November 24, 2009 · Filed under Cooking, Food, Ingredients, Recipes· Tagged baked tempura, fruits, healthy alternative, healthy comfort food, seafood, tempura, vegetables
This magazine I was flipping through the other day had a restaurant ad with a very hypnotic photo of tempura. That got me all excited about my next kitchen project. The only thing is that I forgot that deep frying is a big part of how you make the dish. And deep frying is something I was trying to remove from my cooking vocabulary these days. So, I immediately thought of the possibility of baking it instead. I wasn’t sure if it would work, though. But then again, I’ve made baked tonkatsu in the past with excellent results, so that, at least, gave me some confidence that it might actually work for tempura also.
Well, it’s not quite the texture you get when you deep fry it, obviously. As you can see, it’s not as shiny as when it’s soaked in oil. But this is a very acceptable alternative, nonetheless, if health awareness is something you’d consider. The flavor is authentically tempura. Especially, when you factor in the dipping sauce.
Ah… the sauce, yes! Now, this is a whole new ball of wax, I have to say. I’ve tried in the past to make tempura dipping sauce but I couldn’t quite get the authenticity part down. I know because I’ve had it in Japanese restaurants before and there’s always a depth to it that’s more than just soy sauce, rice wine and sugar. But after a little research, I found out that there was yet a missing piece to the puzzle. The chicken stock. Now, why didn’t I think of that? Anyhow, I’m finally pleased that my dipping sauce has come as close as it could to the real thing.
But wait! There’s so many ingredients I couldn’t possibly consume this much tempura. Not to worry. I already have something in mind for the leftover veggies. Stay tuned.
Ingredients: Seafood (I used Salmon and Catfish),Vegetables (I used Mushrooms, Sweet Potato, Green Beans and Zucchini) and/or Fruits (I used Apple, Pear and Avocado) of your choice, Cooking Oil Spray, Salt & Pepper, Tempura Batter, Ice Cold Water. For dipping sauce: Soy Sauce, Mirin, Chicken Stock.
Directions: Preheat oven to 450F. Cut seafood, fruits and veggies into bite size pieces. Place them on a prep tray, spray with cooking oil spray and season with salt & pepper. In a big bowl, mix batter with ice cold water to right consistency. Spray baking pan with cooking oil spray. Dip everything in batter one piece at a time, shaking off excess batter and placing them on the baking sheet. Make sure to not crowd everything together or they will stick. Spray another coat of cooking spray on top of everything to keep from drying. Place pan in oven for roughly 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce by combining 3 parts chicken stock, 1 part soy sauce and 1 part mirin in a sauce pan. Stir until warm.
FAQs
Place vegetables onto prepared baking sheet; do not stack. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, turning occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes.
Can you use tempura for baking? ›
Broccoli and sweet potatoes are dipped in tempura batter and baked in the oven for a light and airy crunch you can't get anywhere else. Add edamame rice and a drizzle of katzu sauce, and you've got a keeper.
Does tempura have to be deep fried? ›
Tempura is one of the most common Japanese dishes served outside of Japan. Along with sushi, it's synonymous with 'Japanese food' in the minds of many. This is a dish that consists of vegetables and seafood battered and deep fried, and served over rice or noodles.
How do you keep tempura crispy in the oven? ›
Just place them on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet.
In much the same way, putting fried food on a cooling rack means the excess oil will drip off, but there's enough air circulating underneath the food that the bottoms don't get soggy.
How do you bake instead of deep fry? ›
Any kitchen supply company can provide you with a sprayer, which you can fill with cooking oil & pump up. Then simply coat your food with breading & put it onto a non-stick tray, then spray it with olive oil (or other type of cooking oil), and then bake it at 400–425F.
Why is my tempura batter not crispy? ›
Some chefs say the secret to crispy tempura is ensuring that the water you use is ice cold and to use chopsticks while mixing the batter. Using chopsticks to mix will prevent too much air from entering the batter and will result in a crispier fry.
Why is my tempura soggy? ›
Do not overcrowd the pan – cook the tempura in small batches, and make sure the oil comes back up to temperature before adding another batch, because cooking it at too low a heat will lead to oily, soggy results.
Why tempura is better than fried? ›
Tempura uses no bread crumbs. Instead, it consists of flour, egg and cold water – spices and other forms of starch (i.e. corn starch) may be added. Tempura uses less oil for frying and results in a lighter and crispier coating. Oh, and a much more delicious one, at that.
What is the secret to perfect tempura? ›
The secret of the lightness of the tempura is all in the thermal shock: the batter must be worked (a little) in a metal bowl placed in a larger bowl full of ice. A similar rule must be also applied to the vegetables or fish you want to fry: better keep them in the refrigerator until the moment before cooking.
Why is tempura so expensive? ›
It is fairly simple to prepare tempura, as you only need to deep fry the battered ingredients. So, why is it considered a high-class dish? The reason is that chefs need to have extensive experience and expert culinary skills to be able to make delicious tempura.
Choice of flour – All-purpose flour is the most basic flour for tempura batter. Some people prefer using low-protein flours, such as cake flour or a mix with corn starch.
What is the formula for tempura batter? ›
To Make the Batter
While the oil is heating up, prepare the tempura batter. We'll use a 1-to-1 ratio (by volume) of flour to egg + water.
Why do you put ice cubes in tempura batter? ›
The cold temperature of the batter is also critical, creating a shock when ingredients immerse in the hot oil that contributes to the creation of hana. Chef Kono adds a couple of ice cubes to the batter make sure it stays cold. Final note about batter: Prepare it just before frying the tempura.
What oil is best for tempura? ›
Use vegetable oil for frying tempura — corn, canola, safflower or peanut, but not olive oil. Sesame oil is highly fragrant and adding a couple of tablespoons or more can add its perfume to your tempura. You can reuse the oil a couple of times.
Can you bake instead of pan fry? ›
If you are keen to bake when a recipe says to fry, try the convection setting (if you've got one). As McGee explains, convection ovens increase the rate of heat transfer and reduce baking times.
Can you cook batter without deep frying? ›
Shallow frying would work perfectly fine. Even better since you have a cast iron pan which will help the oil retain heat when you add your battered fish or chips to the pan.
What is the cooking method of tempura? ›
Dust vegetables, fish, or whatever item you want to be tempura fried, and then dip them in the batter. Once they are coated, carefully drop them in hot oil to fry. Once the items are cooked, remove from the oil and allow the excess oil to drain.
What is the difference between baking and frying? ›
One of the main differences between baking and frying is the heat source used to cook the food. In baking, heating elements are used to heat the air around a food, which in turn cooks the food in the oven. With frying, heating elements are used to heat the oil that surrounds a food.
