Seafood sticks

Makes 12 sticks, 40 g (1½ oz each)

mild-flavoured oil, for deep-frying

¾ teaspoon fine sea salt

a pinch of ground white pepper

a couple of good pinches of dashi powder (optional)

sea salt flakes, for sprinkling

lemon wedges, to serve (optional)

Tartare sauce, Cocktail sauce, Mayonnaise, Aïoli or soy sauce, for dipping (optional)

For the seafood sticks

400 g (14 oz) boneless white fish fillets, or half fish and half prawn (shrimp) meat (see Note)

3 tablespoons potato flour

2½ teaspoons caster (superfine) sugar

3 spring onions (scallions), white part only, very finely chopped

1 garlic clove

scant ¼ teaspoon very finely grated lemon zest

1 large egg white

Before making the seafood sticks, chill the bowl and blade of your food processor.

Quickly chop your seafood into small pieces and place in your chilled food processor bowl. Process on high speed just until the mixture becomes a smooth paste. Add the remaining seafood stick ingredients and blend until just combined. Tip into a non-metallic bowl, then cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

When ready to cook, one-third fill a deep-fryer or large heavy-based saucepan with oil and heat to 170°C (325°F), or until a cube of bread dropped into the oil turns golden brown in 20 seconds.

While the oil is heating, line a tray with baking paper and set aside in the fridge. Add the salt, pepper and dashi, if using, to the fish paste mixture and combine thoroughly. Using lightly oiled hands, shape 40 g (1½ oz) of the mixture (about the size of a golf ball) into a ‘stick’ about 1.5 cm (⁵/₈ inch) in diameter and 12 cm (4½ inches) long. Place on the tray in the fridge, as you repeat with all the mixture to make 12 seafood sticks.

When the oil is ready, cook the seafood sticks in batches for 3 minutes, or until puffed, deep golden and cooked right through. Drain on paper towel and sprinkle with sea salt flakes. Serve straight away with lemon wedges, and a dipping sauce if desired.

If not serving straight away, you can let the seafood sticks cool slightly after deep-frying them, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days. To serve, heat the seafood sticks in a frying pan, or under the grill (broiler) until hot all the way through.

Steam it up

Instead of deep-frying them, you can also steam the seafood sticks until cooked through. Serve them straight away, or chill the steamed sticks until you’re ready to serve, then barbecue, pan-fry or deep-fry them in a basic beer batter (see Golden battered fish).

Happy herbs

Add a couple of teaspoons of finely chopped fresh dill, parsley or coriander (cilantro) to the seafood stick mixture.

note I prefer to use a mix of white-fleshed fish and prawns or crabmeat.