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1
Before your guests arrive, mix together the 3 scant cups of flour, potato starch, and baking soda.
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2
Divide the mixture evenly between two large mixing bowls using a measuring cup (you should have about 2 cups of mixture in each bowl).
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3
Place the extra dusting flour on a plate.
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4
Place the ice water in a clear pitcher or large Pyrex measuring cup, and, using a fork, beat in the egg yolk until the yolk is well incorporated.
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5
Keep the water-yolk mixture refrigerated at all times (except when youre using it).
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6
At cooking time, place the vegetable oil, several inches deep, in one or two wide cooking vessels (two woks would be ideal) over medium-high heat.
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7
Heat the oil to 335F.
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8
Pour 2 cups of the water-yolk mixture into one of the mixing bowls containing the flour-potato starch mixture.
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9
Stirnot too vigorouslywith chopsticks, just mixing the liquids and solids together, about 30 seconds.
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10
The finished tempura batter should be lumpy and approximately the consistency of heavy cream.
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11
If you need to thin it, do so with a little tap water.
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12
(Reserve the other bowl of flour-potato starch mixture for later, and return the water-yolk mixture to the refrigerator.)
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13
When the oil is at 335F, pick up 1 vegetable piece with chopsticks, dust it lightly with flour, dip it in the tempura batter briefly, then add the vegetable piece to the hot oil.
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14
Make sure it doesnt stick to the bottom or sides.
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15
Perform the batter-drizzle technique: pick up a little extra batter with the tips of your chopsticks, and drizzle it over the vegetable in the oil.
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16
Repeat one or two more times, drizzling evenly over the vegetable and occasionally letting the batter drip off into the hot oil; this will create a lacy edge on the finished piece of tempura.
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17
Turn the vegetable over after a minute or so; finish cooking for 1 minute on the other side.
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18
After a total of about 2 minutes of cooking time, the piece should be cooked on the inside, light-yellow on the outside, and crispy.
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19
Drain on paper towels, salt, and serve.
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20
Make sure to scoop up any loose bits of batter from the oil with a spider or slotted spoon.
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21
Keep frying vegetable pieces until you have run out of vegetables and/or batter.
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22
Its time to switch to shrimp tempura!
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23
Remove the water-yolk mixture from the refrigerator, and pour 2 cups plus 6 tablespoons of it into the second bowl of the flour-potato starch mixture.
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24
Stirnot too vigorouslywith chopsticks, just mixing the liquids and solids together, about 30 seconds.
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25
The finished tempura batter should be lumpy, and approximately the consistency of thin cream.
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26
If you need to thin it, do so with a little tap water.
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27
Scoop up loose batter bits from the oil and discard.
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28
Turn up the heat, and bring the oil to 350F.
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29
When the oil is ready, pick up a shrimp with chopsticks, dust it lightly with flour, dip it in the tempura batter briefly, then add the shrimp to the hot oil.
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30
Keeping it submerged with your chopsticks, quickly drag it a few inches through the hot oil two or three times.
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31
Release it; make sure it doesnt stick to the bottom or sides.
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32
Perform the batter-drizzle technique (see step 5).
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33
Do not turn the shrimp.
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34
After a total of about 2 minutes cooking time, the shrimp should be cooked on the inside, light-yellow on the outside, and crispy.
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35
Drain on paper towels, salt, and serve.
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36
Make sure to scoop up loose bits of batter from the oil with a spider or slotted spoon.
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37
As with the vegetable pieces, you can fry several shrimp at the same time once you get into the rhythm.
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38
Try to keep the oil at an even 350F.
