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Tempura Prawns Recipe

Name: Land Ocean Restaurant Meridians Tempura Prawns Recipe
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 12 unit large prawns (shrimp), peeled and deveined, tails on; 1 tsp kosher salt; 0.25 tsp white pepper; 3 tbs all-purpose flour (for dusting); 1 cup ice water; 3 tbs cake flour or low-protein flour (or substitute all-purpose); 3 tbs rice flour; 2 tbs cornstarch; 0.5 tsp baking powder; 1 unit egg yolk (cold); 3 unit ice cubes (to keep batter cold); 0.5 cup club soda or sparkling water (very cold); 4 cup neutral oil for deep frying (vegetable, canola, peanut); 6 unit toothpicks or skewers (optional, for straightening tails); 3 unit lemon wedges (for serving); 0.5 cup unsweetened coconut milk (full fat preferred); 2 tbs mayonnaise (neutral-flavored); 2 tbs sweet chili sauce; 1 tbs fresh lime juice; 0.5 tsp fish sauce; 1 tsp light brown sugar or palm sugar; 1 tbs fresh cilantro, finely chopped (optional); 0.125 tsp salt; 0.125 tsp ground white pepper or black pepper

Inspired by Land Ocean Restaurant Meridian

Time45m

Serves4

Coconut dipping sauce

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Ingredients

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Tempura Prawns

12 unit large prawns (shrimp), peeled and deveined, tails on

1 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp White pepper

3 tbs all-purpose flour (for dusting)

1 cup ice water

3 tbs cake flour or low-protein flour (or substitute all-purpose)

3 tbs rice flour

2 tbs Cornstarch

1/2 tsp Baking powder

1 unit egg yolk (cold)

3 unit ice cubes (to keep batter cold)

1/2 cup club soda or sparkling water (very cold)

4 cup neutral oil for deep frying (vegetable, canola, peanut)

6 unit toothpicks or skewers (optional, for straightening tails)

3 unit lemon wedges (for serving)

Coconut Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk (full fat preferred)

2 tbs mayonnaise (neutral-flavored)

2 tbs sweet chili sauce

1 tbs Fresh lime juice

1/2 tsp Fish sauce

1 tsp light brown sugar or palm sugar

1 tbs fresh cilantro, finely chopped (optional)

1/8 tsp Celtic sea salt

1/8 tsp ground white pepper or black pepper

Method

Tempura Prawns

Prepare prawns

Rinse the prawns and pat dry with paper towels. Make 3 shallow diagonal slits along the underside of each prawn (toward the belly) to prevent curling when frying. Lightly season both sides with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp white pepper. If desired, insert a toothpick or small skewer from the tail into the body to keep the prawn straight while frying; set aside on a plate.

Dust with flour

Place 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour in a shallow bowl or plate and lightly dust each prawn just before battering. Shake off excess. This helps the batter adhere.

Make cold tempura batter

In a mixing bowl, combine 3 tbsp cake flour (or all-purpose), 3 tbsp rice flour, 2 tbsp cornstarch and 1/2 tsp baking powder. Keep the dry mix cold (place bowl in a larger bowl with ice if your kitchen is warm). In a small separate bowl whisk together 1 cold egg yolk and 1 cup ice water until blended. Add 1/2 cup very cold club soda to the egg mixture. Pour the liquid into the dry mix and quickly stir with chopsticks or a fork just until combined—do not overmix; a few lumps are fine. If mixture becomes warm, add a couple of ice cubes briefly to keep batter chilled and remove them before battering.

Heat oil

Pour 4 cups neutral oil into a deep pot or wok and heat to 350°F (175°C). If you don't have a thermometer, test by dropping a small bit of batter: it should sizzle and rise to the surface immediately and become golden within 1–2 minutes. Maintain oil temperature between 340–360°F (170–180°C).

Batter and fry prawns

Working in small batches (3–4 prawns at a time), dip each dusted prawn into the cold batter, letting excess drip off briefly, then gently lower into the hot oil. Fry undisturbed for 1.5–2.5 minutes until the batter is crisp and pale golden; avoid over-browning. Use a wire skimmer to turn if needed and to remove. Drain on a wire rack set over a sheet pan or on paper towels for 1 minute to remove excess oil.

Finish and serve

Keep cooked prawns warm in a 200°F (95°C) oven on a tray if frying multiple batches. Arrange on a plate with lemon wedges. Remove toothpicks before serving. Serve immediately with coconut dipping sauce.

Coconut Dipping Sauce

Combine 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk and 2 tbsp mayonnaise in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Add 2 tbsp sweet chili sauce, 1 tbsp fresh lime juice, 1/2 tsp fish sauce and 1 tsp light brown sugar. Whisk again until sugar dissolves and the sauce is homogeneous.

Taste and adjust seasoning: add 1/8 tsp salt if needed and 1/8 tsp pepper. If the sauce is too thick, thin with up to 1–2 tsp additional coconut milk or lime juice to reach desired dipping consistency.

Stir in 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro if using. Refrigerate the sauce for at least 10 minutes to let the flavors meld (can be made up to 24 hours ahead). Bring to cool room temperature before serving with hot tempura prawns.