There is nothing quite like sitting at a table by the beach, toes buried in the hot sand, eating these crisp whitebait with a glass of whisky in hand. At least, that is how I love them, but I have also been offered whitebait at a Sri Lankan tea, along with cakes and sandwiches. They were delightful then too. I love to serve them as a first course. To get the fish nice and crisp, they need to be fried twice. The first frying can be done ahead of time, but the second needs to be done just before eating. They may be served just the way they are or with a dipping sambol such as Sri Lankan Coconut Sambol, page 246, or Sri Lankan Cooked Coconut Chutney, page 247.
Ingredients
serves 4
Step 1
Wash the whitebait well and then put them in a strainer to drain thoroughly. Using paper towels, pat them as dry as you can. Put them in a bowl. Add the salt, pepper, cayenne, and lemon juice. Toss to mix and leave 15 minutes.
Step 2
Put the oil in a wok, karhai, or other pan for deep-frying. You need about 2 inches. Set on medium-low heat. Let the oil heat for 4–5 minutes. Meanwhile, spread the flour out in a large plate. Lay a batch of fish singly on the flour. Roll in the flour. Remove and put to one side. Do all the fish this way. Now lift up all the fish (leaving all the flour behind) and put them in a clean sieve. Shake off all extra flour. When the oil is hot, fry the fish in several batches, allowing about a minute for each batch. Remove with a slotted spoon and spread on a baking tray lined with paper towels. Turn off the heat.
Step 3
Just before eating, heat the oil again on medium-high heat. When very hot, fry the fish in batches again, allowing 3–4 minutes per batch or until fish are golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.
