This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.
These Japanese deep-fried shrimps are tender, melt-in-the-mouth on the inside, ultra-crispy on the outside, and they are so good they will barely make it to the table! Coated with tempura batter and Panko breadcrumbs, they are as delicious as in a Japanese restaurant.
🤔What is Ebi Fry?
Also called Ebi Furai, it's a Japanese dish made of succulent shrimps, dipped in tempura batter, then in Panko breadcrumbs, and deep-fried until perfectly golden brown.
They are part of the "Yoshoku" category of Japanese dishes that are inspired by Western cuisine. These dishes originated in Japan during the Meiji period (1868-1912).
Yoshoku dishes include Hambagu (Japanese minced steak), Korokke (croquettes with different flavors), Kare Raisu (Japanese curry), Tonkatsu (breaded pork), Doria (Japanese rice gratin), Omurice (rice omelet), Guratan (Japanese macaroni gratin) and many others.
💙 Why you'll love them
- So easy to prepare - all you have to do is prepare the tempura batter, coat the shrimp with it then with Panko, deep-fry and you're done! A cinch, right?!
- Cheaper than in restaurants - why pay a ton at your local Asian restaurant, when you can make the same dish for an affordable price?
- So versatile - you can serve it as a starter, a standalone, in a bento box, in a sandwich or in a wrap!
- Texture - trust me, their super-crispy-yet-tender texture will make anyone who doesn't love shrimp change their mind in the blink of an eye...
🇯🇵For Japanese food lovers
🦐Ingredients
You can find a full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below. Here are a few ingredient notes to make these shrimps.
- Large shrimp - Usually, I use 8/10 or 10/12 Black tiger, which means there are 8 to 10 or 10 to 12 shrimp per pound. It can also be labelled "extra colossal" or "colossal". It's the main ingredient so use good-quality ones!
- Egg - ideally pasture-raised organic. You can refer to the Eco Tips I've written on eggs to help you choose the right ones.
- Japanese Panko breadcrumbs - Panko is a Japanese type of breadcrumbs, made from crustless white bread. It is lighter than ordinary breadcrumbs and its crumbs are larger. Oven-baked and deep-fried preparations coated with those breadcrumbs are particularly crisp.
- Oil - I use neutral oil to deep-fry.
✨How to make this Japanese dish?
Recipe details and quantities are in the recipe card below.
- Start by the preparation of the shrimp. Remove their head by twisting it slightly.
- Then pull firmly on the legs and remove the shell, but not entirely. Leave the very last part of the shell on the tail, and the tail.
- Rinse your shrimp under running water, then pat dry with paper towels.
- Make 3-4 slits with a knife on the stomach of your shrimp, then press lightly with your fingers. This will keep them straight during cooking.
- And devein your shrimps by creating a small incision along the back of the shrimp, then use the tip of your knife to remove the vein.
- For the batter, whisk the egg yolk in a mixing bowl.
- Then add the sparkling water.
- And flour gradually, whisking constantly. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper, then prepare a bowl of Panko breadcrumbs.
- Pour the oil in a saucepan and heat until it reaches 350°F/180°C.
- Dip each shrimp (except the tail) in the batter, then in the Panko breadcrumbs.
- Place them 2 by 2 in the hot oil and let it cook until it's perfectly golden brown.
- Place on a wire rack or a plate lined with paper towels, to remove excess oil. And enjoy 🙂
🥰 Chef's tips
- Leave the tail of your shrimps, it's more practical when you dip them in the tempura batter and also more beautiful visually.
- Devein them for a better taste - the vein isn't dangerous if you eat one unintentionally, but it doesn't taste very good, especially on large shrimps, which have a larger vein. And it's quite simple - create a small incision along the back of the shrimp, then use the tip of your knife to remove the vein.
- To avoid shrimp curling up while cooking - make a few slits with a knife on the stomach of your shrimp so that they stay straight when cooked, as in restaurants, then press lightly with your fingers.
- Cut the very end of the tail so it doesn't explode when cooking.
- Hot oil is key - make sure your oil is hot enough (around 350°F/180°C) before putting in your shrimps inside. The best way to know oil is ready for use, is to use a kitchen thermometer. You can also put a drop of water into the pan. If it sizzles, you can use it now.
- If your oil is too hot: if it is, your oil will first darken before turning black. Then the oil will burn and your shrimp will be overcooked and not melt-in-the-mouth.
- Make several batches - don't put too many shrimp into the pan at once, as this may cause the temperature of the frying oil to drop too low, causing them to overcook and soak up the oil.
💡Frequently Asked Questions
If your oil hasn't turned black, you can wait for it to cool down completely, then put it back in the bottle for repeated use.
Otherwise, don't pour your frying oil down the drain, as you risk clogging it. The best thing to do is to put it back in the bottle once it's cooled down (very important, otherwise it'll have holes in it), then take it to a waste disposal site with hazardous waste or special household waste. And if that's impossible, at least put it in the non-recyclable waste garbage can.
Traditionally, Ebi Fry is eaten with Tartar sauce or Tonkatsu sauce. But I also love to serve them with a basic tomato sauce or spicy mayonnaise ( I mix together: 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce + 2 tablespoons mayonnaise + 1 tablespoon soy sauce). You can also sprinkle a thinly chopped green onion.
It also pairs really well with rice, cabbage, or this Teriyaki eggplant. And you could replace the salmon in this crispy rice recipe with some pieces of Ebi Fry.
I've never tried, but I'm sure it's possible, since the Air Fryer makes it possible to reproduce deep-fried recipes without frying.
Yes, all you have to do is replace the flour with cornstarch. And be careful to the ingredients labelled on the packaging of your Panko breadcrumbs, because it often contains gluten.
❄️Storage
Like most fried recipes, they're just incredible when they come out of the pan of frying oil. So to enjoy that ultra-crisp texture, I really recommend eating them as soon as they're ready.
📖 Recette
The best Ebi Fry (Japanese deep-fried shrimp)
Ingredients
- 11 oz shrimp
- 1 egg yolk
- ¼ cup sparkling water very cold
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 4 cups frying oil
Instructions
- Start by the preparation of the shrimp. Remove their head by twisting it slightly, then pull firmly on the legs and remove the shell, but not entirely. Leave the very last part of the shell on the tail, and the tail.
- Rinse your shrimp under running water, then pat dry with paper towels.
- Make 3-4 slits with a knife on the stomach of your shrimp, then press lightly with your fingers. This will keep them straight during cooking.
- And devein your shrimps by creating a small incision along the back of the shrimp, then use the tip of your knife to remove the vein.
- For the batter, whisk the egg yolk in a mixing bowl then add the sparkling water and flour gradually, whisking constantly. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper, then prepare a bowl of Panko breadcrumbs.
- Pour the oil in a saucepan and heat until it reaches 350°F/180°C.
- Dip each shrimp (except the tail) in the batter, then in the Panko breadcrumbs. Place them 2 by 2 in the hot oil and let it cook until it's perfectly golden brown.
- Place on a wire rack or a plate lined with paper towels, to remove excess oil. And enjoy 🙂
Répondre