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Seafood Tempura

Source of Recipe

From "Williams Sonoma: Cooking at Home" by Chuck Williams


Recipe Introduction

"Made with only water, egg yolk, and flour, lacy tempura batter coats fresh shellfish in this crisp and surprisingly light classic Japanese preparation. Accompany the tempura with lemon wedges for squeezing and soy sauce for drizzling and dipping."

List of Ingredients

◦ 12 large shrimp (prawns), peeled and deveined
◦ 12 sea scallops
◦ 1 egg yolk
◦ � cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
◦ Salt
◦ Peanut or canola oil for deep-frying


Recipe

Make shallow parallel cuts along the inside curve of each shrimp so they won't curl during cooking. Slice each scallop in half horizontally to form two rounds. Set the shellfish aside.

Pour � cup very cold water into a bowl. Add the egg yolk and whisk with a fork. Quickly whisk in the flour and a pinch of salt. Be careful not to overbeat the batter. A few small lumps are fine.

Pour oil to a depth of at least 2 inches into a deep, heavy saucepan and heat to 350� F on a deep-frying thermometer. Spread flour for dusting in a shallow bowl. When the oil is ready, working in batches to avoid crowding, lightly flour the shrimp and scallops, dip them into the batter, and then carefully slip them into the oil. Cook, turning once, until lightly golden, 2 minutes total for the scallops and 3 minutes total for the shrimp. Using a wire skimmer, transfer to paper towels to drain briefly, then keep warm until all the seafood is cooked. Arrange the fried shrimp and scallops on a warmed platter and serve right away.

Makes 6 to 8 servings






❧ Vegetable Tempura:
If you like, substitute vegetables for some of the shellfish, or double the batter and do a combination of the two. Try snow peas, broccoli florets, or wide, thin slices of carrot, cut on the diagonal.