Buffalo Shrimp Tempura
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 8 servings
- Calories
- 281
- Total Fat
- 22
- Saturated Fat
- 6
- Carbohydrates
- 15
- Dietary Fiber
- 1
- Sugar
- 1
- Protein
- 6
- Cholesterol
- 60
- Sodium
- 241
- Total: 1 hr 50 min (includes freezing and chilling time)
- Active: 50 min
Ingredients
Blue Cheese Dressing:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons crumbled Maytag or other blue cheese (about 3 ounces)
2 tablespoons half-and-half
2 teaspoons sour cream
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Kosher salt
Butter-Hot Sauce:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup hot sauce, such as Frank's
Shrimp Tempura:
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail on (about 16 shrimp)
1 cup seltzer water, chilled
1 large egg yolk
1 cup cake flour
Kosher salt
Carrots and celery sticks, for serving
Directions
Special equipment:
sixteen 8-inch wood skewers and a deep-fry thermometer- Put a medium bowl in the freezer. Put a wire rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet and set near the stovetop where you will be frying.
- For the blue cheese dressing: Whisk together the mayonnaise, blue cheese, half-and-half, sour cream, lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- For the butter-hot sauce: Combine the butter and hot sauce in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave until the butter melts, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir to combine and set aside.
- Meanwhile, for the shrimp tempura: Pat the shrimp completely dry with paper towels. Cut small 1/4-inch diagonal slits on the underside of a shrimp, then flatten to make it lie straight. Thread a skewer through the length of the shrimp. Repeat with the remaining shrimp. Refrigerate to chill the shrimp for at least 10 minutes before frying.
- Fill a large heavy-bottom pot with 2 inches of oil, attach a deep- fry thermometer and heat the oil to 375 degrees F.
- Right before you are ready to start frying, whisk together the seltzer and egg yolk in the cold medium bowl from the freezer. Add 1/4 cup ice. Add the flour and whisk gently 9 to 10 times then put the whisk down! You want the batter to be clumpy to help add extra crispiness to your shrimp (see Cook's Note).
- Dip batches of the shrimp into the batter while holding the end of the skewer. Coat completely, letting any excess drip back into the bowl. Slowly lower the shrimp into the hot oil using tongs. Fry until puffed and golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, transfer to the rack on the baking sheet and sprinkle lightly with salt while still hot. Be sure to bring the oil back up to 375 degrees F between batches.
- Serve with the blue cheese dressing, butter-hot sauce, carrot and celery sticks.
Cook’s Note
Good tempura batter is all about cold ingredients like seltzer, ice and even the ingredient you're frying-- shrimp in this case. Take care not to overmix the batter and remember that lumps are a good thing!