CRISPY FRIED WHITEBAIT & WILD GARLIC TARTARE DIP

Serves 4

● 80g (2¾oz) plain flour ● 1tbsp smoked paprika

● Zest of 1 lemon, plus wedges to serve

● Vegetable oil, for frying ● 450g (1lb) whitebait ● A pinch of cayenne pepper ● Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the wild garlic tartare dip

● 50g (1¾oz) wild garlic or shop-bought regular garlic, peeled

● 100g (3½oz) natural yoghurt ● 50g (1¾oz) mayonnaise ● 1tbsp capers, drained and rinsed

● 10 cornichons, finely diced ● A handful of dill, chopped

First, make the wild garlic tartare dip. Blitz the wild garlic (or regular garlic) with 25g of the yoghurt in a food processor until it forms a smooth paste. Tip this into a bowl and mix with the remaining yoghurt, mayonnaise, capers, cornichons and dill. Season and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, smoked paprika, lemon zest and some seasoning. Put the vegetable oil in a large, high-sided pan so that it comes at least 8cm up the sides. If you have a thermometer, heat the oil to 180°C (355°F). If you don’t, test if the oil is hot enough by dropping in a small piece of bread or some breadcrumbs — you want it to sizzle and turn golden brown. Toss the whitebait in the seasoned flour and then fry in the hot oil for 3 minutes until crispy and golden brown — you may need to do this in batches. Drain on paper towels.

When all the whitebait are fried, place them onto a platter and sprinkle with the cayenne pepper. Serve alongside the wild garlic tartare and some lemon wedges for squeezing.