Shrimp Tempura

5 from 1 vote

1 lb jumbo frozen shrimp Should be about 23 in the bag
1/4 cup tapioca starch you can use arrowroot or corn starch too
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 large egg
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup plain seltzer it has to be very cold`
2 cups oil It needs to come up about 2" in the heavy pot that you use to fry the shrimp

Thaw, peel, and devein your shrimp. Pat them dry
Flip the shrimp over so you have the underside facing you. Make 4-6 slits, crosswise.
In order for the shrimp to not curl up while you are frying them you have to break the muscles, which sounds a lot more difficult than it is. Flip the shrimp over so that the back is facing up and gently push up on the back in a few places. You will hear a few popping sounds as the muscles break and then the shrimp will be able to straighten out.

Work fast because you want the batter to be ice cold for your shrimp. This ensures a nice light and crispy batter.
In a small to medium bowl, combine the egg and seltzer. Mix it until nice and frothy.
Slowly pour the flour in to the egg batter and gently combine. It is ok if the batter is a little lumpy, so no need to over mix it. Keep the batter very cold until you are ready to use it. You can keep it in the refrigerator or lay it in an ice bath.

Heat up 2" of oil in a heavy bottom pot or pan on medium heat. The heat should be about 360-365F.
Working with one shrimp at a time, lightly coat the shrimp in tapioca starch or corn starch, shake off the excess and then dip it in the tempura batter. Let the excess drip off slightly and then carefully lower the shrimp into the pot with the hot oil. Add up to 5 shrimp at a time, and cook them for about 2-3 minutes or until both sides are golden in color.
Remove the shrimp and lay them on a wire rack or paper towel so that the excess oil can drip off.
Repeat with the rest of the shrimp.