Crisp Fried Mixed Seafood and Courgette with Lemon
Inspired by techniques from America's Test Kitchen and NYT Cooking.
Prawns, squid, white fish and courgette batons in a featherlight sparkling-water batter, fried until crisp and finished with flaky salt, parsley and lemon. Best eaten the minute it comes out of the oil.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Dry and chill. Pat the prawns, squid, fish and courgette very dry with kitchen paper and keep them in the fridge. Set the oven to 100°C and line one rack with kitchen paper. Surface moisture makes oil spit and stops batter from clinging, so dry ingredients fry cleaner and crisper.
- 2
Heat the oil. Pour the oil into the heavy pan, no more than one-third full, and heat it to 180°C. Check with the thermometer rather than guessing. Hot oil sets the batter instantly, sealing in moisture and keeping the coating from turning greasy.
- 3
Whisk the batter. Combine the flour, cornflour, baking powder and salt, then whisk in the ice-cold sparkling water just until smooth; a few small lumps are fine. Make it now, right before frying, while the bubbles are still lively. Cold water and minimal mixing limit gluten, and the bubbles expand in the oil to give a lacy, crisp crust.
- 4
Dust and dip. Toss a handful of courgette in the dusting flour and shake off the excess. Dip the pieces in the batter, letting the surplus drip back into the bowl. A dry flour layer gives the wet batter something to grip, so it does not slide off in the oil.
- 5
Fry the courgette. Lower the courgette into the oil one piece at a time so they do not stick together. Fry for 2-3 minutes, turning once, until pale golden and crisp, then move to the lined rack in the oven. Adding pieces individually keeps the oil temperature stable.
- 6
Fry the seafood. Work through the prawns, then the fish, then the squid in the same way, frying each batch for 2-3 minutes until golden. Inside, the seafood should be opaque, with the fish flaking and reaching at least 63°C. Let the oil return to 180°C and skim out loose bits between batches, so each one fries as crisply as the first.
- 7
Season and serve. Pile everything onto a warm platter, sprinkle with the flaky salt and parsley, and serve at once with lemon wedges. Salting straight away helps it stick to the hot, dry surface.
Storage
This is best eaten freshly fried. Cool any leftovers within 2 hours, refrigerate for up to 1 day and reheat on a rack in a hot oven until piping hot (74°C).
Equipment
- kitchen paper
- large bowl and whisk
- shallow dish
- large heavy saucepan or Dutch oven (at least 5 litres)
- deep-fry or probe thermometer that reads to 200 °C
- tongs and a spider strainer
- 2 wire racks set in rimmed baking trays
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 514 kcal |
| Protein | 34.5 g |
| Carbohydrate | 53.9 g |
| of which sugars | 1.6 g |
| of which free sugars | 0.2 g |
| Fat | 17.1 g |
| of which saturates | 1.6 g |
| Fibre | 2 g |
| Salt | 1.66 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
6.7 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
