Last week I was poking around on my pinterest account finding and sharing ideas for recipes. I came across a recipe for crunchy green bean fries that were coated in panko bread crumbs. In the past, I have tried something similar with asparagus, and it’s not so easy. Panko does not stick well to skinny vegetables, but it sticks very well to your fingers! When I picked up my CSA this week and saw that I had string beans to use, I just knew I had to try and make a fantastic fries recipe! The seasoning is just right on these beer battered string bean fries!
I had both purple and green string beans in my CSA package. The purple string beans tended to look like they were burning in the frying skillet, even though they were not, simply because of their dark color. The taste of purple string beans is the same as green, but they are rich in antioxidants, just like red cabbage. I highly recommend them if you are looking to add more blue/purple foods to your diet. A colorful diet is the best way to find all your essential vitamins and minerals!
Variations on the Beer Battered String Bean Fries recipe:
- I fried these in just a little bit of oil to achieve ultimate crispiness. To keep them low fat, you could try oven baking at 425°F for 10-12 minutes.
- If you want to make these gluten free, use gluten free beer, and your favorite gluten free flour, such as brown rice flour.
- If you want to make spicy fries, try adding 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper to the seasonings!
- 20-25 string beans (about 2 cups)
- 3 TBS lager style beer
- 2 TBS all purpose flour
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder and paprika each
- ¼ tsp salt and pepper each
- Canola oil for frying
- Ketchup for serving
- Combine beer, flour, and seasonings in a medium sized bowl. Add the string beans and stir to coat.
- Add enough canola oil to a large heavy bottomed skillet (I prefer cast iron) to coat it with about ⅛th inch. Heat until it shimmers, but don't let it smoke.
- Add half the string beans to the pan, spreading them out so they don't stick together while they are cooking. Cook for about 1 minute, and flip the beans using a large spatula. Cook about 1 more minute, or until golden brown. Repeat with the other half of the beans.
- Serve with ketchup.
This recipe was shared at the Weekend Potluck Link Party and the This is How We Roll Link Up!
