# Gah! Tempura batter. No two recipes are alike. How to choose? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 6, 2013, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-tempura-batter-no-two-recipes-are-alike-how-to-choose/660325 "2013-06-06T19:46:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-tempura-batter-no-two-recipes-are-alike-how-to-choose/660325/1 "2013-06-06T19:46:57Z")
Doing an internet search. Some recipes say to use egg while others don’t. Some say to use corn starch while others say to use baking powder. Some say to use milk while others say to use water. I even found one that said to use seltzer water! I’m just trying to make some damned chicken skewers. Which recipe do I want? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-tempura-batter-no-two-recipes-are-alike-how-to-choose/660325/2 "2013-06-06T20:38:07Z")
I use just low gluten flour (cake flour) and cold water. The purpose of adding corn starch is just to dilute the gluten level if you’re using regular all-purpose flour. Make sure the water is very cold, and it should be pretty thin. Don’t overmix. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-tempura-batter-no-two-recipes-are-alike-how-to-choose/660325/3 "2013-06-06T20:40:51Z")
You’re deep frying chicken skewers? ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-tempura-batter-no-two-recipes-are-alike-how-to-choose/660325/4 "2013-06-06T20:47:50Z")
You want the Cooks Illustrated recipe with vodka. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-tempura-batter-no-two-recipes-are-alike-how-to-choose/660325/5 "2013-06-06T21:06:28Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > You’re deep frying chicken skewers? Actually, I changed my mind, I’m just going to do chicken fingers. (I have seen it done on skewers though. Does that seem odd to you?) ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-tempura-batter-no-two-recipes-are-alike-how-to-choose/660325/6 "2013-06-06T21:19:26Z")
Tempura batter Nippon’s way of the chicken Fuck it, McNuggets ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-tempura-batter-no-two-recipes-are-alike-how-to-choose/660325/7 "2013-06-06T21:51:30Z")
I understood (although I have not tried it) that the seltzer water in place of plain water is to lighten the batter, give it that real airy tempura texture. Definitely do not ever use milk, unless you want gooey paste. Roddy ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-tempura-batter-no-two-recipes-are-alike-how-to-choose/660325/8 "2013-06-06T22:05:49Z")
> [@Doctor\_Who](#): > > You want the Cooks Illustrated recipe with vodka. That or [Alton Brown’s finely tuned recipe](http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/tempura-recipe/index.html), using part rice flour, both seltzer water and vodka (100 proof if you can get it). Another trick is to mix the wet stuff with the dry stuff in small batches and then fry immediately. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-tempura-batter-no-two-recipes-are-alike-how-to-choose/660325/9 "2013-06-06T22:20:07Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > Actually, I changed my mind, I’m just going to do chicken fingers. (I have seen it done on skewers though. Does that seem odd to you?) Guess I’ve just not seen it that way, but it makes sense to do it. Just looked odd to read. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-tempura-batter-no-two-recipes-are-alike-how-to-choose/660325/10 "2013-06-06T22:31:53Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > I understood (although I have not tried it) that the seltzer water in place of plain water is to lighten the batter, give it that real airy tempura texture. That’s all it is, indeed. The recipes with baking powder do the same thing, except using baking powder and plain water (which creates CO2) instead of seltzer to provide the bubbles. I use seltzer in dumplings and crepes recipes where I want an airier batter, as well.