Deep fried whitebait

"Ooh, everything we eat is a delicacy mum!" was what my oldest son said to me last night. I had planned to just have mussels with some fresh bread for dinner but when I went to our wonderful fish monger, he had fresh whitebait and I just couldn't resist! It's amazing how something that is so simple can be so delicious. Admittedly I have to block out of my mind that I am eating fish that still have their heads and guts intact. Never in a million years did I ever think that I could bring myself to eat something like this but after trying it in a restaurant a couple of years ago, it is one of my favourite treats. We eat them just as they are but they are also yummy dipped in a little mayonnaise.

There is no precise recipe for this so all quantities are approximate.

250g of fresh whitebait
2 tbsps of garlic powder
1 tsp of salt
1 cup of all purpose gluten free plain flour
Oil for deep frying

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl then toss the whitebait through until well coated. Heat the oil in a saucepan or deep fryer until bubbles form when the handle of a wooden spoon is dipped in. Carefully place handfuls of the whitebait in and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove using a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.