Deep-fried whitebait

Whitebait makes an excellent starter for a meal – appetising without being too filling.  The secret for successful whitebait cooking is to fry it in only small batches.

Preparation Time: 10 Mins

Cooking Time: 10 Mins

Total Time: 20 Mins

Ingredients

For 2 servings…

230 gms          Whitebait   

                     Flour        

                     Pepper  - freshly ground, black 

                     Salt          

For deep frying

                     Oil           

To garnish

                     Parsley  - sprigs       

To serve

                     Bread  - brown slices, buttered 

½                   Lemon  - quartered   

                     Cayenne    

Method

Heat the oil to 190°C.

Fry only a fat handful of whitebait at a time.  Turn each handful in flour, place in a sieve and tap back the surplus flour.  Then carefully put the fish into the oil and stir them gently until they are brown and crispy.  Lift out the fish and drain them on absorbent kitchen paper, season lightly with salt and pepper and keep them warm while frying successive batches.  Form the whitebait into a mound in the centre of serving platter.

Toss the parsley sprigs into hot oil just long enough for each sprig to frizzle and crisp.  Then take them out of the oil and drain on kitchen towel.  Place the crispy parsley round the mound of whitebait.

Serve the bread, lemon and cayenne pepper separately.

Wine recommendations

A dry white wine.

Conventional

     Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur lie

Interesting

     Chablis

     Mâcon

     Pinot Gris

     Quincy