Tempura Shrimp

We start by defrosting our shrimp in a colander in the sink according to the package directions.

Next, we put our Dutch oven on the stove and put a few inches of oil in it for frying. We turn on the heat to medium-high and put a deep-fat fry thermometer into the oil. We want the oil to reach 375° to start frying.

Meanwhile, we get the batter ready. We set a medium bowl inside a large bowl of ice and water (to keep the batter very cold). We break the egg into the medium bowl and stir with a flat whisk. The egg is whisked just enough to break up the yolk at which point we add the cold water. We stir well and then sift the flour directly into the egg-water mixture. We stir just to incorporate, leaving a few lumps so as to not toughen the flour too much.

When the shrimp are defrosted, we peel them, reserving the peels in a freezer bag for another use. On the cutting board, we split the shrimp down the back, but not all the way through, so each will lay flat (butterflying), and leaving the tails intact.

When the oil is hot enough, we dip, using clean hands, a shrimp into the batter lightly coating it and then add to the hot oil. We repeat for just a few shrimp and then wash our hands well. Using our "spider" strainer, we flip the shrimp around in the oil. We want the shrimp golden and cooked all the way through. This takes about 3 minutes.

We remove them to a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt. We repeat the frying with more shrimp, waiting each time for the temperature to reach 375° again.

We could have transferred the already cooked shrimp into a warm oven, but we do not bother here. The shrimp are too delicious to wait! We serve immediately as part of our asian inspired meal.