Why prawn tempura is a good choice
You can make delicious prawn tempura without any special equipment or skills. The coating is incredibly light and crunchy which complements the soft texture of the prawns perfectly. It is a quick way to prepare a fancy looking meal for guests or a weekend treat. Everyone enjoys the combination of hot prawns and a simple dipping sauce.
Step by step: prawn tempura
Prepare prawns: Peel the prawns but leave the tails attached for easy handling. Make small shallow cuts along the underside of each prawn to help them stay straight during cooking. Pat them dry with paper towels to ensure the batter sticks well. Dust each one lightly with cornflour before you start the batter.
Mix batter: Whisk the egg in a large bowl and then pour in the ice cold sparkling water. Add the plain flour and salt but do not overwork the mixture. It is okay if there are a few small lumps left in the batter. Keeping the batter cold and slightly lumpy helps create a crispy finish.
Heat oil: Pour the vegetable oil into a deep pan or wok and heat it to roughly 180 degrees. You can test the temperature by dropping a small amount of batter into the oil. If the batter sizzles and rises to the surface immediately the oil is ready. Do not crowd the pan when you start frying the prawns.
Fry prawns: Dip each prawn into the batter and carefully place it into the hot oil. Fry the prawns for about two minutes until the coating is pale gold and very crisp. Remove them from the oil and let them drain on paper towels for a minute. Serve your prawn tempura immediately with soy sauce or a sweet chilli dip.
Important tips for prawn tempura
Always use sparkling water that has been kept in the fridge until the very last second. The bubbles and the cold temperature create the signature light texture found in restaurant quality prawn tempura. Do not prepare the batter too far in advance as it will lose its lightness. If you are making a large batch keep the bowl of batter inside a larger bowl filled with ice.
Make sure the prawns are completely dry before dipping them in the batter or it might slide off. Frying in small batches ensures the oil temperature stays high enough for a crisp result. You can also use this same batter for thin slices of vegetables like sweet potato or bell peppers.
You might also enjoy
fried coley,
gazpacho with prawns or
pasta with tuna and cream sauce.
