Description
Tiny, shimmery-skinned whitebait are tossed in a mixture of semolina and flour and lightly fried until crisp and golden. Served with a summer-spirited salad made from mint, basil, coriander, crunchy bean shoots, and wasabi peas.
Ingredients
Scale
- 200g whitebait
- ½ cup plain flour
- ½ cup fine semolina
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Rice bran oil, or olive oil, for frying
- For the salad:
- 1 cup bean shoots
- ¼ cup wasabi peas
- ½ cup mint leaves
- ½ cup coriander leaves
- ½ cup basil leaves
- For the dressing:
- ¼ cup young coconut juice
- ¼ cup lime juice
- ½ tbsp palm sugar
- ¼ cup fish sauce
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 1 small chilli, roughly chopped
Instructions
- For the dressing, combine all ingredients in bowl and stir until sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
- Preheat a little oil in a fry pan over medium-high heat.
- Combine the flour and semolina in a shallow dish, season to taste. Dust the whitebait in the flour mixture making sure each little fish is well covered.
- In batches, fry the whitebait for about 4-5 minutes, until crisp and light golden.
- Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen towel. Repeat with remaining fish.
- Combine the herbs, wasabi peas, and bean shoots in a bowl.
- Drizzle with dressing and toss gently.
- Place the salad in a bowl – used one half of a fresh coconut, from which I got the coconut juice for the dressing.
- Serve the crispy whitebait with the side salad and wedges of lime.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins