Make Deep Fried Watermelon

Fried watermelon is a tasty way to change your healthy watermelon treat into an even tastier but not-so-healthy one. In recent years, this treat has been turning up at county fairs and other events, sometimes on a stick, sometimes in a cup or bowl. It's tasty and you'll be tempted to come back for more! And just so you don't waste that rind, there's a recipe to fry it as well.

Ingredients

Deep fried watermelon:

  • 1 watermelon (3-3.5 kg/6 - 8 lb), seedless preferred
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 2 teaspoons water
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose/plain flour
  • 1/4 cup pure cornstarch
  • 3 cups of oil suitable for deep frying (for example, canola oil)
  • Sprinkling of powdered confectioners/icing sugar, to garnish

Fried watermelon rind:

  • 2 cups of watermelon rind, cubed
  • 1/3 cup cornmeal
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose/plain flour
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup vegetable oil suitable for frying

Steps

Deep fried watermelon

  1. Cut the watermelon in half, down its length. Then cut each half in half, again cutting down the length.
  2. Place the four wedges on a board for cutting. Cut off the rind from each wedge. Keep this rind for deep fried rind below.
  3. Cut the watermelon into slices about 2.5cm/1 inch thick. Then cut each slice into cubes, sticks or triangles. You might even go fancy and use a cookie cutter to cut out special shapes like stars or sheep.
  4. Prepare the batter. Beat the egg whites. Add the cornstarch and water to the beaten eggs and whisk together well. When it's smooth, it's ready to dip with.
  5. Heat oil in a deep fryer. Heat to 180ºC/350ºF.
  6. Roll each watermelon piece in the flour, to coat.
  7. Dip the watermelon pieces into the batter. Cover completely with batter.
  8. Place the dipped pieces into the deep fryer. Don't add too many at once or they won't fry properly. About 3-4 pieces at a time is a good amount.
  9. Fry until the batter turns golden brown. Lift the pieces out with a slotted spoon and place on kitchen paper to drain the grease.
  10. Sprinkle liberally with powdered confectioners/icing sugar.
  11. Serve. The fried watermelon pieces can be served in a bowl or on a plate. Or, you can stick them onto a popsicle stick or skewer (cut off the pointy ends before using) for the fairground version.
    • Warn anyone eating these treats that they'll be pretty hot inside, as watermelon has a high water content and this will be bubbling around inside after frying.

Fried watermelon rind

  1. Cube the watermelon rind. Cubes of about 2.5cm/1 inch are perfect.
    • Alternatively, some people like to make wedge-like shapes from the rind. This can be a more substantial treat.
  2. Make the coating. In a mixing bowl, mix together the cornmeal and flour. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Heat the oil in a wok or heavy-based skillet.
  4. Dip and roll each rind piece in the coating.
  5. Add the rind pieces. Fry for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir and fry for a further 4-5 minutes until golden brown all over.
  6. Use a slotted spoon to lift the fried rind pieces out. Place on kitchen towel to drain.
  7. Serve. Although not as watery as the deep fried watermelon, the rind will still be hot, so eat with care.
    • The fried rinds can also be served on a stick for a fairground feel.

Tips

  • Use a tea strainer like a sieve, to shake the confectioners sugar across the fried watermelon pieces.
  • If you can't find seedless watermelon, you have two choices. One is to de-seed it by hand. Two, don't worry; the seeds are safe to eat. Just beware that they may contain more bursts of hot liquid when eating though. Really, it's a texture thing to leave out the seeds.
  • Deep fried watermelon or fried rinds can be dipped in sour cream, salsa, your favorite dip, etc. If you want to do this, skip the powdered sugar.

Warnings

  • Deep fried watermelon is not suitable for children until you are absolutely sure that it has cooled right down before eating.
  • Best consumed as a once-in-a-while treat, as it's not so healthy.

Things You'll Need

  • Cutting board and knife
  • Deep bowl
  • Whisk
  • Deep fryer
  • Slotted spoon
  • Kitchen paper towel
  • Tea strainer (optional)
  • Heavy based skillet or wok
  • Skewer or popsicle sticks (optional, for a fairground feel)

Relateds

Sources and Citations

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