Tempura

Method

1. Make the tentsuyu: bring 60 ml of dashi, 1 tbsp of soy sauce and 1 tbsp of mirin to a simmer in a small pan, let it bubble for 1 minute to cook off the alcohol, then pour into a dipping bowl and leave to cool. Grate 40 g of daikon on the fine side of a grater, squeeze it lightly, and grate 1 tsp of ginger; keep both on a small dish.
2. Prepare the prawns: peel 3 of prawns, leaving the last tail segment on, and pull out the dark vein with a cocktail stick. Cut the tip of the tail fan off and press out the water inside it so it does not spit. Make 3 or 4 shallow nicks across the belly of each prawn and press the back flat with your thumb so they stay straight when fried. Pat completely dry.
3. Cut 60 g of sweet potato into 7 mm rounds and pat dry, trim the stems from 2 of shiitake and score a cross in each cap, top 4 of green beans, and wipe 1 of shiso leaf clean. Lay everything on kitchen paper — any surface water will make the batter slide off.
4. Pour the oil into a heavy pan to a depth of 5 cm and heat to 175C. Test with a drop of batter: it should sink halfway, then rise and sizzle steadily. While it heats, dust the prawns and vegetables lightly with 1 tbsp of plain flour and tap off the excess.