Kelp Beignets

From Lily Lucas, Cassandra Bartels, Maddie Sowinski (2023 WHOI Summer Student Fellows)

Inspiration: Bon Appetit https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/seaweed-and-tofu-beignets-with-lime-mayonnaise

 

Ingredients: (we made a triple recipe)

1/2 cup dried kelp (we used ~double in our recipe at the potluck and it was not dried)

1 1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 large egg yolk

3 oz. Soft tofu

1 cup club soda 

 

Steps: (most directly from Bon Appetit recipe)

1. Place kelp in a small bowl; add warm water to cover. Let stand until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain; squeeze kelp to remove excess water and coarsely chop.
2. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in kelp, egg yolk, tofu, and 1 cup club soda, adding more club soda if batter is too thick (it should be the consistency of pancake batter.)
3. Fit a medium saucepan with thermometer; pour in oil to measure 2". Heat over medium-high heat until thermometer registers 350°. Working in batches and returning oil to 350° between batches, drop tablespoonfuls of batter into oil and fry, turning occasionally, until crisp, cooked through, and deep golden brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer beignets to a paper towel–lined plate; season with salt."

Tips:

Eat right after they are fried! They were fresh and really airy directly after being cooked. We tried a few different sauces with them, and decided a jalapeño-lemon or hot mayo would be good paired with them.