Matcha Tempura: Shrimp in Ice-Cold Batter

Once the oil is heating, tempura batter should not sit on the counter. For this matcha tempura, make a cold flour and ice-water batter, coat eight raw shrimp, and fry them in small batches. Allow 30 minutes, including ten for frying and bringing the oil back to temperature.

• Preparation 20 minutes
• Cooking 10 minutes
• Total time 30 minutes
• Yield 8 shrimp for 2 people
• Tools a deep saucepan about 7 inches (18 cm) across, a cooking thermometer, two bowls, a fine sieve, chopsticks, a slotted spoon, a rack, and paper towels

Make the batter at the last moment so it stays cold when it meets the oil. For another way to use the tea, savory matcha dishes range from sauces to noodles.

Ingredients for matcha tempura

• 8 large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, about 10.6 oz (300 g), with tails left on
• 2.8 oz (80 g) wheat flour
• 0.7 oz (20 g) rice flour
• about 2 tsp (4 g) matcha
• about 2/3 cup (150 ml) ice-cold water
• about 3 cups (700 ml) neutral oil for frying
• About 1/3 tsp (2 g) fine salt for serving

Fry the matcha tempura in two batches

1. Dry the eight peeled and deveined shrimp well with paper towels.
2. Pour about 3 cups (700 ml) oil into the deep saucepan. Check that it reaches no higher than halfway up the pan.
3. Heat the oil to 350°F (175°C), checking with the thermometer.
4. Sift 2.8 oz (80 g) wheat flour, 0.7 oz (20 g) rice flour, and about 2 tsp (4 g) matcha into a bowl.
5. Pour about 2/3 cup (150 ml) ice-cold water over the dry ingredients.
6. Stir briefly with chopsticks; small lumps may remain in the batter.
7. Dip four shrimp in the batter, holding them by their tails.
8. Lower them one by one into the oil at 350°F (175°C), keeping them apart.
9. Fry for two minutes, turn with the slotted spoon, then fry for another two minutes until the flesh is opaque and firm.
10. Put the four shrimp on the rack with paper towels underneath.
11. Let the oil return to 350°F (175°C) for about two minutes.
12. Repeat the coating and four minutes of frying with the remaining four shrimp.
13. Drain all eight on the rack and divide about 1/3 tsp (2 g) salt over them just before serving.

Fry two batches of four shrimp. An overcrowded pan cools the oil, so the batter absorbs more fat. If the temperature falls well below 350°F (175°C), let it rise again before the second batch. When done, the shrimp should be opaque all the way to the center.

Which tea goes in tempura batter?

Because frying softens the finer notes of a tea intended for drinking with water, we choose Essence, our matcha for this tempura. Sift about 2 tsp (4 g) with the flours to distribute the tea.

Why keep the tempura water ice-cold?

Cold batter, stirred just enough to moisten the flour, forms a thin coating. Whisk too long and it grows denser. Rice flour adds a little crispness, without a branded premixed batter.

Our tip. Put the fried shrimp on a rack rather than directly on a plate. Steam can escape from beneath the batter instead of softening it.

Allergens. Shellfish and wheat. Check the labels on the flours and matcha.