Tempura

Tempura

I recently discovered how easy it is to make tempura when researching how to fry pumpkin blossoms (link to that post

I am new to frying, so rest assured; if I can do it, you can too. I will explain the tempura batter and then given tips on frying the various foods mentioned above.

Ingredients (tempura batter):

• 1 egg
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup cold water (I use refrigerated water)

That's it. Amazingly simple. I have also made a quick version that is 1:1 flour and cold water (great for frying only a couple items)

Procedure:

1. Preheat oil in wok or pan to 340ºF to 360ºF. Doing this first helps keep the batter cold which is critical.
2. Prepare foods to be fried. Clean and shell shrimp. Cut vegetables into strips (do not precook)
3. Mix tempura ingredients together (do not overmix! Multiple sources said that the batter should be lumpy). I use chop sticks for this step.
4. Dip item in batter, coating both sides, and allow excess batter to trip off.
5. Put item into hot oil (be careful not to splash hot oil)
6. Cook item until golden brown. ~2-4 minutes for vegetables (until soft). ~3+ minutes for shrimp (until fully pink). ~5 minutes per side for mahi Mahi (until fully cooked)
7. Remove from oil and place on a paper towel lined plate
8. Enjoy (best enjoyed hot or warm)

That's it. Like I said, it is super easy and delicious.