Karen Martini's fried sardines with five-spice salt and pickled cucumber

My association with sardines is such a Mediterranean one, and I typically default to using the classic flavours of Italy, Spain, Greece or North Africa, but they also work really well with Asian flavours. This simple dish makes a great entree or substantial appetiser to kick off an Asian-themed feast. Sardines need to be super-fresh as they deteriorate rapidly once caught; the flesh should be vibrant and pink-tinged, not grey or dull. Always eat sardines on the day that you buy them, and if they're looking anything less than pristine, choose something else to cook.

Fried sardines with five-spice salt and pickled cucumber

1 continental cucumber, peeled, deseeded and sliced 1cm thick on an angle

4 spring onions, cut into 10cm batons

1 tsp salt flakes

1 tsp castor sugar

1 lemon, peeled and segmented

1 handful coriander leaves

1 green chilli, finely sliced

18 whole fresh sardines (or fillets)

oil, for frying

100g rice flour

2 egg whites, whisked

Five-spice salt

3 star anise

10 cloves

2½ tsp fennel seeds

1½ tsp Sichuan peppercorns

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tbsp salt flakes

1. For the five-spice powder, grind the star anise, cloves, fennel seeds and Sichuan peppercorns with a spice grinder until a fine powder. Combine with the cinnamon and salt flakes, breaking the flakes up a little as you do.

2. Add the cucumber, spring onion, salt and sugar to a bowl and set aside for 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and toss with the lemon segments, coriander and chilli.

3. Gut and fillet the sardines, leaving the head and tail on and pat dry with paper towel.

4. Heat four centimetres of oil in a large, deep frying pan until 180C.

5. Working in batches, dredge the sardines through the rice flour, shaking off any excess, then through the egg white and then back through the rice flour. Lower into the oil and cook for one minute on one side, and about 30 seconds on the other. Drain on paper towel and repeat for the remaining sardines.

6. Pile the cooked sardines onto a serving platter and season with the five-spice salt while still warm. Serve with the cucumber salad on the side.

Serves 6

Drink an off-dry but zippy young riesling

Tips

1. For regular five-spice powder just omit the salt, and, trust me, this is so much better than pre-ground mixes that you won't mind the little bit of extra work.

2. This recipe would also work well with calamari.

3. Wrap the cooked sardines in lettuce cups with a little pickled chilli and serve as a canape.

Styling Deborah Kaloper; background surface from The Establishment Studios, blue ceramic under plate from The Fortynine Studio.