Fried small prawns and baby fish

Maridas are little fish, a bit like large whitebait and are deep-fried as a mezze, along with school prawns. They are enjoyed as mezze all over Greece and are often accompanied by ouzo.

Credit: Lyndey & Blair's Taste of Greece

• serves

  4

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  5 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 250 g small uncooked prawns
• 200 g whitebait or other small fish
• plain flour, for dusting
• extra virgin olive oil, for frying

Instructions

1. Pour the olive oil in a heavy medium saucepan to a depth of 4 cm and place over medium-high heat.

2. Place the flour in a small plastic bag and season with salt and pepper. Add the prawns and fish, in batches if necessary, twisting the top of the bag to close, and shaking until they are coated with the seasoned flour.

3. Test the oil with a wooden implement or tip of a prawn to see if bubbles appear. Cook the prawns and fish, shaking to remove excess flour, in batches for a minute, or until the prawns are pink and the fish opaque, and both are crisp. Drain well on kitchen paper.

Note

• Use the freshest prawns and fish you can find. If they are small enough both can be eaten whole, leaving the shells and heads on. If you prefer, you can remove the heads but please leave the shells and tails on – they are deliciously crisp when deep-fried.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.