Shatteringly Crisp Shrimp Tempura

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Two tricks separate limp home tempura from the lacy, shatter-crisp version you get at a good Japanese counter: a barely-mixed batter made with ice-cold sparkling water, and scoring the belly of each shrimp so it fries dead straight instead of curling into a ball. Serve with a warm tentsuyu dipping sauce and grated daikon.

Ingredients

• 16 large shrimp (16/20), shell-on if possible
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 cup cornstarch, for dusting

• 1 cup cake flour or all-purpose flour, chilled
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 large egg yolk, cold
• 3/4 cup sparkling water or club soda, ice cold
• 6 cups neutral oil for frying (canola or rice bran)
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil (optional, for aroma)

• 3/4 cup dashi (or water plus 1/2 tsp dashi powder)
• 3 tbsp mirin
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 cup finely grated daikon radish, lightly squeezed
• 1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger

Instructions

1. Make the tentsuyu: combine dashi, mirin, soy sauce and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer 2 minutes, then remove from heat and keep warm. Divide among 4 small bowls just before serving and top each with a small mound of grated daikon and a pinch of ginger.
2. Prep the shrimp: peel the shrimp but leave the last tail segment and tail fan intact for a handle. Devein with the tip of a paring knife. Pinch the pointed tip off the tail fan and gently scrape the tail with the back of your knife to squeeze out trapped water — this stops the oil from spitting.
3. Straighten the shrimp: lay each shrimp on its back and cut 4 to 5 shallow crosswise slits about 1/8 inch deep along the belly, stopping well short of cutting through. Turn the shrimp belly-down on the board and press firmly along the back with your fingers until you hear the muscle release; the shrimp will lie flat and straight. Sprinkle all over with salt and set on a paper-towel-lined tray. Refrigerate uncovered while you heat the oil.
4. Heat the oil: pour the neutral oil into a heavy 4- to 5-quart Dutch oven to a depth of about 2 1/2 inches (never more than halfway up the pot). Add the sesame oil if using. Heat over medium to 350°F, monitoring with a clip-on thermometer. Set a wire rack over a sheet pan next to the stove.
5. Only once the oil is at temperature, make the batter: whisk the chilled flour and cornstarch together in a medium bowl and set the bowl inside a larger bowl of ice water. In a separate bowl, whisk the cold egg yolk into the ice-cold sparkling water. Pour the liquid into the flour and stir with chopsticks or a fork just 10 to 12 strokes — the batter should be thin, streaky and lumpy. Do NOT smooth it out; overmixing develops gluten and gives you a bready crust.
6. Pat the shrimp completely dry, then dust lightly with cornstarch, tapping off all excess. Holding a shrimp by the tail, drag it through the batter, letting the excess drip off for a second — leave the tail bare.
7. Fry 4 shrimp at a time: lower each one halfway into the oil, hold for 2 seconds so the crust sets straight, then release. Fry 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, turning once, until the coating is pale blond, rigid and no longer bubbling loudly. Do not let it brown deeply. Lift to the wire rack.
8. For the signature lacy strands, flick a few drops of batter off your fingertips into the oil around the frying shrimp and scoop the crisp bits onto the shrimp after 10 seconds. Between batches, skim out loose crumbs with a fine strainer and let the oil return fully to 350°F.
9. Sprinkle the finished tempura with a pinch of salt and serve immediately, within 2 to 3 minutes of frying, with the warm tentsuyu and daikon alongside. Diners stir the daikon and ginger into the sauce and dip each shrimp just before eating.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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