Mixed Vegetable and Squid Tempura with Tentsuyu-Style Dip

Squid rings, sweet potato, and green beans fry crisp from ice-cold batter, paired with soy-dashi tentsuyu and grated daikon. As Golden Batter Off Dejima recalls, oil smoked carefully in 1630s Nagasaki kitchens while Nanban techniques crossed the harbor.

Serves 2

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Ingredients

• 6 oz squid tubes
• 12 pieces green beans
• 1 small sweet potato
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup ice-cold water
• 4 cups neutral oil
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 cup dashi stock
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 1/3 cup grated daikon

Instructions

1. 1Cut the squid into 1/2-inch rings. Slice the sweet potato into thin rounds. Trim the green beans. Pat all items dry.
2. 2Whisk the flour and ice-cold water together to form a cold, slightly lumpy batter. Prepare the tentsuyu-style dip by gently heating the soy sauce, dashi stock, and mirin together for 2 minutes, then cool.
3. 3Heat the neutral oil to 350°F. Working in small batches, dip the squid, sweet potato, and green beans into the batter and fry for 2-4 minutes until lightly golden and very crisp. Drain on a wire rack.
4. 4Serve the mixed tempura immediately with the tentsuyu-style dip and a generous pile of grated daikon on the side. Accompany with steamed rice if desired.