TEMPURA PRAWNS AND AUBERGINE WITH A WASABI SESAME SOY DIPPING SAUCE

 

GORGEOUS CRISPY TEMPURA WITH A FABULOUS DIPPING SAUCE

 

INGREDIENTS

1 bunch samphire

10 fresh raw prawns shell on

1 aubergine sliced in half moons

 

FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE

3 tbsp of light soy sauce

3 drops of sesame oil

1/2 tsp brown rice vinegar

1 pea size of wasabi paste

1 small red chilli sliced

 

FOR THE TEMPURA BATTER

100g cornflour

150g plain flour

10g baking powder

50ml-100ml iced soda water or beer

2ltr oil for frying

 

THE DIPPING SAUCE

In a small dipping bowl place the wasabi paste in the centre, pour in the soy sauce and brown rice vinegar, using a chop stick swirl the wasabi around once in a figure of eight.  Add the sesame oil and then sprinkle the sliced chilli on top.  What is really nice about this dip is that the toasted sesame oil clings to the dipped tempura after it has been dipped in the wasabi soy.

 

THE PRAWNS AND AUBERGINE

First peel the shells of the body only of the prawns leaving the end of the tail on and the head for presentation and extra flavour if you like to suck the prawn heads.  Slice the aubergine in half and then into half inch thick slices, season well with salt and be ready to use immediately.

 

TO MAKE THE TEMPURA BATTER

Mix the cornflour, plain flour and baking powder together, start with pouring in 50ml of the iced soda or beer and slightly mix with chopsticks, you don't want to mix to well as pockets of dry flour are what puff out while frying and create the classic tempura, you are looking for a medium thin batter, so add more iced soda or beer if needed.

 

Heat the oil to 200 degrees, dip the aubergine in the tempura batter and fry for a couple of minutes, drain on kitchen paper, then repeat for the prawns, serve immediately with the dipping sauce.