How to you make the tempura batter stick on to the sea food?!


Question:

How to you make the tempura batter stick on to the sea food?

This acutually the third time I tried, I followed all it's direction, combine the batter with yoke first and dipped the sea food, it just won't stick, all splattered after I drop into the frying pan, am I missing an ingredient?


Answers:
It's not the batter's fault. It's your technique. I'm of Japanese heritage. Granny always set aside some of the flour mixture before adding the liquid ingredients to it. Before you batter, dust the food with the dry flour mixture, then dip the food in the batter. Then, as soon as you lower the food into the hot oil, dip your fingertips into the batter and flick more batter onto the food as it fries to get that bubbly appearance on the food. This is the traditional Japanese way of making tempura.

Dust it very ... very lightly with cornstarch then shake off all excess before putting in the batter.

You have to make sure your seafood is very dry before you dip it into the batter; try blotting it dry with paper towels before you batter it (change your towel often). The excess moisture is what's making your tempura splatter when it hits the hot oil... also, you'll have to remake your tempura batter; it only fries up light and crispy for a very short amount of time after you make it. After that, it starts to absorb the oil and become a greasy mess. Good luck!

Shrimp Tempura with Soy Sake Dipping Sauce Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence
Show: Food 911
Episode: Shrimp Ahoy!

Dipping sauce:
1 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sake
1 tablespoon hot chili sauce (recommended: Srirachi Hot Chili Sauce)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Tempura:
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup rice flour, plus 1 cup for dusting
1 cup cold seltzer water
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon sesame oil, optional
Vegetable oil, for frying
Kosher salt

Make the dipping sauce: Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Set aside to allow the flavors to develop.
Butterfly the shrimp by cutting down the back, being careful not to cut all the way through. Open the shrimp like a book and rinse well with cold water.

Make the Tempura batter: Put 1 cup of rice flour in a bowl and pour in the seltzer. Stir with a whisk to get out all the lumps. Add the egg yolk and blend it in well. The batter should be the consistency of heavy cream. Flavor with sesame oil, if using.

Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil to 375 degrees F in a wok or deep fryer. Dry the shrimp well. Dust the shrimp in flour to soak up any remaining moisture, shake off excess. Dip the shrimp into the batter one by one. Drop 4 or 5 pieces at a time in the hot oil. Do not overcrowd the pan. Fry until golden brown, turning once, about 3 minutes. To keep the oil clean between batches, skim off the small bits of batter that float in the oil. Remove the fried shrimp from the oil and drain on paper towels; season them with salt. Serve with the dipping sauce.

DO NOT DROP TEMPURA INTO FRYING PAN

Slowly lower it into the oil, when the seafood floats let go of it, and BE CAREFUL as you can burn yourself doing this.

I once worked as a cook in a hotel and this is the way I was taught to do tempura,

before you put food into the batter roll it in cornflour first so it is lightly coated, then it will stick. Try a batter of flour and fizzy water and a little salt, this will be lighter than the egg one. just mix until thick enough to coat the food.

The seafood has to start out dry before dipping into the egg. Try this:

Pat dry the seafood with a paper towel
Lightly dust with flour and shake gently
Dip in yolk that has been whisked
Dip into the batter

Try frying a bread cube first as the oil may not yet be hot enough, too much oil (not enough room in the pan) or water was clinging to the seafood.




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