The Masago Arare Double Crust

Masago arare are tiny toasted Japanese rice pearls, named for their resemblance to smelt roe. Rolled onto a wet-battered surface just before frying, they embed in the coating and puff into a second crust that stays crisp well past the point plain tempura begins to soften. The result is three distinct textural planes in a single coating: the soft interior of the protein, the lacy tempura shell, and the dry, toasty rice-pearl layer on top. The approach works beautifully with crab, lobster tail, or jumbo prawns. Dust the protein in rice flour, dip in cold tempura batter, roll firmly in arare to embed the pearls, then fry immediately at 350°F (175°C) for 2 to 2½ minutes until pale gold. Very finely crushed plain rice crackers can substitute in a pinch, but panko is too large and soft to deliver the same effect. Look for bubu arare in the Japanese snack or sushi-topping section of well-stocked Asian grocers, or online; it keeps for months in a sealed pantry container.