June 06, 2022 By Chef Lucia Watson

Small crappies and, particularly, bluegills are my favorite tempura fish, although many people prefer perch. Any panfish will do – as will finger-sized strips cut from the fillets of larger fish. Serve this Panfish Tempura Recipe with a dipping sauce like the ginger one I offer here.

Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 15-20 minutes

Cook's Tip: The key to tempura is that the ingredients must be fresh and cold. Cut the vegetables into even-sized pieces and adjust cooking time for each. For example, a sweet potato must cook longer than a green pepper. Be sure the oil is at a constant minimum of 360 degrees and not much hotter. The batter should be lumpy and never mixed too well.

Ingredients:

Batter:

Ginger Dipping Sauce:

Directions:

1. Set up the ingredients in the frying area in assembly-line fashion: (1) prepared fish and vegetables, (2) flour for dipping, (3) batter, (4) fryer with oil, and (5) pan lined with paper towels to drain finished tempura.
2. To make the Batter: Beat the eggs slightly, then add ice-cold beer (or water) and mix lightly. Add the flour and beat a few times with a fork or until the ingredients are loosely combined. The batter should be lumpy.
3. Heat the oil to 360 degrees °F.
4. Dip the fish and vegetables in flour, shake off the excess, and dip them in the batter. Slide the pieces into hot oil and fry until golden – about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve at once with dipping sauce.
5. To make the Ginger Dipping Sauce: Combine ingredients and stir well.
6. Serve Panfish and Vegetable Tempura with dipping sauce.