Black sesame tempura asparagus with miso mayo
- Easy
- May 2019
- Serves 6 as a starter
- Hands-on time 30 min
Tasting these in the delicious. test kitchen for the first time was a revelation. Feather-light tempura batter melts in the mouth as you sink your teeth into each tender asparagus spear. Drizzle over the salty miso mayonnaise and serve to guests at a dinner party.
We’ve got tempura prawns too…
- Calories
- 260kcals
- Fat
- 5.2g (1.3g saturated)
- Protein
- 6.4g
- Carbohydrates
- 22.5g (2.9g sugars)
- Fibre
- 3.6g
- Salt
- 1.4g
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil for deep frying
- 150g tempura batter mix (we used Blue Dragon)
- 1 tsp black sesame seeds, plus extra for sprinkling
- 225ml chilled sparkling water
- About 750g asparagus, trimmed (see tip)
- 1 tsp white sesame seeds
For the miso mayo
- 1 tbsp miso (check it’s gluten-free if you need it to be)
- Juice 1 lime, plus wedges to serve
- Splash tamari
- 3 tbsp good-quality mayonnaise
Method
- Heat about 4cm oil in a wide, deep frying pan or casserole to 170°C (if you don’t have a digital probe thermometer, it’s ready when a bread cube dropped into the oil turns golden in about 25 seconds).
- Mix the ingredients for the miso mayo in a bowl (see Make Ahead).
- Put the tempura batter mixture into a gratin dish long enough to hold the asparagus, then whisk in the black sesame seeds and chilled sparkling water until almost smooth (a few lumps are okay).
- Put 4-6 asparagus spears at a time in the batter and turn to coat. Fry in batches for about 2 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove with tongs and set on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the asparagus. Drizzle with miso mayo, sprinkle with black and white sesame seeds and serve with lime wedges.
delicious. tips
Pinot blanc from Alsace or a delicate Touraine sauvignon would suit this best
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