River Cottage

This unusual tempura dish from River Cottage provides a great starter or snack to nibble on

Serves 4-6

• 250g young tender runner beans
• Sunflower oil, for deep frying
• 100g plain flour
• 40g cornflour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 200ml ice cold sparkling water

For the dipping sauce

• 6 tbsp crab apple jelly
• 2 tbsp cider vinegar
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 2 red chillies
• 2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh coriander, finely chopped

1. To make the dipping sauce put all the ingredients except the coriander into a small saucepan, stir over a gentle heat until the jelly has dissolved. Simmer for a couple of minutes and then set aside to cool. Add the coriander just before serving.

2. Prepare the beans by destringing them and then cutting them through the length keeping the ends joined to create a ‘bow’.

3. In a deep pan heat about 5cm depth of oil; the oil is hot enough when a cube of bread turns golden in about 50 seconds.

4. Make the batter by adding all the dry ingredients to a bowl, lightly whisk the dry ingredients to get rid on any lumps and to mix everything together. Add the water, whisking as you go, don’t worry about a few lumps, you want a consistency like single cream.