Southern Fritto Misto Platter with Tempura Shrimp & Vegetables and Ramp Aioli
Tempura Shrimp & Vegetables
Ingredients:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1 1/2 cups Mountain Valley Sparkling Water
- Kosher Salt - to taste
- Black Pepper, ground - to taste
- Sliced Vegetables (i.e. cooked sweet potatoes & broccoli, spring onions, onion rings, wild ramps, mushrooms, etc.)
- Shrimp, peeled & deveined (about 10 for each person)
Directions:
- In a medium size bowl, add the cornstarch and flour. Using a whisk; gently whisk in the Mountain Valley Sparkling Water until the tempura batter has the consistency of crepe batter. It should not be too thick; it should be light and airy.
- Preheat a medium-sized pot with vegetable, or canola oil to 350F.
- Dip the vegetables and shrimp one by one into the tempura batter and then gently place into the fryer oil. Fry each until the tempura is crispy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Use a slotted spoon or "spider" to remove the tempura from the oil and place onto a plate or tray lined with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Ramp Aioli
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Duke's Mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp. Lemon Juice
- 3 ramps with leaves and bulbs separated
- Kosher Salt - to taste
- Black Pepper, ground - to taste
Directions:
- Slice the ramp bulbs and leaves, and separate.
- Sauté the ramp bulbs until tender and allow to cool completely.
- In a small pot, bring water to a boil and quickly blanch the ramp leaves. Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a bowl of ice water to "shock" the leaves. Once cooled, remove them from the water and wring out the excess water and chop.
- Place the ramp leaves into a blender and puree until smooth.
- Place the mayonnaise, lemon juice, sautéed ramp leaves, ramp puree, and salt and pepper into a small bowl and mix thoroughly. Adjust seasoning as necessary. Reserve in the refrigerator until needed - lasts up to 1 week with refrigeration.
Wild Violet Vodka Spritz
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. Vodka
- 2 oz. Violet Simple Syrup
- 1 oz. Lemon Juice
- 2 oz. Mountain Valley Sparkling Key Lime Water
- Ice
Directions:
- Place the vodka, violet syrup, lemon juice and ice into a drink shaker, and shake vigorously for 20 seconds.
- Place more ice into a Tom Collins Glass and strain the cocktail into the glass.
- Top the cocktail with the Mountain Valley Sparkling Key Lime Water and garnish with a lemon wedge and wild violets. Enjoy!
