Japanese · Authentic-ish Japanese
Ebi Fry
332 kcal a serving, against 457 for the traditional version. That is 125 kcal off, or 27%, with 35.4g of protein. Serves 4. .
What the traditional version is
Jumbo prawns are peeled and deveined, dusted in flour, dunked in beaten egg, rolled in panko, and deep-fried until golden. They're served hot with shredded cabbage and a dollop of tartare or tonkatsu sauce on the side.
What changed, and what each change costs
Deep-frying for oven baking with a spray of oil
No matter how you try, battered things love to soak up frying oil. Baking cuts out nearly all of it, leaving just enough to keep the panko crisp and the prawns from drying out.
What it costs you. You miss out on that proper fried aroma, and the crust isn't quite as airy or even. But you shed most of the fat and the result is still crunchy if you don't faff about.
Double-coating ditched for a single, lighter dredge
The classic method makes you dip prawns in flour, then egg, then panko. Dropping the flour stage saves a load of starch and makes the coating thinner. The egg holds everything on.
What it costs you. The crust clings a bit less, so be careful not to knock off the panko before baking. It's not bulletproof, but it does the job.
Boost the prawns and panko, cut the fat
Since you're not spending calories on oil, go in with a few more prawns per portion and just a touch more panko to keep the texture decent.
What it costs you. If you try to scrimp too much on the panko, you'll just get sad, patchy bits. This holds the line between crunchy and cardboard.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 457 | 332 |
| Protein | 26.8g | 35.4g |
| Fat | 29.7g | 15g |
| Saturated fat | 4.6g | 2.6g |
| Carbohydrate | 20.7g | 14.2g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 5.9g | 10.6g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Japanese prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. crustaceans, eggs, gluten, mustard, soybeans.
The method is in the book
Baking the prawns instead of deep-frying is the second best thing you can do for your arteries, but let's not pretend they're identical. The original is airier, crunchier, and tastes of pure childhood. This knocks out most of the fat and lets you pile on more prawns, which is hardly tragic. You lose the best part of a pub's worth of oil, though the trade is a crust that's a little chewier round the edges and not quite as golden. Still, you get more prawns, less guilt, and your kitchen won't smell like a chip shop. That's a win in my book.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Japanese, along with 48 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.