Tenmusu (天むす, shrimp-tempura rice ball)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy pot or tempura nabe for frying
• •Cooking thermometer, or chopsticks for testing the oil
• •Rice paddle
• •Small brush for sauce

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the shrimp

   Pat the shrimp dry, then season them with the salt and sake. Make two or three shallow cuts across the belly of each shrimp and press it gently straight. This keeps the shrimp from curling too tightly in the oil, so the tail can sit neatly outside the rice ball.

2. 2

   Make the sauce

   Warm the soy sauce, mirin, and dashi in a small pan just until the mirin's raw edge is gone, then let it cool. This is not a heavy tare. It should season the shrimp lightly, not soak the rice or announce itself like a town crier.

3. 3

   Mix the batter

   Whisk the egg yolk into the ice-cold water, then stir in the 1/2 cup flour with chopsticks until the batter is only just mixed and still a little lumpy. Cold, loose batter fries light. Work it smooth and warm, and you invite gluten to make the coating heavy.

4. 4

   Fry the shrimp

   Heat the oil to 170 C, or until a drop of batter sinks halfway and rises at once. Dust the shrimp lightly with the extra flour, dip each in batter, and fry in small batches until pale gold and crisp, about 90 seconds. Drain well, then brush or dip the body of each shrimp lightly in the sauce, keeping the tail clean.

   Dusting gives the batter something to hold. Letting the shrimp drain before saucing keeps spare oil out of the rice.
5. 5

   Portion the rice

   While the rice is still warm, divide it into 10 small portions. Wet your hands, rub them with a whisper of salt, and spread one portion across your palm. Warm rice clings without force, and lightly salted hands season the outside while keeping the grains from sticking to you.

6. 6

   Shape the tenmusu

   Set one shrimp across the rice with the tail pointing out. Fold the rice around the body and shape it into a small triangle or rounded bundle, using just enough pressure to hold it together. Don't crush the grains. Tenmusu is held by touch, not grip.

7. 7

   Wrap with nori

   Wrap each rice ball with a half sheet of nori so the seaweed supports the bottom and sides, leaving the shrimp tail visible. Let them rest a few minutes before serving. The rice settles, the nori softens just enough to cling, and the bite becomes one piece.

Chef Tips

• •Use small shrimp, not grand ones. Tenmusu is a bite, and the rice should hold the tempura as neatly as a sleeve holds a hand.
• •Cook the rice slightly firm and use it hot. Cold rice won't cling, and wet rice turns heavy around the tempura.
• •If you don't have a thermometer, test the oil with batter. It should sink briefly, rise at once, and bloom pale around the edges. If it browns immediately, the oil is too hot.

Advance Preparation

• •The sauce can be made one day ahead and kept refrigerated.
• •Peel and prepare the shrimp a few hours ahead, then keep them covered and cold. Fry and shape the tenmusu close to serving, because the rice and nori are best the same day.
• •For a picnic, wrap the finished tenmusu once they have cooled to warm room temperature. Packing them hot traps moisture and softens the nori too much.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 65g)