Whitebait fritters with tartare sauce

PREPARATION  20 minutes chilling time

COOKING  10 minutes

MAKES  50

125 g (¼ oz/1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour

1 large egg, lightly beaten

250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) iced water

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

3 teaspoons grated lemon zest

400 g (14 oz) whitebait

oil, for deep-frying

Tartare sauce

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons capers

2 tablespoons gherkins

1 tablespoon parsley

1 tablespoon tarragon

Sift the flour and a pinch of salt and pepper into a large bowl, make a well in the centre and add the egg. Whisk gently and gradually add water, stirring constantly to a smooth batter. Stir in parsley and lemon zest. Refrigerate, covered, for 1 hour.

To make the tartare sauce, drain the capers and then chop the capers, gherkins, parsley and tarragon. Place the egg yolks and mustard in a food processor and pulse for 10 seconds. With the motor running, slowly add the oil in a thin stream until the mixture is thick and creamy. Add lemon juice and 2 teaspoons boiling water and pulse for another 10 seconds. Transfer to a bowl, add capers, gherkins, parsley and tarragon and season generously. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Pat the whitebait dry, then gently stir into the batter. Fill a large heavy-based saucepan one-third full of oil and heat to 190°C (375°F), or until a cube of bread dropped in the oil browns in 10 seconds. Put small tablespoons of batter into the oil. Cook the fritters in batches, gently tossing in the oil. Cook for 2 minutes, or until the fritters are golden brown. Drain on crumpled paper towels and keep warm. Repeat with remaining mixture. Serve immediately with the tartare sauce.