Tempura Recipe | Seafood Snacks
Tempura is one of the most celebrated Japanese dishes. Japanese deep-fried foods are noted for their delicacy, with the crisp batter so thin that the colours and textures of the food show through. The addition of sesame oil to the frying oil gives the food a distinctive nutty flavour. For best results the fish and vegetables should be ice cold before coating, and the batter made at the last minute.
Ingredients
- 1½ pints (900 ml) oil, for deep-frying
- 12 raw king prawns, peeled but with tails left on
- 1 lb (500 g) plaice or sole fillets, skinned and cut into small pieces
- 8 button mushrooms
- 1 bunch spring onions, cut into 3.5 cm/1½ inch lengths
- 1 red pepper, cored, deseeded and sliced
- 1 green pepper, cored, deseeded and sliced
- 1 large onion, cut into wedges
- ½ small cauliflower, broken into florets
- ½ small aubergine, thinly sliced
- Chives, to garnish
- #Batter#
- 1 egg
- 1/4 pint (150 ml) water
- 4 oz (125 g) plain flour
- 2 oz (50 g) cornflour
- Pinch of salt
- #Dipping Sauce#
- ½ pint (300 ml) canned chicken consommé
- 4 tablespoons sweet vermouth or sherry
- 4 tablespoons light soy sauce
Instructions
- To make the batter, lightly beat the egg in a llarge bowl. Beat in the water until frothy. Sift together the flour, cornflour and salt and fold in gradually.
- Heat the oil in a wok. Dip the prawns, fish pieces and vegetables into the batter, then deep-fry in batches until golden. Drain on kitchen paper; keep warm.
- To make the dipping sauce, warm all the ingredients in a saucepan. Serve in a warmed bowl.