Tempura is one of a few different techniques developed in Japan for frying foods. Many of them are similar to techniques from other places, but each with their own uniquely Japanese character. In the case of tempura, that character is expressed by the necessity of light, airy batter fried crispy but not dark, so that the food’s own character is enhanced and promoted without concealing it or distracting from it.

If you wish to fry shrimp as tempura, typically the shrimp are skewered lengthwise for frying. Generally, apart from shrimp, tempura consists of vegetables, prepared in advance in such a way that they will cook properly while frying for up to 3 minutes total. In some cases, such as mushrooms or green beans, vegetables may be fried whole. Onions and zucchini need slicing of course, but can be up to 5mm (~1/4 inch) thick. Tougher vegetables, such as butternut, kabocha or acorn squash, should be sliced more thinly, 2-3mm.

Make sure all the ingredients are prepared before beginning to fry. It is not practical to attempt to do knifework while also watching the fry pot.

Makes as much as you care to fry, roughly 3-7 pieces per person, depending on what you’re serving.

Equipment:
• a fry pot or self-contained deep fryer
• spider or tongs for getting fried items out of the oil
• rack for draining fried items; either in a pan or over the side of the fry pot
• large mixing bowl, optionally sitting in an ice bath, plus extra bowl for sifting flour
• chopsticks for handling raw and breaded items

Ingredients:
3/4 cup AP flour
5 Tbsp cornstarch or tapioca, potato, non-glutinous rice
1 cup cold water seriously, with ice cubes in it
1 ea egg also cold

Dipping sauce:
2-3 Tbsp mirin sweet cooking (rice) wine
1-2 Tbsp dashi bonito-kombu broth
1 Tbsp soy sauce dark
1/2 - 1 Tbsp sushi vinegar
1-3 tsp yuzu juice or calamondin juice, or meyer lemon


Procedure:
1. Get all the veg and any shrimp ready.
a) Shrimp should be peeled with the tail left on, and skewered to keep them straight while frying
b) Cut any tough veg to 2-3mm thickness
c) Cut other veg a bit thicker, up to 5mm
d) Mushrooms may be fried whole or sliced, according to their size
2. Get the fry oil ready, at about 360F or so, perhaps a little higher just before the first veg go in, as of course they will bring the temperature down. Ensure that the frying vessel is no more than 60% full of oil. Some space is needed to ensure it does not bubble over.
3. Sift together the flour and starch very thoroughly. Leave the flour in the large mixing bowl.
4. Once the oil is about at the right temp, quickly mix the batter in the mixing bowl:
5. Crack the egg into the flour and give the egg a quick stir with a chopstick just to break it up a little, then add the ice- cold water to the egg and flour, and use two chopsticks held in one hand to mix the batter together poorly, so it is still lumpy.
6. Throw a few pieces of veg into the batter, and turn them over to coat, and then place them into the oil. Do not throw anything into the oil.
7. If need be, turn the veg over about halfway through.
8. Items should not become “golden brown” before coming out of the pan, and indeed, should remain pale even as they cool.
9. Tempura should be enjoyed as soon after cooking as is safe, with some ponzu sauce, made by mixing soy and mirin with yuzu juice and dashi broth. In a pinch, any mostly-sour citrus juice may be used, a half-tsp or so of honey added in place of mirin, and chicken or other stock might substitute for dashi.

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