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Bizri
Bizri: Lebanese seaside plate of tiny fried whitebait with lemon and crisp pitta
Fish restaurants on the harbours of Byblos, Batroun and Tyre bring bizri to the table within minutes of ordering: a heap of tiny whitebait, dusted in seasoned flour and fried so crisp you eat them whole, heads and all, with a squeeze of lemon. It is a mezze for sharing with fattoush, tahini sauce and fried pitta, usually while waiting for the bigger grilled fish. Buy the fish very fresh and keep it on ice until it goes into the pan. The common mistake is crowding the pan, which drops the oil temperature and leaves the fish greasy and soft. Chef's tip: toss the damp fish in flour in a sieve and shake off every bit of excess; a thin coating fries glassy-crisp.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
To serve
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (2)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat 4 ¼ cups sunflower oil in a deep, heavy pan to 375°F, or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds. Never leave hot oil unattended.
8 minStep 2: Mix 3 ½ oz plain flour, 1 ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp ground cumin and 1 tsp paprika. Toss a third of 1 ⅓ lb whitebait in it, then shake the fish in a sieve over the bowl to knock off the excess flour.
Step 3: Fry in small batches for 2–3 minutes, stirring once, until golden and crisp and the flesh is opaque right through. Lift out onto kitchen paper.
3 minStep 4: Let the oil come back to temperature between batches and repeat with the rest of the fish. Discard any fish that smells sour or ammonia-like before cooking.
6 minStep 5: Pile onto a platter, scatter with 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley and serve at once with 2 lemon wedges.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 28 g
- Carbs
- 19 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bizri take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of ground cumin?
- Cumin seeds, toasted and ground.
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