Shrimp Egg Tendon (Tempura Rice Bowl with Prawns and Vegetables)

Steps

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1. 1
   Place bonito flakes in a tea filter bag and seal it. Heat mirin in a small pot, bring to a boil to evaporate the alcohol. Once the alcohol smell is gone, add soy sauce and the bonito-filled bag, submerge completely, lightly simmer, then turn off the heat.
   ▶ ≈0:20
2. 2
   Trim the stem and cap from okra. Halve the green pepper lengthwise and remove the stem and core; lightly tap to remove loose seeds. Slice eggplant into 1 cm pieces and kabocha squash into 7 mm slices.
   ▶ ≈1:15
3. 3
   Pierce the prawn's back with a bamboo stick and remove the sand vein. Peel the shell leaving the last segment attached. Diagonally trim the tail tip and scrape out the moisture inside. Rinse the prawns in lightly salted cold water to remove odors, then pat dry.
   ▶ ≈1:45
4. 4
   Make 4 cuts along the prawn's belly toward the stomach. Bend the back in the opposite direction to break the stringy connective tissue, which prevents the prawn from curling up during frying.
   ▶ ≈2:44
5. 5
   Mix tempura batter powder and water in a bowl. Stir with a balloon whisk until smooth and all flour pockets are combined.
   ▶ ≈3:14
6. 6
   Arrange all ingredients on a tray and dust evenly with tempura batter mix on both sides. Remove excess powder. This helps the batter adhere, but avoid overdoing it to prevent a dense coating when fried.
   ▶ ≈3:35
7. 7
   Stir the vegetable oil with kitchen chopsticks to distribute heat evenly. Disperse a bit of batter on the oil to test the temperature; when it hits the bottom and quickly floats to the surface, the oil has reached approximately 170°C (338°F).
   ▶ ≈4:03
8. 8
   Deep-fry kabocha squash first as it takes longest to cook, followed by eggplant, bell pepper, and okra in that order. Coat each with batter before placing in oil. Drip extra batter over vegetables for visual appeal. Flip to cook evenly. Remove each piece once the coating is crispy and golden and the interior is cooked; place on a cooling rack. Pierce kabocha with a bamboo stick to check doneness.
   ▶ ≈4:24
9. 9
   Deep-fry the prawns, which take about 30 seconds for this size. Avoid overcooking or they become too firm. Add extra batter to the oil as well.
   ▶ ≈5:19
10. 10
    Remove remaining tempura batter with a mesh strainer. Finally, deep-fry the soft-boiled egg. Once the surface becomes crispy, quickly remove it to avoid overcooking the inside.
    ▶ ≈6:06
11. 11
    Place steamed rice in a donburi bowl and pour the tendon sauce over it. Arrange kabocha, bell pepper, okra, eggplant, soft-boiled egg, and prawns on top. Drizzle a small amount of sauce to maintain the crispiness of the tempura. Sprinkle sansho pepper powder to taste for an upscale finish.
    ▶ ≈6:31