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Lekkerbekje
Battered fried whiting
Lekkerbekje: a whole whiting fillet in crisp batter from the Dutch fish stall, with remoulade
Lekkerbekje means "little treat", and at the haringkarren and fish stalls of the Albert Cuyp and Dappermarkt it is the other big seller next to raw herring: a whole fillet of whiting (or cod) dipped in batter and fried until the coating crackles. It comes in a paper tray with a lemon wedge and a spoon of remoulade, and Amsterdammers eat it for lunch on market days, standing at the counter. The batter here uses sparkling water instead of beer for lightness. Chef's tip: keep the batter ice-cold and mix it only just before frying; the cold against the hot oil is what makes it shatter.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the remoulade
- 6 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 gherkinsfinely chopped
- 1 tsp caperschopped
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp parsleychopped
For the fish
- 4 whiting or cod filletsskinless, about 150 g each
- 5 ½ oz plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 1 cup ice-cold sparkling water
- 2 tbsp plain flourfor dusting
- 5 cups sunflower oilfor deep-frying
- 1 lemon (optional)cut into wedges
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Stir together 6 tbsp mayonnaise, 2 gherkins, 1 tsp capers, 1 tsp Dijon mustard and 1 tbsp parsley. Chill until needed.
3 minStep 2: Pour 5 cups sunflower oil into a deep, heavy pan, no more than a third of the way up the side, and heat to 350°F. Check with a thermometer, or drop in a cube of bread: it should brown in about 60 seconds. Never leave hot oil unattended.
8 minStep 3: Pat 4 whiting or cod fillets dry with kitchen paper and dust lightly with 2 tbsp plain flour.
2 minStep 4: Whisk 5 ½ oz plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp fine salt with 1 cup ice-cold sparkling water into a batter like thick cream; a few lumps are fine.
2 minStep 5: Dip a fillet in the batter, let the excess drip off and lower it away from you into the oil. Fry 2 at a time for 4–5 minutes, turning once, until deep golden and crisp and the fish inside is opaque and flakes easily. Common mistake: frying all four at once; the oil drops and the batter turns greasy and pale.
10 minStep 6: Drain on a rack over kitchen paper. Serve at once with the remoulade and 1 lemon.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 31 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does lekkerbekje 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 parsley?
- Fresh coriander or chives, same amount.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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