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1
Rinse and Drain the Whitebait
5 Mins
Chilled, 4°C (39°F)
Tip the whitebait into a colander and rinse very gently under cold running water. Drain well, shake the colander to throw off the water, then spread the fish on paper towels and pat dry. Return the fish to a chilled bowl and keep it in the fridge while you make the batter.
Wet whitebait is the most common reason fritters turn soggy — take the extra minute to dry them properly.
Done when: Fish are clean, dry to the touch, and smell fresh and sea-like, never fishy.
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2
Whisk the Light Batter
3 Mins
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Crack the eggs into a medium bowl and whisk lightly until just combined. Sift in the flour, add the salt and a few grinds of black pepper, and whisk again until smooth. Stir in the sliced spring onions. The batter should be thin and loose, barely thicker than beaten egg — it is there to bind the fish, not to coat it.
Resist adding more flour: a thick batter turns the dish into a pancake and buries the whitebait.
Done when: A smooth, thin batter with no lumps of flour and the spring onion evenly mixed through.
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3
Fold in the Whitebait
2 Mins
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Tip the drained whitebait into the batter and fold it through with a spoon, just until the fish are evenly coated. Work gently — the tiny fish break apart if you stir hard, and overmixing makes the fritters tough.
Fold, don't stir: two or three gentle turns of the spoon are enough.
Done when: Every fish is coated in batter, with the whitebait still whole and clearly visible.
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4
Fry the First Batch
6 Mins
Medium heat, about 175°C (350°F)
Put a large frying pan over medium heat and melt the first knob of butter until it foams and just starts to smell nutty. Spoon in 4 heaped tablespoons of the mixture, spacing them well apart, and flatten each one gently into a thin round. Fry for about 3 minutes until the underside is golden and the egg is set, then flip once and fry 3 minutes more.
Keep the fritters thin — thick ones stay runny in the middle while the outside burns. Do not press them down with the spatula.
Done when: Golden on both sides, the egg fully set, and the fish inside cooked through to 63°C (145°F).
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5
Fry the Second Batch and Serve
6 Mins
Medium heat, about 175°C (350°F)
Lift the fritters onto a warm plate and cover loosely. Wipe the pan if needed, melt the second knob of butter, and fry the remaining mixture the same way, 3 minutes a side. Serve all 8 fritters hot, with lemon wedges on the side and buttered white bread if you like.
Fry in two batches so the pan stays hot — crowding the pan steams the fritters instead of frying them.
Done when: All 8 fritters are golden, crisp at the edges, and hot through to the centre.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve the fritters straight from the pan, while the edges are still crisp and the centres are just set. A squeeze of lemon over the top and a grind of pepper are all they need — eat them hot, in buttered white bread if you like.
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