Cookbook Club Recipe #10 | Variation #1

Use big shrimp, a feather-light batter, and a few Japanese chef's tricks for tempura that's crisp, juicy, and remarkably forgiving.

Tempura is all about restraint. The batter should be just thick enough to add a delicate, lacy crunch while letting the ingredient underneath remain the star. For more info on making the perfect batter, head to this post before proceeding onto shrimp goodness!

Shrimp are one of the classic tempura ingredients, but there's a surprisingly narrow window of cook time separating perfectly juicy and disappointingly rubbery. The trick is to use larger shrimp. I typically pick up a bag of headless EZ-Peel jumbo shrimp. They're easy to prep and are usually in better condition than pre-peeled shrimp, which can get a little mangled. Their larger size gives you a little more margin for error, so by the time the batter is crisp and pale blond, the shrimp are just cooked through.

When preparing shrimp for tempura, I like to leave the tail section attached. Not only does it make the shrimp easier to pick up and bite, but when it crisps up in the oil, the tail itself becomes deliciously crunchy and sweet. I eat the whole thing.

You can take raw shrimp, toss them in batter, and go straight into the oil—this is a fantastic way to cook truly fresh, live shrimp that still have a little snap to them. For the frozen shrimp most of us buy, however, I like to give them a quick dry brine with salt and a little baking soda before frying. Salt seasons the shrimp throughout, while both the salt and the baking soda alter the muscle proteins so they contract less as they cook. The result is shrimp that stay plumper, juicier, and snappier, even if you leave them in the oil a few seconds longer than intended. I use this trick for almost every shrimp recipe I cook.

Unless you can buy shrimp that are still alive, frozen is usually the better choice. Most "fresh" shrimp at the seafood counter were frozen anyway, then thawed for display. Buy them frozen, thaw them yourself overnight in the refrigerator (or in a bowl of cold water), and you'll know exactly how fresh they are. One last trick borrowed from Japanese tempura chefs: If you've ever wondered how restaurant tempura shrimp stay perfectly straight instead of curling into little commas, the answer is a bamboo skewer. Threading one through the center of each shrimp before frying keeps them straight as they cook, making them easier to fry evenly and just a little more elegant on the plate.

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Recipe: Tempura Shrimp

Every recipe I publish here is personally tested, tasted, and approved.

What I love about this recipe:

Whether frozen or fresh, the shrimp you like to buy will work for this dish.

Japanese chefs have perfected this recipe and the techniques you need to make it just right.

With just 35 minutes of total cooking time, you can create a classic dish at home.

Yield: Serves 4Active Time: 20 minutesTotal Time: 35 minutesNotes: For plumper, juicier shrimp with a pleasantly snappy texture, toss the peeled shrimp with 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon Morton kosher salt) and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda per pound. Let them rest for 15 minutes, then pat them dry before skewering and battering. This simple dry brine helps the shrimp retain moisture during cooking and gives you a little extra insurance against overcooking. If you don't have bamboo skewers, the shrimp will still taste great, but they'll curl as they fry. And like all tempura, shrimp are best eaten within minutes of coming out of the oil.

Ingredients

For the optional dipping sauce (tentsuyu):

1 cup (240ml) dashi

3 tablespoons (45ml) mirin

1 tablespoon (15ml) soy sauce

Grated daikon radish

For the shrimp:

1 pound (450g) headless EZ-Peel jumbo shrimp (16–20 count), thawed if frozen

Kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda (optional, see note)

1/2 cup (65g) all-purpose flour

1/4 cup (30g) cornstarch

1/4 cup (35g) potato starch

1/2 teaspoon MSG (optional)

1 large egg

1/4 cup (60ml) ice-cold vodka

1/2 cup (120ml) ice-cold club soda

2 quarts (2L) peanut oil, vegetable oil, or other neutral frying oil

Lemon wedges for serving (optional)

Method

If making the dipping sauce (tentsuyu): Combine the dashi, mirin, and soy sauce in a small saucepan and heat until just steaming. Let cool on the counter while you make your tempura. Alternatively, the sauce can also be mixed and served cold. Heating it briefly will evaporate off the hint of alcohol it gets from the mirin and sake and give it a mellower flavor. Add grated daikon just before serving.

Peel the shrimp, leaving the final tail section attached. If using the optional dry brine (recommended): Toss the shrimp with the kosher salt and baking soda mixture (see note above) and let stand for 15 minutes. Pat the shrimp very dry with paper towels.

Working one shrimp at a time, place it belly-side down on a cutting board so it lies as flat as possible. Starting from the head end, carefully thread a 4-inch bamboo skewer lengthwise through the center of the shrimp until it exits at the tail. Repeat with the remaining shrimp.

Heat the oil to 350°F (175°C) in a wok, Dutch oven, or other heavy pot.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, potato starch, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and the MSG.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the egg, vodka, and club soda until homogeneous. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using chopsticks, stir vigorously while shaking the bowl with your other hand until the batter is just barely combined. It should remain visibly lumpy, with streaks and small pockets of dry flour. Do not overmix.

Working in batches, dip the shrimp into the batter, allowing the excess to drip off. Carefully lower them into the oil, bringing your hand as close to the surface as possible before releasing each shrimp.

Immediately begin moving the shrimp gently with chopsticks or a spider to keep fresh oil circulating around them. Fry until the batter is pale blond and crisp and the shrimp are just cooked through, about 1 minute.

Transfer the shrimp to a paper towel-lined plate or wire rack. Remove the skewers, season immediately with salt, and repeat with the remaining shrimp.

Serve immediately with lemon wedges or optional dipping sauce (tentsuyu).

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