OKRA BEIGNETS WITH CILANTRO SOUR CREAM SAUCE

Okra Beignets with Cilantro Sour Cream Sauce image

Yield Makes about 36 hors d'oeuvres

Number Of Ingredients 18

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For beignets
1 large egg
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 lb fresh okra, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces (2 cups), or 1 (10-oz) box frozen cut okra, thawed
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice (1/2 cup)
1 small onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup cooked rice (preferably jasmine)
About 6 cups vegetable oil for frying (1 1/2 qt)
For sauce
1 cup sour cream (8 oz)
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh lime zest
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Steps:

Make beignet batter:
Whisk together egg and cream in a small bowl until combined.
Whisk together flour, salt, and pepper in a large bowl, then add okra, bell pepper, and onion, tossing to coat. Stir in egg mixture until combined well. Let stand 20 minutes, then stir in rice.
Make sauce while batter stands:
Stir together all sauce ingredients until combined. Chill, covered, until ready to serve.
Fry beignets:
Preheat oven to 200°F.
Heat 1 1/2 inches oil in a wide 4- to 6-quart heavy pot until thermometer registers 350°F. Carefully add level tablespoons of batter to oil 1 at a time and fry (in batches of 10 to 12), turning over once, until golden, 2 to 5 minutes per batch. Drain fried beignets briefly on a rack set over paper towels, then transfer to a baking pan and keep warm in oven while frying remaining batter. (Return oil to 350°F between batches.)
Serve immediately, with sauce.