Who doesn't love whitebait? Serve it a new way in a brioche with a zesty dressing.
Ingredients
2 | Eggs |
150 g | Whitebait (Main) |
3 tsp | Flour |
1 to taste | Salt & freshly ground pepper |
1 Tbsp | Butter, (to fry) |
½ Tbsp | Olive oil |
1 loaf | Brioche |
1 to garnish | Fresh oregano |
Lime Hollandaise
200 g | Butter |
2 | Limes |
2 Tbsp | Water |
3 | Eggs |
1 to taste | Salt & freshly ground pepper |
Directions
- To make the hollandaise melt the butter then set aside while combining 3 Tbsp lime juice and 1 tsp zest in a saucepan with the water. Simmer until reduced to 1 Tbsp of liquid.
- Pour into a small bowl that will fit over a simmering saucepan of water. Whisk in 3 egg yolks until thick and foamy then add the butter, a little at a time until you have a thick and creamy sauce. Season.
- Preheat the oven to 200C. Arrange circles of the thinly sliced brioche on an oven tray, brush with melted butter and bake until golden - about 5 minutes, then turn over and repeat.
- Whisk 2 eggs with the whitebait, flour and seasoning. Heat a frying pan, add the butter and olive oil then when hot, fry small spoonfuls of the fritter mixture. As soon as they are golden on one side, turn over.
- Serve the whitebait fritters between the slices of toasted brioche. Add a small spoonful of lime hollandaise with a little fresh oregano to garnish.
Chef's tip
Whitebait is available frozen all year round from different countries, but I would recommend holding out for our season. The size and flavour of the tiny fish is spectacular, so even though it can be pricey, it is a treat worth cooking simply and relishing.