Deep-fried whitebait

Name: Deep-fried whitebait
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 300 g (11 oz) frozen whitebait; vegetable or corn oil, for deep-frying; 1 tsp sea salt, plus extra to sprinkle; good pinch of cayenne pepper; vegetable or corn oil, for deep-frying; 4 tbsp plain flour; 125 ml (4 fl oz) milk; lemon wedges, to serve

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

British Food

By Mark Hix

Published 2005

About

Whitebait are the small fry of herrings and sprats. I find these fish are best cooked from frozen; shake them in a dry tea towel to lose excess ice glaze before coating and deep-frying.

Ingredients

300 g (11 oz) frozen whitebait
vegetable or corn oil, for deep-frying

Europe
United Kingdom
Starter
Fish course
Snack
Pescatarian

Method

Preheat the oven to low, 110°C (fan oven 100°C), gas mark ¼, to keep the whitebait warm once you have deep-fried them. Heat an 8–9 cm (