Fish and Seafood Recipes - Tempura

Ingredients

• 60 g (2 oz) all-purpose flour for dredging

• 1 eggplant, cut diagonally into long, thick slices

• 120 g (1 cup) pumpkin or sweet potato, peeled and sliced into thin wedges

• 100 g (3/4 cup) green beans, trimmed

• 1 small onion, cut in crescents

• 4 fresh shiitake mush­rooms, stems removed

• 90 g (2/3 cup) fresh or frozen green peas

• 8-10 prawns, peeled and divined, with tails intact

• 4 whitebait, about 60 g (2 oz) each, or white fish fillets, sliced

• 4 scallops, cleaned and sliced in half horizontally Oil for deep-frying

• Tempura Dipping Sauce

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Method:

1. Put flour for dredging in mixing bowl and set aside.

2. Heat oil in wok or deep-fryer to 160°C (325°F).   

3. To prepare first batch batter, beat 1 egg yolk with 1 cup ice water in a mixing bowl until smooth. Add 1 cup flour all at once, and stir briefly with chopsticks or a fork until just combined. The batter may be lumpy but should be quite thin. Do not over mix.

4. Dredge the eggplant, pumpkin, green beans and onion pieces in flour, shaking off any excess. Dip a slice of vegetable into the batter and gently shake off any excess.

5. Carefully slip vegetables, 5 to 6 pieces at a time, into the hot oil, and cook, turning once, until crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack or paper towels.

6. To cook mushrooms, spoon batter on the underside of the mushrooms, shaking off any excess. Place mushrooms in oil, batter side down, and fry, turning once, until tender, about 1 minute. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper toweling.

7. Sprinkle green peas lightly with flour. Scoop about 1 tablespoon peas into a slotted spoon and coat the peas in batter. Let excess batter from peas drip from spoon. Carefully place peas into the oil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, turning once, until batter is crisp. Remove from oil and drain on paper toweling.

8. Heat oil to 180°C (350°F). Meanwhile, prepare second batch batter. Dredge the seafood with flour and dip into batter. Cook seafood until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes. (Prawns may take 1 minute more, depending on size.) Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper toweling.

9. Pour about 3 tablespoons warm Tempura Dipping Sauce into small sauce bowls and serve with a selection of tempura.