VEGETABLE TEMPURA WITH GINGER DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. TO MAKE THE SAUCE: Place the ginger in a clean kitchen towel. Squeeze and wring the ginger over a bowl to extract the juice. Discard the pulp. You should have 2 tablespoons ginger juice. 2. In a small, nonreactive saucepan, bring the soy sauce, sherry, vinegar, and brown sugar to a boil over high heat and cook for 1 minute. Let cool completely. Stir in the ginger juice. (The sauce can be prepared up to 8 hours ahead, covered, and kept at room temperature.) 3. TO MAKE THE TEMPURA: Prepare the vegetables as follows: Broccoli and cauliflower: Cut into 1-inch florets. Red or green bell peppers: Discard seeds, ribs, and stems. Cut into 1/2-inch-wide by 2-inch-long strips. Scallions: Cut off the green tops, leaving about 1 inch attached to the white portion. Save the green tops for another use. Sweet potatoes: Peel and cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds. 4. In a medium bowl, whisk the rice flour and baking powder to mix. Add the ice water and egg and stir just until combined (do not overmix) 5. Preheat the oven to 200°F. Place a large wire cake rack on a jelly roll pan. In a deep Dutch oven, melt vegetable shortening over high heat to a depth of 2 to 3 inches and heat it to 365°F. Working in batches, dip the vegetables in the batter, shaking off excess batter. Deep-fry until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to the wire rack to drain, and keep warm in the oven while frying the rest. If the batter thickens on standing, thin with a little water. Serve the tempura immediately, with the dipping sauce.