French Caribbean-style fish fritters paired with a homemade tangy, spicy sauce.

These fish fritters are a common sight on the islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique, typically served on hot days with a spicy sauce featuring fresh lime and chilis. This type of cuisine is called “La cuisine créole,” distinct from its American counterpart due to the strong Indian influence in French Creole cooking.

INGREDIENTS

Makes approximately 12 fritters (measured with a tablespoon each)

• For the Court Bouillon:

  • 2 liters (2 quarts) water

  • 1 bay leaf

  • A few slices of carrot

  • A few slices of onion

  • A few pinches of salt

  • A squeeze of lemon juice

  • A few peppercorns

  For the Fritters:

  • 400 g (14 oz) fresh fish (300 g / 10.5 oz needed once trimmed, poached, and flaked)

  • 2 shallots, finely sliced

  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed

  • 2 tbsp finely chopped spring onion

  • 1 tbsp finely chopped chives

  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper or 1 tsp fresh chili pepper, finely sliced

  • Salt and pepper, to taste

  For the Batter (for 150 grams):

  • 1 egg

  • 100 g (3.5 oz) flour

  • 1 tsp baking powder

  • 1 tsp oil

  • 80 ml (2.7 fl oz) milk or beer (add a bit more if the batter becomes too thick)

  For the Sauce:

  • 2 or 3 chili peppers

  • ¼ onion

  • 1 sprig coriander

  • 1 sprig parsley

  • 2 tbsp lemon juice

  • 2 tbsp olive oil

  • 3 tbsp white wine vinegar

  • 1 tsp coarse salt

MISE EN PLACE

Measure all the ingredients. Trim the fish fillets and prepare the aromatic garnish for the court bouillon. Chop the herbs and vegetables for the fritters and sauce.

Method

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. Make a well in the center, then add the egg and stir gently to incorporate with the flour. Gradually add the milk or beer while stirring constantly until you get a thick batter. Once done, leave the batter to rest in the fridge for at least one hour.

2. Fill a large saucepan with about 2 liters of water, add salt, peppercorns, and the aromatic garnish. Bring to a boil, then simmer for a couple of minutes before turning off the heat. Plunge the fish fillets in and let them cook for 5 to 6 minutes, depending on thickness. Once the fish is cooked, flake about 300 grams of it and transfer it to a mixing bowl. Add the chives, spring onion, finely chopped shallots, garlic, and cayenne or chili, and mix everything together.

3. Take the batter out of the fridge, ensuring it measures 150 grams, and stir it through the fish mixture and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until you are ready to deep-fry.

4. You can either use a makeshift deep fryer with a saucepan or shallow fry the fritters in a cast iron skillet or stainless steel frying pan filled with about 5 cm (2 inches) of frying oil. Heat the oil to 175°C (350°F). Drop a tablespoon of the mixture into the oil for each fritter and fry for up to 5 minutes until golden brown, making sure the oil temperature doesn’t drop too low. Always check that the oil is back to 175°C before starting a new batch. Once cooked, transfer the fritters to a tray lined with kitchen paper towels to absorb excess grease.

5. To make the sauce, blitz the chili and fresh herbs in a food processor, then add all the remaining ingredients and process for 30 seconds.

TIP

• The batter needs to rest for a minimum of 1 hour.

• 150 g of your preferred batter is required (I used a batter with whole eggs instead of just yolks).

• The sauce is very spicy, so adjust the heat level according to your preference.

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