Chef John's Shrimp Tempura
I'm showing you what I think is the easiest, simplest, best method for doing tempura, which produces something with an extremely thin, but still very crispy, coating. If you're not into shrimp, this technique will work with many other things.
large shrimp, peeled and deveined
12
canola oil for frying
self-rising flour
¼
cup
potato starch
¼
cup
kosher salt
½
teaspoon
cayenne pepper
1
pinch
cold sparkling water
½
cup
prepared dashi stock
½
cup
mirin
¼
cup
soy sauce
¼
cup
white sugar, or to taste (Optional)
1
pinch
grated daikon radish (Optional)
 Gather all ingredients.
  Dry peeled and deveined shrimp on paper towels. Flip each shrimp over and make shallow cuts through to make sure they won't curl up when frying. Refrigerate until needed.
  Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  Combine self-rising flour, potato starch, salt, and cayenne in a bowl with a whisk. Add cold water and whisk until flour disappears and a crepe-like batter is achieved. Coat shrimp in batter.
  Fry shrimp in small batches, no more than 6 at a time, making sure they don't stick together, until golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
  Stir together dashi broth, mirin, soy sauce, and sugar for sauce. Grate daikon radish over. Taste and adjust as needed.
  Serve shrimp with dipping sauce.
