Straighten the shrimp
Peel leaving the tail segment. Devein. Make 3 or 4 shallow cuts across the belly and gently press the shrimp straight. Snip the tail tip and squeeze out trapped water.
Recipes › Shrimp Tempura
Shrimp Tempura
Kuruma-ebi Style
Pale, lacy and almost weightless: large shrimp in an ice-cold batter mixed at the last possible second and fried only until the crust sets.
Jump to RecipeServing suggestion. Follow the ingredients and texture guidance below; the image is not a doneness reference.
The Recipe
Ingredients
Step-by-Step Instructions
Make the tentsuyu
Simmer dashi, mirin and soy for 2 minutes. Keep warm and set out grated daikon and ginger.
Heat the oil
Bring oil to 355°F / 180°C in a deep pot.
Mix batter at the last second
Beat egg yolk into ice water. Add cake flour and starch and stir only a few strokes with chopsticks. Lumps are good.
Dust, dip and fry
Dust shrimp lightly with flour, dip into batter and lower into the oil. Fry 90 seconds to 2 minutes, turning once, until pale gold and crisp.
Drain upright
Drain on a rack, tail-up if practical. Skim loose batter between batches.
Serve within minutes
Serve immediately with warm tentsuyu, daikon-ginger, citrus and flaky salt.
OPTIONAL UPGRADE
Flavor Bomb
Keep the core recipe clean, or flip this on for one or two high-impact upgrades.
How to know it's done
Use these recipe-specific texture cues. Color and curl alone cannot establish safety; use a thermometer to check 145°F / 63°C at the thickest part for cooked shrimp.
ShrimpSense Notes
The little details that make a big difference.
Cold batter, hot oil
The temperature contrast limits gluten and sets a delicate shell fast.
Lumps are a feature
Overmixing makes tempura bready and tough.
Snip the tail tip
Water trapped in the tail can spit violently in hot oil.
Pale is correct
Tempura is done when the crust is crisp and pale, not deeply browned.