Getting down to business

If you would like to have a taste of Japan at home, why don't you try out this simple dish…

Beer-batter tempura

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup beer (not dark)
• 3/4 cup wheat flour (not self-rising)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 large shrimp, shelled and, if desired, de-veined
• 1 small sweet potato
• vegetable oil for deep-drying
• 1 small red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rings
• 6 asparagus spears, trimmed (or the same amount of zucchini, cauliflower, cucumber, carrot or parsley puffs)
  Accompaniment:
• soy sauce for dipping, if desired

Method:

1. In a bowl, whisk beer into flour until smooth and stir in salt.
2. Make several shallow cuts across inside curve of each shrimp and press shrimp gently (to help prevent curling during cooking).
3. Peel sweet potato and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
4. In a 3-quart saucepan heat 2 inches oil to 375°F.
5. Then, working in batches of 3 or 4 pieces, coat the shrimp, sweet potato slices, bell pepper rings, and asparagus spears in batter, making sure it is completely coated, while letting excess drip off.
6. Then fry, turning, until golden, for about 3 minutes.
7. Then using tongs, transfer tempura as fried to a newspaper, to drain and season with salt.
8. Serve tempura with soy sauce.