What are the key techniques for making tempura?

Making delicious tempura isn't as mysterious as it seems. There are just a few key points, and if you master them, you can achieve restaurant-quality results too.

First, and most important: The Batter.

The soul of tempura is that thin, crispy fried coating, not a thick, heavy crust. To achieve this, remember a few tricks:

1. Ice water! Ice water! Ice water! This is absolutely crucial. Using ice water, or even water with ice cubes, will prevent gluten from developing in the flour as much as possible. Too much gluten results in a hard, lumpy fried item instead of a crispy texture.
2. Don't overmix. Never stir the batter until it's completely smooth. See some small lumps of dry flour still in there? Perfect! That's exactly what you want. Over-mixing will also lead to more gluten development. Just use chopsticks to lightly stir it a few times, and stop as soon as it's roughly combined.
3. Mix just before use. Don't prepare the batter an hour in advance and let it sit. Always mix it right before you're about to fry. If it sits for too long, residual warmth and air will slowly cause gluten to form.
4. Use low-gluten flour. This is the kind we use for cakes. It has the lowest gluten content, making it easiest to achieve a crispy texture. If you only have regular all-purpose flour at home, it's okay, but the results might be slightly compromised.

Second: Ingredients must be "dry."

Whether it's shrimp or vegetables, make sure to pat their surfaces thoroughly dry with a paper towel before frying. Moisture is the enemy of deep-frying; too much water will cause the oil temperature to drop sharply, make the oil splatter everywhere, and result in soggy fried items. Before coating with batter, you can lightly dust the ingredients with a thin layer of dry flour, which helps the batter adhere better.

Third: Oil temperature is crucial for success.

If the oil temperature is too low, the ingredients will absorb a lot of oil and become greasy. If it's too high, the outside will burn while the inside remains raw.

• The ideal temperature is around 170-180 degrees Celsius.
• What if you don't have a thermometer? It's simple. Drop a tiny bit of batter into the oil. If the batter sinks to the bottom and then slowly floats up, the oil temperature is too low. If the batter disperses in the middle of the oil, the temperature is just right. If the batter immediately browns and changes color as soon as it enters the oil, it's too high.

Fourth: Don't be greedy, fry a small amount at a time.

If you throw too many items into the pot at once, the oil temperature will drop instantly. The result won't be "frying" tempura, but rather "boiling" it, and it definitely won't be crispy. Fry only a few pieces at a time, giving them enough space in the pot.

Finally, eat it immediately after frying!

Place the fried tempura on a wire rack (it's best not to place it directly on paper towels, as steam can make the bottom soggy) to drain excess oil. Then, don't wait, eat it right away! Tempura has a very short shelf life; those first few tens of seconds after it comes out of the fryer are its most glorious moment.

To sum it up: ice water, light mixing, dry ingredients, high temperature, small batches, and quick eating. Master these points, try it a couple of times, and you'll absolutely succeed.