Easy Tempura Recipe - by Koji Cooks

TEMPURA

There's a reason we go out to eat tempura and sushi at Japanese restaurants. They both seem so simple, yet often the simplest things are the hardest to perfect. Tempura is one of those dishes; it must be crispy and definitely not greasy, and it can be messy to prepare. This recipe, adapted from Elizabeth Andoh, is a bit easier to make. It is not messy, can be prepared in advance, and reheated without losing its crispiness. I often make tempura using a variety of colorful vegetables and usually shrimp, as it is the classic tempura protein.

TEMPURA - Recipe (serves 4)

8 large shrimp, with shells removed except for the tail, then butterflied.

8 trimmed green beans

4 shiitake caps, halved.

4-8 slices of peeled sweet potato

8 slcies of red onion, cut pole to pole in 1" pieces.

8 peeled 1/4" slices of carrot.

Place approximately 1/4 cup of cornstarch into a plastic bag and shake the vegetables and shrimp in batches to coat them evenly, then arrange them on a tray.

Optional garnish -sliced scallions

DIPPING SAUCE

1/2 cup peeled, grated daikon radish

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/2c mirin

1/2 cup dashi broth

METHOD

Mix the ingredients in a small saucepan and let them simmer for 2 minutes on low heat. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, then divide it into 4 dipping sauce bowls.

BATTER & COOKING

Tempura batter requires ice, so it's best to have all your ingredients prepared before making the batter. You'll need a deep fryer filled with vegetable oil heated to 350 degrees, with the oil at a depth of 3 inches. Have a baking tray lined with paper towels next to your fryer.

BATTER

1 cup self rising cake cake flour - more as needed.

several ice cubes

1/3-1/2 cup cold water

METHOD

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees to keep the tempura warm while cooking in batches.

In a medium-sized bowl, use chopsticks to mix the self-rising cake flour, ice cubes, and 1/3 cup of water. Stir quickly with just a few strokes; the batter should be lumpy and just combined. Using tongs, take 4-6 items you plan to tempura, dip them into the batter to coat evenly, shake off any excess batter, and place them in the heated oil. Let them sit for 30 seconds, then give them a stir or shake if using a fryer basket. Remove with tongs after about 3-4 minutes, once they are pale golden like straw, and place them on a paper towel-lined pan. Continue with the remaining tempura items. Note: You may need to wait a minute or two between batches to let the oil return to the right temperature. If the batter becomes too thin as the ice melts, stir in more cake flour, one tablespoon at a time. Keep the tempura warm in the oven and serve once everything is cooked, with dipping sauce on the side and a sprinkle of scallions.