Nobu Matsuhisa's Tempura King Prawns

I don't often cook Japanese at home simply because we the lucky Sydneysiders are blessed with abundant of fresh seafood and exceptionally good quality Japanese restaurants. Masuya, Ju Ge Mu & Shimbashi, Azuma and Koi are among the few of my favourites.

There are a few Japanese dishes that I have always wanted to try to make them at home. Tempura is the one on top of the list. I found this recipe on the Australian Delicious Magazine article - "The Nobu Art of Sushi" where the world-famous Nobu Matsuhisa takes time out from his global restaurant empire and Hollywood appearances to host a candid cooking class in Melbourne.

Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, or Nobu to his Hollywood chums and the rest of the world, runs a restaurant empire of more than 22 venues, spanning from Melbourne to London by way of Los Angeles, Dubai, Milan and Mykonos. He's so famous that he's made movie cameos in roles as diverse as a kimono artist in 'Memoirs of a Geisha', the evil Mr Roboto in 'Austin Powers in Goldmember' and in 'Casino', with his business partner and friend Robert de Niro.

He brilliantly summarised the art of Japanese cooking in one sentence:

"As with all Japanese cookery, the produce must be number one. And the Japanese way is to treat it simply. I want to keep the natural flavour; so the dressings and sauces are background flavours. It's like a painting - mountains, the greenery - everything has to be in balance."

Nobu Matsuhisa's Tempura King Prawns Recipe
(Loosely adapted from Delicious Magazine March 2009: Nobu Matsuhisa's Mixed Vegetable and Prawn Tempura)
Serves 4 as a starter

Sunflower oil, to deep-fry
12 large king prawns, peeled (tails intact), deveined
Chives, to garnish (optional)

Dipping Sauce:
150 ml prepared instant dashi stock (Available from Asian food shops and selected supermarkets)
2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp light soy sauce

Tempura Batter:
1 egg yolk
350 ml ice-cold water
1 1/3 cups (200 g) plain flour or potato flour (for added crispness)

Method:

1. For the dipping sauce, place all ingredients in a small pan, bring to a simmer over medium heat, then turn off the heat. Cover to keep warm.
2. For the batter, mix the egg yolk and iced water together in a bowl, then fold in flour until combined; the batter should be a little lumpy rather than smooth. Set aside.
3. Heat 8 cm of oil in a deep saucepan or wok to 170C (or when a cube of bread sizzles as soon as it's added to the oil). Rinse the prawns, then pat dry with paper towel. In 2 batches, dip the prawns into the batter, then fry for 1-2 minutes until they're golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.
4. Serve the tempura immediately with the warm dipping sauce, garnish with chives.