Gluten-Free Vegetarian Tempura Seafood or Chicken

Tempura Mock Seafood, or Chicken Recipe 
A delicious enticing vegetarian appetizer
for entertaining or a side dish with veggies.

Made from sliced fresh mushrooms. Dip them in Tartar
Sauce or Cocktail sauce and envision being at a seafood
shack.

This Amazing Easy Recipe Was Originally
Glibly Titled: “Batter Fried Fish” by its author.
With no image. Anyone could have passed
it right by in a newspaper column.

I Turned It into “Gluten-Free” Tempura Batter For
Veggie-Seafood. If you like a stronger seafood flavor,
stir a teaspoon kelp powder into the batter. For vegan
mock seafood: Make a dip of beet-horseradish mixed
with ketchup to taste (for clam-or-shrimp cocktail sauce).
OR for tartar sauce, mayo mixed with a bit of chopped
sweet pickle relish, or any pickles.

Many years ago (prior to being gluten-free), my husband
and I experienced this wonderful appetizer in an oriental
restaurant. It quickly became our favorite restaurant, just 
because that appetizer was a free choice with dinner.

I was sure I could figure out how to make it at home. I
figured it had to be made of flour egg and leavening.
But no batter recipe I read sounded like it would
result in that light, crispy, flaky shell. Well, I did it!

Next came: Batter-dipped Mushrooms, fish filets, eggplant,
Tofu, pre-softened Cauliflower, Broccoli, (kosher/vegetarian
shrimp), Wow! What a hit! We don’t eat fried food often. But if
I make it, I use avocado oil because it sustains the highest heat
without turning into trans fat.

An Exciting Party Treat And For An Occasional
New Twist For Veggies, Seafood, and Tofu Chicken.

Fast-forward to today. I had copied it and pasted this
recipe into all my cookbooks, (heaven-forbid I should
lose it). I decided to post it here, though not typically a
“treat.” (Same reason, not to lose it!) Of course I want
to share it with everyone as well.

Tempura Mock Seafood, Chicken

“2 lbs. whitefish”  OR (any food I mentioned above)
2/3 cup oat flour
1/3 cup tapioca
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 egg separated 
1/2 a cup lukewarm water
1 tbs. melted coconut oil or avocado oil.

OPTIONAL: Flavor the flour with 1-3 tbs. of
your favorite seasoning. You may add some
kelp powder for a mild seafood flavor. 

Cut food into serving pieces.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl
and remeasure into another bowl, so it’s light
and fluffy.
Drop a room-temperature egg yolk in the center.
Stir in water and oil and mix well. Batter should be 
thin enough to create a thin even coating on the food.
If it seems thick like muffin batter add warm water
a tsp. at a time.

Beat the egg white until light and foamy.
Fold in egg white in a lifting motion keeping the
batter light.
Heat 1/3 to 1/2 cup avocado oil to 375º in a 10″
stainless steel pan (with a thickened bottom, which
helps prevent burning).

You do need to watch to maintain the temperature at about
375-F, use a stainless steel pan with a thick reinforced bottom.
Don’t crowd the pot. Fry quickly so the oil doesn’t burn.

You don’t need very deep oil. Just enough to almost cover
what you’re frying. And watch it. If the coating browns too
quickly, lower the heat a bit.

Dip pieces, one-by-one, into the batter, and into the
heated oil. Don’t crowd the pan or they will reduce
the oil temperature and they will come out soggy
instead of crisp. Turn the pieces as they become
golden and remove, with a slotted spoon onto layers
of paper towel. Lower the heat if they start browning too quickly.

Use as party appetizers, in salads, or a main dish.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++