Japanese Kakiage Mixed Tempura Fritters

Ingredients

• For the kakiage
• 1 medium onion, halved and cut into thin strips
• 1 medium carrot, julienned
• 120 g small raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, kept cold
• 40 g mitsuba, stems cut into 3–4 cm lengths
• 1 tbsp plain flour or katakuriko, for pre-tossing the ingredients
• For the batter
• 120 g plain flour or tempura flour, sifted, kept cold
• 180 ml iced water, very cold; more water than standard tempura batter
• 1 egg yolk, cold
• For frying
• 1 L neutral frying oil, such as rice bran or sunflower
• To serve
• 200 ml tsuyu, dipping broth, ready-made or prepared from dashi, soy and mirin

Method

1. 1
   Keep all prepared ingredients and the bowl for the batter in the refrigerator until the moment of frying. Warm ingredients will raise the batter temperature, advancing gluten development before the clusters reach the oil. Everything must be cold.
2. 2
   Combine the onion strips, carrot julienne, shrimp, and mitsuba in a bowl. Scatter over the tablespoon of flour or katakuriko and toss lightly to coat. This flour pre-toss creates adhesion points so the batter can bind the cluster without being applied thickly.
3. 3
   Whisk the cold egg yolk briefly into the iced water, then pour the liquid over the sifted flour. Mix with chopsticks or a fork using no more than 5–6 strokes. The batter will be lumpy and appear under-mixed; this is correct. Streaks of dry flour are acceptable. Over-mixing develops gluten, producing a dense, heavy coating. The batter must remain thin, cold, and barely combined.
4. 4
   Heat the oil in a deep, heavy pot to 170 °C — slightly lower than individual tempura pieces, as the cluster's thermal mass requires a longer frying time to cook through. Verify the temperature with a thermometer or by dropping a small amount of batter into the oil: it should sink briefly then rise immediately, sizzling steadily.
5. 5
   Working quickly, place a large serving spoon or flat spatula over the bowl. Pile a loose mound of the floured ingredients onto the spoon — enough for a cluster no more than 1–1.5 cm thick. Spoon a small amount of batter over the mound, just sufficient to lightly coat and connect the ingredients. Do not compress. Slide the cluster gently from the spoon into the oil at surface level; dropping from height will scatter the cluster or drive it too deep.
6. 6
   Fry undisturbed for a minimum of 90 seconds. The underside must set and colour before any attempt to flip; turning too soon will cause the cluster to scatter. When the underside is pale golden and the cluster holds its form, turn once and fry the second side. The finished kakiage is pale gold, open, and lacy — the individual ingredients visible through the batter like objects suspended in amber. The structure should be irregular and cloud-like, not compact.
7. 7
   Lift from the oil and drain briefly on a wire rack, not paper, so the underside remains crisp. Serve immediately with tsuyu for dipping, or place over steamed rice and drizzle with tsuyu for kakiage-don.