Quite why a few crisp, freshly fried whitebait do not make more appearances as a pre-dinner nibble at restaurants is a question I have frequently asked myself.

Serves 2

Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
350g-400g fresh whitebait (although good-quality frozen are surprisingly tasty)
568ml milk
25g self-raising flour
Cayenne pepper, to season
Salt
Lemon wedges, to serve

Preheat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 190C. Put the whitebait in a bowl and pour over enough milk just to cover them. Leave submerged for 10 minutes or so, then drain. Discard the milk.

Generously season the flour with the cayenne pepper and a little salt, then place in a large plastic bag. Tip in the drained whitebait and toss them around, shaking the bag well, until each and every tiny fish is thoroughly coated.

Suspend the frying basket over the sink and add a small handful of flour-coated fish. (When cooking the whitebait, don’t overcrowd the fryer, as it will end in disaster: a sorry mass of soggy fish.) Slowly lower the basket into the oil and fry for no longer than 1-2 minutes, or until the fish are pale gold and supercrisp: they should rustle when the basket is shaken.

To serve, sprinkle with a little salt and extra cayenne, depending on how devilish you are feeling. Drain onto folded kitchen paper and serve with the lemon wedges.

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