Tempura rice bowl (Tendon)

1. Rinse the rice three times, soak for 30 minutes, bring to the boil covered with the water, simmer on low for 12 minutes and rest for 10 minutes.

2. For the sauce, simmer the dashi, soy sauce, mirin and sugar for 3 minutes until slightly thickened.

3. Peel the prawns, leaving the tails on, and score the bellies; cut the aubergine, pumpkin and sweet potato into 5 mm slices, and pat everything dry.

4. Mix the ice-cold water with the egg, sprinkle in the flour and stir with chopsticks just 5-6 times – leave it lumpy.

5. Heat the oil to 170-175 °C, dip the vegetables and prawns in the batter and fry in batches for 2-3 minutes until pale and crisp, then drain on a rack.

6. Spoon the rice into bowls, drizzle with a little sauce, pile the tempura on top and pour over the rest of the sauce.

Tip: Portuguese missionaries brought the tempura technique to Japan in the 16th century. Ice-cold water and a lumpy batter are the secret of the crunch: the gluten has no time to develop.