Chef John's Shrimp Tempura

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Servings: 4
Yield: 4 servings

Description

Chef John's technique for shrimp tempura produces a light, crispy coating that can be used for a variety of other meats and vegetables. Perfect for an appetizer!

Ingredients

12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
canola oil for frying
1/4 cup self-rising flour
1/4 cup potato starch
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 cup cold sparkling water
1/2 cup prepared dashi stock
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 pinch white sugar, or to taste
grated daikon radish

Directions

1 Gather all ingredients.
2 Dry peeled and deveined shrimp on paper towels. Flip each shrimp over and make shallow cuts through to make sure they won't curl up when frying. Refrigerate until needed.
3 Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4 Combine self-rising flour, potato starch, salt, and cayenne in a bowl with a whisk. Add cold water and whisk until flour disappears and a crepe-like batter is achieved. Coat shrimp in batter.
5 Fry shrimp in small batches, no more than 6 at a time, making sure they don't stick together, until golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
6 Stir together dashi broth, mirin, soy sauce, and sugar for sauce. Grate daikon radish over. Taste and adjust as needed.
7 Serve shrimp with dipping sauce.