Ebi Tempura (Shrimp tempura)
Ebi tempura, or shrimp tempura, features large succulent shrimp coated in a light and crispy tempura batter and then fried to perfection. Serve your Japanese shrimp tempura with tempura sauce for the ultimate appetizer.
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 20 min
- Yield
- 5 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 lb large shrimp (peeled and deveined with tail on end)
- 3-4 cups neutral oil (for frying)
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch (for coating)
- 3/4 cup (99 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (33 g) corn starch
- 1 large egg (cold)
- 1 cup sparkling water (cold)
- Togarashi
- 1 Pinch Salt
- Tentsuyu dipping sauce
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the shrimp. Peel the shrimp leaving the tail at the end. Devein the shrimp and then make very shallow tiny cuts across the underbelly of the shrimp and then again along both sides of the shrimp. Lightly squeeze and straighten the shrimp on a paper towel-lined plate.
- 2
Heat the oil. In a heavy-bottomed pot, add the neutral oil enough to cover about 2 inches of oil in the pot. Place a candy thermometer onto the pot and heat to 350ºF (180ºC).
- 3
Sift the dry ingredients. Sift the flour and cornstarch in a large bowl to remove any clumps.
- 4
Mix wet ingredients. In a separate bowl or large measuring cup with a spout, whisk the cold egg. Then mix in the sparkling water.
- 5
Combine. Slowly pour the wet mixture into the flour while mixing with chopsticks. Mix until it is just combined. Do not over-mix there should be some lumps in the batter. Chill the batter and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
- 6
Coat the shrimp. Gently coat the shrimp with cornstarch and shake off any excess.
- 7
Dredge and fry. Remove the batter from the refrigerator and give it a quick mix. Dredge each shrimp into the batter covering thoroughly, remove any excess, and immediately slowly lower the shrimp into the oil while making a swirling motion to fry. Dip your fingers into the batter and drizzle it over the shrimp while it is frying. Fry each shrimp for about 2 minutes or until the shrimp is pink and the batter is light, golden, and crispy. Remove the tempura bits each time to avoid burning and overcrowding.
- 8
Cool and serve. Remove the cooked shrimp with a spider strainer or slotted spoon and place onto a wire rack to drain any excess oil.