Stephen Ceideburg
1 lb Raw shrimp, deveined
2 Green Peppers
1 Carrot
1 sm Eggplant (1/2 lb
1 md Sweet potato
6 Shiitake mushrooms
6 Inch piece raw squid
2 md Onions
Vegetable oil
BATTER
2 Egg yolks
2 c Ice-water
2 c Sifted all purpose flour
3/4 c All-purpose flour
DIPPING SAUCE
1 c Ichiban dashi
3 tb Light soy sauce
1 tb Mirin
1 tb Sugar
1/4 c Grated daikon (white radish)
2 ts Fresh ginger, grated
TEMPURA is one of the most familiar of all Japanese
dishes, both at home and abroad. This familiar
national dish finds its place in the Kyushu section
because it was almost certainly invented in
Nagasaki-not, however, by the Japanese. Between 1543
and 1634 Nagasaki was the center of a great community
of missionaries and traders from Spain and Portugal.
Like homesick foreigners everywhere, they did their
best to cook foods from their home countries, and
batter-coated and deep-fried shrimp happened to be a
particular favorite throughout southern Europe. The
name tempura (from Latin tempera meaning 'times')
recalls the Quattuor Tempora ('The Four Times', or
'Ember Days') feast days on the Roman Catholic
calendar when seafood, especially shrimp, were eaten.
When the dish became Japanized, however, its range was
extended almost infinitely. Beef, pork and chicken are
almost the only things not prepared as tempura, and
these all have separate deep-frying traditions anyway.
Favorite foods for tempura treatment include shrimp,
eggplant, snow peas, sweet potato slices, mushrooms of
all sorts, carrots, peppers, squid, small whole fish,
lotus root, small trefoil leaves and okra (ladies'
fingers). The crucial factor in making good tempura is
the batter. This should be so light and
subtly-flavored that it could almost pass as an
elaborate seasoning. There are only three ingredients
in it, and all three have an equally important part to
play in producing the sort of tempura you want. Egg
yolk is beaten very slightly first, then some
ice-water is added. Finally, finely sifted flour is
added. Reducing the egg amount will make the finished
batter coating lighter in color; more egg will make a
golden tempura (the former is preferred in Osaka, the
latter in Tokyo). The amount of ice-water determines
the relative heaviness or lightness of the batter--for
very light, lacy tempura, add more water. The flour
should be barely mixed with the other ingredients--to
achieve real lightness, the batter should look lumpy,
undermixed and unfinished-looking, and it must always
be prepared just before you use it; thoroughly mixed,
silky batter that has been allowed to 'set' and settle
simply will not produce good tempura. Preparation:
Score the shrimp a few times crosswise on the
underside, to prevent them curling-up during
deep-frying. Tap the back of each shrimp with the
back-edge of your knife. Core and remove the seeds
from the peppers; trim and slice into strips. Wash and
scrape the carrot; cut into strips about 1 1/2" long
and 1/8" wide. Peel the eggplant, leaving 1/2" strips
of the peel intact here and there for decorative
effect. Cut in half lengthwise, then into slices 1/4"
thick. Wash the slices and pat them dry with kitchen
towelling. Peel the sweet potato and slice it
crosswise into 1/2" rounds. Cut the mushrooms in half.
Cut the flattened piece of squid into 1/2" squares.
Cut the onions in half. Push toothpicks into the onion
at 1/2" intervals, in a straight line. Then slice the
onions midway between the toothpicks. The toothpicks
will hold the layers of onion together in each of the
sliced section Pour the vegetable oil into a large pot
or electric skillet. The oil should be heated to about
350 degree F. Make the batter in two batches . Place
one egg yolk into a mixing bowl; add one cup of
ice-water and mix with only one or two strokes. Then
add 1 cup of flour, and mix as before, with only a few
brief strokes. Prepare the second batch of batter when
the first is used up. The batter should be lumpy, with
some undissolved flour visible. Check the oil for
heat: drop a bit of batter into the oil; if the batter
sinks slightly beneath the surface, then comes right
back up surrounded by little bubbles, your oil is
ready. Dip each item into flour first this ensures
that each ingredient is perfectly dry and that the
batter will adhere well. Then dip in the batter, shake
a little to remove any excess batter, and slide into
the oil. Fry each piece for about 3 minutes, or until
lightly golden. In order to maintain the oil
temperature, make sure that no more than a third of
the surface of the oil is occupied by bubbling pieces
of frying food. Remove the pieces from the oil and
drain for a few seconds. Then transfer to your guests'
plates, also lined with attractive absorbent paper.
You may also keep tempura warm in a 250 degree F oven,
no longer than about 5 minutes. To make the dipping
sauce: combine the dashi, soy sauce, mirin and sugar
in a small saucepan. Heat until the sugar has
dissolved and serve warm, with a little grated daikon
and ginger on the side for each guest to combine with
the dipping sauce according to taste. Dip the tempura
in the sauce and eat.
From "Japanese Cooking", John Spayde, Chartwell Books
Inc. ISBN 0-89009-822-0
