Battered and Fried Cabbage with Crispy Seeds and Lemon

I adore this recipe. The seeds are really what makes it, all the wild and rich and complementary flavors of the cumin and the coriander and the subtle poppyseed, crisped and lightly puffed in the lightest of tempura batter. The crunch! The cabbage, however delightful, is really just a vehicle for the crispy batter and the seeds, but it wouldn’t work with many other vegetables; the magic is in the lightness of the batter over the thin cabbage leaves, and the flavorful crunch of the seeds. Don’t be shy of adding enough salt to the batter, as well as a sprinkling of crunchy Maldon over the top with lemon when serving. The salt and lemon add an essential element to tie all the flavors together. Serve it quickly after frying, when it is warm and crunchy and still light and airy. Another gem from Joshua Mc Fadden’s Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables.

Directions

Cut away the dense cabbage core with a sharp paring knife and separate the leaves, tearing any very large leaves into smaller pieces that will fit well into your frying pot.
Arrange a double layer of paper towels on a tray or baking sheet and set it near the stove. Pour 3 inches of oil (vegetable oil or a mix of vegetable and olive oil, for frying) into a saucepan, making sure there are at least 3” of headroom to avoid spillovers.

Slowly bring the oil up to 375° F on a thermometer. Alternatively, test the temperature by frying a small piece of bread in the oil; when the oil is ready, it should take about 60 seconds to get the bread nicely crisp and brown without burning.

As the oil is heating, whisk together the cornstarch and flour in a bowl. Whisk in enough of the sparkling water to make a thin batter. Whisk in the poppy seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes (or more if you like things spicy) 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a generous grinding of black pepper.
When the oil is ready, dip a cabbage leaf into the batter, let the excess drip off.  Carefully immerse it in the hot oil. If there’s room in the pan for more than one leaf, you can fry several at a time, but don’t overcrowd the pan to the point where the temperature drops, which will make the coating greasy and generally less delicious.

Fry until the coating is puffed and very light golden (these will not get deeply colored). Transfer to the paper to drain and continue frying the rest of the cabbage.
Once all the cabbage leaves are fried, turn off the heat under the pan and arrange the cabbage on a platter. Season with a bit more salt and a squeeze of lemon and serve right away.

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