Fried sardines in tempura batter

• By Ramona Preca

For 4 people, you will need:

Four filleted small sardines, salt and pepper, 300g of plain flour, vegetable oil for shallow-frying, one egg, ice-cold water.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, egg and salt. Into a heavy pan, pour oil to a depth of three centimetres, then heat it to 180C. Dip the sardines into the batter, and fry them in the oil until they are golden. Remove them immediately they are cooked and leave them to drain on paper towels. If you are cooking lots of sardines, fry them a couple at a time, so as not to reduce the temperature of the oil, which affects the crispness of the batter.