Crisp Tempura Vegetables with Miso-Mustard

Ingredients

• For the sauce
• 1/4 cup white or yellow (aka mellow) miso
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon unrefined cane sugar
• 1/3 cup Water
• For the batter
• Canola, grapeseed, or peanut oil for frying
• 1 cup all-purpose flour chilled
• 1 cup rice flour chilled
• 2 1/3 cups ice cold seltzer water or pale ale beer
• 1 red or sweet onion cut into 1-inch slices and separated into rings
• 1 large sweet potato or yam (about 8 ounces) sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
• 8 ounces green beans ends trimmed
• 8 ounces broccolini ends trimmed
• 1 medium Red bell pepper sliced into strips
• Kosher salt to taste
• Lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

1. For the sauce:
2. Whisk everything together, taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Chill in refrigerator until ready to use. (Sauce can be made up to 4 days ahead.)
3. For the batter:
4. Line a baking sheet with paper towels then fill a large saucepan with at least 2 inches of oil (about 6 to 8 cups oil). Insert a deep frying thermometer and heat the oil to 350°F over medium-high heat.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the batter. Combine flours in a medium bowl then nest it in a second bowl of ice water (to help keep the batter as cold as possible). Add the cold seltzer or beer to the flour and whisk until just combined. (There should be a few lumps left – if you over whisk it will get gummy.)
6. Place a handful of the prepared vegetables in the batter and toss to coat. Remove vegetables one by one and let excess batter drip off. Place carefully into heated oil and cook, stirring a few times, until just beginning to color, about 1 minute for the thinner vegetables and 3 minutes for the thicker vegetables. Remove to paper towels, season with salt, and repeat to cook all vegetables.
7. Serve hot or warm with dipping sauce, lemon wedges, and extra salt.