Name: Tempura prawns
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 12 whole large raw prawns; groundnut oil, for frying; 200ml soda water, ice cold; 90g plain flour; 30g cornflour; baking powder, a pinch; 4 tbsp mirin; 4 tbsp soy sauce; ½ tsp golden caster sugar; ginger, finely chopped, to make 1tsp; ½ red chilli, finely chopped

Tempura Prawns on a platter with chopsticks on the side

12 whole large raw prawns
groundnut oil
for frying
200ml soda water
ice cold
90g plain flour
30g cornflour
baking powder
a pinch

DIPPING SAUCE

4 tbsp mirin
4 tbsp  soy sauce
½ tsp golden caster sugar
ginger
finely chopped, to make 1tsp
½ red chilli
finely chopped

Method

step 1
Peel the prawns, carefully leaving the tail end intact.
step 2
Butterfly by slitting down the back of each prawn.
step 3
Open out and remove the black thread. Pat the prawns completely dry on kitchen paper. Mix all the dipping sauce ingredients together. Fill a wok or pan no more than a third full with oil and heat it.
step 4
Meanwhile, pour the soda water into a bowl.
step 5
Add the flours and baking powder gradually and lightly mix until just combined (a little lumpiness is fine).
step 6
Test the heat of the oil by dropping in a piece of bread – if it sizzles and floats to the top, the oil is hot enough. Dip the prawns in the batter.
step 7
Lower carefully into the oil in batches of three or four. Don’t overcrowd the pan. Fry for 2-3 minutes until very pale golden.
step 8
Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon or wire spider and drain on kitchen paper. Serve straightaway with the dipping sauce.