Bones_ Recipes, History, and Lore - Jennifer McLagan [85]
2. Preheat the oven to 200°F (100°C) if you are not planning to eat the fish straight out of the fryer. Line another baking sheet with paper towels. Carefully heat the oil in a deep fryer or in a large deep saucepan to 375°F (190°C).
3. While you are waiting for the oil to heat, toss about a quarter of the whitebait in the flour again, and remove the excess flour with another shake in the sieve. Using a frying basket or large skimmer, add refloured fish to the hot oil; don’t try to cook too many at once, or the oil temperature will drop too low and the fish will be soggy. Fry for 2 minutes, or until lightly golden. Drain on the paper towels, sprinkle with sea salt, and keep warm in the oven if not devouring immediately. Repeat the procedure from second flouring to frying with the remaining fish.
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Deep-fried Parsley
Deep-fried parsley is a delicious accompaniment to fried foods. Wash some parsley and dry well.
Remove the leaves or tiny sprigs, keeping the stems for stock.
Dry the leaves again, in a towel or in a salad spinner. When all the fish are cooked, use a frying basket to add a few leaves to the hot oil. This will make a loud noise as the water explodes in the hot oil, since there is always some left on the leaves. The parsley cooks in seconds; remove it immediately, drain on paper towels, and sprinkle with sea salt.
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Sardines on Toast
Canned fish was once a luxury, but it has lost much of its appeal and is commonly associated with tough times and poverty. In France, though, where canning began, some cans of sardines have a millésimé, or vintage date, stamped on them. These cans are carefully stored for up to twenty-five years. During this time their contents turns into a rich paste that sardine aficionados relish.
Since most of us don’t have access to costly vintage sardines, the good-quality hand-packed nonvintage ones deserve our attention. These carefully layered little fish are full of omega-3 oils, minerals, and vitamins and, most important, still have their bones. All of which makes them very good for you.
Sardines on toast with a squeeze of lemon were the fast food of my childhood. The big key attached to the bottom of the tin had to be snapped off. Then you carefully threaded it onto a small tongue of metal and wound open the metal top. This is that childhood dish, improved with experience.
One 3%-ounce (100-g) can good-quality sardines
4 not-too-thick slices country bread
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped dill
Fleur de sel or fine sea salt
¼ lemon
1. Preheat the broiler. Carefully remove the sardines from the can, trying to keep them whole. Place them on paper towels to drain.
2. Toast the bread under the broiler: well on one side and then very lightly on the other, so that it is dry but not colored. Spread the lightly toasted sides of the bread with the mustard. Arrange the sardines on top, then drizzle with olive oil. Place on a baking sheet and broil until the sardines are hot and the bread is beginning to darken on the edges, about 1 minute.
3. Sprinkle the toasts with the chopped dill, and then a little salt. Give them a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and they are ready to eat.
TIP Serve the toasts with a lightly dressed salad of frisée or arugula.
Sea Bass Baked in a Salt Crust with Fresh Tomato Sauce
When you are seated on the terrace of the Hotel Cipriani in Venice, sipping an Americano and gazing across the lagoon to St. Mark’s Square, life can seem perfect. I was lucky enough to do this once and even luckier to watch chef Renato Piccolotto demonstrate his famous sea bass baked in a crust of salt. This recipe is adapted from that day. I recommend mixing an Americano—pour 1 ounce (30 ml) each Campari and sweet vermouth into a glass over ice, and add a splash of sparkling Italian mineral