Around the World in 80 Dishes: Tempura Shrimp and Vegetables

In our ongoing video series Chef Shirley Cheng, from The Culinary Institute of America, demonstrates how to make classic Japanese tempura shrimp and vegetables

Want to learn the secret to making light, crispy fried food without a bit of greasiness? In these videos, The Culinary Institute of America's Chef Shirley Cheng shows us how to make perfect Japanese tempura with shrimp and a wide variety of vegetables, including mushrooms, green beans, lotus roots, and shiso leaves. She also demonstrates a classic dipping sauce.

In Japanese cuisine, tempura is one of several forms of deep frying or "agemono," according to The Oxford Companion to Food. Tempura refers specifically to small bits of seafood or vegetables that are cooked in a light batter. The Companion further explains that tempura can be traced back 400 years and that the name and technique were possibly introduced by Portuguese missionaries (the Portuguese word "tempuras" means "Ember Days," when meat was not eaten).

Follow the lead of chefs at tempura bars in Japan and serve your fried morsels as soon as possible after cooking, while they're at their most crisp and tasty. Chef Cheng likes to accompany tempura with soba—you can find these Japanese buckwheat noodles dried in most stores, and they are also available fresh in the refrigerated section of some markets.

Tempura Shrimp and Vegetables

Epicurious | April 2009

by Chef Shirley Cheng, The Culinary Institute of America

Yield: Makes 4 servings

The difference between good and bad tempura is the batter—the goal is a light, crisp coating that doesn't absorb oil when fried. There are several important steps for achieving this texture:

1). Don't overmix the batter. When you stir in the water, mix very gently just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Don't attempt to work out the lumps, or the batter will become heavy.

2). Be sure the water you mix in is very cold. This will make a cold batter that will remain light when fried.

3). Mix the batter just before frying. Making it ahead will produce a heavy coating.

4). Dry the shrimp and veggies well before dipping them in the batter. This will help the batter adhere.

5). Be sure the oil is the proper temperature. If it's not hot enough, the batter will absorb oil before it cooks and the result will be greasy tempura.

Tempura is traditionally served with boiled soba noodles and shredded carrots or daikon radish.

Ingredients

For dipping sauce

1/4 cup dashi
1/2 cup light soy sauce
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely grated (from about 3/4-inch piece)
1/2 cup daikon radish, finely grated (from about 4 1/2-inch piece)
1/4 cup mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)

For tempura

10 green beans, trimmed
12 large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tail shells left intact
Salt and pepper
About 6 cups vegetable or peanut oil for frying
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
10 fresh shiitake mushrooms (about 3/4 pound), stemmed
1 large white onion, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick rings
2-ounce piece fresh lotus root (about 1 1/2 inches long), peeled, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
10 fresh shiso leaves

Preparation

Make dipping sauce
In small saucepan over moderate heat, stir together all ingredients. Bring to simmer, then remove from heat and keep warm. (DO AHEAD: Sauce can be made ahead, refrigerated in covered container up to 2 days, and rewarmed over moderate heat before serving.)

Make tempura
Bring medium pot water to boil over high heat. Have large bowl ice water ready. Add green beans to boiling water and blanch just until crisp-tender, about 30 seconds. Using slotted spoon, immediately transfer to ice water to stop cooking, then drain well and dry on paper towels.

Make several shallow cuts across inside curve of each shrimp and gently press shrimp flat on cutting board (to help prevent curling during cooking). Sprinkle shrimp with salt and pepper.

In large saucepan over moderate heat, heat 4 inches of oil until thermometer registers 325°F.

In large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and sesame oil. Gradually and gently whisk in 2 1/2 cups ice water, mixing just until dry ingredients are moistened. (Batter will be very lumpy.)

Working in batches, using tongs or chopsticks dip shrimp and vegetables into batter and fry, turning occasionally, until golden, about 1 1/2 minutes for green beans, 2 minutes for shrimp and other vegetables. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Return oil to 325°F between batches and, using spider or slotted spoon, remove any residual bits of batter from oil before adding next batch.

To fry shiso leaves, gently lay each leaf on top of batter to coat 1 side, then drop, batter-side-down, into oil and fry without turning until underside is golden, about 1 minute. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Serve tempura immediately with dipping sauce.

Text by Megan O. Steintrager, illustrations by Matthew Brennan, photo by CIA/Keith Ferris