crispness quickly. Store in an airtight container lined with paper towels.
Reheating: Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius (400 degrees Fahrenheit). Spread on a wire rack over a baking sheet and heat for 5 to 8 minutes until re-crisped. Do not microwave.
Troubleshooting
Batter falls off the vegetables during frying
Cause: Vegetables were too wet or not properly dusted with dry flour before dipping
Fix: Cannot be fixed for the current batch. Ensure the remaining batches are completely dry and floured
Prevention: Dry the vegetables obsessively and ensure they have a light, even coat of flour before introducing them to the wet batter
Vegetables are greasy and limp
Cause: Frying oil temperature dropped too low during cooking
Fix: Reheat oil to 200°C (400°F) and flash-fry the limp vegetables for 30 seconds to crisp up
Prevention: Fry in smaller batches and wait for the oil to fully recover to 185°C (365°F) between batches
Cultural Context
Deep frying vegetables in a cornmeal and buttermilk batter draws heavily from Southern American culinary traditions. This technique beautifully marries the fresh, earthy flavors of green spring vegetables with a rustic, highly satisfying crunch, originally popularized with staples like green tomatoes and okra.
