Tempura Batter

Tempura batter should be thin, cold and lumpy. Whisk an egg yolk into 200 ml of ice-cold sparkling water, then add 100 g of flour, or half flour and half cornstarch, all at once. Stir just a few strokes with chopsticks; lumps are fine. Mixing more develops gluten and makes a heavy coating. Heat oil to 175 to 180°C. Dust shrimp or vegetable slices with flour, dip them, and fry a few at a time for one to three minutes. They should be pale gold and crisp. Make the batter in small batches so it stays cold.