Ebi tempura rolls

Step-by-step preparation

Cooking time: 1 hr 45 mins

1. STEP 1

   

   Prepare all ingredients. Since tempura is a cooking method, the name “ebi” reflects the product that will be cooked in batter, in this case the prefix “ebi” means shrimp. You need to buy large shrimp; you can use king or tiger shrimp. I decided to replace the shrimp with langoustines, since in terms of taste this product is very close to shrimp.

2. STEP 2

   

   Pour the rice into a bowl, pour in cold running water and, in order not to damage the grains, rinse the rice with gentle movements, drain the cloudy water and pour in clean cold running water again. The rice must be washed at least 4 times, the water should become clean and clear. Place the washed rice in a colander and leave it there for 10 minutes, during which time all excess liquid will drain.

3. STEP 3

   

   Pour the rice into a saucepan and add water, put on fire. It is very important to maintain the rice to water ratio. It should be 1:1. When the water boils, cover the pan with a transparent lid, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. During this time, the moisture should completely evaporate. The lid cannot be opened during cooking, therefore, in order to see the cooking process, it is better to use a transparent lid.

4. STEP 4

   

   After the specified time, remove the pan with rice from the heat and leave the rice to steam under the closed lid for another 10 minutes. Do not open the lid; the rice must be completely cooked.

5. STEP 5

   

   At this time, prepare the dressing. Pour rice vinegar into a small ladle (turk), add sugar and salt. Place the ladle over low heat and, stirring, dissolve the bulk ingredients. Once the sugar and salt have dissolved, immediately remove the dressing from the heat. The dressing should never boil, so you cannot cook it over high heat.

6. STEP 6

   

   Place the finished rice in a wooden bowl, wiped with a damp towel, so the rice will not stick to the dish. It’s better to use a special hangiri tub made of cypress, but I don’t have one, so I used the one I had. Wooden utensils are used to prevent any interaction with the rice vinegar, and also the wooden utensils absorb excess moisture from the rice while stirring it.

7. STEP 7

   

   Take a wooden spatula and place it over the rice. Pour the vinegar dressing onto the spatula and it will gently spread over the rice. Break the rice with smooth movements and mix it carefully, being careful not to damage the rice grains. Cover with a damp, clean towel and let the rice cool. When the rice has cooled, you can begin to form sushi and rolls.

8. STEP 8

   

   Clean the pre-frozen langoustines: remove the head, remove the shell along with the legs, leaving only the tip of the tail, using sharp scissors or a knife, make an incision along the entire back and carefully remove the intestinal tract. If desired, the tail can also be removed.

9. STEP 9

   

   Prepare the batter. Pour cold water into a rectangular pan, add salt and flour. Using a whisk, mix thoroughly. The batter should be homogeneous.

10. STEP 10

    

    Place the prepared langoustines on wooden skewers, then dip them into the batter and then into the panko flakes, pressing the langoustines firmly into the flakes so that they are completely covered with breading.

11. STEP 11

    

    Pour vegetable oil into a wide frying pan and heat it. The oil must be heated very well so that the dough sets well. When the oil is hot, dip the breaded langoustines into it. Fry them on both sides until golden brown.

12. STEP 12

    

    Wrap the mat several times with cling film and lightly grease with vegetable oil. Cut the nori sheets in half. Place the first half of the nori sheet, glossy side down, on the prepared mat. Pour rice bite and water in a ratio of 1:3 into a small container. Wet your hands in the solution, take 145 g. boiled rice and level it over the nori, leaving 1 cm at the top free without rice, and at the bottom extending 1 cm beyond the boundaries of the nori.

13. STEP 13

    

    Now turn the nori over so that the rice is on the mat. At the same time, arrange the nori so that 1 cm of rice free of nori remains on top. Place the filling in the center of the nori sheet: first, squeeze out the cream cheese through a pastry bag, place the breaded fried langoustines next to them, pointing the tails towards the outside of the roll, and place strips of lettuce leaves next to the cream cheese.

14. STEP 14

    

    Holding the filling, begin to carefully roll up the roll using a mat. Once the roll is formed, shape the roll into a round or square shape by pressing it on all sides with a mat.

15. STEP 15

    

    Take 1 wrapped roll and dip the edges first and then the roll itself into the batter. Proceed the same way when rolling the roll in panko breadcrumbs: first bread the edges of the roll, and then all the sides.

16. STEP 16

    

    Place the breaded roll in hot oil and fry on all sides until golden brown. This process will take several minutes.

17. STEP 17

    

    First transfer the finished roll onto paper towels, let the excess oil go away, and then transfer it to a board and, moistening the knife in the solution, cut the roll in half. Connect the two halves of the roll and cut in half again. And cut each half again. You should get 8 rolls. The knife must be wetted, so the rice will not stick to the knife and will not lead to deformation of the rolls.