A new take on an old classic, this vegan fish and chips truly shows off how delicious a battered hearts of palm fillet can be, as well as how amazingly similar to a moist white fish they are in their taste and texture. But in my opinion, these palm tree heart fillets blow their sea-based competition out of the water, pun intended. Pair these delectable hearts of palm cutlets with crispy kale chips and a tangy lemon-kale aioli, and they're quite irresistible.
Parchment paper or Newspaper (optional), for a fun presentation
Ingredients
For the Hearts of Palm Fish Fillets
1(15-ounce) canhearts of palm, drained and gently flattened with a broad knife
~ 2 ½tablespoonswhite rice flour
~ 2 ½tablespoonscornstarch
¼teaspoonsalt and pepper
⅛teaspoondried dill
3 - 4tablespoonssparkling water,plain or lime/lemon flavored (no sugar added)
¼ incholive oil, or a neutral oil like canola, for frying
For the Kale Aioli
2 - 3 leaves oflacinato kale,de-ribbed and torn into small pieces
⅓cup vegan mayonnaise, like Veganise
Zestfrom one lemon
1tablespoonlemon juice
1 small cloveof garlic,minced
1teaspooncapers,with brine
½tablespoonfresh dill, de-stemmed
Dashofsalt and pepper
For the Kale Chips
4 - 5 big leaveslacinato or purple kale
1 ½tablespoonsolive oil
Smallsprinkle of salt and peper
Instructions
For the Kale Chips
First, remove the leaves from the stem of the kale stalks. Tear the leaves into bite-sized chunks, toss with olive oil and a small amount of salt and pepper, and then arrange them uniformly on a baking sheet. Bake on 250°F (~120°C) for 20 - 25 minutes,or until crispy, turning halfway through.
For the Kale Aioli
While the kale chips are in the oven, make the aioli. Again, remove the kale leaves from the stem, and add them and all the other ingredients to a food processor. Process until smooth, and store in the fridge in an air-tight container until you're ready to serve.
For the Hearts of Palm Fillets
To begin, heat about ¼-inch of olive oil in a dutch oven pot (or pot/pan good for frying) over medium heat.
Remove the hearts of palm scrolls from the can, drain them (but don't wash them), and then gently flatten them with a broad knife.
Combine the rice flour, cornstarch, salt, and dried dill in a shallow bowl. Wait until the oil is sufficiently hot and preheated, and then add the sparkling water, whisking to form a batter.
Take the flattened hearts of palm and batter them one at a time, covering most of the surface in the batter. You may need to adjust the batter a little bit, until it is able to coat the heats of palm without easily sliding off - do this by adding a little more rice flour (for thicker texture) or sparkling water (for thinner texture) if need be.Then, drop the battered hearts of palm into the oil - two at a time - until golden brown and crispy on each side, anywhere from 3 - 5 minutes total. Frequently turn them with a pair of tongs until they seem done.
Serve the fillets wrapped in parchment paper or newspaper, with kale chips and the kale aioli!
Video
Keyword aioli, fried hearts of palm, hearts of palm fish, hearts of palm fish and chips, kale chips, vegan aioli
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