Chef John's Shrimp Tempura

There are many different methods for making shrimp tempura, and after trying most of them I believe this is the simplest, easiest way to achieve what I consider the ultimate result ? a perfectly cooked shrimp encased in a light, airy, very thin, but extremely crispy shell. Some people like theirs heavily battered, but I want to see the shrimp through the coating. Hey, I'm not trying to eat a fritter.

One of the keys here is using large, very dry shrimp, and prepping them properly so they don't curl up in the hot oil. Besides that, you need to make your batter with ice cold sparking water right before you're going to fry. A cold batter is a crispy batter, so plan accordingly. Finally, the freshly fried shrimp should be eaten almost as soon as they come out of the oil. Don't burn your mouth, but letting these sit around getting cold is a crime against nature.

In fact, this is one of those things where you should have your guests huddled around the fryer so they can be enjoyed as soon as they're made. And, as you're hanging out with your friends eating these beauties, you can share the rather fun fact that tempura isn't actually a Japanese invention. Apparently, the Portuguese introduced the technique in the 16th century. Who knew? Anyway, historical background aside, if you want very easy, very light, and very crisp shrimp tempura, I really do hope you give this a try soon.