From above, you see a decorative alternating pattern of bright orange carrot dusted with pale puffed tempura and moist Dungeness crab, all resting on a gently crushed seaweed paper. It's garnished with a vibrant yuzu glaze, chives and sesame seeds.

Carrot Tempura Dungeness Crab Bites

Name: Carrot Tempura Dungeness Crab Bites
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 2 large carrots julienned; 100g Dungeness crab fresh and fully cooked; 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed yuzu; 4 sheets seaweed papers crumbled; 1 tablespoon chives finely chopped; 1 tablespoon sesame seeds toasted; enough to coat the carrots tempura batter; enough for deep frying neutral oil; to taste sea salt

Inventive carrot-centric Japanese inspired snack

Category Snack

Prep 15 minutes

Cook 15 minutes

Style Japanese

Technique Deep Frying

Diet Friendly Gluten-Free

Daily recipe · January 15, 2026

A little about this dish

This dish, inspired by Japanese cuisine, embraces the oft-overlooked carrot in an imaginative, playful way. The humble carrot gets a gourmet twist, while fresh seasonal ingredients like Dungeness crab and yuzu adds unmissable flavor and dimensions.

Ingredients (for 2)

Large carrots — 2 — julienned
Dungeness crab — 100g — fresh and fully cooked
Freshly squeezed yuzu — 2 tablespoons
Seaweed papers — 4 sheets — crumbled
Chives — 1 tablespoon — finely chopped
Sesame seeds — 1 tablespoon — toasted
Tempura batter — enough to coat the carrots
Neutral oil — enough for deep frying
Sea salt — to taste

Preparation

Step 1 — 🍳⏲️🔥

Heat your oil in a deep fryer or large pan, turning the heat up to 180C/350F.
Step 2 — 🥕🔨🍤

Dip your julienned carrots into the tempura batter then fry until they are golden brown and crispy. Drain the excess oil on a paper towel-lined plate
Step 3 — 🥗🦀🍽️

Create a neat mound of seaweed crumble on each plate. Arrange the crisp tempura carrots and fresh Dungeness crab on top
Step 4 — 🍋🌱🧂

Drizzle fresh yuzu juice over each dish, sprinkle finely chopped chives and roasted sesame seeds, then finish with a pinch of sea salt

A final fox tip

This dish is a wonderful way to introduce children to cooking - they can help in prepping the carrots. For a vegan version, replace the Dungeness crab with tempura-coated avocado and add a drop of wasabi to the yuzu drizzle for a kick.