Traditional British comfort food made vegan! This Vegan Banana Blossom Fish Recipe is beer-battered and deep-fried - super crunchy on the outside and flaky on the inside, with a delicious vegan seafood flavor.
Banana Blossom Fish
If you would ask someone what a typical British dish would be, I can assure you about 90% of people would clearly say: Fish & Chips!
Throughout the years, I've tried and tested a number of vegan 'fish' recipes and so far, vegan banana blossom fish is right there at the top.
Banana blossoms have a naturally flaky and layered texture, that's simply perfect to create vegan fish and give it that delicious texture. It also takes on flavors and marinades really well!
This vegan fish recipe is a deep-fried banana blossom fish recipe that's coated in a delicious vegan beer batter made with lager.
The banana blossoms are first marinated in a simple seafood marinade to give them that extra layer of flavor and then dipped into a smooth, runny batter that holds even more of the typical fish flavor. All in all, it's a fantastic version of vegan fish and chips and I hope you enjoy this recipe just as much!
Ingredients
Here's everything you need to make vegan banana blossom fish:
- banana blossom - I use canned banana blossom for this recipe. You can get banana blossom at most big supermarkets, from your local health food store or order it online. The cans I use have 400g (7 oz) each before draining.
- vegetable oil - this is used for deep frying, so depending on the size of your pot, you will need roughly 1-2 litres. Make sure you have enough to fully cover the banana blossom fish during the deep frying process. I like to use a mild oil such as canola oil (rapeseed oil if you're in the UK!) for deep frying.
- nori sheet - you might know nori sheets as sushi sheets! Nori is a dried edible seaweed that is typically used to wrap sushi. It's not only great for sushi but lots of recipes. In this recipe, I used crushed nori sheets in order to give the banana blossom a fishy seafood taste. You can also use nori sheets for my Vegan Seafood Pasta Recipe.
- vinegar - I use apple cider vinegar in the marinade for flavor
- flour - for the vegan fish batter, I like to use all-purpose flour
- beer - this is used in the batter, it's basically a beer-batter! Make sure to use vegan-friendly beer. I find lager or ale works best. Check Barnivore to find out which beer is vegan.
- baking powder - to make the batter light, airy and crisp!
- seasoning - onion powder, garlic powder, sweet paprika powder, turmeric powder
Equipment
Here's all the equipment you need for this recipe:
- a container for the marinade
- a mixing bowl for the batter
- whisk
- a tall saucepan suitable for deep-frying, ideally with a lid
- kitchen towel to drain the fried banana blossom
Instructions (Step-by-step)
To make this delicious vegan banana blossom fish, there are 3 important elements: the marinade, the batter and the deep frying.
Marinating and creating the vegan beer batter
Combine the oil, crushed nori sheet, apple cider vinegar, and salt in a container big enough to hold the banana blossom pieces. Place the drained banana blossom into the marinade and ensure all bits are evenly coated, then set them into the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Place the flour, baking powder, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika powder, turmeric, and crushed nori into a mixing bowl and whisk to combine, then pour in the vegan-friendly beer and stir until you get a smooth and runny batter.
Heating the oil for deep frying
Once your batter is done, start to gently heat your vegetable oil for frying over low heat. It should reach around 350°F (170°C) until it's ready to fry and the trick is to heat it slowly over a low/medium heat to ensure the oil doesn't get too hot. Make sure your oil's smoke temperature is above 170°C, so it doesn't burn in the process.
Coating and deep frying
Carefully remove the banana blossoms from the marinade and dunk them into the batter. Gently lift each banana blossom piece and allow for any excess batter to drip off.
Place the banana blossom into the hot oil. Fry each banana blossom fish for 4-5 minutes or until golden. It's best to keep a close eye on your vegan fish, as the frying time can be different depending on the size of each individual banana blossom.
Draining
Carefully remove them from the oil with a slotted ladle. Place the banana blossom fish onto a drip tray or a clean kitchen towel to remove any excess oil and prevent it from getting soggy.
Extra tip:
To keep them warm, I like to place any fried banana blossoms into the oven at 325°F (160°C) for up to 30 minutes. This way they remain wonderfully crispy and hot at the same time.
Serving
You can serve the banana blossom fish on its own - it's delicious! If you want to experience it as a more traditional fish and chips, here are some tasty items you can serve it with:
- oven-baked thick-cut chips
- peas
- vegan tartar sauce
- a dollop of tomato ketchup
- vegan egg-free mayo
Substitutions
If you don't have everything to hand, here are some notes on substitutions:
- nori sheets - instead of nori sheets you can also use seaweed sprinkles or kelp granules to get that seafood flavor
- vinegar - swap the vinegar for lemon juice
- baking powder - swap for 1/4 tsp baking soda
- beer - if you want to make the vegan fish without a beer batter, you can swap it for the same amount of sparkling water to create a smooth batter
This recipe is:
- 100% vegan
- super crunchy
- perfect for a vegan fish and chips
- extra flaky
- full of flavor
- delicious
- easy to make!
- egg-free
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Banana Blossom Fish
Equipment
- 1 sieve
- 2 mixing bowls
- 1 large pot with a lid for deep frying or a deep fryer
Ingredients
- 2 tins banana blossom (2 x 400g, 2 x 7 oz) drained
- 1-2 litres vegetable oil for deep frying
For the marinade:
- 1 tbsp canola oil rapeseed oil
- 1/2 nori sheet crushed
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the batter:
- 1.5 cups all purpose flour (200 g) plain flour
- 1.5 cups vegan-friendly beer (350 ml) lager
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp sweet paprika powder
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder for color
- 1/2 nori sheet crushed
To serve:
- thick-cut chips
- peas
- vegan tartar sauce
- tomato ketchup & vegan mayo
Instructions
- Drain the banana blossoms and place them in a bowl alongside the canola oil, crushed nori, apple cider vinegar, and salt. Allow for them to marinate for at least 30 minutes and prepare the batter in the meantime.
- Place the flour, baking powder, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, turmeric, and crushed nori into a mixing bowl and whisk to combine, then pour in the vegan-friendly beer and stir until you get a smooth batter and set aside.
- In the meantime, gently heat your oil over low heat until it reaches 350°F (170°C). Make sure to do this slowly as the temperature continues to rise too quickly if you turn the heat on high.
- Carefully remove the banana blossoms from the marinade and dunk them into the batter. Gently lift to drip off any excess batter and place the banana blossom into the hot oil. Fry each coated banana blossom for 4-5 minutes or until golden and carefully remove them from the oil with a slotted ladle. Place the banana blossom fish onto a drip tray or a clean kitchen towel to remove any excess oil.
- To keep them warm, you can place any fried banana blossoms into the oven at 325°F (160°C) for up to 30 minutes to ensure they remain wonderfully crispy and hot.
- Serve the banana blossom fish alongside thick-cut chips and enjoy with peas, vegan tartar sauce, tomato ketchup, and vegan mayo.
Here are some more vegan dinner recipes that you might enjoy:
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