Tempura Japanese Pumpkin with Everything Chili Crisp Dipping Sauce
Recipe: Alex Heugel | Serves 4
Kabocha, the Japanese pumpkin, has dense, sweet flesh and tender skin that fries up crispy in a tempura batter. For the dipping sauce, we bloom our LifeSpice Everything Chili Crisp seasoning in hot oil and finish it with soy sauce and black vinegar. You get a savory, spicy dip that balances the sweet squash.
Ingredients
- ½ large kabocha squash (Japanese pumpkin), seeds removed, sliced ⅛ inch thick
- Neutral oil for frying (at least 1 quart), plus an additional ½ cup
- ½ cup cornstarch
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup chilled club soda
- 1 Tbsp chilled vodka
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp LifeSpice Everything Chili Crisp seasoning
- 1 Tbsp black vinegar
- Salt
Method
- Add enough oil to a Dutch oven or wok to reach about halfway up the sides. Heat over medium heat until it reaches 350°F.
- Add the Everything Chili Crisp seasoning to a medium heat-safe bowl. Ladle out 4 oz (½ cup) of the oil, pour it over the seasoning and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and all-purpose flour.
- Add the vodka to the club soda. Pour the liquid into the dry mixture and whisk gently so you don’t overmix. Once fully combined, put the batter in the fridge until you’re ready to fry.
- Set a wire cooling rack on a sheet pan, or line the pan with paper towels.
- Working in small batches, dip the squash slices into the batter until fully coated. Lift out a few pieces at a time and let the excess batter drip back into the bowl. Gently dip each piece into the oil and hold it there for 10 seconds before letting go, so the batter sets.
- Fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until crispy. Move the pieces to the sheet pan with a spider and season with salt right away.
- Repeat steps 6 and 7 until all the squash is fried.
- By now the seasoning and oil mixture should be close to room temperature. Stir in the soy sauce and black vinegar.
- Serve immediately with the dipping sauce.