Masa Tempura
Reprinted from Masa by Jorge Gaviria with permission from Chronicle Books, 2022. Photographs © Graydon Herriott.
This batter is the key to fried fish tacos at Empellón restaurant in New York City and “can be used on just about any host, from fish and shrimp to vegetables and tofu,” Jorge Gaviria of Masienda explains in his new book Masa. “[Chef] Alex Stupak’s secret to getting an even, flaky consistency from this masa batter is to run it through a cream whipper. Cream whippers work by using compressed nitrous oxide to aerate the liquid inside through a nozzle at the top. If you don’t have one of these lying around, you can get pretty close by whisking or blending the batter for a bit longer, as you might to whip cream, for 2 to 3 minutes, until smooth and even.”
This recipe and others like it can be found in the article "Masa Beyond the Tortilla: Inventive Recipes Behind the Ingredient’s Third Wave."
Reprinted from Masa by Jorge Gaviria with permission from Chronicle Books, 2022. Photographs © Graydon Herriott.
How to Make It
1
Fill a deep fryer or pot with at least 2 inches of oil and heat to 350°F.
2
In a blender, combine the water, masa harina, and salt and blend on high speed until smooth. (If you’re not using a cream whipper, blend for 2 to 3 minutes more.) Strain the batter through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and refrigerate until cold. If using a cream whipper, pour the batter into the cream whipper and express the batter through the nozzle into a bowl.
3
Season the shrimp or other tempura-dipping ingredients with salt and pepper.
4
Pour extra masa harina for dredging into a bowl.
5
Dredge the shrimp in the masa harina, shaking off the excess.
6
Next, dip the shrimp into the chilled batter until fully coated and then carefully lower into the hot oil, making sure not to overcrowd them in the pot.
7
Fry in batches, flipping halfway through, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
8
Strain on a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate, season with more salt, and serve hot.
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Ingredients
1 to 2 quarts vegetable oil, for frying
2 cups cold water
1 cup masa harina, plus more for dredging
½ tsp fine salt, plus more for seasoning
1 lb shrimp, fish, or tofu, or 4 cups thinly sliced vegetables
freshly ground black pepper
Directions
1
Fill a deep fryer or pot with at least 2 inches of oil and heat to 350°F.
2
In a blender, combine the water, masa harina, and salt and blend on high speed until smooth. (If you’re not using a cream whipper, blend for 2 to 3 minutes more.) Strain the batter through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and refrigerate until cold. If using a cream whipper, pour the batter into the cream whipper and express the batter through the nozzle into a bowl.
3
Season the shrimp or other tempura-dipping ingredients with salt and pepper.
4
Pour extra masa harina for dredging into a bowl.
5
Dredge the shrimp in the masa harina, shaking off the excess.
6
Next, dip the shrimp into the chilled batter until fully coated and then carefully lower into the hot oil, making sure not to overcrowd them in the pot.
7
Fry in batches, flipping halfway through, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
8
Strain on a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate, season with more salt, and serve hot.
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