Tempura Soba
Tempura soba is a delicious and satisfying lunchtime favorite in Japan, served both at home and in restaurants across the country. Tempura has a long history in the country. The cooking method was introduced by the Portuguese in the sixteenth century and has been refined into a uniquely Japanese food ever since. Make sure you eat this dish quickly, while the soba is still steaming and the tempura is hot and crispy. The way we enjoy this dish in Japan is to dip the tempura into the soba broth as we eat it. This serves two purposes: First, the broth flavors the tempura, acting as a dipping sauce. And second, the tempura returns the favor, adding richness to the broth while its crumbs add texture. So we have both foods working together to create an irresistible whole!
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Heat the vegetable oil in a deep fryer or heavy-bottomed saucepan to 350°F. Also fill a medium pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat.
Step 2
Heat the broth in a saucepan over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and keep warm until ready to serve.
Step 3
Prepare the tempura batter by beating the egg and water in a bowl. Mix well and then slowly mix in the 2 cups flour until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; you don’t want a smooth batter like pancake batter. Instead, you want tiny lumps of flour to remain in the batter.
Step 4
With a sharp knife, make five shallow slits across the underside of each shrimp. Next, flip the shrimp over so their undersides are resting against your cutting board. Now gently press down on the shrimp with your fingers to flatten slightly. This action will stop the shrimp from curling when you cook them, but be careful not to press too hard because the shrimp could break into pieces.
Step 5
Dip the shrimp, mushrooms, and asparagus into the tempura batter, and carefully place in the hot oil. Cook the vegetables for about 3 minutes and the shrimp for 1 minute longer. When you notice the bubbles that appear on the surface of the oil getting smaller and decreasing, and see the ingredients float to the top, you’ll know they’re done. The color of the tempura will be a light golden brown—make sure the tempura doesn’t overcook and turn dark brown. Transfer the ingredients from the oil and rest on a paper towel–lined tray to absorb any extra oil.
Step 6
Add the soba noodles to the pot of boiling water, stirring with a fork or chopsticks to make sure the noodles don’t stick together. Boil for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the noodles are just cooked through but still al dente. Drain well.
Step 7
To serve, divide the soba noodles among 4 soup bowls, add the broth, and garnish with the scallions. Serve the tempura on a separate plate.
