Tempura
Ingredients
- 1 cup ice-cold water
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails intact
- 8 oz Japanese eggplant, sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch planks
- 4 oz shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, left whole
- 1 medium kabocha squash, peeled and sliced into 1/8-inch rounds
- 2 cups neutral oil for frying (vegetable or canola)
- 1/2 cup dashi stock
- 3 tbsp mirin
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp grated daikon radish
- 1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
Instructions
- Prepare dipping sauce: Combine dashi stock, mirin, and soy sauce in a small saucepan. Heat to 160°F over medium heat, then remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Divide into four small serving bowls and top each with 1 teaspoon of daikon and 1 teaspoon of ginger.
- Pat all vegetables and shrimp completely dry with paper towels. Score the shrimp's back side in two shallow crosshatch cuts to prevent curling during frying.
- Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or deep skillet to 340°F, using a thermometer for accuracy. Maintain this temperature throughout cooking.
- Make batter immediately before frying: In a chilled bowl, whisk together ice-cold water and egg yolk until combined. Add flour, baking soda, and salt in one addition, and fold together with 8-10 gentle strokes using chopsticks or a fork—do not overmix. Batter should be lumpy with visible flour streaks and the consistency of thin pancake batter.
- Working in three batches to maintain oil temperature, dip vegetables and shrimp in batter and gently place into 340°F oil, frying for 2-3 minutes until light golden and crispy. Do not overcrowd the pan. Transfer immediately to a wire rack set over paper towels.
- Check oil temperature between batches and maintain 340°F. If oil rises above 350°F, remove pan from heat for 1-2 minutes. If it drops below 335°F, increase heat gradually.
- Arrange fried tempura on a clean serving platter or four individual plates while still warm. Serve immediately with dipping sauce on the side, providing small dishes of sea salt as an optional alternative condiment for enhanced textural contrast.
Inspired by Shota Nakajima’s winning tempura. This is a plausible recreation, not the chef’s original recipe.