Crispy Assorted Tempura Made with Ice Water Batter

Ingredients

• Keep the shrimp in the refrigerator until half thawed, add 2 tbsp mirin (cooking rice wine), mix thoroughly, stir occasionally until completely thawed, drain the liquid released during thawing, and remove excess moisture on paper towels.

Steps

1. Prepare the frozen shrimp

   

   

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   Leave frozen shrimp in the refrigerator until half thawed, then add 2 tbsp mirin (cooking rice wine) and mix thoroughly.

   Stir occasionally until completely thawed.

   

   

   

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   Adding mirin removes fishy odors. Drain the liquid released as the shrimp thaws and pat dry on paper towels.

   For any fried dish, removing moisture thoroughly keeps frying safe.

   Squid especially splatters severely, so thorough moisture removal is essential.

   Lightly season all over with a small amount of salt and ground black pepper.

2. Slice the ingredients

   

   

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   Slice the eggplant and sweet potato either diagonally or into rounds, keeping them not too thin.

3. Make the tempura batter

   

   

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   To 2 cups of frying mix (twigim-garu), I tossed in 2 egg yolks to give it a richer color.

   Melted ice water is essential for crispy fried food. I poured in 1 3/4 cups.

   The ratio of flour to water is usually about 1:1, but I adjusted it this way because of the egg yolks.

   The batter should feel runnier than pancake batter and drip off the spoon so the coating stays thin and does not absorb too much oil.

   Stir lightly; you do not need to dissolve every single white lump completely.

   If you work tempura batter too long, gluten forms and the fried food may turn tough instead of crispy.

   You can use up any leftover batter by shredding zucchini or perilla leaves into it to make savory pancakes.

   

   Place the shrimp in a plastic bag with about 2 to 3 tbsp of flour, tie the bag, and shake it to coat them evenly and thinly.

   Sweet potato and eggplant can be dipped straight into the tempura batter without dusting flour and fried.

4. How to check the temperature using batter

   

   

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   Sinks to the bottom and does not float up: below 150°C

   Sinks to the bottom and slowly floats up: 150°C to 160°C

   Drops to mid-depth and floats right back up: 170°C to 180°C

   Scatters across the oil surface: above 180°C

   Alternatively, touch a wooden cooking chopstick to the center bottom of the pan. Small bubbles will gently fizz and then grow larger when it reaches the right temperature; if they turn too large, the oil is overheated.

   The right temperature for our frying is 170°C to 180°C.

   When a drop of batter sinks halfway down and floats right back up, you are ready to fry.

   Coat the ingredient evenly in batter, lift it to let excess drip off, and then...

5. Fry

   

   

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   Gently lower it into the oil.

   Fry until both sides are nicely colored and crispy.

   Cool on a wire rack or sieve immediately after frying so the oil drains off and crispiness is preserved.

6. Finish

   

   Eating it right after frying makes it the ultimate in crispiness.

   I put so much effort into the shrimp, but I could not take photos while frying, so only the finished plate made it into the shot.

Ppunwife's tips

• For any fried dish, removing moisture thoroughly keeps frying safe.
• The batter should feel runnier than pancake batter and drip off the spoon so the coating stays thin and does not absorb too much oil.
• If you work tempura batter too long, gluten forms and the fried food may turn tough instead of crispy.
• Cool on a wire rack or sieve immediately after frying so the oil drains off and crispiness is preserved.

FAQ

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