Entree: Japan – 天丼 ➤ Tendon (Tempura rice bowl)

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 2

Approximate Time

Prep 12 min

Cook 5 min

Total 25 min

Ingredients

4 tiger prawns, approximately 3 oz (85 g) each
1 cup (240 ml) ice-cold water
1 large egg
3/4 cup (95 g) all-purpose flour
2 tbsp (15 g) cornstarch (selected from the listed alternatives)
1/4 tsp (1 g) salt
Vegetable oil, as needed for deep-frying
1 1/2 cups (300 g) cooked Japanese short-grain rice (about 1 cup uncooked) (estimated edible portion: 300 g)
3/4 cup (180 ml) dashi stock
3 tbsp (45 ml) soy sauce
3 tbsp (45 ml) mirin
1 tbsp (12 g) sugar
Optional: sliced green onion, for garnish

Instructions

1. Cook the rice, if it is not already cooked, and keep it hot.
2. Peel and devein the prawns if needed. Make shallow cuts along their undersides to help prevent curling, then pat them dry.
3. In a small saucepan, combine the dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
4. In a bowl, whisk the egg with the ice-cold water. Add the flour, cornstarch, and salt, and fold briefly until just combined; leave the batter slightly lumpy and do not overmix.
5. Heat vegetable oil for deep-frying to 350–375°F (175–190°C). Lightly dust the prawns with flour, dip them in the batter, and fry until crisp and pale golden, about 2–3 minutes. Drain well.
6. Briefly dip the fried prawns in the warm tentsuyu sauce to glaze them, or reserve the sauce to spoon over the assembled bowls.
7. Divide the hot rice between two bowls and arrange the prawns on top. Drizzle with additional warm tentsuyu and garnish with sliced green onion, if desired.