Fried Sprats

Steps

1. 1
   Rinse the sprats in a colander under cold water and discard any broken ones. Fish this small need no gutting, but you can pinch off the heads if you prefer.
2. 2
   Drain well, spread on kitchen paper and pat completely dry — wet fish make the flour clump and the oil spit.
3. 3
   Mix the flour with the salt in a large bowl or bag.
4. 4
   Heat the oil in a deep pan, at least 3 cm deep, to 180°C — a sprat dropped in should sizzle hard at once.
5. 5
   Toss a handful of sprats in the flour, shake them in a sieve to remove the excess and fry them straight away — floured fish left standing turn gummy.
6. 6
   Fry in small batches for 2–3 minutes, stirring once, until golden and so crisp they rustle when lifted; overcrowding drops the oil temperature and makes them greasy.
7. 7
   Lift out with a slotted spoon onto kitchen paper and sprinkle with a little more salt while hot. Let the oil come back to 180°C before the next batch.
8. 8
   Serve at once, piled on a plate with the lemon wedges.