Flathead tempura: Fish fingers for adults

Flathead has a sweet flesh that flakes apart gorgeously. Add the zucchini and you have a gourmet winner.

Flathead tempura and zucchini chips with lemon aoli. Picture: Craig Wall. Styling: Jenn Tolhurst

If there’s one thing both battered fish and zucchini adore, it’s lemon. Here the zest is used for a zippy vinaigrette with rocket, while its juice forms the basis of a sharp, garlicky aioli. Flathead fillets are wonderfully forgiving, with sweet flesh that flakes apart gorgeously. The tempura batter is light and crispy, and the package is lightened further with zucchini ribbons instead of traditional chips. Serve on a warm summer’s eve for a new weekend tradition!

The Weekend Australian Magazine's new chef Alice Zaslavsky. Picture: Nick Cubbin

FLATHEAD TEMPURA & ZUCCHINI CHIPS WITH LEMON AIOLI

3 medium zucchini, washed

10-12 skinless flathead fillets

1 cup (150g) plain flour

½ cup (75g) cornflour

1 cup (250g) cold sparkling mineral or soda water

6-8 ice cubes

1.5 litres oil for frying

2 teaspoons salt flakes

Aioli

1 egg

1 teaspoon salt flakes (plus extra to taste)

2⁄³ cup (170ml) grapeseed oil

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1-2 garlic cloves

Juice of ½ lemon

¹⁄³ cup (80ml) olive oil

Rocket with zesty vinaigrette

60ml extra-virgin olive oil

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of ½ lemon

1 bruised garlic clove

1 bunch large-leaf rocket

Slice the zucchini into long, 3mm thick strips. Salt well and leave to sweat and break down a little for 10 minutes. Cut the fillets into finger-length strips. Combine half the flour with the cornflour, mineral water and ice to form a batter. Sprinkle the rest of the flour onto a plate.

Heat the frying oil to 180C. You’ll know it’s hot enough when a chunk of bread becomes golden within 15 seconds. When oil is ready, drag the zucchini and fish through the flour, then the batter, allowing any excess to drip off. Fry until golden. The zucchini will take one or two minutes, the fish three or four. Place on paper towels to drain and sprinkle immediately with salt flakes.

Meanwhile, make the aioli: blitz all the ingredients except the olive oil in a blender. If it looks like it’s not coming together, add a tablespoon of hot water and blitz again. Finally, stir through the olive oil.

To make the vinaigrette, place olive oil, zest, juice and garlic in a jar and shake. Drizzle over rocket just before serving. Serves 4-6