Description
Ebi Mayo is a delightful Japanese appetizer featuring succulent shrimp fried in a light, crispy batter and generously coated in a rich, creamy mayonnaise-based sauce with sweet and tangy notes. This dish balances the crispy texture of the shrimp with a smooth, flavorful sauce, making it a popular choice at izakayas and Chinese restaurants, and equally enjoyable to prepare at home.
Ingredients
Scale
Batter Dry Ingredients
- 70 g cake flour (lower protein content for lighter batter)
- 1 tbsp rice flour (or corn starch)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt and pepper
Batter Liquid
- 100 ml lager beer (or soda water, must be very cold)
Shrimp and Preparation
- 250 g shrimp (medium to large size, deshelled and deveined, black tiger or white shrimp)
- 1 tsp cornstarch (for cleaning)
- 2 pinches salt (for cleaning)
- 3 tbsp cornstarch (or potato starch, for coating before batter)
- 2 cloves garlic (peeled, whole, for flavoring oil)
- cooking oil (neutral with high smoke point, for frying)
Sauce Ingredients
- 4 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp condensed milk (sweetened, not evaporated milk)
- 1 tsp tomato ketchup
- 1 tsp rice vinegar (unseasoned)
- ½ tsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu)
- ½ tsp lemon juice (or lime juice, freshly squeezed best)
- ½ tsp paprika powder (regular or smoked)
Garnish
- dried parsley (to garnish)
Instructions
- Prepare the batter dry mix: Combine 70 g cake flour, 1 tbsp rice flour, ½ tsp baking powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix thoroughly and place the bowl in the freezer until you are ready to add the liquid component. Don’t add the beer yet to keep the mixture cold for a light batter.
- Mix the mayonnaise sauce: In a separate bowl, add 4 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise, 1 tbsp sweetened condensed milk, 1 tsp tomato ketchup, 1 tsp rice vinegar, ½ tsp Japanese soy sauce, ½ tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, and ½ tsp paprika powder. Stir until smooth and well combined, then set the sauce aside to allow flavors to meld.
- Clean the shrimp: Place 250 g peeled and deveined shrimp in a bowl. Rub them with 1 tsp cornstarch and 2 pinches of salt to help remove impurities. Rinse thoroughly under cold water and pat dry using kitchen paper towels to ensure the surface is dry for better batter adhesion.
- Heat the frying oil: Fill a deep pot or fryer with neutral high smoke point oil and heat it to 190 °C (374 °F). Add the 2 cloves of garlic whole into the hot oil while it heats to infuse flavor. Once the garlic turns dark brown, remove and discard it to prevent bitterness.
- Coat the shrimp with cornstarch: Add 3 tbsp cornstarch (or potato starch) to the cleaned shrimp and toss to coat evenly. This step helps the batter stick to the shrimp when frying.
- Prepare the batter: Retrieve the cold dry flour mixture from the freezer. Gradually add 100 ml very cold lager beer (or soda water) and gently mix until you obtain a smooth, lump-free batter with a light consistency.
- Batter and fry the shrimp: Dip each shrimp into the batter ensuring they are fully coated. Carefully drop them into the hot oil in small batches to avoid overcrowding, which can lower the oil temperature and cause sogginess. Fry the shrimp for about 2-3 minutes or until they turn golden brown and crispy.
- Drain excess oil: Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried shrimp onto a wire rack allowing oil to drain and preventing sogginess.
- Toss in sauce: Once slightly cooled, place the fried shrimp into the prepared mayonnaise sauce bowl. Gently mix to coat each prawn evenly without damaging the crispy batter.
- Serve: Arrange the sauced shrimp on a serving dish, sprinkle dried parsley over the top for a touch of color and aroma, and enjoy immediately for best texture and flavor.
Notes
- Ebi Mayo offers a perfect contrast of crisp shrimp with a creamy, slightly sweet sauce, making it a crowd favorite at home or in izakayas.
- Using very cold beer or soda water in the batter helps achieve a lighter and crispier texture.
- Do not overcrowd the fryer to maintain oil temperature and crispiness.
- Adding garlic cloves to the oil infuses a subtle aroma but remember to remove them before frying the shrimp to avoid burnt flavors.
- Adjust the amount of paprika powder and lemon juice in the sauce to suit your taste preferences.
- Serve immediately after tossing in the sauce to keep the shrimp crispy.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 648 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 1014 mg
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 26 g
- Trans Fat: 0.01 g
- Carbohydrates: 53 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 31 g
- Cholesterol: 229 mg
