Best Benihana Seafood Tempura Recipes

TEMPURA

Steps:

• Combine the dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. Then, lower the heat and let it simmer until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Follow these instructions to straighten the shrimp, so it looks gorgeous. Pat the shrimp dry and make sure the moisture is completely removed from the shrimp.
• Cut all the vegetables (except the eggplant) ¼-inch thick. For the eggplant, cut off and discard the stem and calyx, then cut it in half lengthwise. With the cut side flat on the cutting board, cut the eggplant lengthwise into very thin slices (about ⅛ inch or 3 mm), being careful to leave the bottom tip intact by 1 inch (2.5 cm) so the slices stay connected. Then, gently press down on the slices to fan them out. Repeat with the other eggplant half.
• In a medium-sized pot, heat 1½ inches to 2 inches (3-5 cm) of the oil to 350°F (180°C).
• While the oil is heating up, start preparing the tempura batter. Add the egg and the iced water into a 2-cup measuring cup (or any bowl). Whisk the egg mixture vigorously and discard the foam on the surface.
• Sift the flour into a large bowl. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the flour. Mix the batter, but do not overmix; it's okay to leave some lumps in the batter. Keep the batter cold at all times (store it in the refrigerator if needed). Make the batter right before deep-frying to avoid activating the wheat gluten.
• Check the oil temperature with a thermometer to make sure the oil is 350°F (180°C). You can also use wooden chopsticks to check; when you dip your chopsticks in the oil and see small bubbles forming, it's ready for deep-frying. Please note that sweet potatoes and kabocha require a lower cooking temperature (320ºF/160℃). If you want to read more deep-frying tips, please read this post.
• Deep-fry starting with the cleaner and less astringent ingredients. For example, the cooking order would be shiso first, followed by the mushrooms, eggplant, shrimp, sweet potatoes, and kabocha. Make sure your ingredients are dry before dipping them in the batter; if they're wet, dry them with a paper towel first. While the tempura is frying, the moisture from the ingredients will evaporate and the tempura will become crispy. However, if the ingredients have extra moisture, the tempura will become soggy after deep-frying.
• When the oil reaches the right temperature, dip one piece of vegetable or shrimp in the batter, let the excess drip off for a second or two, and very gently place it into the hot oil. Continue dipping and adding one piece at a time. For the shrimp, sprinkle some flour or potato starch (or cornstarch) over it before dipping to help the tempura batter adhere. For the shiso leaves, sprinkle a bit of sifted flour on the back of the leaf, dip only the back of the leaf into the batter, and deep-fry for 15 seconds. The flour acts as a glue and the batter tends to stay on the ingredients better.
• Deep-fry the ingredients until golden brown. Do not crowd the pot because the oil temperature will drop quickly. Remember, your ingredients should take up no more than about half of the oil surface area at any one time. Here's the rough cooking time for each of the ingredients: Shiso (350ºF/180ºC, 20-30 seconds), mushrooms (350ºF/180ºC, 1 min), eggplant (350ºF/180ºC, 1 min), shrimp (350ºF/180ºC, 2 minutes), sweet potatoes (320ºF/160℃, 3 mins), and kabocha (320ºF/160℃, 2-3 mins). Note that sweet potatoes and kabocha require a lower cooking temperature than the rest of the tempura ingredients.
• Transfer the tempura to a wire rack or a plate lined with a paper towel to drain the excess oil.
• Between batches, clean the oil by scooping up the crumbs (called tenkasu), which will burn and turn the oil darker if left in the pot.
• Grate the daikon and squeeze the liquid out. Prepare 3-4 Tbsp of warm tentsuyu in individual small bowls and serve the grated daikon on the side.
• Put 1 Tbsp of the grated daikon in the sauce and dip the tempura in the sauce to enjoy.
• You can keep any leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 days and in the freezer for 2 weeks. Reheat the tempura at 350ºF (180ºC) in the oven until warm and crisp.

SHRIMP TEMPURA

Steps:

• Heat 3-4 inches of oil in a deep, heavy pot over high heat to a temperature of 375 degrees F. (be sure to use a deep, heavy pot so there is plenty of room for the oil to bubble up - the pot should be no more than half full.).
• Combine the egg yolk, water and flour in a mixing bowl, stirring just to combine - a few lumps are okay.
• Butterfly the shrimp by cutting them almost all the way though along their backs.
• Dredge the shrimp one at a time lightly in additional flour, dip in the batter, and drop carefully into the hot oil.
• Don't add more than 5 or 6 at a time, and be careful to keep the temperature as close to 375 degrees as possible.
• Cook until golden brown on all sides, turning in necessary, and transfer to a wire rack or paper towels to drain. Serve immediately.

BENIHANA SHRIMP SAUCE

Steps:

• Whisk together and add to cooked shrimp. Enjoy!

BENIHANA TEMPURA DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the dashi. Reduce heat to a simmer. Then add the mirin, rice wine and soy sauce. Stir gently until thoroughly blended.
• Cover the pan and remove from heat. Ladle out into individual portions (about 1/4 cup) and serve with a portion of grated ginger.

SHRIMP AND VEGETABLE TEMPURA

Steps:

• Refrigerate a large bowl until chilled, about 15 minutes.
• For the dipping sauce (tentsuyu): Bring the Dashi, mirin and soy sauce to a boil in a small saucepan. Set aside until ready to serve, then divide among 4 small bowls. Place the grated daikon in a small dish.
• For the shrimp and vegetables: Assemble the chilled shrimp, green beans, mushrooms, shishitos, sweet potatoes and onions on 2 large plates.
• Heat about 2 inches of oil in a large wok or deep, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until it reaches 360 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a double layer of paper towels or a wire rack and place near the wok.
• For the batter: When the oil is almost ready, sift the cake flour and potato starch into the chilled bowl. Whisk the water and egg in a small bowl (or in the water measuring cup) until completely combined. Using chopsticks or a large fork, stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture until barely combined and lumps of flour still remain. (Better to undermix than overmix, so err on the side of caution.) The batter should be the thickness of cream; add 1 to 2 tablespoons more water if needed. Mix in the ice cubes.
• Working with several pieces of the shrimp and vegetables at a time, dip them into the batter, then gently lay them in the oil away from you. (It's important not to overcrowd and to maintain the temperature of the oil; adjust the heat, as needed.) Fry, flipping them once or twice, until pale golden brown and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes (some ingredients may take longer than others); transfer to the lined baking sheet. Serve the tempura immediately (ideally, one person will continue frying while the lucky others get to eat the tempura at its best!) with the bowls of dipping sauce and grated daikon on the side for people to stir into the sauce, if they like. Continue with the remaining ingredients, skimming the surface of the oil as needed.
• Combine the kombu and 3 cups cold water in a medium saucepan and let sit for about 30 minutes. (You can skip this step if you're short on time, but it does lend a little extra flavor.)
• Heat the mixture over medium heat until the water comes to a near boil but doesn't actually boil, about 5 minutes. Discard the kombu.
• Add the katsuobushi evenly over the water and bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately remove from the heat. Let steep for about 10 minutes without stirring.
• Pour the dashi through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl or quart measuring cup. Do not press down on the katsuobushi, which can make the dashi cloudy or bitter.
• Dashi is best used the day it is made, but it can be cooled and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

BENIHANA VEGETABLE TEMPURA

Steps:

• Decide which kind of Tempura you are going to do and then prepare vegetables for frying.
• In a large mixing bowl, break the eggs into 1 cup ice water. Whisk quickly but not thoroughly. Add the rice flour all at once; mix until the batter is loosely combined. (If overmixed, the batter will be too heavy when deep-fried.).
• Heat 4 Cups of peanut oil on high in a wok or deep-fryer until almost smoking. Make the tempura in small batches.
• Toss the vegetables in a bowl with the additional flour. Dip vegetable in batter and deep-fry.
• NOTE - If the carrots are grated, take them up in clumps and dip them in the flour. You will then dip them in the batter to deep-fry them in clumps.
• Drain briefly on rack or paper towels, then serve immediately with warmed tempura dipping sauce mixed with grated ginger, served in individual bowls. (Tempura does not fry to a 'golden brown'. It will be almost a pasty white when done.).