LACY WINTER SQUASH TEMPURA

SERVES 4

YOU CAN USE pretty much any vegetable for tempura: carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, even zucchini blossoms (here). I like the combination of squash and onions. The keys to light, crispy tempura are to keep the batter lumpy and very cold and to fry in oil that’s about 375°F. If you do not have a thermometer, that’s okay. Test the temperature by dropping a bit of batter in the oil; if it sinks and returns to the surface, the oil is ready.

Grapeseed oil for frying

½ cup flour

½ cup cornstarch

1 pound winter squash, peeled, halved, seeded, and sliced into very thin crescents, then halved crosswise

½ small onion, halved and very thinly sliced crosswise

Salt

Add enough oil to a medium saucepan to reach a depth of 2 inches and heat over medium-high heat to about 375°F.

Combine the flour and cornstarch in a medium bowl, then gently whisk in a cup of very cold water until a batter just begins to form. The lightest, crispiest batter is achieved by barely mixing the flour with cold water. Add the squash and onions to the batter and gently stir to combine and coat.

Carefully lay several pieces of squash and onion in the oil, overlapping them a bit so they form a palm-size “fritter.” Shape a few in the pan and cook until you see a light crust on the bottoms, about 2 minutes. Flip the fritters over and cook for about 2 minutes more. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.