Tempura of seafood or vegetables can be found on the menu in most Japanese restaurants and you might assume it's tricky to master at home... Watch Rick to discover his perfect tempura recipe that couldn't be easier.
Rick says: "I have picked up two vital tempura-making tips from Japanese chefs: first, to make the batter at the very last minute and hardly whisk it at all, and, second, to fry everything in small batches."
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 125g medium squid (pouches and tentacles)
- 10 raw tiger prawns
- 125g salmon fillet, skinned
- Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
For the batter
- 60g plain flour
- 60g cornflour
- 150ml ice-cold soda water, from a new bottle
- Sea salt
Method
1) Prepare the squid pouches by across into thin rings and separate the tentacles into pairs. Remove the heads of the prawns and peel them, leaving the
last tail segment in place. Skin the salmon fillet, then cut across diagonally into strips about the thickness of your little finger.
2) Mix together the ingredients for the two dipping sauces and put into bowls for serving. Heat the oil for deep-frying to 190°C.
3) To make the batter, sift half the flour, half the cornflour and a pinch of salt into each of 2 large bowls. Stir 150ml of the ice-cold
water into one bowl until just mixed. The batter should be a bit lumpy. If it seems thick, add a drop more water. You want the batter to coat the food in a
thin, almost transparent layer.
4) Drop 8 pieces of mixed seafood into the batter, lift out one at a time and drop into the hot oil. Fry for 1 minute, then remove and drain on kitchen paper.
5) Serve with a simple soy, fresh ginger and spring onion dipping sauce. Make a second batch of batter when you need it.
