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Tsatsa
Tsatsa (цаца): small Black Sea sprats dusted in flour and fried crisp, eaten whole with lemon
Beach kiosks from Varna to Sozopol sell tsatsa by the paper cone all summer: handfuls of tiny sprats fried so crisp that you eat them head, bones and all, with a squeeze of lemon and a cold glass of ayran. They taste sweet and briny and crunch like the best chips. At home, serve them with lemon wedges, a tomato and cucumber salad and bread. Buy fish that smell of the sea, with bright eyes and firm bodies; frozen sprats work once thawed in the fridge. Where most people go wrong is frying too many at once: the oil cools, the fish stick together and turn greasy. Chef's tip: shake the floured sprats in a sieve before they go in, so only a thin film of flour clings and they fry up lacy and light.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb fresh sprats
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 ⅞ oz plain flour
- 2 cups sunflower oil for frying
- 1 lemoncut into wedges
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley (optional)chopped
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Spices & pantry
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Rinse the 1 ⅛ lb fresh sprats in cold water, drain and pat dry. Pinch out the guts of any longer than 8 cm; tiny ones can stay whole.
5 minStep 2: Toss the fish with the 1 tsp salt, then with the 2 ⅞ oz plain flour, and shake them in a sieve to remove the excess.
3 minStep 3: Heat the 2 cups sunflower oil for frying, about 2 cm deep, in a heavy frying pan to 350°F, when a pinch of flour sizzles at once. Never leave hot oil unattended.
4 minStep 4: Fry the sprats in small batches for 2–3 minutes, turning once, until golden and crisp and the flesh is opaque right through.
8 minStep 5: Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot with the 1 lemon and a scattering of 2 tbsp fresh parsley.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 350 kcal
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 16 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tsatsa take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 10 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 lemon?
- Lime, or 2 tbsp bottled lemon juice per lemon (no zest from bottled juice).
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