Small fried fish are one of the most prized delicacies of the Greek table. Small, fresh anchovies are fried in olive oil, doused with fresh lemon juice and eaten whole. One of Sofia’s favourite dishes, it was her first choice to order in rare outings to a taverna along with a little Horta on the side. When I am in Greece I will always by a kilo or two of fresh anchovies from the local market to make this dish. In Australia fresh anchovies are nearly impossible to find, so I’ve found small sand whiting fillets to be a good alternative.
A word on the oil. While it is more expensive, extra virgin olive oil is the best to use when frying these small fish at home. It imparts an unrivalled flavour and its nutritional value is far better than other oils because of its antioxidants.
Fried fish
Ingredients
- 500 gr small fish fresh anchovies or small sand whiting fillets
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour or you can use a half-half mix of flour and semolina
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon
Instructions
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Clean the fish well. If using anchovies, take a sharp knife and make a small slit in the belly of the fish. Remove the innards with a small spoon or by hand. Rinse your fish very well and set aside.
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Dry the fish with paper towel and then place in a clean bowl (or zip lock baand sprinkle with the salt, shaking the bowl well so the salt covers all of the fish. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. Then coat the fish in some flour, shake of the excess by removing the fish from bowl/bag and put in a strainer. Tap the fish to remove the excess flour.
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Heat the oil in a medium sized cast iron or heavy based frying pan. The oil should be around 1/2 an inch deep. When the oil is hot enough, add the fish in batches so that the temperature of the oil doesn’t drop. Fry for 3-5 minutes, turning over only once and fry on the other side for 3-5 minutes. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towel. Repeat with each batch of fish until they are all cooked. Serve while hot, with lemon cheeks on the side.
