Monday, January 5, 2009

Beer Battered Tomatillos

Once upon a time I used to call them To-ma-tilli-o's that is until my hispanic friend in Texas laughed one day and said no its To-mah-ti-ya's...and I have loved Salsa Verdes since. Being a personal chef for vegetarians I am always looking for new ideas...

I was at the market and saw these huge tart and tomato like tomatillos hiding in the back and thought, hummmm, they are green, and I have been wanting fried green tomatoes, and unless you are far down south or know someone with a green house...that is not going to happen in January.

Buying the three big ones and some small ones I went home and here is how it goes...

My mother would traditionally soak in buttermilk; then some cornmeal and then into the frying pan they would go...very quickly in and out, and into our mouths they would go. I decided to do two experiments...beer batter and a soak using Quinoa flour. I do not keep cornmeal around, but if I had Polenta that would have been a neat trick...

Quinoa flour (or regular flour if you so desire), salt/pepper, soy milk, splash of micro-beer...mix.

Well, the beer batter (on left) was wonderful...stuck to them, you can work quickly, and they browned up nicely with the batter- still in tacked later on...but the soak (right) was a flop, made them soggy and it was falling off the minute you picked them up...if you could...the fatter cut ones were the best the PC family said...

A little chilie cream on the side, and you have yourself a party food...