Cookbook Club Results & Reminder #10: Three Takes on Tempura (Patreon)

Hi Cookbook Club Frienjis,

It’s Erin, Community Manager for the Cookbook Club here with your monthly status report as we work through a tempura trifecta (thanks, Carri, for the pun)!

I'll start us out with a not-so-controversial take: Deep frying is hard. Kenji makes it look easy (being a professional chef and all) but every time I've deep fried something, it's a loud, stressful, uncomfortably warm, and smelly experience. It takes a coordination between a wet and dry hand that I just don't have, and it usually sets off the fire alarm to boot.

All that's to say, I commend you Frienjis for taking the plunge this month and testing three deep fried recipe variations! And I am selfishly glad to see my own experience reflected in some of your feedback, as Kelly B. aptly put it: "Frying is HARD"

The Report

The results thus far are vastly different between the three variations. Variation #1, Shrimp Tempura, is easy and controllable—likely thanks to the age-old tricks Japanese chefs have used to perfect this dish over time—and it's coming out as an easy fan favorite. Variation #2, Tempura Sauerkraut, is a funky flavor that might just be an acquired taste, but those that get it, really get it. With both of these variations, the biggest problem was the batter coming out with too runny, a problem easily solved!

Then we have Variation #3, Perfectly Light Tempura Fried Fish...

To put it lightly, this variation has been a fail. Our most consistent piece of feedback across dishes was a dissatisfaction with this one. The batter was too thick, lacked flavor, and altogether led to a disappointing final dish. This tells Kenji it's time to head back to the drawing board and adjust some of those ratios and ingredients. Luckily, with a devoted group of recipe testers, we already have some pointers for the direction to take this dish next!

If you were one of the Frienjis who had a successfully light and flavorful fried fish, give us some tricks of the trade: What did you do differently from the written recipe? How did your batter compare to the other two variations? We'd love to know!

As mentioned, deep frying is hard, and if you're going to use a big amount of oil, heat up the kitchen (and again, probably set off the fire alarm), the juice better be worth the squeeze. So, we asked you: Would you make this dish again? Let's take a look at the results:

Fitting with the flaky fish feedback, that variation had the least amount of confident votes that yes, you would make this dish again. It also had the most votes for a confident "no, thank you." The sauerkraut variation is interesting: It can be a divisive flavor (if you hate funk!) and maybe it's for that reason not a single Frienji said they would make it for a special occasion. Finally, we have the reliable shrimp tempura with the most votes that yes, you will be making this dish again in its bamboo skewered glory.

Dispatches from the Frienji Frontier

Mckenzie T. went for big fusion flavors:

I actually looked at [the shrimp tempura recipe] at the same time I looked at the Seattle-style teriyaki sauce recipe and the upgraded ranch recipe and got inspired to make an Asian fusion shrimp po’ boy. So I made this tempura fried shrimp, tossed it with a bit of the teriyaki sauce, and put it on a hoagie roll with the gochugaru ranch, finely shredded napa cabbage, and sliced scallions. My husband went nuts for it!

Shoutout to the Cookbook Club siblings, Chris and Kelly:

I made all three variations with my brother who is also in the Cookbook Club: Chris B.! The tempura sauerkraut reminded us of a bloomin' onion. And the fried fish was the last variation of a four hour fry night but I wish it was the first, because I think it was my favorite, but I was so full of oil :P

Porcini kept it impressively local:

Almost everything that went into this dish was made, caught or grown within a few miles of where we live! Haddock caught just off the coast, homemade tartar sauce from the same fishmonger, flour from the local bakery, beer from a friend's microbrewery, even the vodka was made in the city.

Dave had a successful fish fry! Teach us your ways, Dave...

Beer Battered Tempura Cod was the best of the three in my opinion. My wife said it was the best fried fish I have made in the 25 years we have been married! Super tender and flaky. Homemade tartar sauce on the side and some freshly squeezed lemon made this dish really shine.

Let's Keep Cookin'

We hope you enjoyed this month's recipe variations. If you haven't gotten around to testing them, there's no rush! We'll continue gathering feedback as it comes in from our global test kitchen to make these recipes the best versions of themselves that they can be.

As always, thanks for being part of the club!

— Erin & The Cookbook Club Team