Tempura: You could deep-fry sliced Godzilla, too, and it would be good!

Tempura is deep-frying at its best. The cooking method creates a light batter that doesn’t soak up a ton of oil. That, paired with the types of foods you fry (no meat could equal vegetarian), makes for a light meal. That’s why the Japanese were always trying to kill Godzilla: because of all the tempera they could make. Enough to feed Tokyo.

Things that you’ll want to cook:

• Shrimp—with belly muscles cut crosswise, so they lie flat (I was unsuccessful at this)
• Scallops—big ones, split lengthwise
• Onion—sliced 3/8” thick
• Green pepper—sliced 3/8” thick
• Carrots—angle sliced 3/8” thick
• Sweet potato—sliced 3/8” thick
• Lotus root—sliced 3/8” thick
• Mushrooms (preferably whole shiitake)
• Eggplant—sliced 3/8” thick
• Green beans—that have been blanched
• Shiso leaves—whole
• And here’s an idea I just thought off: Bacon–sliced into 2″-long pieces

You can mix and match these ingredients; just use what you like.

What you’ll need for the dipping sauce (highly recommended):

• 10 oz dashi
• 3T low-sodium soy sauce
• 2T mirin or mild sake

What you’ll need for the batter:

• 2 egg yolks
• 7oz ice water—this coldness is important
• 4 oz regular flour

What to do:

For the dipping sauce:

• Combine the three ingredients and bring to a boil.
• Keep warm until you serve the meal. You may want to give each person a small bowl of dip.

For the shrimp, veggies, etc.:

• Prepare the shrimp (or scallops) and ensure they’re dry.
• Slice the vegetables and ensure they’re dry
• If you’re cooking green beans, blanch them for a bit and dry them.
• In other words, get everything you’re going to fry prepped, dried and ready to go.
• At this point, you’ll want to heat up about 1-2” of vegetable oil in a safe pan to 325-340 degrees.

For the batter:

• Put the two egg yolks in a medium-size mixing bowl
• Add the ice-cold water and mix them—do not beat the eggs
• Add all of the flour and mix lightly (batter will be lumpy, but that’s OK)

Now you’re ready to fry:

• Dip a piece of whatever you’re going to fry in the batter.
• Shake off extra batter.
• Place in hot oil and cook for 3 minutes or so.
• Drain on paper towels when done.
• Repeat until everything’s cooked and you’re ready to eat.
• * Note: shiso leaves get batter only on one side, and about 1.5 minutes in the oil.

Serve with plain Japanese rice.