Marides tiganites - Greek fried whitebait
Μαρίδες τηγανητές
Published originally on my blog on 10 January 2014
I very much dislike it when people start getting all healthy on me in January. Insipid soups and tasteless veggie meals annoy the hell out of me and so do people who regret eating a little more during the holidays that they feel they have to starve themselves when the new year begins.
How can I be deprived of my comfort foods during January? How am I supposed to beat my winter blues without some delicious food at my dinner table?
I understand that keeping a balanced diet is crucial and you can’t go on forever eating carbs, meat and chocolate but the holidays are not an excuse to binge-eat either, especially if it’s going to make you eat copious amounts of broccoli and carrots throughout January.
So keep that in mind when I suggest you eat more fish. It’s not because fish are healthy and good for you, but only because they’re the most delicious thing nature has to offer.
I can’t get enough of fish, especially since my holidays were filled with the robust flavors of pork and game. Fish’s subtle flavor and delicate texture is all I dream about when it comes to lunch and dinner, especially when they’re little whitebait or red mullets.
These photographs were taken in Greece in late autumn. I didn’t bother taking any pictures of the fish the other day when we had the exact same thing, because fresh Greek fish look stunning. Plus it gave me the opportunity to eat my food hot and steamy, straight from the frying pan and not have S complain about me taking photos and the food getting cold.
Fried fish with crispy skin and tender flesh, still juicy and smelling of the sea. Ah, there’s nothing like it. Paired with ouzo, some hand-cut potatoes fried in olive oil and boiled seasonal greens (I used kale this time but if I was in Greece I would choose zohous) with a squeeze of lemon and a splash of olive oil, it brings the sunshine and warmth back into our January lives.
See also: Greek baked mackerel (kolios) with olive oil, lemon and parsley and Greek baked whole tuna with ladolemono (Greek olive oil and lemon sauce)