friend jalapeno strips:

20-30 good sized jalapeno peppers
1 12 oz can of beer
1 cup cornmeal
2 1/2 cups flour
1 egg
2 tsp ground pepper
2 tsp salt
1/8 cup white vinegar (optional but it does kick up the flavor)
3 tbsp creole seasoning (if desired)


you'll also need two very large bowls, knife/cutting board, strainer/collander deep fryer of course.


cut the very tops of the pepper's off, then cut each pepper into 3-4 slices (length wise). clean out the seeds and the white 'meat' of the peppers. then cut each slice into 3-4 strips (again, length wise). once all the peppers are cleaned/cut, rinse them off in the strainer to get rid of all the seeds you missed previously, and set them aside for now.

prepare the batter. in one of the bowls, pour 1 1/2 cups flour, 12 oz beer, vinegar, the egg, the salt, pepper, and teh creole seasoning. mix well using a whisk, or fork, until fully blended. in the other bowl, add the 1 cup cornmeal, and the remaining 1 cup of flour.

work with small batches (6-7 strips at a time) dip in the wet mix, then space them out in the dry mix, throw dry mix on them rather then touching them to coat them. once coated, set aside on a plate, continue doing this until all are coated.

now you have two choices, which i reccomend the second. the first of course being settling for the thin layer of batter present, or give them another coating. work with them carefully, or the first coating will just come off on your fingers. it's also very important to space them out in the wet mix, or they will just clump together and seperating them will remove the first coat. other then that follow the previous procedure, dip in wet mix, space out in dry mix, toss dry mix on them to coat them, remove them to a plate.

deep fry for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown at 350. remove from oil to a paper towled plate or bowl. serve with sour cream, ranch, or your favorite cheese deep.


this batter technique would also work with pretty much any vegetable... okra, onion, etc.

also when working between the wet and dry mix it helps alot if you only use one hand for wet and one for dry.