Lenten Tempura Shrimp
Mrs. Marie Giambrone
Sometimes you just need a change of pace. Sometimes, you need to mix things up a little. We recently went to a fish fry, and, well, frankly . . . it was disappointing. The fish was dry, flavorless, and overcooked. The shrimp was weird. The whole affair was an overpriced letdown. I guess as a Lenten activity, we shouldn’t attempt to climb the heights of gustatory pleasures. And, indeed, we didn’t. But still — it just wasn’t cutting it. We needed a change.
So I decided to do the following this week instead. It’s far less expensive (made at home and all), and I suppose we can shuffle the savings into the Alms column. And it’s interesting, a little unexpected, a little different. And, yes, unfortunately, it’s far tastier — but you can’t have everything.
— Marie
Lenten Tempura Shrimp
Ingredients:
1 lb. shrimp
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon dry white wine (or water)
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Avocado or vegetable oil for frying
For Lemon Sauce:
1/4 cup chicken broth or water
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon avocado or vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
For Sweet & Sour Sauce:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup sugar
1/4-1/2 teaspoon Tabasco
Peel shells off shrimp, leaving tails on. (If shrimp is frozen, do not thaw. Simply run water over frozen shrimp and peel under running water.) Make a shallow cut down the back of each shrimp, almost in half. Set aside. In a medium sized bowl, mix the egg, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, wine and soy sauce. Gently stir the prepared shrimp into the batter until thoroughly coated. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for ten minutes. Meanwhile, start heating 1/4-1/2 inch deep oil in a wok or medium frying pan on low heat.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, water, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 tablespoon oil, baking soda, and salt. Remove the shrimp from the refrigerator and incorporate entire contents into the large bowl of batter. Check the oil in the pan with a thermometer to make sure it’s the right temperature, 375 degrees F. Fry in batches of 5-8 shrimp. Turn when golden brown. Shrimp should only take about 2-3 minutes to cook. Serve while still hot and crispy with sauce of choice: spicy brown mustard, Lemon Sauce — our favorite — (see below), or red Sweet & Sour Sauce (see below). Makes an excellent appetizer, or serve as a main dish with steamed white rice and stir-fried broccoli florets.
Lemon Sauce:
Heat broth, ketchup, lemon juice, honey, vinegar, oil and garlic salt in 1-quart saucepan. Mix water and cornstarch together and then add to the saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Sweet & Sour Sauce:
Mix all ingredients and serve.
