This light, crunchy fritter batter is perfect for seafood and fish, as it provides a delicate coating.
100g (¾ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
50ml (3½ tbsp) white wine vinegar
1 medium egg
salt and freshly ground pepper
8 large raw prawns (jumbo shrimp)
1 squid, about 200g (7oz), cleaned
4 monkfish medallions, about 75g (2½oz) each
groundnut oil, to deep-fry
1 lemon, cut into quarters
To make the fritter batter, put the flour in a bowl, then add 100 ml (scant ½ cup) cold water, the wine vinegar and egg, and mix with a whisk. Season with a very little salt and pepper. Cover with cling film (plastic wrap) and leave to stand for 20 minutes.
Shell the prawn tails, leaving the heads attached. Cut the squid pouch into rings, rinse and pat dry. Do not rinse the monkfish medallions, but pat them dry.
To cook the fritters, heat the oil in a suitable pan to 180ºC/350ºF. Deep-fry the fish in batches. One at a time, lift the squid rings with a fork, dunk them into the batter to coat, then drop into the hot oil and fry for 2 minutes. As soon as the fritters are cooked, lift them out with a slotted spoon or strainer and drain on kitchen paper.
Repeat with the monkfish medallions, allowing 3 – 4 minutes deep-frying.
Hold the prawn heads in your fingers near the antennae, and dip only the tails into the batter. Put them into the hot oil carefully so that it doesn’t splutter and deep-fry for about 2 minutes.
Serve the fritters straightaway, with lemon wedges. You might also like to serve a mayonnaise on the side for dipping.