Chinese Desserts Recipes - Candied Banana Fritters Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 oz. plain flour

• pinch salt

• 1/2 beaten egg

• water

• 6 tablespoons sugar

• 4 small ripe bananas (choose really ripe bananas)

• peanut oil for deep frying

• 4 small bowls ice-cold water

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Method:

1. First make the batter. Sift the flour and salt into a basin. Make a hole in the centre. drop the half egg and 1/3 pint (7/8 cup) water into it and gradually beat them together. Leave to rest for a little.

2. Next, prepare the syrup. Very slowly melt the sugar in 3 tablespoons water in a small strong pan. When it is dissolved, boil very hard until the syrup is a very pale straw color.

3. Have a folder cold wet cloth at hand. At this point, place the pan on it to arrest further cooking. Skin and scrape the bananas.

4. Halve them lengthwise, the cut the across to make four portions per half banana. Dip them into the batter. Drain the, then drop them, one at a time, into the very hot oil and cook them for not more than a minute. Place the separately and in one layer in a hot buttered silver dish.

5. Reheat the syrup and carefully pour it over the bananas. Rush them to table where each person will take his or her share and drop them one at a time into the cold water when the surface will crystallize in the most delightful 'bubbles'.

Note: Practice this before serving to guest, because it has to be speedily made.

At the best, the bananas are crisp. Failing this, they are still deliciously coated banana fritters.