Tempura and Panko Peppers with Harissa Honey, Preserved Lemon, and Pistachios
Format: crispy premium canapé
Servings: 10 
Ingredients
Peppers
- 20 Honey Peppers or Red Peppers with Creamy Cheese Filling
- 150 g all-purpose flour
- 100 g corn flour or rice flour
- 250 ml very cold sparkling water
- 1 egg
- 100 g panko
- oil for deep-frying
- salt
Harissa Honey
- 80 g honey
- 20–30 g harissa paste
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Accompaniments
- 80 g pistachios
- 50 g preserved lemon
- fresh mint
- sumac
- herb oil (optional)
Preparation
- Gently warm the honey and combine with the harissa paste and lemon juice. Mix thoroughly until smooth. Set aside to cool.
- Lightly toast the pistachios in a dry pan, cool, and roughly chop.
- Finely chop the preserved lemon.
- Mix the all-purpose flour with the corn or rice flour. Add the egg and very cold sparkling water and mix briefly. The batter should remain slightly lumpy and have the consistency of light cream.
- Drain the peppers thoroughly from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Dip each pepper halfway into the tempura batter, then coat that half with panko. Leave the other half uncoated to showcase the pepper and its creamy filling.
- Heat the oil to 180°C. Fry the peppers in batches for about 2–3 minutes, until the coating is golden and crisp. Drain on a rack or paper towels and lightly season with salt.
Presentation
Scatter a small amount of chopped pistachios on the plate. Arrange two crispy peppers, drizzle with a little harissa honey, and add finely chopped preserved lemon. Finish with mint leaves, a pinch of sumac, and a few drops of herb oil.
