Fried Cantaloupe - Sourdough Surprises

Yes. You read that right. I fried cantaloupe. Actually, we could end that sentence earlier. I fried. That is already an achievement. When Sourdough Surprises announced that we'd be channeling our inner fair food and using our starters to batter and fry, I immediately checked out.

I LOVE fried foods but I HATE frying. My oil is always too hot or too cold. And when by some miracle I get the temperature right, I always walk away from the stove for too long and things start burning. Frying is just not for me. I could use a thermometer to check the temperature of my oil (I did that last night) but what is going to stop me from wandering out of the kitchen? I'm a set it and forget it (for at least a little while), kinda cook. It's why I love baking and adore my slow cooker.

So why cantaloupe? I had some left from another cooking challenge that had also left me scratching my head this month. I was eating a cupful last night when I thought - why not fry it? What's the worst that could happen?

I'm here to tell you that the worst did not happen. This was surprisingly good. Very good. And it got even better when I just ran to the kitchen (I need to taste while I write!) and made a quick glaze with powdered sugar and some orange rum I had lying around. Oh my. That orange really adds an amazing flavour. Highly recommended. Use orange juice or liqueur in lieu of rum.

Though my starter isn't very sour, I did wonder if I would have needed a little sugar in the batter. I didn't. That vanilla alone was enough. I hope that I'll be brave enough to fry again because next time, I want to add some spices to the batter.

So what would your perfect fried fair food be? Be sure to check out what the other bloggers made. I'm sure there'll be at least one you'll want to try.

Fried Cantaloupe

Ingredients

Oil for frying
1/2 cup sourdough starter, 166%
1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1-2 cups cantaloupe diced*
Powdered sugar, optional
Orange juice, liqueur, or rum, optional

Directions

Heat oil to 350 F.
In a small bowl, combine starter, flour, cornstarch, baking soda, water and vanilla. Lumps are OK.

When oil is ready, dip pieces of cantaloupe into batter. Scoop up a tablespoon of batter and cantaloupe pieces and place carefully into hot oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes per side.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar or dip into a glaze made with powdered sugar and orange juice, liqueur or rum. Serve warm.

Notes
I found that small quarter inch pieces worked best for fitting into the tablespoon with enough batter. You could also use larger chunks or slices. Simply dip and coat them in the  batter without the need for a tablespoon. I did that with a few pieces.

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