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Ebi Fry Japanese fried shrimp featured img

Ebi Furai (Japanese Deep-fried Shrimp with Panko)

4.67 from 6 votes
By Yuto Omura
https://sudachirecipes.com
Learn how to make the ultimate Japanese Ebi Furai, a popular deep-fried dish made with juicy black tiger prawns coated in crunchy golden panko breadcrumbs and served with a creamy homemade tartar sauce!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course Appetizers, Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 2 portions
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Course: Appetizers, Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese
Servings: 2 portions

Equipment

Ingredients 
 

Tartar Sauce

  • 25 g yellow onion(s) finely diced
  • 2 hard-boiled egg
  • 4 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise I use Kewpie Mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 pinch salt and pepper
  • 1 pinch parsley

Ebi Fry

  • 6 black tiger shrimp or similar large prawn
  • 6 bamboo skewers longer than the prawns
  • 2 pinches salt
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 medium egg(s)
  • 30 g all-purpose flour
  • 50 g panko breadcrumbs
  • cooking oil for deep frying

Instructions 

Tartar Sauce

  • Cut 2 hard-boiled egg into halves and scoop the yolks out into a medium sized bowl. Mash them and add 4 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tsp sugar, 1 pinch parsley and 1 pinch salt and pepper. Mix well, finely dice the egg whites and 25 g yellow onion(s)and mix once more. Store in the fridge until serving.
    simple Japanese style tartar sauce in a steel mixing bowl

Prepping the Prawns

  • De-shell 6 black tiger shrimp and leave the tails intact.  Place them in a bowl and rub the surface with 2 pinches salt and 1 tsp cornstarch.
    coating raw black tiger shrimp in salt and starch to clean
  • After a few minutes, wash the prawns in fresh water to rinse off the salt and corn starch.
    raw black tiger shrimp in a bowl of water
  • Drain the water and dry them with kitchen paper.
    patting shrimp dry with kitchen paper
  • Place the shrimp on a chopping board their sides with the tail folded in half and trim it diagonally. The pointy tip should be cut off and be the shorter part of the diagonal.
    cutting the shrimp tail decoratively for ebi fry
  • Turn the prawn so the belly is facing up and make diagonal incisions along the whole body. The incisions should be about 1cm apart and go about 1/2 way through the prawn.
    making incisions along the body of shrimp so that it doesn't curl when cooking
  • Optional step: Push bamboo skewers through the prawns to ensure they stay straight during cooking. Soak the bamboo skewers or coat with a thin layer of oil to make removal easier later.
    black tiger shrimp on bamboo skewers on a wooden chopping board

Breading and Cooking

  • Heat up your cooking oil to 190 °C (374 °F).
  • Start heating your oil to 190 °C (374 °F). While you wait, arrange a dish of 30 g all-purpose flour, a dish 1 medium egg(s) (whisked) and one with 50 g panko breadcrumbs.
    3 trays holding flour, whisked egg and panko
  • Coat the prawn with flour and brush off the excess.
    coating black tiger shrimp in flour
  • Next, roll in the whisked egg until fully covered.
    dipping shrimp in egg mixture to make ebi fry
  • Roll the prawn in the panko breadcrumbs until well covered. Press the panko down firmly to stop it from falling off.
    coating ebi furai with panko breadcrumbs
  • Repeat until all of your prawns are coated.
    Optional: Coat with egg and panko one more time. The double layer will make your ebi fry extra crunchy!
    panko coated shrimps on bamboo skewers on a plate
  • Place the prawns in the hot oil and fry until golden brown. When you first place the prawns in the oil, it will bubble loudly. You know the prawns are cooked all the way through when the bubbling subsides and becomes quiet.
    frying ebi fry in oil in a wok
  • Place the shrimps on a wire rack and allow any excess oil to drip off. If you used skewers, wait a few minutes before trying to remove them. Once the skewers are cool enough to touch, carefully twisting them and slowly pull them out.
    draining deep fried ebi furai on wire rack
  • Serve up the crispy ebi fry with homemade tartar sauce!
    6 golden and crispy ebi fry on a plate next to a small bowl of homemade Japanese tartar sauce
  • Enjoy!

Notes

You can make your tartar sauce and prep the prawns ahead of time. Fry just before serving.
Leftover tartar sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Ebi fry can be frozen for up to one month (fried or unfried!)
When testing the oil temperature, you can drop in a piece of panko. If it sizzles and floats at the top, the oil is ready! (If it sinks, it needs more time.)