You may know actor Kyle MacLachlan from his roles as the squarely Upper East Side husband to Sex & the City’s Charlotte, Portlandia’s wacky mayor or – our favorite – the creepily cheery Agent Cooper of David Lynch’s 90s cult hit Twin Peaks.
MacLachlan is also a wine lover – and a wine producer. In Walla Walla, Washington, he works with Dunham Cellars to craft two wines, Pursued by Bear and Baby Bear. This fall, we joined MacLachlan in Washington for a potluck Thanksgiving feast, where his favorite local farmers, chefs and a mixologist each brought their favorite family recipes. This week, we’d love to introduce you to some of these characters, and to share their recipes. To read the full story, download our Fall Entertaining Catalog. – Ed.
Eric Dunham’s Tongan aunts arrived to Thanksgiving with of the most spectacular centerpieces we’ve ever seen – a Hubbard squash cut into a basket shape, filled with crisp tempura-fried vegetables: golden onions, sweet squash, and crunchy red peppers, all spiked with the fall flavors of sage and thyme. For vegetable lovers, we can’t imagine a more showstopping display.
Autumn Vegetable Tempura
Serves 6-8 as an appetizer
1 large Hubbard or other hard squash (3-5 lbs)
1 large sweet yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch thick rings
1 red pepper, sliced in 1-inch wide strips
1 sweet potato, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch thick pieces
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups rice flour
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup vodka, ice cold (optional, but helps with crispness)
3 cups cold seltzer water (if not using vodka, increase by 1 cup)
1 bunch fresh sage
1 bunch fresh thyme
Kosher salt, to taste
Vegetable oil, as needed for frying
Equipment
8 12- to 18-inch-long wooden skewers
- To prepare the squash, place it on a table to find the flattest natural surface for it to sit stably. If necessary, even it out by cutting a lengthwise slice from the bottom. Be careful and use a serrated or very sharp knife; a dull knife may slip on the hard skin.
- Once the squash is stable, carefully cut off the top lengthwise-quarter of the squash to make an opening; the open squash will serve as a serving piece. Using a large spoon, scrape out any seeds and strings from the inside of the squash. Reserve the removed quarter of squash for tempura.
- Peel the squash quarter, cut in half crosswise, and slice into ¼-inch thick pieces.
- Finely chop the leaves from 3 sprigs of sage and 3 sprigs of thyme. Reserve the remaining sage and thyme sprigs for garnishing.
- Pour enough vegetable oil in a large saucepan to reach a depth of 3 inches, making sure there’s at least 3 inches of clearance above that in the pan, and heat the oil over medium-high heat to 330° F (use an instant-read thermometer).
- Place a mixing bowl inside a larger bowl filled with ice. Add both flours, chopped sage and chopped thyme to the bowl and whisk to combine. In another mixing bowl, whisk the egg to combine, then mix in the seltzer water and vodka, if using. Pour the liquid mixture into the flour and gently whisk until just combined (a few lumps are ok; don’t over-stir, which can make the batter gummy).
- Working in small batches with one type of vegetable at a time, dip the vegetables into the batter to get a light coat. Add to the oil, one piece at a time (to keep from sticking) and fry, stirring frequently, until tender and golden, about 2½-3 minutes for the squash and sweet potato, and 1½ minutes for the rest. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels and season to taste with salt. Repeat with the remaining vegetables and batter. To keep vegetables warm as you work, keep them, uncovered in one layer, in a 200⁰ F oven.
- To serve, thread vegetables onto wooden skewers. Using the sharp end of each skewer, secure into the inside base of the squash. Garnish with sprigs of fresh sage and thyme.
Note: If you’d like to increase the quantities of vegetables, fry in batches and refill the squash as it depletes.
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