Shrimp tempura

Use very cold sparkling water and plain flour, and stir only briefly; a few lumps are fine. Coat the prawns just before frying so the batter stays cold and doesn’t turn gluey.

Heat neutral oil to 170–180 °C and fry small batches for about 2–3 minutes, turning once, until the batter is pale gold and crisp and the prawns are opaque. Let the oil return to temperature between batches.

Make several shallow cuts across the underside of each peeled prawn, then gently straighten it before dipping it in batter. Don’t cut all the way through.

A classic accompaniment is tentsuyu, a savoury Japanese dipping sauce made with dashi, soy sauce and mirin. Serve it warm or at room temperature, with grated daikon if you like.

Refrigerate leftovers promptly in a covered container and eat within 1–2 days. Reheat on a rack in an oven at about 200 °C for 5–8 minutes; a microwave will soften the batter.

Thaw the prawns fully in the fridge first, then pat them very dry before battering; excess water makes the coating slide off and can make hot oil spit. Don’t thaw them at room temperature.

Tempura has a thin, crisp coating made from a light batter, while breaded shrimp is coated in crumbs and usually has a thicker crust. The listed breaded shrimp has 308 kcal per 100 g, compared with 189 kcal per 100 g for shrimp tempura.