This Japanese dish – introduced by the Portuguese in the sixteenth century – is the pinnacle of crisp batter cookery. Follow our in-depth guide to discover how easy it is to make at home and create one of the most satisfying plates of food in existence
RECIPE TOM SHINGLER PHOTOGRAPHS MAJA SMEND FOOD STYLING EMILY JONZEN STYLING WEI TANG
The project
When done right, tempura is a delight. Lighter and crispier than the batter on fried fish (and far less greasy), tempura batter is delicate and lacy with a translucence that allows the colours of the food encased within to shine through.
Unlike other elements of Japanese cooking, tempura is simple once you have the know-how, so join us on our deep dive into this incredible dish, then follow our tips and foolproof recipe for top-tier tempura.
Great batter
The basics of tempura are simple: flour is mixed with enough liquid (often water) to create a batter with the consistency of double cream, in which ingredients are dunked, then cooked in hot oil.
However, the key to great tempura is its extremely light yet crunchy texture; it shouldn’t be greasy or claggy, and the food inside the batter should be perfectly cooked. To achieve this, there are some tricks and techniques to follow.
• THE FLOUR Batter requires flour, but using a mix of plain flour and cornflour (or rice flour) achieves the crispest texture. Cornflour helps stop the gluten in the plain flour from forming bonds as it’s mixed with water, which can turn fried batter chewy.
• THE LIQUID Replacing some of the water with vodka helps prevent gluten formation – many chefs use vodka in batters (and pastry) of all kinds to ensure the best texture. The alcohol will burn off in the hot oil, so there’s no need to worry about feeding it to children.
Using soda water instead of still water results in a puffier, fluffier batter. The gas bubbles expand when heated, forcing the batter to puff up, becoming lacy and featherlight.
• THE CHILL FACTOR Make your batter as cold as possible. When something very cold meets something very hot, the reaction is more intense and it ‘shocks’ the batter into instantly crisping up. The best way to keep your batter cold is to ensure the ingredients and mixing bowl are chilled in the fridge before using. If you can mix the batter in a bowl set in a larger bowl full of iced water, even better.
• THE TEXTURE How thin or thick you want your batter to be is up to you – within limits. Too thin and it won’t stick to the food; too thick and it won’t cook through properly. We’ve added egg yolks for richness and a slightly denser, crunchier texture, but if you prefer a gossamer-
