Five-spice tempura with MYO chilli oil

You can use this tempura batter for any of the bougie brassicas, or just your usual suspects such as regular cauli or broccoli (with the florets split in half lengthways to help accelerate the cook), as well as tofu, mushrooms or even seafood, if you’re so inclined.

Credit: Murdoch Books / Ben Dearnley

• serves

  4

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

You’ll notice I’ve popped some tomato paste in the chilli oil, which may seem wild at first glance, but once you try it with this decidedly inauthentic umami-rich addition, you won’t go back. For best effect, make the chilli oil at least the night before.

Ingredients

Tempura batter

• A few ice cubes
• ½ cup (60 g) cornflour (cornstarch) (see Subs)
• ½ cup (75 g) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting (see Subs)
• 1 tsp salt flakes
• 1 cup (250 ml) chilled sparkling mineral water or soda water (club soda) — or even just chilled tap water at a pinch

 

MYO chilli oil

• 2 cups (500 ml) grapeseed oil
• 1 thumb-sized knob fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 20 g (¾ oz) Sichuan peppercorns
• 20 g (¾ oz) chilli flakes (see Tips)
• 100 g (3½ oz) crispy fried shallots
• 1 tbsp grated fresh garlic
• 1-2 spring onions (scallions), finely chopped
• 1-2 star anise
• 1 tsp five-spice
• ¼ cup (60 ml) sesame oil
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 tbsp tomato paste (concentrated purée)
• 1-2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp black vinegar or rice wine vinegar

Serves 4 as a side or starter.

The chilli oil needs cooling time and improves with standing. It can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge.

Instructions

1. Start by making the chilli oil. In a small saucepan, bring the oil and grated ginger to 170°C (325°F). This takes about 10 minutes over low heat; the oil will be shimmering but not smoking.
2. In a large heatproof bowl, mix together the peppercorns, chilli flakes, fried shallots, garlic, spring onion, star anise, five-spice, sesame oil, sesame seeds and tomato paste. Set a fine-meshed sieve over the top. Being careful of spitting, pour the hot oil over the lot. Add the soy sauce and vinegar to taste, then leave to infuse. Once cool, pull out the star anise. The longer the oil stands, the more intense the heat and flavour will be. Store in the fridge, in a clean sealed jar.
3. When ready to cook, prepare the tempura batter. Find two bowls that can nestle into each other. Pop a few ice cubes into the bottom bowl and pour in just enough cold tap water so that it won’t overflow with the other bowl on top. Combine the cornflour, flour and salt flakes in the top bowl. Pour in your cold fizzy water in a steady stream, stirring with a fork or whisk to get rid of any lumps. Allow to stand for 10 minutes.
4. While the batter is resting, heat the frying oil to 180°C (350°F) — you don’t need a thermometer, just drop in a small speck of batter and if it immediately curls into a ball and turns golden, you’re all set.
5. Set up a plate or tray lined with paper towel as a draining station. Add the plain flour to a bowl as your dusting station. Working in batches, pop the brassicas into the flour, then the batter and pull them out, allowing any excess batter to drip off, before submerging in the oil for 2–3 minutes, or until golden. Drain each batch on paper towel.
6. Crush the salt flakes with the five-spice using a mortar and pestle, or crush the flakes between your fingertips and toss through the five-spice to combine.
7. Sprinkle the hot battered tempura with the salty spice sprinkle and serve immediately, with the chilli oil for drizzling, and the lemon cheeks for squeezing over.

 

Subs

• If caulini and broccolini aren’t available, slice a head of regular cauli or broccoli into fork-sized bits, stem included.

• If you don’t have cornflour, just use straight-up plain (all-purpose) flour (or its gluten-free equivalent), though I do enjoy the lightness and golden colour that cornflour brings.

• To go gluten-free, use gluten-free cornflour, and swap the plain flour for gluten-free plain flour.

Tips

Some varieties of chilli flakes are sweeter and milder than others. Look for terms like ‘mild’ or ‘hot’ on the packet, although they’re not always expressly labelled.

Image and recipe from The Joy of Better Cooking by Alice Zaslavsky, photography by Ben Dearnley Murdoch Books RRP $49.99). Learn more at www.thejoyofbettercooking.com

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

You’ll notice I’ve popped some tomato paste in the chilli oil, which may seem wild at first glance, but once you try it with this decidedly inauthentic umami-rich addition, you won’t go back. For best effect, make the chilli oil at least the night before.