Crunchy edamame
Growing up in Japan, I remember my dad would spend summer evenings enjoying a baseball game while drinking an ice-cold Asahi and eating freshly boiled edamame sprinkled with sea salt.
Edamame is a staple beer snack in Japan, and it is for us too in Seattle—with a twist. I pop edamame beans out of the shell, tuck them into gyoza wrappers, and deep-fry them. (You’ll see that deep-frying is somewhat of a habit in my house.) You can make extra and freeze them uncooked for up to three months. When you want a snack, just pull them out of the freezer and fry them without thawing.
The wrapper cooks really quickly, so make sure that the oil is not too hot. If it is, the outside layer of the wrapper will cook before the inside layer does. Then you’ll have not-so-crunchy edamame.
Crunchy edamame
Serves 4 as snack
Ingredients:
20-30 thin gyoza or wonton wrappers
30-40 frozen or fresh edamame
½ to 1 cup canola oil or vegetable oil
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Remove edamame beans from their pods and set them aside.
Fill a small ramekin halfway with water—you’ll use this to seal the wrapper.
Set one wrapper on a flat surface and place 3 or 4 edamame in a line on the wrapper, about ½ inch from the end closest to you.
Dip the tip of your finger in water and lightly moisten the near and far edge of the wrapper.
Pick up the edge closest to you and wrap it snugly over the edamame. Continue rolling all the way up. Pinch both sides so that the edamame won’t escape.
Pour oil into a small pan or a pot to about a half-inch deep. Heat the oil slowly over medium heat.
Test the temperature by dipping a wooden utensil into the oil. If you start to see small bubbles, the oil is ready. Lower the heat to medium-low.
Gently add the wrapped edamame one at a time.
If you’re using a shallow pan and the edamame isn’t submerged in oil, turn it along the way. When the wrapper is golden brown, remove the edamame from the pan and place them on a cooling rack.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
