Spanish-Style Sardine Fritters | Tortitas de Sardinas

📝 Ingredients

• 1/2 cup all purpose flour (60 grams)
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup sparkling water (120 ml)
• 1 shallot finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (8 grams)
• 1 lemon
• 1 can small sardines in olive oil (4 oz / 120 grams)
• sea salt & black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 tsp saffron threads (.17 grams)
• 1/2 cup low fat mayonnaise (120 grams)
• 1 tsp lemon juice (5 ml)
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (15 ml)
• sea salt & black pepper
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (to fry the fritters) (60 ml)
• fresh parsley (for garnish)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Add the flour into a large bowl and make a well in the middle, crack in the egg and whisk it, then add in the sparkling water and whisk everything together until you get a smooth batter, then add in the shallot, garlic, parsley and season with sea salt & black pepper, then finely grate in the zest of half a lemon and mix everything together until well mixed
2. 2Drain the can of sardines into a fine sieve with a bowl underneath, then gently break the sardines apart, add them into the bowl with the batter and mix together until well mixed
3. 3Heat a large fry pan with a medium heat and add in the olive oil
4. 4After a couple of minutes start adding in spoonfuls of the batter, all in a single layer and evenly spaced out, cook in batches, fry the fritters for 3 minutes per side or until golden fried, then transfer into a dish with paper towels
5. 5Once all the fritters have been fried up, make the aioli, add the garlic into a mortar, along with the saffron and a pinch of sea salt, using a pestle pound down until you get a paste-like texture, then add in the mayonnaise, lemon juice, olive oil and season with a kiss of sea salt & black pepper, whisk together until you get a creamy sauce
6. 6Transfer the aioli into a serving dish and decorate the fritters around it, garnish with fresh parsley, enjoy!