Sorry if it's a FAQ, but how do you get tempura batter to be crisp, and not
like an omlette hanging off your chunks of pork? I had believed it was,
possibly, the way I stored the morcels before serving; but spacing them all
apart on a grill at moderate heat, is something that one would think would
dry them out - but still I feel it's too soggy; it seems that way the moment
I take them out of the (very hot) fat.
Thanks,
Versy

"Versy Tyle" wrote:
Sorry if it's a FAQ, but how do you get tempura batter to be crisp, and
not like an omlette hanging off your chunks of pork? I had believed it
was, possibly, the way I stored the morcels before serving; but spacing
them all apart on a grill at moderate heat, is something that one would
think would dry them out - but still I feel it's too soggy; it seems that
way the moment I take them out of the (very hot) fat.
Thanks,

Versy, four questions:

How do you make your tempura batter? Do you pre-cook and drain the pork
chunks? Do you dredge them lightly in flour before dipping them in the
batter? What kind of oil do you fry them in?

Also, when I do tempura, I dip the shrimp or mushrooms one at a time in the
batter and immediately put them in the hot oil two or three at a time. I
drain them on paper towels, but a rack should be fine. While they're
draining, I put in the next batch. While they're frying, I bring the last
batch out to the table. I serve them hot and don't store them. It cuts into
socializing time, but the result is much more attractive. The alternative
is to hire a chef or three. ;~)

--
Nick, Happy Thanksgiving!

Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops! You are not forgotten. Thanks.

"Versy Tyle" wrote:
wrote in message
[]
Versy, four questions:

How do you make your tempura batter?

I just whisk the egg and the flour, perhaps with a drop of soy sauce,
then submerge the chunks in the mixture.
Ought there to be something else, like baking powder?

I can't find the file for what I used, but this, from 'The Book of Japanese
Cooking', is about the same:

Lightly mix one beaten egg yolk with one cup of ICE COLD water. Add one cup
of sifted, all-purpose flour all at once and lightly fold in with just four
or five strokes. The batter should be loosely mixed but still lumpy.

Do you pre-cook and drain the pork chunks?

No, I thought the idea was that cooking in batter kept the flavour best.

That's true. I haven't tried making pork tempura, but I was thinking that
the fat from the pork might be weeping out and making the tempura soggy.
Either way, you should pat them dry before battering.

Do you dredge them lightly in flour before dipping them in the
batter?

No, is that the best thing to do?

I was just thinking that that's what you do when making Tonkatsu and it
might lock in the pork fat better.

What kind of oil do you fry them in?

Vegetable oil.

Perfect!

Also, when I do tempura, I dip the shrimp or mushrooms one at a time in
the batter and immediately put them in the hot oil two or three at a
time.

I am a bit concerned that perhaps a wok, without a frying sieve, isn't
sufficient. Certainly I don't use a very a great depth of oil - half an
inch to an inch; perhaps the temperature diminishes too much when I've
got 5 or 6 chunks in there.

You may be pointing at the key, right here. You know how pan-fried, breaded
chicken is. That's NOT what you want! If you're going to deep-fry in a wok,
you need a major heat source to maintain the temperature. My wife can do
it, but I gave up. When I deep-fry, I use a soup pot with a gallon of
vegetable oil. When the oil gets up to 375 to 378 F, I put in the stuff.
Even so, the temp still falls almost ten degrees during cooking.

I drain them on paper towels, but a rack should be fine. While they're
draining, I put in the next batch. While they're frying, I bring the
last batch out to the table. I serve them hot and don't store them. It
cuts into socializing time, but the result is much more attractive. The
alternative is to hire a chef or three. ;~)

Thankyou for that,

Your welcome! Hope this helps and good luck.

--
Nick, Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops! You are not forgotten. Thanks.

I'm sure there's many ways of doing this right & Nick's comments are very
useful but here's a few extra pointers.

Try adding something that will fizz up your batter when deep frying, this
will make it light & airy. Some people add baking powder etc. or maybe
beating it to add more air into it while others add fizzy water/mineral
water or even 7up as the Filipinos do. For tempura batter, it should be
pretty thin anyway, like milk or at most single cream consistency & no more.

As for the meat or filling, the less water/liquid it gives out the better
during deep frying, so whatever it takes, dry it with some paper towels
before etc. or just a straight cut/fillet off the joint of pork or whole
fish etc.

Oil for deep frying. To get the right temp. & condition, it needs to be more
than a few inches or maybe 6" or more of oil depending on what you're deep
frying. An inch of oil depth isn't deep frying, some consider that as
shallow frying. Heat the oil up for a few minutes & ALWAYS tests with a
little batter. drop in a small piece to see if it sizzles ASAP & floats. If
it does, you're in business. Do each piece one at a time unless you have a
big wok/deep fryer where a few pieces doesn't affect the overall cooking
temp. Another thing, you don't want it too hot or it will ruin it too. It
burns too quickly & the outside is burnt while the inside is still raw.

Lift as soon as it gets golden brown & drain on paper towels or on a rack.
If you require a crunchier finish, deep fry again in a few minutes time for
a minute or less & drain again. This will crisp up your batter but it will
get darker. Only for slightly thicker batter mixes. Also if your just using
veg. or slices of fish or prawns etc. it doesn't need that long & the batter
can be lighter while meat you might need a little longer.

hope this helps.

DC.


wrote in message
...
"Versy Tyle" wrote:
wrote in message
[]
Versy, four questions:

How do you make your tempura batter?

I just whisk the egg and the flour, perhaps with a drop of soy sauce,
then submerge the chunks in the mixture.
Ought there to be something else, like baking powder?

I can't find the file for what I used, but this, from 'The Book of
Japanese
Cooking', is about the same:

Lightly mix one beaten egg yolk with one cup of ICE COLD water. Add one
cup
of sifted, all-purpose flour all at once and lightly fold in with just
four
or five strokes. The batter should be loosely mixed but still lumpy.

Do you pre-cook and drain the pork chunks?

No, I thought the idea was that cooking in batter kept the flavour best.

That's true. I haven't tried making pork tempura, but I was thinking that
the fat from the pork might be weeping out and making the tempura soggy.
Either way, you should pat them dry before battering.

Do you dredge them lightly in flour before dipping them in the
batter?

No, is that the best thing to do?

I was just thinking that that's what you do when making Tonkatsu and it
might lock in the pork fat better.

What kind of oil do you fry them in?

Vegetable oil.

Perfect!

Also, when I do tempura, I dip the shrimp or mushrooms one at a time
in
the batter and immediately put them in the hot oil two or three at a
time.

I am a bit concerned that perhaps a wok, without a frying sieve, isn't
sufficient. Certainly I don't use a very a great depth of oil - half an
inch to an inch; perhaps the temperature diminishes too much when I've
got 5 or 6 chunks in there.

You may be pointing at the key, right here. You know how pan-fried,
breaded
chicken is. That's NOT what you want! If you're going to deep-fry in a
wok,
you need a major heat source to maintain the temperature. My wife can do
it, but I gave up. When I deep-fry, I use a soup pot with a gallon of
vegetable oil. When the oil gets up to 375 to 378 F, I put in the stuff.
Even so, the temp still falls almost ten degrees during cooking.

I drain them on paper towels, but a rack should be fine. While they're
draining, I put in the next batch. While they're frying, I bring the
last batch out to the table. I serve them hot and don't store them. It
cuts into socializing time, but the result is much more attractive.
The
alternative is to hire a chef or three. ;~)

Thankyou for that,

Your welcome! Hope this helps and good luck.

--
Nick, Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops! You are not forgotten. Thanks.

Thankyou - I tried a tempura again this evening and am currently devouring
it. It's better now that I have employed some of your hints, but still not
as I had aimed.
I had not before come across the idea of putting ice cold water in with the
eggs; why ice cold? and why water? And why eggs, not egg yolks? The Japanese
cookery book I was working to previously just says to mix eggs with flour.
I think you're right that a wok won't do it how I would like.

Versy


wrote in message
...
"Versy Tyle" wrote:
wrote in message
[]
Versy, four questions:

How do you make your tempura batter?

I just whisk the egg and the flour, perhaps with a drop of soy sauce,
then submerge the chunks in the mixture.
Ought there to be something else, like baking powder?

I can't find the file for what I used, but this, from 'The Book of
Japanese
Cooking', is about the same:

Lightly mix one beaten egg yolk with one cup of ICE COLD water. Add one
cup
of sifted, all-purpose flour all at once and lightly fold in with just
four
or five strokes. The batter should be loosely mixed but still lumpy.

Do you pre-cook and drain the pork chunks?

No, I thought the idea was that cooking in batter kept the flavour best.

That's true. I haven't tried making pork tempura, but I was thinking that
the fat from the pork might be weeping out and making the tempura soggy.
Either way, you should pat them dry before battering.

Do you dredge them lightly in flour before dipping them in the
batter?

No, is that the best thing to do?

I was just thinking that that's what you do when making Tonkatsu and it
might lock in the pork fat better.

What kind of oil do you fry them in?

Vegetable oil.

Perfect!

Also, when I do tempura, I dip the shrimp or mushrooms one at a time
in
the batter and immediately put them in the hot oil two or three at a
time.

I am a bit concerned that perhaps a wok, without a frying sieve, isn't
sufficient. Certainly I don't use a very a great depth of oil - half an
inch to an inch; perhaps the temperature diminishes too much when I've
got 5 or 6 chunks in there.

You may be pointing at the key, right here. You know how pan-fried,
breaded
chicken is. That's NOT what you want! If you're going to deep-fry in a
wok,
you need a major heat source to maintain the temperature. My wife can do
it, but I gave up. When I deep-fry, I use a soup pot with a gallon of
vegetable oil. When the oil gets up to 375 to 378 F, I put in the stuff.
Even so, the temp still falls almost ten degrees during cooking.

I drain them on paper towels, but a rack should be fine. While they're
draining, I put in the next batch. While they're frying, I bring the
last batch out to the table. I serve them hot and don't store them. It
cuts into socializing time, but the result is much more attractive.
The
alternative is to hire a chef or three. ;~)

Thankyou for that,

Your welcome! Hope this helps and good luck.

--
Nick, Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops! You are not forgotten. Thanks.

"Versy Tyle" wrote:
Thankyou - I tried a tempura again this evening and am currently
devouring it. It's better now that I have employed some of your hints,
but still not as I had aimed.
I had not before come across the idea of putting ice cold water in with
the eggs; why ice cold? and why water? And why eggs, not egg yolks? The
Japanese cookery book I was working to previously just says to mix eggs
with flour.
I think you're right that a wok won't do it how I would like.

Whoops! I did leave 'yolk' out of my first post, although I got it right in
the recipe. ;~)

The ice cold water seems to make the egg yolk lighter, and I like DC's
mention of using seltzer, ice cold, of course, instead of water.

Glad you feel that your product is improving. I've got recipes that I'm
still tweaking after 40 years. Now, if I could just find my mushroom
tempura recipe! I had an herb blend in the flour for the batter, also
tweaked over a number of sessions. Keep notes, adjust your recipe file and
don't accidentally delete it. ;~(

--
Nick, Happy Thanksgiving!


Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops! You are not forgotten. Thanks.

Thankyou very much.

I hope it doesn't do my cardiovascular system too much damage!

Rgds,

Versy



"DC." not@home wrote in message
...
I'm sure there's many ways of doing this right & Nick's comments are very
useful but here's a few extra pointers.

Try adding something that will fizz up your batter when deep frying, this
will make it light & airy. Some people add baking powder etc. or maybe
beating it to add more air into it while others add fizzy water/mineral
water or even 7up as the Filipinos do. For tempura batter, it should be
pretty thin anyway, like milk or at most single cream consistency & no
more.

As for the meat or filling, the less water/liquid it gives out the better
during deep frying, so whatever it takes, dry it with some paper towels
before etc. or just a straight cut/fillet off the joint of pork or whole
fish etc.

Oil for deep frying. To get the right temp. & condition, it needs to be
more
than a few inches or maybe 6" or more of oil depending on what you're deep
frying. An inch of oil depth isn't deep frying, some consider that as
shallow frying. Heat the oil up for a few minutes & ALWAYS tests with a
little batter. drop in a small piece to see if it sizzles ASAP & floats.
If
it does, you're in business. Do each piece one at a time unless you have a
big wok/deep fryer where a few pieces doesn't affect the overall cooking
temp. Another thing, you don't want it too hot or it will ruin it too. It
burns too quickly & the outside is burnt while the inside is still raw.

Lift as soon as it gets golden brown & drain on paper towels or on a rack.
If you require a crunchier finish, deep fry again in a few minutes time
for
a minute or less & drain again. This will crisp up your batter but it will
get darker. Only for slightly thicker batter mixes. Also if your just
using
veg. or slices of fish or prawns etc. it doesn't need that long & the
batter
can be lighter while meat you might need a little longer.

hope this helps.

DC.


wrote in message
...
"Versy Tyle" wrote:
wrote in message
[]
Versy, four questions:

How do you make your tempura batter?

I just whisk the egg and the flour, perhaps with a drop of soy sauce,
then submerge the chunks in the mixture.
Ought there to be something else, like baking powder?

I can't find the file for what I used, but this, from 'The Book of
Japanese
Cooking', is about the same:

Lightly mix one beaten egg yolk with one cup of ICE COLD water. Add one
cup
of sifted, all-purpose flour all at once and lightly fold in with just
four
or five strokes. The batter should be loosely mixed but still lumpy.

Do you pre-cook and drain the pork chunks?

No, I thought the idea was that cooking in batter kept the flavour
best.

That's true. I haven't tried making pork tempura, but I was thinking
that
the fat from the pork might be weeping out and making the tempura soggy.
Either way, you should pat them dry before battering.

Do you dredge them lightly in flour before dipping them in the
batter?

No, is that the best thing to do?

I was just thinking that that's what you do when making Tonkatsu and it
might lock in the pork fat better.

What kind of oil do you fry them in?

Vegetable oil.

Perfect!

Also, when I do tempura, I dip the shrimp or mushrooms one at a time
in
the batter and immediately put them in the hot oil two or three at a
time.

I am a bit concerned that perhaps a wok, without a frying sieve, isn't
sufficient. Certainly I don't use a very a great depth of oil - half
an
inch to an inch; perhaps the temperature diminishes too much when I've
got 5 or 6 chunks in there.

You may be pointing at the key, right here. You know how pan-fried,
breaded
chicken is. That's NOT what you want! If you're going to deep-fry in a
wok,
you need a major heat source to maintain the temperature. My wife can do
it, but I gave up. When I deep-fry, I use a soup pot with a gallon of
vegetable oil. When the oil gets up to 375 to 378 F, I put in the stuff.
Even so, the temp still falls almost ten degrees during cooking.

I drain them on paper towels, but a rack should be fine. While
they're
draining, I put in the next batch. While they're frying, I bring the
last batch out to the table. I serve them hot and don't store them.
It
cuts into socializing time, but the result is much more attractive.
The
alternative is to hire a chef or three. ;~)

Thankyou for that,

Your welcome! Hope this helps and good luck.

--
Nick, Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops! You are not forgotten. Thanks.

"Versy Tyle" wrote:
Thankyou very much.

I hope it doesn't do my cardiovascular system too much damage!
[]
LMAO Red wine, garlic and hot peppers, not all in the same glass, have
worked for me for over 50 years. A good cigar and a couple of Martinis on
occasion also help. On topic - a nice Daiginjo is good, too! ;~D

--
Nick, Happy Thanksgiving!


Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops! You are not forgotten. Thanks.

wrote in message
...
"Versy Tyle" wrote:
Thankyou very much.

I hope it doesn't do my cardiovascular system too much damage!
[]
LMAO Red wine, garlic and hot peppers, not all in the same glass, have
worked for me for over 50 years. A good cigar and a couple of Martinis on
occasion also help. On topic - a nice Daiginjo is good, too! ;~D

Red wine, garlic and hot peppers I can believe. But how, physiologically
speaking, could a cigar be one of this list? And what the heck is a
Diaginjo??? I joint of ganja or something?


Versy



--
Nick, Happy Thanksgiving!


Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops! You are not forgotten. Thanks.

Actually, with deep frying, very little oil should be absorbed, if the
oil is hot enough that is. When you deep fry things, the heat of the
oil actually seals the outside of whatever it is you're deep frying,
so that very little oil actually makes it to the inside of the food.
Some will of course be absorbed by the batter, but not an excessive
amount.

On Thu, 25 Nov 2004 23:20:14 GMT, "Versy Tyle"
wrote:

Thankyou very much.

I hope it doesn't do my cardiovascular system too much damage!

Rgds,

Versy

Ontario Metal Pages - The Ultimate Authority on Metal in Ontario
http://www.ontariometal.net

Advertise here for only $14.95 per month. Ask me how.

"Versy Tyle" wrote in message
news
Sorry if it's a FAQ, but how do you get tempura batter to be crisp, and
not
like an omlette hanging off your chunks of pork? I had believed it was,
possibly, the way I stored the morcels before serving; but spacing them
all
apart on a grill at moderate heat, is something that one would think would
dry them out - but still I feel it's too soggy; it seems that way the
moment
I take them out of the (very hot) fat.
Thanks,
Versy


There is no such thing as Pork tempura in Japan.
There is Tonkatsu which is Pork cutlet with Panko,
but thats something else.
Consequently you're not going to get any really good info
from people who make "pork tempura".
Tempura batter is chilled usually with Ice to create the thin cripsy batter
covering that tempura is famous for. After dipping into the batter make sure
you don't have excess batter. A thin crust is a must for decent Tempura.
If you insist on using Pork make sure they are thin slices. Tempura cooks
in a very short amount of time. People who know how to cook tempura don't
even time it, they can tell by the change in the sound of the food frying,
which occurs when the moisture content of the food being fried changes.

"Versy Tyle" wrote:
wrote in message
"Versy Tyle" wrote:

Thankyou very much.

I hope it doesn't do my cardiovascular system too much damage!
[]
LMAO Red wine, garlic and hot peppers, not all in the same glass, have
worked for me for over 50 years. A good cigar and a couple of Martinis
on occasion also help. On topic - a nice Daiginjo is good, too! ;~D

Red wine, garlic and hot peppers I can believe. But how, physiologically
speaking, could a cigar be one of this list? And what the heck is a
Diaginjo??? I joint of ganja or something?

Now I'm rolling on the floor (not rolling a spliff), LMAO. a) A good cigar
is a pleasant relaxing smoke, if, like me, you're a slave to Lady Nicotine,
and b) Daiginjo is a fine Sake, which, when drunk chilled, is a good
accompaniment to Japanese food. Either way, have a great evening! ;~8

--
Nick, Happy Thanksgiving!


Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops! You are not forgotten. Thanks.

"Versy Tyle" wrote:
wrote in message
"Versy Tyle" wrote:

Thankyou very much.

I hope it doesn't do my cardiovascular system too much damage!
[]
LMAO Red wine, garlic and hot peppers, not all in the same glass, have
worked for me for over 50 years. A good cigar and a couple of Martinis
on occasion also help. On topic - a nice Daiginjo is good, too! ;~D

Red wine, garlic and hot peppers I can believe. But how, physiologically
speaking, could a cigar be one of this list? And what the heck is a
Diaginjo??? I joint of ganja or something?

Now I'm rolling on the floor (not rolling a spliff), LMAO. a) A good cigar
is a pleasant relaxing smoke, if, like me, you're a slave to Lady Nicotine,
and b) Daiginjo is a fine Sake, which, when drunk chilled, is a good
accompaniment to Japanese food. Either way, have a great evening! ;~8

--
Nick, Happy Thanksgiving!


Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops! You are not forgotten. Thanks.

On Fri, 26 Nov 2004 02:14:07 GMT, "FreddieN"
wrote:


There is no such thing as Pork tempura in Japan.
There is Tonkatsu which is Pork cutlet with Panko,
but thats something else.
Consequently you're not going to get any really good info
from people who make "pork tempura".
Tempura batter is chilled usually with Ice to create the thin cripsy batter
covering that tempura is famous for. After dipping into the batter make sure
you don't have excess batter. A thin crust is a must for decent Tempura.
If you insist on using Pork make sure they are thin slices. Tempura cooks
in a very short amount of time. People who know how to cook tempura don't
even time it, they can tell by the change in the sound of the food frying,
which occurs when the moisture content of the food being fried changes.

I concur with what Freddie writes. There is tonkatsu (and katsudon),
and there is tempura. Both are completely different preparations, with
one made with pork (tonkatsu) and the other with seafood and
vegetables.

http://www.straitscafe.com/recipes/303.htm - Tonkatsu recipe

http://www.straitscafe.com/recipes/323.htm - Seafood tempura

"Versy Tyle" wrote in message
...
Thankyou - I tried a tempura again this evening and am currently devouring
it. It's better now that I have employed some of your hints, but still not
as I had aimed.
I had not before come across the idea of putting ice cold water in with
the
eggs; why ice cold? and why water? And why eggs, not egg yolks? The
Japanese
cookery book I was working to previously just says to mix eggs with flour.
I think you're right that a wok won't do it how I would like.


A wok should work fine--unless you are using an electric stove that's on the
weak side.

I think the problem is not enough oil (should be at least 4 cups) and the
temperature isn't high enough. Using more oil doesn't mean you are
ingesting more oil--you need a good amount just for temperature's sake.

Also, as others have mentioned, tempura isn't made with pork. That may be
why you are having problems, but I don't know, since I've never tried it
with pork.

As for the ice water stuff--you need a new Japanese cookbook if yours
doesn't mention it! If you live in North America, the December _Saveur_ has
a great article on tempura, including a recipe.

Peter