Gordon Ramsay is one of the many celebrity chefs I admire, minus the “F” word

I enjoyed this recipe as it got the spiciness and crispy texture of the fish deep fried in hot oil.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 tsp sichuan peppercorns
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
• 600g whitebait, defrost if frozen
• Flavourless oil, such as groundnut oil for deep frying
• 4 tbsp plain flour
• Lemon wedges, to serve

Method

1. Toast the sizchuan peppercorns and coriander seeds in a dry frying pan for 1-2 minutes until aromatic.
2. Transfer to a mortar add in the chilli flakes and pound using a pestle until powdered, then set aside.
3. Wash the white bait gently and dry with a paper towel. Pour oil in a deep frying pan and heat up to 170’C.
4. Season the flour with salt and pepper and mix in the ground spices. Dust the white bait in the spiced flour, shaking off any excess, and deep fry in batches for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown or cooked through.
5. Remove and drain on paper towel. Taste and season with little more salt if necessary.   Repeat with the remaining batches. I sprinkled some chopped chillis for extra spice and color. Serve while it still warm with lemon wedges.  Voila! Happy Days!