Cookbook Club Recipe #10 | Variation #2

How an accidental kitchen creation became one of my favorite takes on tempura.

Sauerkraut tempura? Sounds kind of strange, right? And it is. Strangely freaking delicious.

This one came together back when my old sous chef, Erik Drobey, and I were testing cooking methods while developing the hot fried chicken sandwich at my old restaurant Wursthall. I was tinkering with tempura batter while one of our cooks, Carlos, was restocking sauerkraut for service. On a whim, I tossed a handful of sauerkraut into the batter along with some slivered onions and the sliced pickled Fresno chiles we already had on the line, then drizzled the whole tangled mess into the fryer.

It was immediately obvious we'd stumbled onto something special. The sauerkraut lost its sharp edge and took on a rich, almost nutty roasted cabbage flavor. The onions became sweet, the chiles added just enough heat, and the light, crisp tempura batter somehow made the whole thing taste even brighter. We put it on the menu within a week, serving it with a homemade ranch dressing seasoned with Korean chili flakes.

Sadly, pandemic-era menu changes meant tempura sauerkraut disappeared after only a few months, but it's always been one of my favorite accidental creations. Just straight up tempura sauerkraut on its own is delicious, but adding pickled peppers and/or onions or scallions to it takes it over the top. I think of it almost like a pajeon—a Korean scallion pancake—but with a twist by way of Japan and Germany.

If you like onion rings, fried pickles, or anything crunchy and tangy, I have a feeling this one will become a favorite in your kitchen too. Using this technique for the tempura batter, you'll achieve great things!

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Recipe: Sauerkraut and Onion Tempura with Pickled Peppers and Gochugaru Ranch

Every recipe I publish here is personally tested, tasted, and approved.

What I love about this recipe:

Sauerkraut transforms in the fryer, becoming mellow, nutty, and almost sweet while retaining just enough acidity to keep every bite bright.

Tempura batter creates delicate, lacy clusters with irresistibly crispy edges and tender centers.

It makes an unexpectedly perfect appetizer or snack, especially served with Gochugaru Yogurt Ranch.

Yield: Serves 3 to 4Active Time: 15 minutesTotal Time: 15 minutesNotes: For a spicier version, replace half of the sauerkraut with finely shredded cabbage kimchi. Don't squeeze the tempura into tight fritters before frying. Loose, shaggy handfuls create more of the crisp, lacy edges that make this recipe so addictive. Serve immediately—like all tempura, it's at its absolute best straight from the fryer.

Ingredients

2 quarts (2L) peanut, rice bran, or other neutral frying oil

12 ounces (340g) sauerkraut

2 ounces (60g) red or yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 ounce (30g) pickled Fresno or other pickled hot chiles, thinly sliced

For the batter:

1/2 cup (65g) all-purpose flour

1/4 cup (30g) cornstarch

1/4 cup (35g) potato starch

1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon Morton kosher salt)

1/2 teaspoon MSG (optional)

1 large egg

1/4 cup (60ml) ice-cold vodka

1/2 cup (120ml) ice-cold club soda

For serving:

Kosher salt

Gochugaru Yogurt Ranch—using this recipe.

Method

Heat the oil to 375°F (190°C) in a wok, Dutch oven, or other heavy pot. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain the temperature. Line a baking sheet or large plate with paper towels or a wire rack.

Place the sauerkraut in a fine-mesh strainer and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Transfer it to a bowl with the sliced onion and pickled chiles and toss to combine.

In a separate large bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, potato starch, salt, and MSG. In a third bowl, whisk together the egg, vodka, and club soda, then pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using chopsticks, stir while shaking the bowl until the batter is just barely combined. It should remain visibly lumpy, with small pockets of dry flour.

Add the sauerkraut mixture to the batter and toss until evenly coated.

Working with your fingertips, pick up loose handfuls of the mixture, letting excess batter drip back into the bowl, then gently lower the mixture into the hot oil. Continue until a single layer of sauerkraut covers the top of the oil.

Immediately begin gently stirring with chopsticks or a spider, breaking up only the largest clumps while allowing smaller tangles to remain intact (or for the full experience, leave the whole thing intact and cook by carefully flipping the entire thing with a pair of spatulas halfway through cooking). Fry until pale blond and crisp, about 1 1/2 minutes.

Transfer to the prepared rack or paper towels, season immediately with salt, and serve hot with Gochugaru Yogurt Ranch.

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