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Tempura
From Dorothy McNett's recipes at www.dorothymcnett.com. Select from 5 - 6 ingredients for making a tempura feast. Shrimp, scallops, snow peas, chicken strips, pork strips, green pepper, broccoli, mushrooms, eggplant, sweet potatoes are good choices for instance.....and you must use a deep heavy bottomed pan such as a Dutch oven or a deep fryer.
6-8 fresh or dried shiitake mushrooms
1 bunch fresh broccoli
12 medium prawns
1-2 Japanese eggplants
10-12 snow peas
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups very cold water
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
5 cups peanut oil
4 tablespoons sesame seed oil
If using dried mushrooms, soak them 30 minutes in warm water. Remove, dry well, and cut into strips or quarters. Place on a paper towel lined platter. Cut the broccoli into spears, trimming as you go. Place in glass or ceramic batter bowl and cook in microwave 4 minutes. Allow to cool and pat dry with paper towel and then slice them into fairly long manageable strips and place on platter. Peel and devein the prawns, leaving the tail intact. To prevent prawns from curling when frying, make 3 slits in the belly side, pat dry, and place them on the platter. Cut eggplant lengthwise in halves. Quarter each half into lengthwise spears. Slit down the center but leaving one end intact. Place on platter. Trim and dry the snow peas and place on platter. Refrigerate to keep cold if not using immediately.
Use a Dutch oven or other similar pan that has a heavy bottom and has sides at least 5 - 6 inches tall, or a deep fat fryer. Put the peanut and sesame seed oil into the pan and bring to a temperature of 365-370 degrees. Check with a deep-fat / candy thermometer to make sure. While it is heating, in a batter bowl whisk together the eggs and water. Whisk in the soda and the flour and just mix to blend, batter should be a thin mixture that runs easily off of a spoon. Begin with vegetables by dipping each into the batter and slide into hot oil. Fry only 6 pieces at a time and only for about 1 minute, turning with tongs or chopsticks and cook another 30 -60 seconds or until they are a light golden brown. With a skimmer or slotted spoon, remove to paper towel lined baking sheet. Serve immediately, serving guests as they are done instead of waiting to cook all. Or, as they get cooked place them on a baking sheet and put into a preheated 250 degree oven to keep them warm while you cook all of them. Serve with dipping sauces.
Recipe created 2003-03-16.
