Fakebait (sustainable alternative to whitebait)!

I miss eating whitebait (seeing as it's just about the least sustainable seafood dish on the planet).
So here's my solution: FakeBait! Strips of sardines  coated in seasoned flour (plain flour, polenta, cayenne, smoked paprika, salt and pepper), shallow fried and served on top of spaghetti in tomato sauce, squeeze of lemon over it.
Allow one good size herring per person. Once filleted, open flat and pop the backbone out. The smaller bones you just crunch.
Season the flour according to taste - sardines have a robust flavour, so feel free to be generous with the cayenne pepper and smoked paprika. I use salt with dried seaweed in it for extra essence of ocean.
You could also serve with tartare sauce, a salsa verde, or oven dried tomatoes and a bit of salad. And possibly some dry West country cider.

Fishcakes

A great way to use up leftover mash!

Or make the mash beforehand and chill it.

Serves two

500g floury potatoes
1 small onion or shallot, finely sliced lengthways (almost like thin matchsticks)
handful of capers, chopped
handful of parsley
1 clove garlic
10g butter
splash of milk
Salt and white pepper

1 small can tuna, or any handy cooked fish

Vegetable oil

Make the mash - peel and quarter the potatoes, and simmer them with a clove of garlic. When done, drain and let steam for ten minutes or so, then push through a ricer into a warm pan containing the butter and milk. Add salt, pepper and the parsley, mix well, and leave to cool.

Fry the onion, and mix in a bowl with the tuna and chopped capers. Add the cooled mashed potato, mix well, and with floured hands, shape into little cakes.

Fry the cakes for five minutes each side in a good couple of lugs of vegetable in a medium-hot pan. Don't be tempted to move them or they'll break up. Turn once, carefully. Serve with a bit of sweet chilli sauce and mixed salad.