Tempura Batter

mix

1 cup all purpose flour, 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1 tsp fine salt

Mix Everything together in a bowl and set aside.

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whisk

1 egg, and slowly add 1 cup seltzer water

In a bowl ideal for later dipping your fried things into, whisk 1 egg aggressively (to create airiness). Once whisked, slowly and gently add seltzer water (to not lose bubbliness) and stir until you have an even wet mixture.

Sprinkle + Soak

Flour-cornstarch-salt mixture into airy egg-seltzer mixture

Using chopsticks in one hand, and grabbing a handful of flour mixture in the other, sprinkle the flour into the egg-seltzer mixture while using the chop sticks to move and soak the flour. Small clumps and lumps are ok, you do not want to over stir the batter as this develops gluten and will make the final tempura much more dense as opposed to light and crispy. Lastly, add a handful of ice cubes into your batter to keep it very cold which also helps reduce the gluten development of your batter

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Prep/Cut

Vegetables and/or Proteins to appropriate sizes.

The list of what you can tempura fry is seemingly endless. Here are my best tips on how to asses your cut sizes and fry times.

• You want to typically cut vegetables that take longer to cook no larger than the thickness of your finger or 1/8th of an inch
• Proteins such as fish bigger than anchovy I butterfly across the belly, to straighten out prawns, make short even cuts across the belly side running down the length of the prawn, using your fingers, flex the prawn gently almost like cracking an egg until its straightened and lightly stretched and can hold a satisfying shape.

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Dust

With Corn or Potato Starch

Using a brush, lighted dust the surface of your cut vegetables or proteins to help dry any surface moisture and to help the tempura batter to better stick to them.

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Heat Oil

1.5 - 2L to 350F over medium-high-ish heat

Using a brush, lighted dust the surface of your cut vegetables or proteins to help dry any surface moisture and to help the tempura batter to better stick to them.

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frying method 1 (easy)

Dip items into batter and fry 2-3 minutes

• Fry items till lightly golden and remove onto some paper towel to catch the excess oil. Lightly sprinkle with fine salt.
• If you’re frying something delicate like a shiso leaf or a tender green, turn up the temperature of your oil by 10-15°F to crisp it up faster
• If you’re frying something larger such as a potato, or squash, drop your oil by 10-15°F to cook it slower and more evenly
• Always test one piece of whatever it is you’re frying to gauge the cooking time, the heat of oil, the thickness of your vegetable or protein so that you can adjust what you can accordingly.

FRYING METHOD 2 (KINDA HARDER)

Pour a few tablespoons of batter directly into the oil

To get an even crispier tempura, this method is typically used for things like prawns, eel, and other delicate items.

Take a small ladleful of batter (about a few tablespoons and pour it into a corner of your frying pot, allowing around 10-15 seconds for the flakes to cook before gathering them together with a spider or slotted spoon.

In this example, take your prawn and dip it also into your batter, and lay the prawn across the tempura raft you’ve built, using your spoon again or chopstick to maneuver the tempura raft, rolling it around the prawn. Allow this to cook as well for 2-3 minutes or until golden and remove onto a paper towel and lightly salt.

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