Ika no Tempura (いかの天ぷら)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Deep heavy pot or tempura nabe
• •Cooking thermometer
• •Long cooking chopsticks or tongs
• •Wire rack set over a tray
• •Fine grater for daikon

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the squid

   Pat the squid dry, then open the bodies flat with the inside facing up. Score the inside in a shallow crosshatch, barely cutting into the flesh, and cut into rings or small rectangles. Those little cuts help the squid curl less fiercely and give the batter edges to hold. Salt lightly and let it stand for five minutes, then pat dry again.

   Dry squid is calmer in hot oil. Surface water makes the batter slide off and makes the oil spit, which is rude behavior from such a small ingredient.
2. 2

   Make tentsuyu

   Combine the dashi, soy sauce, and mirin in a small pan. Bring just to a simmer, then turn off the heat. This is tentsuyu, the dipping sauce. The dashi gives depth, the soy gives salt, and the mirin rounds the edge without making the sauce heavy. Keep it warm or let it sit at room temperature.

   If the sauce tastes flat, add a spoonful more dashi before you reach for salt. The stock should carry the flavor.
3. 3

   Heat the oil

   Pour oil into a deep, heavy pot to a depth of about 5 cm. Heat it to 175 C. A drop of batter should sink slightly, then rise at once with small lively bubbles. Too cool and the batter drinks oil. Too hot and the outside colors before the squid has warmed through.

4. 4

   Mix the batter

   Beat the cold egg lightly with the ice-cold water, then stir in the flour with chopsticks just until loose and uneven. Leave lumps. A smooth batter builds gluten and fries heavy, while a barely mixed cold batter fries thin and crisp. This is not pancake batter, thank heaven.

5. 5

   Dust and dip

   Dust the squid pieces lightly with flour and shake off anything excess. Dip each piece into the batter and let the extra drip away for a breath. The flour gives the batter something dry to grip, but too much flour turns pasty under the crust.

6. 6

   Fry fast

   Fry the squid in small batches for 60 to 90 seconds, turning once, until the batter is pale gold and crisp. Do not wait for deep color. Squid tightens quickly, and the difference between tender and tough is often half a minute. Lift each piece to a rack as soon as the batter sets and the bubbles around it quiet slightly.

   Pull it early. Tempura should be pale, not bronzed, and squid keeps cooking for a moment after it leaves the oil.
7. 7

   Serve at once

   Serve the ika tempura immediately with lemon wedges, a little salt, warm tentsuyu, and grated daikon. Dip lightly if using the sauce. Soaking tempura is a small tragedy, and we have enough of those already.

Chef Tips

• •Ask the fish counter when the squid came in and whether it was previously frozen. Fresh is lovely when it is truly fresh, but good frozen squid is often better than tired fresh squid. Sourcing first, always.
• •Keep the batter bowl cold by setting it over ice if your kitchen is warm. Cold batter meeting hot oil gives you the thin crisp surface tempura is known for.
• •Fry fewer pieces at a time than you think. Crowding drops the oil temperature, and then the batter turns heavy before the squid has had its quick stay in the oil.
• •Use a rack, not paper towels, if you have one. Paper traps oil against the crust. A rack lets the surface stay crisp until the plate is ready.
• •Serve with lemon and salt for the cleanest taste, or tentsuyu with grated daikon for the classic table. Both are proper; drowning the piece in sauce is not.

Advance Preparation

• •Clean and score the squid up to 4 hours ahead, then keep it covered and cold. Pat it very dry just before frying.
• •The tentsuyu can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Warm it gently before serving.
• •Do not mix the batter ahead. It should be cold, loose, and newly mixed when it meets the oil.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 210g)