The Waterblommetjie Tempura with Lime Hollandaise is refreshingly different. It is not new, not my invention either, but my own way of cooking it.

Waterblommetjiebredie is a is a local delicacy in South Africa, even Waterblommetjie soup is a winter favourite. Waterblommetjie Tempura, might be a bit far fetched.

For those of you who are not familiar with waterblommetjies, here is a short explanation. “Waterblommetjies” is the Afrikaans and literally means little flowers that grow on dams and marshes. It is mostly found in the Western Cape and the season starts early July and ends early September. Therefor it is mostly used in stews. I use fatty lamb cuts in my stew, but I am sure beef and chicken will also work.

I bought some waterblommetjies and when I opened the packet, I saw they were rather small and young. There were almost no hard outer leaves that I had to remove. They were so pretty and petite. Now, normally I would have to blanch the flowers, because of the hard outer leaves, but I decided to skip this step. A bit risky, I know, but I was willing to try. I was surprised at how well it worked. The heat from the oil was enough to cook the waterblommetjies, but they retained their flavor and texture.

Waterblommetjie Tempura with Lime Hollandaise

makes about 25