Tempura Langoustine or Scampi Supper

Scampi and chips in a basket was a great 70's dish that is definitely worth a whirl so I put in an order yesterday for some lovely plump Scottish langoustines for a fishy Friday supper.  I love Scottish langoustines as they have a sweet, tender flesh. If you can’t find them, ask your fishmonger to stock them or they'll be snapped up by the Spanish and French market. 

Ingredients

15-20 Scottish langoustines

Sunflower oil, for frying

140g plain flour

85g cornflour

250ml sparkling water

Lemon wedges to serve.

For the tartare sauce

6 tbsp mayonnaise

1 gherkin, finely chopped

1 tbsp capers, rinsed and chopped

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp chopped parsley

2 tsp chopped tarragon.

Method

To prepare the langoustines, pull off the head and pincers. Lay the tail flat on a chopping board and use a sharp pair of scissors to cut a line straight down the back of the shell. Carefully peel the langoustine, score down the back, then remove the grit sac.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or wok.

For the tartare sauce, mix all ingredients in a bowl and season.

Place the flours in a bowl with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Add the sparkling water, and whisk to a smooth batter.

To test if the oil is hot enough, put a drop of batter into the pan – it should crisp and brown within 30 seconds. Dip each langoustine into the batter, then carefully lay it into the oil away from you. Drizzle a little extra batter over each one while they are cooking – this will give you a really crispy coating and some scrumptious scraps of batter to nibble on. 

Cook them in batches, making sure you don’t overcrowd the pan. When golden and floating to the surface, scoop out and drain well on kitchen paper. 

Serve with the tartare sauce and lemon wedges.