Tempura Stuffed Sandwiches and Spinach Salad with Pomegranate Dressing
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 4 servings
- Total: 1 hr 5 min
- Prep: 30 min
- Cook: 35 min
Ingredients
Salad:
3 eggs
1/2 pound bacon
1 pound fresh spinach, stems removed, soaked in salt water to remove grit, and dried
2 avocados, slipped from skin and sliced
Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 pomegranate, peeled and seeds removed from pith
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 cup olive oil
Tempura Batter and Sandwiches:
3 to 4 liters canola oil, as needed, for deep-frying
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cornstarch
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cups seltzer water
4 frozen, store-bought, stuffed sandwiches, sliced on the bias
Directions
- For the salad: Boil eggs for about 10 minutes until they are hard-boiled. Rinse with cold water and set aside until cool enough to handle. Peel hard-boiled eggs and chill.
- Fry bacon and drain on paper towels.
- For the vinaigrette: Through the feed opening of a running blender add, 1 at a time, the vinegar, pomegranate seeds, honey, salt and pepper. Leaving the blender running, add the olive oil in a slow, thin stream. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and set aside until needed.
- For the tempura and sandwiches: Heat oil in a deep-fryer to 375 degrees F, or as directed in manufacturer's instructions for similar foods.
- In a mixing bowl large enough to accommodate the stuffed sandwiches, combine flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. Add seltzer water in a stream while whisking constantly. Dip the stuffed sandwiches in the batter to coat. Add, 1 at a time, to the deep-fryer basket which has been immersed in the hot oil. Fry until golden brown and drain on paper towels.
- Chop eggs and gently toss with spinach, crumbled bacon, and avocado with enough of the dressing to coat.
- Arrange salad on plates with tempura fried stuffed sandwiches.