Ebi no Tempura (海老の天ぷら)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Tempura nabe, or a heavy deep pot
• •Frying thermometer
• •Saibashi (long cooking chopsticks), or slim tongs
• •Wire rack set over a tray
• •Cold mixing bowl
• •Small saucepan for tentsuyu

Instructions

1. 1

   Make tentsuyu

   Put the mirin in a small saucepan and bring it to a brief simmer for about 30 seconds. Add the dashi and shōyu, warm it through, then take it off the heat. Don't boil it down. Tentsuyu should season the shrimp lightly, not bully it. Keep the grated daikon separate so each person can stir in what they like.

   Use real dashi here. Instant powder gives salt before depth, and this little dipping broth has nowhere to hide.
2. 2

   Clean the shrimp

   Peel the shrimp, leaving the final tail segment attached. Devein them with the point of a knife. Toss the shrimp with the potato starch and salt until the surface feels tacky, then rinse under cold water and pat very dry. The starch pulls away surface slime and odor, and the drying matters because wet shrimp make batter slide and oil spit.

3. 3

   Prepare the tails

   Trim the sharp tip from each tail fan, then scrape the tail gently with the back of the knife to press out trapped water. This small, fussy-looking act has a plain reason: water inside the tail bursts in hot oil. Wipe the tails dry again.

4. 4

   Straighten the shrimp

   Lay each shrimp belly-up and make 4 or 5 shallow crosswise cuts along the underside, only halfway through. Turn it over and press gently along the back until you feel the fibers relax. The cuts release the muscle's curl, so the shrimp fries long and even instead of tightening into a small comma.

   Don't cut deeply. You want to persuade the shrimp straight, not divide it into pieces.
5. 5

   Heat the oil

   Pour the oil into a tempura nabe or heavy pot to a depth of about 2 inches. Heat to 170 to 175°C, or 340 to 350°F, and set a wire rack over a tray. If you have no thermometer, a drop of batter should sink slightly, then rise quickly with lively bubbles. Oil too cool makes a greasy coat. Oil too hot browns the batter before the shrimp cooks.

6. 6

   Mix the batter

   Beat the chilled egg lightly in a cold bowl, then add enough ice water to make 1 cup of liquid. Add the sifted flour and stir with chopsticks about 10 to 12 strokes. Leave lumps. Smooth batter is not a virtue here, because overmixing builds gluten and turns lace into a tough coat. If the kitchen is warm, set the bowl over ice while you fry.

7. 7

   Batter and fry

   Dust 2 shrimp very lightly with the extra flour or potato starch, shaking off anything loose. Dip each shrimp in the cold batter and slide it into the oil away from you. Fry 90 seconds to 2 minutes, turning once, until the crust is pale ivory-gold, the tail is coral, and the shrimp is opaque through the center. If you want a lacy coat, flick a few drops of batter over the shrimp in the first 20 seconds. Pull it before it browns deeply.

   Work in small batches. Crowding drops the oil temperature, and then the batter drinks oil instead of setting crisp.
8. 8

   Drain and serve

   Lift the shrimp to the rack and let excess oil fall away. A rack keeps the underside crisp better than a flat towel. Serve at once with warm tentsuyu, grated daikon, and sudachi or lemon if you have it. For a quieter table, offer fine salt as well. Tempura is best the moment it leaves the oil, so fry, serve, and keep moving.

Chef Tips

• •Buy shrimp that feel firm and smell clean, faintly sweet, never iodine-sharp. Properly frozen shrimp are often better than tired fresh ones. Sourcing first, always.
• •Kuruma ebi is the old prize if a good fishmonger can get it for you. For a home table, large wild shrimp with the shells on are a sensible stand-in, as long as they're glistening fresh once thawed.
• •Use low-protein flour if you can. All-purpose flour works, but chill it first and mix with a light hand. The cold buys you time, and the lumps are part of the method.
• •A little light sesame oil in the frying oil gives the Edo fragrance. Don't use dark toasted sesame oil here; it scorches too quickly and takes over the shrimp.
• •Tempura is not food for waiting under foil. Foil traps moisture and softens the crust. For a dinner party, prepare everything early and fry in small batches while people are already seated.

Advance Preparation

• •The tentsuyu can be made one day ahead and refrigerated. Warm it gently before serving, without reducing it.
• •Dashi keeps two days refrigerated. Make it from konbu and katsuobushi, then leave the powder on the shop shelf for another dish where it won't be asked to carry the table.
• •The shrimp can be peeled, cleaned, scored, and dried up to 4 hours ahead. Keep them covered in the refrigerator on a paper towel, then dry them once more before dusting.
• •Chill the egg, water, flour, and mixing bowl before you start frying. Make the batter only at the last moment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 235g)