Rock Shrimp Tempura w/ Spicy Creamy Sauce
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Sometimes i like to re-create dishes i had in restaurants just for the heck of it. You know, out of boredom great things are born if you’re lucky enough. My latest attempt was actually quite easy to pull off. The rock shrimp tempura with spicy creamy sauce is a classic appetizer at Nobu’s restaurants everywhere and is really a no-brainer to make. Take it from a Zen-man who never use more than 4% of his brain power. 2% figuring out lunch and dinner, 2% for basic motor skills – leaving a whooping 96% for daydreaming. Makes my days at work seem much shorter, let me tell ya. But back to the shrimp, what could go wrong when deep-frying rock shrimps dipped in a tempura batter and tossing them while still hot into a mayonnaise flavored with garlic-chili sauce. Okay, you could set yourself on fire, slip on a dollop of mayo on the floor and crash through the glass window which would start a chain reaction that could burn down half your neighborhood but in my opinion – it’s still worth taking the risk. These little suckers pack a quadruple treat of shrimpiness, crispiness, creaminess and spiciness. That’s your reward my friends for living dangerously.
If you survive this experience, serve the rock shrimp tempura on a bed of your favorite lettuce with shiitake mushroom quickly sauteed in butter and steamed asparagus for a nice contrast of texture and flavors. Enjoy if you have any teeth left.
Rock Shrimp Tempura w/ Spicy Creamy Sauce
(serves 4)
For the Tempura Batter (it’s okay to use a tempura mix if available):
- 1 egg yolk
- 3/4 cup ice water
-
1/3 cup flour
For the shrimps and salad:
-
8 ounces rock shrimp
-
6 shiitake mushrooms, cut into quarters
-
1 bunch asparagus, steamed
-
Mixed lettuce
-
Fresh herbs for garnish
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1 teaspoon sesame seeds
-
butter for sauteeing
-
vegetable oil for deep-frying
For the spicy-creamy sauce:
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons garlic-chili sauce (Tobanjan)
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
____________
- Make the tempura batter by lightly mixing the ingredients.
- Make the spicy-creamy sauce by mixing the ingredients together.
- Make sure the rock shrimps are deveined. Rinse and dry them.
- Sauteed the shiitake mushrooms in butter. Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil for deep-frying to 360’F. Dip the shrimp in tempura batter and deep fry for 2 minutes. Drain well on paper.
- Put the shrimps and shiitake mushrooms together in a bowl. Mix with the spicy-creamy sauce by tossing them together.
- Arrange the salad on the plate and squeeze some lime juice on it. Arrange the fried shrimps, the mushrooms and the asparagus on top and sprinkle with sesame seeds and fresh herbs. Serve immediately.
Tags: Appetizer