Back
Vegetable Tempura
Recipe by Shaun Presland
- Steps
- Ingredients
Steps
- Heat oil in deep fryer to 180⁰C.
- For dashi, pour water into a sauce pan and bring to a slow simmer over a low heat. Turn off the heat, add katsoubushi flakes and let steep (like tea leaves in a pot) for 3-4 mins. Skim any bubbles that may appear and strain through a sieve lined with filter paper into a clean pot, being careful not to squeeze too hard.
- Place flour into a large bowl, pour in water and mix until just combined. Drop in vegetables, starting with sweet potato, pumpkin and shitake mushrooms, one at a time to ensure they are not stuck together. Gently drop in the oil, one by one, starting with a swimming motion so they don’t just drop to the bottom. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until cooked through and crunchy and golden. Remove and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Place flour and seafood in a large bowl and toss to dust. Drop dusted seafood in the batter, being careful to keep the prawn tails free of batter so they look cool. Gently drop the fish into the oil first, holding the prawns by their tails, slightly swing them in the hot oil to disperse the batter. Then send them swimming, again ensuring that they stay straight and don’t sink to the bottom.
- With your fingers, in a flicking motion, spray a little more batter over the prawns to give them a “flower” effect, making them a little more 3D and crunchy. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until golden and crunchy.
- Cook the remaining vegetables, repeating the same process as with the sweet potato, cooking until golden and crunchy. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
- For Tensuyu, pour dashi, soy and mirin into a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over a medium heat, turn off heat. Place grated ginger and radish in a dipping bowl and pour in dipping sauce.
- To serve, a beautiful plate of tempura should resemble and be as beautiful as a bunch of flowers – the hero of tempura is the prawn and needs to hold his head up high.
- Fold tempura paper and place on a serving plate, used to absorb the oil and keep grip, place fish on the bottom and top with 3 prawns resting up against the fish to form a wigwam triangle. Place the largest vegetable pieces (keeping them together – ie. don’t separate the family, pumpkin stays with pumpkin etc) against the prawns working down to the smallest vegetable piece in the front. This way everything can be seen upon presentation and the individual pieces will keep each other warm. Place a dish of Tensuyu to the side and enjoy with cold beer or cold sake.
