Use This Oil Combo For Crispy Tempura With An Extra Layer Of Flavor

Oh, tempura. Its ingredients are deceptively simple, but don't be fooled. Japan treats tempura as an art form, with Michelin-starred chefs dedicating entire restaurants to this crispy delight. Vegetables and seafood are usually the main ingredients here, and the oil is an equally thoughtful consideration and an integral part of getting tempura just right. Lucy Seligman, restaurant critic, food historian, writer, and the owner of Lucy's Kitchen cooking school definitely knows the best oil to use for delicious tempura. Seligman's cookbooks, "The Wonderful World of Osechi: Japanese New Year's Recipes and Easy Japanese Recipes for the Home Cook," are available both through Kindle and softcover on Amazon.

"Use a neutral oil for frying tempura," Seligman said. "But I like to add in a splash of Japanese sesame oil. Adds another layer of flavor not to mention a wonderful aroma when frying!"

In Japan, vegetable oil is a popular choice because it's less thick than other frying oils. Particularly, Japanese salad oil is preferred. This is a specific blend of vegetable oils that have been refined (processed in a specific way to lighten its color and extend its shelf life). For the splash of sesame oil, there are non-toasted versions (lighter in color and flavor) and toasted versions that also vary in those two areas. The choice is yours; the sesame oil gives your tempura that unmistakable nutty flavor, so crank it up or dial it down depending on the oil you choose.y

Keeping the oil hot and perfectly fryable at a steady 350 degrees is also key to frying tempura perfectly, and that's why it's popular to serve it as soon as it's ready. To make this entire process easy, many Japanese home cooks invest in a moderately priced deep-fryer pot that either comes with a thermometer or heats up the oil to the desired temperature. They also come with a handy draining rack and a spout to release oil. You could even fry other things in it too, like crème brûlée donuts or Jamaican jerk chicken wings.

Now about that tempura batter. While it's no secret that tempura fried greens are a great way to use every part of the vegetable, it takes some knowledge to get the coating right. Mix the eggs, flour, and ice-cold water just until they come together, and leave it a little lumpy for the lightest results. Tempura should work like a deliciously light shell, a crispy coating enveloping the freshest seasonal vegetables and seafood. The goal is to highlight the flavors of the veggies and proteins, not mask them. And please, do not, under any circumstances, forget to serve the tempura with a simple but divine sauce called tentsuyu —  a combination of dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. You can also serve tempura with rice or noodles, like soba or udon, or inside sushi, like a Crunchy Roll.