Developed specifically for our Singaporean Chili Crab dish, these beignets are savory pillows of donut deliciousness made specifically to sop up all sorts of sauces—the Malaysian Chicken Curry, the Braised and Caramelized Vietnamese Coco Pork Belly, and especially the Singaporean Chili Crab sauce—or ANY DISH with sauce! HOORAY!
2–4 SERVINGS
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ cups cornstarch
1 tablespoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup buttermilk*
¾ cup COLD Asian light beer
BALLS OUT
40–80 SERVINGS
5¼ quarts all-purpose flour
5¼ quarts cornstarch
14 tablespoons kosher salt
2⅓ tablespoons sugar
9⅓ tablespoons baking powder
3½ quarts buttermilk
10½ cups COLD Asian light beer
1. Combine flour, cornstarch, salt, sugar, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Mix well.
2. Pour in buttermilk, then pour in beer. Gently fold in with a baking spatula. DO NOT WHISK. A whisk will introduce too much air into the dough, which will make the beignets too tough.
3. The temperature of the batter is important! Refrigerate 30 minutes before frying. The beignet will come out more airy and less dense if the batter is, as Foreigner reminds us, “cold as ice.”
4. When the beignets are ready to fry, bring a pot of oil up to 350°F over medium-high heat. Scoop up the dough with an ice cream scoop, drop in the pot of oil, and fry for about 4 ½–5 minutes, constantly turning until the dough is a light golden brown.
5. To sure the beignets are cooked through, stick them with a long skewer. The skewer should be clean when you remove it. If it’s not, continue to fry.
6. Remove and shake off excess oil, then set aside.
* Pour in the buttermilk and beat with minimal folding, then let it sit for at least an hour. The liquids will mix and react on their own, ensuring the fluffiest of savory beignets in the LAND! If it’s not fully incorporated afterwards, fold a bit more until it’s one uniform batter.