For our final post on using a flour-based batter, let’s talk about tempura.
Tempura is a very popular Japanese appetizer or snack.
Tempura is actually more a method of cooking, more specifically of deep-frying, that involves coating ingredients...(more on this later)…with a feather-light batter and then cooking it in very hot oil so that you end up with a light, crispy crust.
This method can be used on almost any food…including vegetables—such as bell peppers, eonions, eggplant, broccoli, sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots, mushrooms…and meat—such as halibut, oysters, shrimp, squid.
The perfect tempura is airy, light, and crispy….served hot with a special dipping sauce…garnished with grated daikon radish.
So let’s talk about how we can make tempura at home….
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The Batter
Your goal is to get the batter as light as possible….a batter that will result in fluffy and crisp tempura.
And there are three important rules to remember about making tempura.
First of all, your water must be ice cold. Otherwise, your batter will absorb too much oil. You can do this by either adding ice to your batter or by placing the bowl inside a larger bowl with ice in it.
Do not mix the batter too much...keep it somewhat lumpy. If you mix the batter ingredients too much, your tempura will turn out chewy. Stab chopsticks…not a whisk…into the batter to combine the ingredients without mixing them too much.
Finally, do not use too much batter. This will help you make sure that the inside is cooked at the same time that the outside becomes crispy.
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Frying
Most foods only need to cook a couple of minutes per side..
It is important that the oil is at the right temperature—somewhere around 340 F to 360 F—before adding your food.
This temperature will vary while you are cooking…especially whenever adding food to the hot oil…so use a candy thermometer to monitor it.
Raise the heat when the oil is too cool…If the temperature is not hot enough, the batter will absorb too much oil and won’t get crispy;
Lower the heat when the oil is too hot…..if the oil is too hot, the tempura will burn.
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The Recipe