Tempura Shrimp with Buffalo Dressing

Ingredients:

Shrimp tempura

• 450 g large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails left on (about 16 pcs.)
• 1 cup chilled seltzer water
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tbsp. cake flour
• Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• Carrot and celery sticks, for serving
• Special equipment: 16 wooden skewers, 20 cm long, and a deep-fry thermometer

Blue cheese dressing

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp crumbled blue cheese (about 80 g)
• 2 tbsp. low-fat cream
• 2 teaspoons sour cream
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Butter with hot sauce

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup hot sauce, such as Frank's

Preparation:

1. Place a medium bowl in the freezer. Place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet and place it next to the stovetop where you'll be frying the shrimp.
2. Blue cheese dressing:
   
   In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, blue cheese, heavy cream, sour cream, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
   
   Butter with hot sauce:
   
   In a small bowl, combine the butter and hot sauce and microwave until melted, 1-2 minutes. Stir and set aside.
3. Shrimp tempura:
   
   Dry the shrimp completely with paper towels. Make a small, 0.5 cm diagonal slit on the underside of the shrimp, then flatten it so it lays flat. Thread a skewer down the length of the shrimp. Repeat with the remaining shrimp. Refrigerate the shrimp for at least 10 minutes before grilling.
4. Place 2 inches of vegetable oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, attach a deep-fry thermometer, and heat to 375°F (190°C).
5. Just before frying, whisk together the seltzer water and egg yolk in a cold bowl from the freezer. Add 1/4 cup ice. Add the flour and gently whisk 9-10 times, then remove the whisk! The batter should be lumpy for crispier shrimp.
   
   

   Chef's Notes

   
   To make the perfect tempura batter, all ingredients must be cold, including the water and the item you're frying—in this case, shrimp. Be careful not to over-beat the batter, and remember, lumps are a good thing!
   
6. Dip the shrimp, a few at a time, in the batter, holding the end of a skewer. Coat completely, letting any excess batter drip back into the bowl. Using tongs, slowly lower the shrimp into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown and puffed, 2-3 minutes. Remove the shrimp with a slotted spoon, transfer to a wire rack on a baking sheet, and sprinkle lightly with salt while still hot. Heat the oil to 190°C (350°F) and fry the next batch.
7. Serve with blue cheese dressing, hot butter sauce, carrot and celery sticks.