The scene is almost too perfect. A stunning hotel on a Malibu beach. A sushi experience by a master chef. And the best rock shrimp we’ve ever tasted. Welcome to Nobu Ryokan, home of Nobu, one of the go-to spots while you are visiting LA. And we have the ultimate Nobu rock shrimp tempura recipe to share with you. Just in case you can’t make it out to LA.

Believe it or not, some good things did come out of this pandemic. While Nobu Malibu was closed they realized we were going through serious withdrawals, so they shared a few of their signature recipes with us. In case you haven’t seen it on their website, we had to pass it on. For almost 20 years we’ve been eating the Rock Shrimp Tempura at Nobus from London to New York, and of course, now Malibu. Get your kitchen ready, because this is going to be so good.

Nobu Rock Shrimp Tempura Recipe

Author: Nobu Restaurants
Serves: 4-6 people

Ingredients

Creamy Spicy Sauce

1 egg yolk
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
100ml grapeseed oil, or other mildly flavored oil
2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce (Toban Djan)

Tempura Batter

1 egg yolk
200ml iced water
100g all-purpose flour

1.5lbs / 650g rock shrimp, or peeled and deveined large shrimp cut into bite-sized pieces
Yuzu juice or lemon juice
Vegetable oil for deep frying

Directions For The Nobu Rock Shrimp Tempura Recipe

Let’s start with the sauce to pair with the Nobu rock shrimp tempura recipe. Whisk together the egg yolk, salt, pepper and vinegar. Gradually whisk in the grapeseed oil. Begin with a few drops to create an emulsion, then increase the amount of oil, whisking all the while. Once all the oil has been added and your sauce is nice and thick, stir through the chili garlic sauce.

Whisk all the batter ingredients together and combine well.

Heat around 5 inches of vegetable oil in a pan that’s suitable for deep frying. Wait until it reaches 180°C or 355°F. Working in batches of 2-3 small handfuls, coat the shrimp in the tempura batter. Gently drop the rock shrimp into the hot oil, frying for a few minutes until golden. Remove the shrimp from the oil and place onto a paper towel-covered tray to drain. Repeat the process until all the shrimp is cooked.

Transfer the fried shrimp to a large bowl. Pour the sauce over the shrimp and toss to coat. Finish with a splash of yuzu or lemon juice and garnish with chopped chives.

Nobu Rock Shrimp Tempura Pairs Well With

This Nobu rock shrimp tempura recipe is great for all occasions. Crispy rock shrimp pairs perfectly with grilled asparagus during cocktail hour. Add it to a bowl of sticky rice or spicy noodles if you’re craving it for dinner.

The Nobu chefs recommend trying the sauce with any white fish tempura if rock shrimp isn’t available. If you don’t have the right equipment for frying, this sauce is also delicious drizzled over any grilled fish or meat. Let’s face it, we’d put this sauce on just about anything.