Recipe

Dredge Vegetables

1. Line sheet pan with clean kitchen towel or paper towels and have it nearby. Pour 5″ of oil into a 7-qt. or similar-size deep Dutch oven or heavy pot (or deep fryer) and heat over medium-high heat, until deep-fat thermometer reads 350°F.
2. In medium gratin dish or similar baking dish, place ¾ cup of flour for dredging, and set aside. In medium bowl, whisk together remaining 1½ cups of flour and pinch of salt. Add sparkling water and whisk to combine, adding more water, if needed, until batter is thin enough to almost drip off whisk in steady stream.
3. Season all vegetables with salt and pepper. Working with one piece at a time, dredge vegetables first in flour, just to coat lightly, then in batter, letting excess drip off slightly.

Deep-Fry Vegetables and Serve

1. Transfer to hot oil and deep-fry. (We find chopsticks or tongs useful for handling the vegetables.) Working in handful-size batches, fry each kind of vegetable separately, turning them in oil as they fry until golden on all sides, 1 to 2 minutes per batch, depending on the vegetable. (Drop each vegetable into oil separately, except for green beans, which form pretty clusters if you drop them in 3 at a time. You may need to adjust the oil temperature between batches to maintain 350°F.) When each batch is cooked, transfer to towel-lined pan and season with salt and pepper.
2. Once all vegetables have been cooked, carefully batter lemon slices and fry for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove lemons and carefully add sage and fry for 10 seconds. Season with salt. Repeat with parsley, adding carefully, as it may sputter.
3. Arrange vegetables and fried lemon slices on platter. Garnish with fried sage and parsley, plus lemon wedges or slices, and serve immediately.