Crisp Whitebait with Parsley

This was one of our first lunches when we arrived in Malta, but I had forgotten about it: golden fried whitebait sprinkled with parsley! For years I didn't touch this dish as I didn't like the idea of frying little fish in one piece until I tried it in a Portuguese restaurant and I loved it. That dinner changed my mind!

The fish has a fine taste, like the sea, so it shouldn't be mixed with too many flavours. I like to cook a big batch of them and serve them on a big plate, with a salad and a glass of white wine on the side. This is perfect as an easy lunch and it brings a Mediterranean feeling to the table! Close your eyes, smell the aroma of the cooked fish and imagine that you're sitting in a restaurant close to the sea!

When I cook whitebait (a big handful), I like to dust them lightly with flour, dip them in a beaten egg and fry them in 1 tablespoon of butter mixed with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. They just need 3-4 minutes in the pan to turn golden brown and crisp. I sprinkle them with a heaped tablespoon of chopped parsley and a tiny bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice, that's it!