SUNNY'S BEER BATTERED MOROCCAN ASPARAGUS WITH DIP

Sunny's Beer Battered Moroccan Asparagus with Dip image

Provided by Sunny Anderson

Time 35m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon Moroccan spice blend
Zest of 1 lemon
Kosher salt
12 ounces beer
1 bunch thin asparagus
Vegetable or peanut oil, for frying
Chilled Moroccan Spice Dip, recipe follows
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated onion pulp, made with the biggest side of box grater
1/4 cup loosely packed chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Moroccan spice blend
Kosher salt

Steps:

Add 1 cup of the flour to each baking dish. Set one aside for your dredging station. In the other add the spice blend, lemon zest and a nice pinch of salt, and whisk. Slowly stir in the beer until the batter thickens to a pancake consistency. If there is a sip of beer leftover, don't waste it, drink it! Rest the batter for 5 minutes.
Fill a large pot 3- to 4-inches deep with oil and heat until a deep-fry thermometer reaches 350 degrees F. To fry, first dredge the asparagus in the flour, then shake off lightly and run through the batter. Immediately and gently lower the asparagus into the oil. Fry until the batter is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Cook in batches to avoid overloading the pot, which reduces the overall temperature of the oil. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt. Repeat for the remaining asparagus. Serve warm with the chilled Moroccan Spice Dip.
In a medium bowl stir together the mayonnaise, onion pulp, parsley, sour cream, lemon juice and spice blend. Taste the dip and season with a pinch of salt, if needed. Refrigerate until ready to serve.