Beer Batter Banana Poppers |
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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes |
Ready In: 30 Minutes Servings: 10 |
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An interesting twist on those jalapeño gems!! Ingredients:
batter |
1 (12 oz) beer or ale |
1 1/2 cups ap flour |
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper |
1/2 tsp salt |
1 tsp paprika |
filling |
2 (8 oz) bricks cream cheese or neufchâtel cheese, softened |
1 cup sour cream |
1 (8 oz) pkg imitation crabmeat, minced |
1 tsp minced garlic |
1 tbsp chopped chives |
16 to 20 medium size banana peppers, straight in shape |
cooking oil for deep frying |
Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk batter ingredients together. Cover loosely and let sit on the kitchen counter to ferment a while, similarly to sourdough.
2. Meanwhile, combine the filling ingredients and put as much as you can into a Ziploc® freezer baggie and close the seal.
3. I would use a 3- or 4-inch deep skillet, such as a chicken fryer, for frying. Fill the pan about halfway with oil and set the burner slightly under medium high. Heat the oil to 370°F, using a deep fry thermometer. Alternatively, one can use a deep fryer with a built-in thermostat.
4. While the oil is heating, clean the peppers and USE food handler’s gloves. Although banana peppers (also known as Yellow Wax Peppers or Banana Chilies) aren’t the hottest peppers on the Scoville Scale, do NOT wipe your eyes with the gloves on, or they will burn just like the fire you’re working with. Anyhoo... use a paring knife to cut a slit in one side of each pepper, trying as best you can to leave the stems intact. Slightly squeeze the pepper from end to end (like a coin purse) and use a 1/2 tsp (2.5ml) or smaller measuring spoon to scoop out the guts. Set the peppers out on a baking sheet while working with them.
5. Cut a small tip off one of the bottom corners of the filling bag. Gently squeeze open each pepper, just like you did when cleaning them, and pipe some filling into the opening.
6. Since you will be frying only a few peppers at a time to avoid lowering the oil temperature, do not batter them all at once – just as many as you’re frying at one time. When the oil has heated sufficiently, stir the batter if needed; dip 4 peppers in the batter, and lower gently into the hot cooking oil. Cook until medium to dark golden in color and floating on the surface of the oil.
7. Remove from the hot oil; place on the baking sheet in a 200°F oven to keep warm while cooking the remaining peppers.
8. Serve with ranch sauce, cocktail sauce, honey mustard or whatever dipping sauce you like. Makes a great tailgate or picnic appetizer.
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