Salmon Tempura With Daikon Salad Recipes

TEMPURA

Steps:

• Combine the dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. Then, lower the heat and let it simmer until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Follow these instructions to straighten the shrimp, so it looks gorgeous. Pat the shrimp dry and make sure the moisture is completely removed from the shrimp.
• Cut all the vegetables (except the eggplant) ¼-inch thick. For the eggplant, cut off and discard the stem and calyx, then cut it in half lengthwise. With the cut side flat on the cutting board, cut the eggplant lengthwise into very thin slices (about ⅛ inch or 3 mm), being careful to leave the bottom tip intact by 1 inch (2.5 cm) so the slices stay connected. Then, gently press down on the slices to fan them out. Repeat with the other eggplant half.
• In a medium-sized pot, heat 1½ inches to 2 inches (3-5 cm) of the oil to 350°F (180°C).
• While the oil is heating up, start preparing the tempura batter. Add the egg and the iced water into a 2-cup measuring cup (or any bowl). Whisk the egg mixture vigorously and discard the foam on the surface.
• Sift the flour into a large bowl. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the flour. Mix the batter, but do not overmix; it's okay to leave some lumps in the batter. Keep the batter cold at all times (store it in the refrigerator if needed). Make the batter right before deep-frying to avoid activating the wheat gluten.
• Check the oil temperature with a thermometer to make sure the oil is 350°F (180°C). You can also use wooden chopsticks to check; when you dip your chopsticks in the oil and see small bubbles forming, it's ready for deep-frying. Please note that sweet potatoes and kabocha require a lower cooking temperature (320ºF/160℃). If you want to read more deep-frying tips, please read this post.
• Deep-fry starting with the cleaner and less astringent ingredients. For example, the cooking order would be shiso first, followed by the mushrooms, eggplant, shrimp, sweet potatoes, and kabocha. Make sure your ingredients are dry before dipping them in the batter; if they're wet, dry them with a paper towel first. While the tempura is frying, the moisture from the ingredients will evaporate and the tempura will become crispy. However, if the ingredients have extra moisture, the tempura will become soggy after deep-frying.
• When the oil reaches the right temperature, dip one piece of vegetable or shrimp in the batter, let the excess drip off for a second or two, and very gently place it into the hot oil. Continue dipping and adding one piece at a time. For the shrimp, sprinkle some flour or potato starch (or cornstarch) over it before dipping to help the tempura batter adhere. For the shiso leaves, sprinkle a bit of sifted flour on the back of the leaf, dip only the back of the leaf into the batter, and deep-fry for 15 seconds. The flour acts as a glue and the batter tends to stay on the ingredients better.
• Deep-fry the ingredients until golden brown. Do not crowd the pot because the oil temperature will drop quickly. Remember, your ingredients should take up no more than about half of the oil surface area at any one time. Here's the rough cooking time for each of the ingredients: Shiso (350ºF/180ºC, 20-30 seconds), mushrooms (350ºF/180ºC, 1 min), eggplant (350ºF/180ºC, 1 min), shrimp (350ºF/180ºC, 2 minutes), sweet potatoes (320ºF/160℃, 3 mins), and kabocha (320ºF/160℃, 2-3 mins). Note that sweet potatoes and kabocha require a lower cooking temperature than the rest of the tempura ingredients.
• Transfer the tempura to a wire rack or a plate lined with a paper towel to drain the excess oil.
• Between batches, clean the oil by scooping up the crumbs (called tenkasu), which will burn and turn the oil darker if left in the pot.
• Grate the daikon and squeeze the liquid out. Prepare 3-4 Tbsp of warm tentsuyu in individual small bowls and serve the grated daikon on the side.
• Put 1 Tbsp of the grated daikon in the sauce and dip the tempura in the sauce to enjoy.
• You can keep any leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 days and in the freezer for 2 weeks. Reheat the tempura at 350ºF (180ºC) in the oven until warm and crisp.

MISO-MARINATED SALMON WITH CUCUMBER-DAIKON RELISH

Steps:

• Whisk first 6 ingredients in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish to blend for marinade. Add salmon; turn to coat. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.
• Preheat broiler. Line heavy large baking sheet with foil; spray with nonstick spray. Remove salmon fillets from miso marinade; using rubber spatula, scrape off excess marinade. Arrange salmon, skin side up, on prepared baking sheet. Broil 5 to 6 inches from heat source until skin is crisp, about 2 minutes. Using metal spatula, turn salmon over. Broil until salmon is just cooked through and golden brown on top, about 4 minutes.
• Transfer salmon to plates, skin side down. Spoon Cucumber Relish over. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, then sprouts and nori. Serve immediately.
• *White miso, mirin, and nori (thin sheets of dried seaweed) are available at Japanese markets and in the Asian foods section or refrigerated section of supermarkets.

DAIKON FETTUCCINE WITH TOMATO-BASIL SAUCE

Steps:

• With a swivel-blade vegetable peeler, remove the outer skin of the daikon. Discard the skin. Continue to peel down the length of the vegetable, removing the daikon in long, narrow ribbons, which look like noodles. Soak the "fettuccine" in a bowl of cold salted water for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the tomato-basil sauce: Drain the tomatoes, reserving half of the juice. Squeeze the tomatoes through your fingers to mash them and combine with the juice; there will be about 2 cups.
• In a heavy medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their reserved juice, the sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt. Boil vigorously, stirring often, until the sauce is thick, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Drain the "noodles" and dry them on a kitchen towel. Add to the sauce and toss gently over medium heat, taking care not to break the "Daikon Fettuccine". Cook just until heated through, about 1 minute.
• Divide among individual plates, teasing the fettuccine into mounds. Serve immediately.

SALMON AND HERBED ONION TEMPURA ROLL WITH WASABI SOY-HONEY DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the 1-tablespoon of oil and swirl to coat the pan. When the oil shimmers, add the onions and saute, stirring occasionally, until soft and browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Mix in the thyme, sage, and rosemary and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the mirin, and cook to evaporate the liquid, about 6 minutes. Cool.
• Arrange a sheet of the nori, shiny side down, on a rolling mat. Have a small bowl of water handy. Place a salmon fillet on the bottom half of the nori sheet and season with salt and pepper. Arrange 1/4 of the onions on the upper 1/3 of the salmon. Roll, wet the edge, and press the mat to seal. Repeat with the remaining nori, salmon, and onions. Allow the maki to rest, seam side down, for 2 minutes.
• Fill a fryer or heavy medium pot 1/3 full with the oil and heat over high heat to 425 degrees F. Place the flour in a medium bowl and slowly whisk in the club soda until the mixture resembles a light pancake batter. Dip the rolls in the batter and fry all at once, turning as necessary, until golden, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the rolls with a mesh spoon and drain on paper towels. Season, to taste, with the salt and pepper.
• With a sharp knife, slice each maki in half. Cut one piece straight across into 3 pieces and cut the other piece diagonally into 2 pieces. Serve with dipping sauce.
• In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce, vinegar, wasabi, honey, and sesame oil. Stir to blend.