The Japanese
love of simplicity and freshness of ingredients is embodied in Tempura -
morsels of fish or vegetable encased in a whisper of batter and fried to
a light crisp finish.
Prawn Tempura
Ingredients:
8 raw king prawns
plain flour
oil, for deep frying
wasabi
Batter:
1 cup iced water
1 egg yolk
1 cup plain flour, sifted
Dipping Sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp mirin (sweet Japanese wine)
1 tbsp sake (Japanese rice wine)
Method:
Shell the prawns, leaving the tails
intact. Remove the veins. Score the underside of the prawns with a sharp
knife to prevent them curling. Press the prawns slightly to straighten
them.
To make batter: Whisk together the water
and egg yolk. Sprinkle flour over the top and stir in lightly with a
fork or chopstick until just combined. (The mixture will be lumpy). Dust
the prawns in flour, shaking off any excess. Dip in the batter (pushing
any lumps to one side) and allow the excess to drain away. Deep-fry in
hot oil until golden and crisp. Drain well on paper towels.
To make dipping sauce: Combine the soy
sauce, lemon juice, mirin and sake in a bowl. Serve with dipping sauce
and wasabi.
Potato and Pumpkin and Onion
Tempura
Cut potato and pumpkin into thin slices.
Halve and slice the onions into rings. Dust in flour, shaking off the
excess. Dip in Tempura batter, allowing the excess to drain off.
Deep-fry a few at a time in hot oil until crisp and tender, turning
during cooking. Drain on paper towels.
Vegetable Bundles
Cut carrots, beans, zucchini and spring
onions into strips about 5cm long. Arrange in bundles of 5-6 pieces on a
plate. Sprinkle flour lightly over the prepared bundles. Grasp the
bundles with tongs or chopsticks. Shake off excess flour. Dip in Tempura
batter. Carefully dip each bundle into hot oil. Fry, turning, until
golden. Drain on paper towels.
Seafood Tempura
Cut boneless fish fillets into strips or
small pieces. Cut calamari into rings or thin strips. Dust pieces in
flour, shaking off excess. Dip fish and calamari in Tempura
batter, allowing excess to drain off. Deep-fry a few pieces at a time
until crisp, golden and cooked through (about 2 minutes for fish and 1
minute for calamari).
Hints and Tips for Tempura:
- The best Tempura is made using a thin
crisping batter.
- Make the batter just before using as it
becomes gluey if left for too long.
- Overstirring the batter will cause it to
become too thick to use. The batter will be lumpy. An occasional stir
will prevent the batter separating.
- Tempura should never be greasy - this is
accomplished by keeping the oil at a high even temperature so it seals
the outside.
- Test the heat of the oil by dropping in
a small amount of batter. If it sizzles immediately, the oil is hot
enough to use.
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