How to… Make Crisp Tempura

Tempura is made of bite-sized pieces of vegetable or seafood, such as prawns or white fish, coated in a light batter and deep-fried until crisp and puffed. The batter is a paste made from tempura flour, water and sometimes egg. Tempura is served with a dipping sauce of dashi or bonito flakes, soy sauce and mirin. Tempura is not, as is commonly believed, a Japanese dish, but was introduced into Japan by Portuguese missionaries in the sixteenth century. The Japanese adopted their techniques and today tempura restaurants flourish throughout the country.