Shrimp tempura is a Japanese dish that is one of the most commonly served outside of Japan. It’s no wonder that it’s so widely enjoyed, as shrimp tempura is an amazing dish with a light and airy coating. Tempura batter is typically made with rice flour, water, and eggs, but I like using beer batter which adds a wonderful flavor that pairs perfectly with shrimp. While beer-battered shrimp is delicious all on its own, I have found a way to make it even better. All it takes is a little spicy mayo, which is extremely easy to make using mayonnaise, siracha sauce, and soy sauce. This dish will delight your taste buds and keep you reaching for more.
Siracha sauce is believed to have been started in Si Racha, a small town in Southeast Thailand, by a woman named Chakkapak in 1949. In 1975, David Tran, a Vietnam-native, started creating and selling his own version of the sauce. Three years later, he and his family fled their hometown on a Taiwanese freighter called the Huy Fong, which means “Gathering Prosperity” in English. After settling in California, Tran decided to sell his sauce again. He named his company Huy Fong, just like the ship that brought him and his family to the USA. He started playing with an old recipe from Thailand. He decided to call the sauce Siracha to honor its origins and placed a rooster on the label for the year he was born to honor his own. His sauce was a success and in 1983, Tran opened a facility to sell more inventory. Just like that, we have an amazing, garlicy hot sauce that is great on so many different things.
For the tempura, I like to use Sylva’s Kitchen Beer Batter. You can always make your own from scratch or use another brand, but I think the Sylva’s Kitchen brand has the best flavor of any I’ve tried (obviously a completely unbiased opinion!). Simply add one 12-ounce beer to your beer batter and, voilà, you are ready to fry. I prefer to use 13-15 per pound size shrimp, they are the perfect size. Start by peeling and de-veining the shrimp. Coat the shrimp in the beer batter and then fry them in 350-degree oil, turning as necessary until golden brown on both sides. Remove the shrimp from the oil and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Next, mix the mayonnaise, siracha sauce, and soy sauce together until well blended. Place the shrimp in a large bowl, pour the spicy mayo over the top, and toss until the shrimp are fully coated. When I plate the shrimp, I usually make a bed of baby greens and place the shrimp on top. The greens bring a touch of freshness to the dish, and it looks beautiful with the contrasting colors. Also, the spicy mayo makes a great dressing for the greens! Plate the shrimp the way you like and enjoy!
