Shrimp Tempura

In a saucepan, mix Hondashi (1 tsp) and Water (3/4 cup), Soy Sauce (3 Tbsp), Mirin (3 Tbsp), and Granulated Sugar (2 tsp) over medium heat. Cook until the sugar has just dissolved. Set aside.

Pull off the head of the Prawns (10). Pull off the outer shell. Keep the last segment of the shell and the tail.

Devein the back of prawns with a toothpick. Insert the toothpick sideways about 1.2-inches down from the head of the prawns and pull the toothpick up. This will lift up the vein and pull off the vein with the toothpick or by hand. If the vein is broken, then insert again a bit lower towards the tail.

Cut off the tips of prawn tails, and scrape out the water in the tail. This is to prevent the water from popping when frying.

Make 4-5 slits underside of the prawns. Flip the prawns back and press down to straighten the body. This is to prevent the prawns from curling up when frying. Place the prawns onto a clean tray.

Dust the Corn Starch (as needed) over the prawns, and remove the extra starch. This will help the tempura batter adhere to the prawns.

Mix the Water (1 cup) with Egg (1) and Vodka (4 Tbsp) in a big bowl, and add All-Purpose Flour (3/4 cup) to the egg mixture. Mix the batter gently, but be careful not to overmix. It's okay to leave some lumps in the batter. Keep the batter really cold at all times.

In a pot, heat 2 inches of Cooking Oil (as needed) to 340-350 degrees F (170-180 degrees C) and maintain the temperature all the time.

Coat the prawns evenly with batter. Pick up the prawns from the tail part and let the excess drip off for a second. Then gently place it into the hot oil. Fry for about 1 minute. Transfer the shrimp to a wire rack or a tray lined with paper towels to drain the excess oil.

Serve the shrimp tempura with tempura dipping sauce and grated Daikon Radish (1) on the side.