Here's one of Japan's favourite deep fried foods - ebi fry (pronounced "ebi furai" in the local tongue) - king prawns deep fried in breadcrumbs. here was a time back in the 1980s when this dish was so popular that Japan imported half of all the world's shrimp catch - amazing! Now the Japanese aren't quite so crazy for their king prawns these days but "ebi-furai' is still a staple of the dinner table, the bento box and the local "family restaurant".
Not that there is any need to go out to eat these - they are dead easy to make in your own kitchen! Just get your king prawns, some "panko" breadcrumbs, an egg and some plain flour and you're set. The key to keeping your prawns straight is to make several little cuts along the inner side of the prawn before you start. Then press the prawn straight and you'll hear a little cracking sound. Do that and when you deep fry, your prawn won't curl up. Some cooks also snip the prawn tails straight before cooking but this is cosmetic and not a "must do" - I always leave mine untrimmed. The rest is easy and these can be ready in 20 minute - accompany with Bulldog sauce or a squeeze of lemon (or both).
If you want to give this a try, you can find the written recipe just below and the Youtube tutorial by clicking Ebi Fry or scroll to the bottom of the page.
Happy frying! Kurumi XXXX.
If you like the sound of Ebi Fry and want something to go with it, why not try my Aubergine Katsu?
Ebi Fry
ingredients:
(makes 8 deep fried king prawns)
8 king prawns, peeled & deveined
a little black pepper & salt
40g plain flour
1 small egg
50g panko breadcrumbs
1/2 lemon for garnishing
Bull-dog sauce
vegetable oil for deep frying
some kitchen paper
how to:
make about 5 small cuts on the inside of each prawn and press down to straighten it, (this will stop the prawn curling when you deep fry it)
sprinkle a little salt & pepper over the prawns
now coat each prawn with the flour, then beaten egg, and finally coat with the panko breadcrumbs
put 3-4cm of veg oil in a pan & heat to about 170’C
deep fry the prawns for 4 - 5 mins and drain on the kitchen paper
serve with lemon wedges and Bull-dog sauce
accompany with a mixed salad
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