Crisp and golden little stream fish, seared in hot oil, seasoned with fine salt, and brightened with crispy parsley and fresh lemon.
Ingredients
- 600 g fresh whole river minnows
- 15 cl pasteurized whole milk, 3.5% milkfat
- 150 g T55 all-purpose flour
- 1 l refined sunflower oil for frying
- to taste fine salt
- 2 pieces fresh unwaxed lemon
- 1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
Method
- Carefully rinse the whole minnows under very cold running water. If any fish are larger than a finger, gently press their bellies between your thumb and index finger, moving from the gills to the vent, to expel the bitter digestive tract, leaving the smaller ones intact. Drain them well in a colander, then place on a clean towel to remove all surface moisture.
- Pour the sunflower oil into a deep fryer or deep saute pan, then heat it to about 180°C. If you don't have a deep-fry thermometer, drop a completely dry parsley leaf into the oil: it should sizzle instantly with a sharp crackle without smoking. Meanwhile, cut the lemons into wedges and pick the leaves from the thoroughly dry flat-leaf parsley sprigs.
- Briefly dip the dried minnows in a bowl of milk to evenly moisten their surface. Spread the flour in a large shallow dish. Transfer the fish to the flour in small handfuls, then gently toss with your fingers to coat them in a thin film. Place the floured fish in a sieve and shake vigorously over the sink to knock off any excess flour.
- Submerge a first handful of sifted minnows into the hot oil without crowding the pan to prevent the oil from cooling down. Fry until golden for two to three minutes, stirring with a skimmer. The fish are done when they feel stiff against the skimmer, are evenly golden, and the frying bubbles become fine and light.
- Just before finishing the last batch of frying, immerse the flat-leaf parsley leaves in the oil for a few seconds until they become translucent and crispy. Immediately remove the minnows and parsley with the skimmer, then spread them on paper towels to drain excess surface oil.
- Season generously with fine salt while the fried fish are still piping hot so the grains adhere to the crust. Transfer everything to a preheated dish, add the crispy parsley, surround with the lemon wedges, and enjoy immediately with your fingers, squeezing a little lemon juice over each bite.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 332.9 kcal
- Protein
- 27.94 g
- Carbohydrate
- 12.99 g
- Fat
- 17.17 g
- Fibre
- 1.99 g
- Calcium
- 17.7 mg
- Iron
- 0.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 8.26 mg
