Tempura Shrimp and Vegetables with Sumac Aioli

A great recipe for light and crispy Shrimp Tempura with assorted vegetables and Sumac, a dark purple Middle Eastern spice with a delicious, fruity, lemon-like tang. Easy and fun to make and enjoy with a bottle of Joy Sauvignon Blanc.

Ingredients

• Vegetable Oil  ·  2 quarts 
• Pepper (A)  ·  1 teaspoon 
• Salt (A)  ·  1 teaspoon 
• Herbie’s Sumac Spice (A)  ·  2 tablespoons 
• Garlic Cloves, chopped (A)  ·  6 
• Lemon Juice (A)  ·  2 tablespoons 
• Mayonnaise (A)  ·  2 cups 
• Salt & Pepper to taste  ·   
• Ice  ·   
• All Purpose Flour  ·  8 ounces 
• Shrimp tail-on, shelled and deveined  ·  24 
• Red Onions, sliced into ¼” thick rounds  ·  2 
• White Button Mushrooms, cut into ½’s  ·  8 ounces 
• Sweet Potatoes, sliced into 1/8” thick rounds  ·  2 
• Vodka  ·  1/4 cup 
• Seltzer Water  ·  1 1/2 cup 
• large Egg, beaten  ·  1 
• White Rice Flour  ·  8 ounces 

Instructions

Whisk the all-purpose flour and the rice flour together in a medium bowl and set aside.

In a separate bowl whisk the egg, seltzer water, and vodka together. Refrigerate.

To make the Aioli take the ingredients marked with (A) and in a food processor add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, chopped garlic, salt, pepper, and Herbie’s Sumac Spice. Pulse until it is the texture you like. Reserve.

Prep all the vegetables. Meanwhile heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or another heavy bottomed pot. You want the oil to reach at least 375 degrees but do not exceed 425 degrees.

Fill a large bowl with ice and about 2 cups of cold water. Place the other bowl with the flour mixture inside the ice bath.

Take the liquid mixture out of the refrigerator and stir into the flour mixture with your hands.

Mix until all ingredients have been incorporated. (Its okay if it has some chunks).

Once the oil has reached 375 degrees start by deep-frying all the vegetables first then the shrimp.

Dip each piece in the batter and hold it above the bowl for 3 seconds, then slowly submerge it into the oil.

Fry until golden brown about 2-3 min. per vegetable or shrimp.

Make sure to have a cooling rack or paper towels laid out for the finished pieces.

When each piece is done season with salt and pepper.

Serve immediately with Sumac Aioli and Joy Sauvignon Blanc.

Chef Tommy’s Tips:

• Make sure that the tempura batter is as cold as possible at all times, the colder the better.
• When finished let the used oil cool completely, pour through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth to get the bits out and re-use the next time you need to deep fry.