Ebi Fry (Japanese Fried Shrimp)

Step 1

Gather all the ingredients.

Step 2

Let’s make Tartar Sauce first. We start with boiling eggs. I learned this method at Home Economics in elementary school and still practice till now. Put water in a saucepan, and gently put eggs. Make sure the eggs are completely covered by water. Bring the water to boil on medium heat. Meanwhile you rotate the eggs with chopsticks or a spoon once in a while (this is a tip to make sure the egg yolk will be in center). Once the water boils, lower heat but keep the water boiling (but don’t let the eggs jumping around) for the next 12 minutes. Discard the water and run under cold water. When eggs are almost cool, they are ready to peel.

Step 3

Meanwhile you dice the onion finely and soak the onion in cold water for 10 minutes to get rid of bitter flavor.

Step 4

Finely chop the pickles.

Step 5

Drain the onion after 10 minutes. Put it the center of paper towel and squeeze the excess water out.

Step 6

In a bowl, break the eggs into small pieces with a fork.

Step 7

Add the pickles, the onion, salt and pepper and squeeze some lemon juice. Then add the mayonnaise (and parsley) and mix all together. Cover and keep it in the fridge until Ebi Fry is ready.

Step 8

Ebi fry’s prawns are very straight. You can follow my directions to make straight shrimp.

Step 9

Season the prawn with salt and pepper.

Step 10

Dredge the prawns with flour, and then beaten egg (I do not dilute the egg mixture, but you can do so with 1 Tbsp of water or milk). Next you usually go to Panko, but for Ebi Fry, you double dredge with flour and egg. So after the egg, you go back to flour, then egg, and finally panko. Don’t forget to shake off the excess.

Step 11

Heat the oil to 350ºF (180ºC). If you're new to deep-frying, here's my tip on how to deep-fry.

Step 12

Gently put 2-3 prawns in oil and deep fry them for about 2 and a half minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer Ebi Fry onto a wire rack or paper towel-lined tray to remove excess oil.

Step 13

Between batches, make sure to scoop up the bread crumbs to keep the oil clean. These burnt crumbs make the oil dark.

Step 14

You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days and in the freezer for a month.