Tempura ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

1. Remove the head and vein of the shrimp, and peel off the shell while leaving the tail. Cut the shell diagonally below the tail so that it doesn’t fly off during the frying process. Holding it belly-up, bend it back in three places so that the shrimp doesn’t fold in.

2. Remove the scales from the sillago, as well as the head and internal organs, and wash in water. Turning the sillago so that its head faces right, slice it down the back almost to the tail, being careful not to cut through to the belly. Next, turning it so the flesh faces down, cut out the backbone, and then comb out the abdominal bones.

3. Cut the eggplant into four vertical pieces, finely score the skin with the kitchen knife, and cut the stems off the shishito peppers.

4. Make the dipping sauce. Bring the dashi broth and seasoning to a boil and then let cool.

5. Start to heat the frying oil to 180 C. It is 180 C when batter dropped in sinks part-way and immediately floats to the surface.

6. Make the batter. Whisk the egg yolk in a bowl, add cold water and then sifted all-purpose flour. With thick chopsticks, roughly mix so that a little of the flour remains undissolved. The trick here is to start making it once the oil has begun heating, and to not over-mix.

7. Pick up the shrimp by the tail, cover in ample batter, and fry.

8. Coat the sillago in batter skin side up and fry.

9. Fry the conger eel for a slightly extended amount of time for the coating to be crisp.

10. Lower the temperature of the frying oil by a little, coat the eggplant and shishito peppers, and fry them. While the ingredients are frying, use up the remaining flour batter little by little and frequently check on the temperature of the oil, adjusting it when needed.

11. Cut the conger eel with chopsticks into two even pieces, and plate with the sillago, shrimp, eggplant, and shishito peppers.

12. Enjoy with dipping sauce and grated daikon, grated ginger, or lemon and salt.