Crumbed carrots with hollandaise

Method

1. Start making the sauce. Using a vegetable peeler, pare off 4 strips of lemon zest into a small saucepan. Add the butter and mint leaves and heat gently until the butter melts. Boil for a minute or two, then remove from the heat. Cover and set aside to infuse for at least an hour, but ideally for 2-3 hours (keep it in a warm place – you don’t want it to solidify).
2. Break off any knobbly bits of carrot and chop any larger chunks into finger-size pieces. Tip the breadcrumbs onto a large tray. Sprinkle in the black onion seeds and coconut and mix together well.
3. Beat the whole eggs in a shallow dish with a fork. Tip a little flour onto a large plate and season with salt and pepper. Roll each carrot piece in the flour, then dip into the beaten egg. Shake off any excess, then coat evenly in the crumb mixture. Set aside on a tray until ready to cook.
4. Finish the sauce. Take the lemon you used earlier, halve and squeeze it into a small pan. Add 2 tbsp water, the peppercorns and shallot, then boil until only 1 tbsp liquid remains. Strain the liquid, while still warm, through a fine sieve into a bowl set over a pan of hot (not boiling) water.
5. Add the egg yolks and whisk well to combine. Continue whisking and add the lemony clarified butter in a thin, steady stream (being sure to leave the sediment that may have settled at the bottom of the pan, as well as the lemon rind and mint) until the butter has been used and the hollandaise is thick and glossy. If it is very thick, whisk in 1 tbsp hot water. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
6. Meanwhile, heat the groundnut oil in a large deep pan, wok or deep fat fryer to 180°C (a small cube of bread will turn brown in 1 minute). Deep-fry the crumbed carrots in batches for 2-3 minutes until lightly golden and cooked through. Drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle with salt.
7. In a large bowl, whisk 2 of the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Stir a third of them into the hollandaise, then carefully fold in the rest. Serve immediately with the carrot fingers.