Whitebait Fritters

Ingredients

• 500g (1 lb) fresh or thawed whitebait
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tbsp plain flour (optional)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp butter, plus more as needed
• lemon wedges, to serve
• buttered bread, to serve

Before you cook

• If your whitebait is frozen, thaw it fully and drain off any excess liquid.
• Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat them lightly with the salt and pepper, just until combined.
• Cut the lemon into wedges and set them aside for serving.

Steps

1. Tip the drained whitebait into the beaten egg and fold gently with a spoon just until the fish is coated, sprinkling in the flour if you're using it.
2. Stop mixing as soon as the egg and whitebait are combined, since overworking the mixture makes the fritters tough.
3. Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat until it foams.
4. Drop heaped spoonfuls of the whitebait mixture into the pan, spacing them apart, and flatten each one slightly with the back of the spoon.
5. Fry the fritters for about 2 minutes on the first side, until the edges turn golden.
6. Flip each fritter carefully and fry the other side for another 1 to 2 minutes until golden and just set in the middle.
7. Lift the fritters onto a plate lined with paper towel to drain briefly.
8. Add a little more butter to the pan between batches if it looks dry.
9. Serve the fritters immediately with a squeeze of lemon and buttered bread on the side.