Prawn Tempura
The rules for making perfect tempura batter are at odds with the rules of other pancake batters; the water needs to be icy and it should be lazily mixed into the flour to create a lumpy batter. It’s a matter of keeping a tight leash on your instincts and learning a whole new set of rules.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
12 Madagascan tiger prawns
1 medium egg
125g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
600ml vegetable oil, for deep frying
100ml sesame oil, for deep frying
Dipping Sauce
2 tbsp Japanese soy sauce
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 tbsp Mirin
2 tbsp fish stock
Method
- Put 250ml cold water in the freezer to become icy cold. Prepare the prawns by removing their heads and shells; leave the tails on. Run a sharp knife down the back of each prawn and rinse, pulling away the dark cord. Pat dry and keep chilled.
- Gently simmer all the ingredients for the dipping sauce in a small pan for 5 minutes, then set aside to cool.
- Half-fill a large saucepan or wok with vegetable oil and sesame oil; heat to 180°C (or until a cube of bread turns golden in 30 seconds). When it’s ready, prepare the batter. Break the egg into a bowl, then whisk in the iced water. Add the flour and mix roughly with a chopstick to create a lumpy mixture with pockets of flour. Take a prawn by its tail, dust in flour, dip in the batter, then drop into the oil. Repeat with the remaining prawns: fry in 2 batches for 3 minutes each, until golden. Drain on kitchen paper and serve with the sauce.
Drinks recommendation
An aged sherry is the greatest partner for crunchily rich prawns.