Crispy Whitebait by Michelle Heng


Ingredients
300g big whitebait
2 tbsp shaoxing wine
1 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tbsp white pepper
10 tbsp cornflour
4 tbsp rice flour
3 tsp salt
Oil (deep frying)

Method
1. Rinse and dry the whitebait in a colander in the fridge for 30mins.
2. Marinate the whitebait with shaoxing wine, garlic powder and pepper for 30mins.
3. Combine cornflour, rice flour and salt, mix well.
4. Dip the whitebait in the flour mixture and deep fry over medium high heat till golden.
5. Drain on kitchen towel before serving.
6. Bon appetit!

Notes
1. Bigger whitebait can be purchased from the chilled or frozen section in the supermarkets & seldom made available at the wet market.
2. Dip the whitebait just before putting them into the hot oil, you want them dry and coated with flour not the soggy type (ie dip in flour for too long).
3. Cleanse oil at the end of frying by adding a thick cornflour slurry into the hot oil and give a good stir. The cornflour slurry will turn glue like consistency picking up particles and cleaning the oil. Drain oil.