Fried Whitebait with Tartar Sauce and Lemon

Whitebait is an old English term for small fish, dusted in flour and fried until golden and crispy. A classic British snack, whitebait is typically served with tartar sauce - and a beer. Here, I used blue anchovies, but you can use any other small fish such as herring or sardines. If you’re craving something salty, satisfying and quick to make, you’ve got to give this a try.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 600g whitebait

• 400g vegetable oil

• 300g flour

• 1 lemon

• 2 egg yolks

• 400g vegetable oil

• 15g lemon juice

• 10g water

• 7g dijon mustard

• 15g capers

• 15g gherkins

• 15g shallot

• 2 garlic cloves

• 10g parsley

Method:

• Crack the egg yolks into a bowl, then add the dijon mustard, lemon juice and water. Whisk everything together then while whisking, slowly pour in the vegetable oil so the mayonnaise thickens and emulsifies.

• Once thick, stir through the chopped capers, gherkins, shallots, garlic and parsley. Taste and season with salt and pepper before putting in the fridge until serving.

• For the whitebait, mix the flour with some salt and pepper in a bowl. Pour the vegetable oil into a large frying pan on a medium heat. Toss the fish in the flour and pat off the excess.

• Fry the fish in batches, stirring so they do not stick together, until they are golden brown and crispy. Drain them on a rack or over paper towels, season with salt, then serve hot with a squeeze of lemon juice and a generous helping of tartar sauce.