Tempura Oyster Roll with Fennel and Wasabi Slaw. These tempura-battered oysters with fennel slaw and lashings of wasabi-spiked mayo, are the perfect weekend fare.
Serves 6
Wasabi Mayonnaise
1 cup thick mayonnaise
1-2 tbsp wasabi paste
Fennel and Wasabi Slaw
3 large fennel bulbs, green tops
removed, reserved and torn
1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
½ bunch watercress
2 lemons, juice and zest
Tempura Oyster Roll
1 litre canola oil
1 cup tempura flour
6 soft white hot dog rolls
butter, melted
18 shucked oysters, dried on paper towel
all-purpose flour, to coat oysters
To make the wasabi mayonnaise, place mayonnaise, wasabi, and a pinch of sea salt into a small bowl and whisk together. Taste and adjust the heat with more wasabi if desired. Refrigerate until required.
To make the fennel and wasabi slaw, cut the fennel into wafer thin strips using a sharp knife or mandolin slicer. Place fennel into a large bowl with fennel tops, red onion, and watercress. Add 2 tablespoonfuls of wasabi mayonnaise and gently mix through the slaw. Add lemon zest and squeeze in half the lemon juice. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir through to combine. Check the seasoning, and adjust slaw for creaminess and tartness to suit. Refrigerate until required.
Preheat oven to 150°C. Fill a medium saucepan three quarters full with canola oil. Place on a medium high heat and bring it up to 180°C. (You can test oil heat by frying a cube of bread in it – at 180°C it should take 1 minute to reach a golden brown colour.)
Place tempura flour in a bowl. Whisk in water to create a relatively runny batter.
Using a bread knife, split your hot dog buns three quarters of the way through the centre. Brush the outside of the buns with melted butter.
Heat a large skillet or oven-safe pan to medium heat and toast the sides of the buns before placing into the oven. Once the buns are slightly crisp on the outside, but still soft in the centre, remove from the oven and hold in a warm place.
Coat the oysters in flour and dip in tempura batter before frying, in batches, for 1 minute or until golden and crisp.
Drain onto paper towel and repeat until all oysters are cooked. Season with sea salt.
To serve, fill buns with fennel and wasabi slaw, then top with 3 oysters. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.