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Garnishes: Basic Pizza Sauce, jarred pizza sauce, or Dijon mustard.

Variations: You can use this classic batter for just about any flour-coated, fried tidbit: seeded bell pepper strips, onion rings, broccoli florets, cauliflower florets, peeled and deveined shrimp, or chicken drumlets. You can also fry bone-in chicken pieces with this batter; they will take up to 20 minutes to be fully cooked.

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If you want to make a meal out of these fried wonders, consider pairing them with a green salad dressed with a classic vinaigrette. They’re also nice alongside simple sides like sliced tomatoes with salt and rice vinegar or sliced cucumbers with salt and sesame oil. For the most part, avoid grilled sides; the smoky taste easily overpowers the delicate, fried coatings. For a wintry treat, try floating fried bits in a Creamy Vegetable Soup.

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Fried Oysters with a Panko Crust

Panko bread crumbs, a Japanese specialty, give these briny oysters an exceptionally lacy coating. Makes 8 appetizer servings or 4 main-course servings

4 to 7 cups peanut oil

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup regular or low-fat buttermilk

24 large shucked oysters

2 cups panko bread crumbs

1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

Pour enough peanut oil into a large saucepan to come about halfway up the sides. Clip a deep-frying thermometer to the inside of the pan, set it over medium-high heat, and heat until the temperature registers 375°F.

Meanwhile, whisk the paprika, onion powder, and pepper into the buttermilk in a large bowl. Add the oysters, stir gently, and set aside.

Place the bread crumbs on a large plate; pick up an oyster and dredge it in the bread crumbs, coating thoroughly. Slip it into the oil and repeat with about 5 more of the oysters. Fry until lightly brown, about 2 minutes, turning once or twice with a metal slotted spoon. Transfer to a wire rack, sprinkle with salt to taste, and continue making more fried oysters, working in batches. Season with salt before serving.

Garnishes: Wasabi Mayonnaise or Classic Cocktail Sauce, or Simple Asian Dipping Sauce.

Vegetable Tempura

For the laciest tempura, use finely crushed ice in the batter: the crystals will explode when they hit the very hot oil. Rice flour is a very low-gluten flour made from ground rice; look for it in the Asian food section of many supermarkets or at health food stores. Makes 6 to 8 appetizer servings

4 to 7 cups vegetable oil

½ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup rice flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 large egg white, beaten until frothy

½ cup water

½ cup pulverized ice (see Note)

2 pounds mixed vegetables, such as baby carrots, seeded bell peppers, zucchini, or scallions, cut into long, thin strips

Salt to taste

Pour enough vegetable oil into a large saucepan that it comes about halfway up the sides. Clip a deep-frying thermometer to the inside of the pan and place the pan over medium heat. Heat the oil to 375°F.

Whisk the all-purpose flour, rice flour, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the egg white until combined, then whisk in the water and ice. Tiny ice particles should be left in the batter, but no chunks of ice.

Dip a vegetable strip into the batter, then slip it into the hot oil. Stand back—the batter will pop. Dip and fry only as many vegetable strips as will fit into the pan without crowding. Fry until crisp and blond, not browned, about 2 minutes; avoid turning the tempura more than once so as not to dislodge the coating. Remove with a slotted metal spoon and drain on a fine-mesh wire rack. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Repeat with the remaining vegetables, working in batches.

Garnishes: Simple Asian Dipping Sauce (below), Sesame Dipping Sauce (below), plain soy sauce, or soy sauce mixed with a little prepared wasabi paste.

Note: To pulverize ice, seal it in a plastic bag and go at it with the bottom of a heavy saucepan or a meat mallet.