Jumbo Shrimp Tempura and My Japanese Table

My Japanese Table: A Lifetime of Cooking with Friends and Family, written by Debra Samuels, features a fun collection of traditional and unique Japanese recipes for the home cook. A few highlights include Nabe Yaki Udon (Udon Noodles with Everything), Maki-zushi (Classic Sushi Rolls), Oyako Donburi (Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl), Lobster Rolls with Wasabi Mayonnaise, and Scallops with Citrus Miso Sauce. I will also be sharing her recipe for Jumbo Shrimp Tempura following the review.

Disclosure: I received this book from Tuttle Publishing in exchange for my honest review. All comments and opinions are my own.

Debra Samuels

Debra Samuels is a food/travel writer and cooking instructor. She first visited Japan at the age of 20 with her husband for a semester abroad, then returned in the late 1970s with her family to live in Tokyo off and on over the next several years.

Debra is currently based in Lexington, Massachusetts, where she was a regular contributor to The Boston Globe and taught cooking classes for over two decades. She is also the co-author of The Korean Table.

My Japanese Table

Debra begins My Japanese Table with an introduction and stories from her experiences in Japan and how they shaped her love for cooking. Many of the dishes come from a special memory or friend. In this book, she focuses on homestyle cooking that can be accomplished even by novice chefs.

Those new to Japanese cuisine and flavors will benefit from the ingredient and utensil guide, easy-to-follow instructions, and step-by-step photos for the more difficult techniques. The basic flavors and elements that make up Japanese cooking are explained with background information. There are also special chapters devoted to sushi and bento.

Chapters are divided based on course: Basic Recipes, Sushi, Snacks and Appetizers, Soups and Salads, Rice and Noodles, Meat and Poultry, Fish and Seafood, Vegetable and Tofu Dishes, Bento, and Desserts and Drinks.

Measurements are listed in US Customary and Metric. Titles are written in English and Romanized Japanese when available. Each dish has a headnote with background information and serving tips.

The photography is provided by Heath Robbins with styling by Catrine Kelty. Most of the recipes are accompanied by a quarter to full page photo, generally of the finished dish. There are also step-by-step photos for the Sushi, Stuffed Rice Balls, and Mochi Dumplings with Strawberries and Red Bean Paste.

Jumbo Shrimp Tempura

I was so excited to see the recipe for Jumbo Shrimp Tempura in My Japanese Table and finally learn how to make it at home.

Tempura is a style of coating food such as seafood and vegetables in a thin batter, then deep-frying in oil until crisp. Overall, the batter comes together easily and the longest part of this recipe is soaking the bamboo skewers.

Debra has included a recipe for Tentsuyu (tempura dipping sauce) in the book, but she recommends pairing these Jumbo Shrimp Tempura with lemon wedges and a sprinkling of sea salt (plus the fun addition of matcha salt).

A Few Jumbo Shrimp Tempura Tips

I used large shrimp with the shell still on. After removing the shells and veins (save the shells in a bag and freeze for future use- they are great in stock), I cut two lines in the belly and inserted a skewer straight through the shrimp to help keep it straight. This also made it easy for dipping in the batter and transferring to the hot oil.

I mixed the flour into the egg mixture using a pair of chopsticks until just combined. Leaving lumps behind is a good thing here. They will help create a lightness to the coating. Definitely don’t overmix.

Be sure to remove the pieces of batter that accumulate in the oil during frying before they become too dark. These fried pieces (tenkasu) can be saved for future uses such as sprinkling on noodles or other dishes.

I love Debra’s tip for when you are frying other vegetables along with the shrimp. Save the shrimp for last to keep them from adding a seafood flavor to the oil when the vegetables or other ingredients are fried.

Other Dishes

I also made Gyudon (Sweet Soy Beef and Onion Rice Bowl), Shoko’s Summer Sesame Chicken Salad, Sweet Potato Tempura Fritters, and Matcha Chocolate Coffee Cake.

Gyudon is a great weeknight meal. Thinly sliced beef is lightly marinated, then stir-fried in a sweet and savory sauce before topping with eggs. The mixture is served over a bed of rice.

Shoko’s Summer Sesame Chicken Salad was Chad’s favorite. Poached and cooled ginger chicken is shredded and placed over a bed of smashed cucumbers, tomato wedges, and green onions. It is drizzled with a lemony soy vinaigrette. Definitely a delightful, light salad for beating the summer heat.

I made the Sweet Potato Tempura Fritters (and shiitake mushrooms, onions, and a green bell pepper) to accompany the Shrimp Tempura. The crisp tempura batter gave way to a creamy interior. They were also delicious paired with the matcha salt.

I just love the colors of this Matcha Chocolate Coffee Cake. A basic vanilla cake batter is divided into three with 1/3rd being combined with melted chocolate and another 1/3rd combined with matcha. The three colors are divided among mini loaf pans and baked until lightly golden. The small size from the mini loaf pans (they can also be made in 1 large pan) makes them perfect for entertaining and pairing with tea/coffee.

My Japanese Table is a great pick for those new to Japanese cuisine and ingredients. The instructions are easy to follow and the recipes have been written with the home cook in mind. While some of the recipes take some time, many are on the easy side and even perfect for weeknight cooking.

Most of the ingredients are becoming more readily available in larger American grocery stores. Having a Japanese market nearby will be helpful in locating sushi-grade fish, wasabi, seaweed, pickled red ginger, tofu, gyoza wrappers, shiso, daikon, umeboshi, and bonito flakes.

Jumbo Shrimp Tempura Recipe

Adapted from My Japanese Table

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Jumbo Shrimp Tempura

A recipe for Jumbo Shrimp Tempura from the cookbook, My Japanese Table. Large, peeled shrimp are coated in a light tempura batter and fried until crisp.

Course Main

Cuisine Japanese

Keyword Japan, Japanese, seafood, shrimp, tempura

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 12 Shrimp

Ingredients

• 12 jumbo shrimp
• 3 cups (750 milliliters) canola or other non-flavored oil

Tempura Batter:

• 3/4 cup (200 milliliters) ice water
• 1 egg yolk
• 2/3 cup (100 grams) cake flour or all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

For serving:

• 1 lemon cut into 8 wedges
• 1 tablespoon sea salt or kosher salt for sprinkling

Matcha Salt:

• 1 teaspoon matcha powdered green tea
• 1 tablespoon sea salt or kosher salt

Instructions

• Soak 12 bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes.
• While keeping the tail intact, remove the head, shell, and vein from the shrimp. Rinse and dry, then make two horizontal cuts along the belly of each shrimp to help keep them flat.
• Insert each soaked skewer into the shrimp and straight through the body.
• Pour the oil in a large saucepan or wok over medium heat to 360˚F (180˚C).
• In a large bowl, beat together the water and egg yolk until frothy. Whisk in the flour and cornstarch until combined, but not completely smooth.
• Dip a skewered shrimp into the batter to coat completely, then place in the heated oil.
• Repeat with other skewers, being careful not to crowd the pan- about 3-4 at a time. Fry until golden, about 3 minutes, then turn with tongs and cook for another 2 minutes.
• Transfer to a towel-lined plate or rack. Repeat with remaining shrimp.
• In a small bowl, mix together the matcha and sea salt.
• Serve the fried shrimp immediately with matcha salt, salt, and lemon wedges.