Do you like Shrimp Tempura and Ebi Fry (Japanese fried shrimp)? Do you ever wonder how the shrimp and prawns stay so straight when fried instead of curling up?
Let me show you how to make this signature shape and clean the shrimp in my step-by-step tutorial below. It’s very easy to do!
Why Keep the Shrimp Straight?
This straight shape makes an attractive presentation, but it is also practical. It’s easier to pick up and bite into a straight piece of fried shrimp or dip it into tempura sauce or tartar sauce. A straight ingredient is also easier to coat evenly in the shrimp tempura batter or panko breadcrumbs and fry in the hot oil.
This Japanese technique is very handy for certain dishes in Japanese cuisine that require this signature, elongated look.
How To Prepare Shrimp and Prawns
Take the time to prepare and clean your shrimp and prawns. Here are the basic steps; see my tutorial below for detailed instructions and step-by-step photos.
- Peel the shrimp or prawns.
- Devein with a skewer. The vein runs along the back of the shrimp.
- Make some slits on the underside. Bend it backward, belly side up, to make it straight.
- Clean the tails by cutting the tips and remove the dirty liquid.
- Clean the shrimp with potato starch or cornstarch, then rinse under running water (cold water).
- Rub with sake and let sit. Discard the liquid (no need to rinse or pat dry the excess moisture with a paper towel). They’re now ready to use.
Shrimp Recipes You’ll Love
You can use these cleaned and prepared ingredients packed with protein in these popular Japanese dishes:
- Shrimp Egg Rolls with Negi Miso (leek and miso) dipping sauce
- Sushi rolls like Dragon Roll
- Shrimp Tempura with Tentsuyu dipping sauce; try it in Nabeyaki Udon, Soba Noodle Soup, Tempura Bento, and Tendon (tempura rice bowl)
- Ebi Fry with Japanese Tartar Sauce; try it in Ebi Fry Bento
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How To Prepare Shrimp For Shrimp Tempura & Ebi Fry
Materials
- large shrimp or prawns
- potato starch or cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp sake (plus more, if needed)
Instructions
- Pull off the head of the large shrimp or prawns if it is still attached. Pull off the outer shell. Keep the last segment of shell and the tail tip on.
- Devein the back of shrimp with a skewer. The vein runs right along the back. Insert the tip of the skewer sideways about ½ inch (1.3 cm) down from the head of the shrimp and pull the skewer tip up towards you. This will lift up the vein and you can pull off the vein with the skewer or with your hand. If the vein is broken, then insert again a bit lower towards the tail. If you can’t find the vein, then don’t worry about it.
- Make a couple of slits underside. Hold the shrimp with both hands and bend it backward (belly-up) to make it straight. Straighten the shrimp as much as possible in order to get the desired shape.
- Cut the tip of the shrimp tail as you see below.
- Remove dirty water in the tail by holding the tip of the knife down on the tail and moving it from left to right (see #1) squeezing the water out from the cut tip. If you skip this process, water retained in the tail might create splatter in the oil. Then take off the shell from the middle tail. You just need to pull it out (see #2).
- Sprinkle some potato starch or cornstarch and coat the shrimp. The starch will absorb the smell and dirt from the shrimp. Rinse the shrimp under running water.
- Add 1 Tbsp sake and rub with your hands. Discard the liquid after 10 minutes (no need to rinse).
- Now, the prawns or shrimp are ready for Shrimp Tempura or Ebi Fry.
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