Monsoon Cafe Calamari Tempura
Yields: 6 servings
ingredients
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper
2 T minced garlic
1 T fish sauce
1/2 C white wine
2 eggs
1 t paprika
4 T Chinese hot pepper sauce
1 C flour
2 lb cleaned calamari, cut into rings
6 T cornstarch
8 C oil, for frying
6 large iceberg lettuce leaves
Method
Combine salt, pepper, garlic, fish sauce, wine, eggs, paprika and hot pepper sauce in blender and blend 30 seconds. pour mixture into large bowl and stir in flour just until combined; do not over-mix.
Add calamari. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Just before cooking, stir cornstarch into calamari mixture. (This step
is important to give calamari a crisp texture).
Heat oil in large deep saucepan to 375 degrees on thermometer
or until pinch of flour dropped into oil bubbles. Drop small batch
of calamari into hot oil. Do not crowd pan. Cook in batches until calamari rings are golden brown and crispy, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Keep fried calamari in warm oven until all calamari are cooked.
To serve, fill each lettuce leaf with 1 cup calamari. Serve
with Curry Mayonnaise.