Cactus Fries Nopalitos Fritos

A zesty taste sensation from jay's mestena cafe in san antonio, texas as published in texas highways magazine.

Remove thorns and eyes from cactus , and trim off the edges of pads.

Blanch cactus for 2 minutes in a covered pan with enough boiling salted water to cover.

Drain.

Cut cactus in 3- to 4-inch strips similar to french fries.

Set aside.

Combine cornstarch and achiote paste in a blender or food processor , and pulse until smooth.

In a medium-size bowl , combine flour and baking powder , add cornstarch mixture , and blend well.

In another bowl , beat egg white to stiff meringue.

Fold into the flour mixture , alternating with enough ice water to make batter the consistency of unbeaten egg white.

Chill.

Dredge cactus strips in batter , and fry in deep hot oil until crisp and golden , approximately 3 minutes.

Drain well and serve.

cactus pieces, cornstarch, achiote paste, all-purpose flour, baking powder, egg white, ice water, peanut oil