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1
Pat all fish and seafood completely dry with paper towels; any surface moisture will cause dangerous spattering in the oil and will generate steam, preventing the crust from forming. Hold the dried fish at room temperature.
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2
Combine the semolina flour, rice flour, and baking powder in a wide bowl and mix briefly. Working in batches, toss the fish through the flour mixture, then transfer them to a sieve and shake firmly to expel all excess flour. The fish should carry the thinnest possible veil of coating; any accumulation will cloud the oil and burden the crust.
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3
Heat the oil in a deep, heavy pan to 180 °C. This is where the dish lives or dies: too cool and the coating absorbs oil and turns leaden; too hot and the exterior chars before the fish is cooked through. Verify the temperature with a probe thermometer and allow the oil to return to 180 °C between every batch.
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4
Lower a small batch of floured fish gently into the oil — never so many that the oil temperature drops perceptibly. Fry, turning once, until each piece is a deep, even gold and the coating audibly shatters when pressed with a spider or slotted spoon.
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5
Lift the fish onto paper to drain for no more than thirty seconds, then season immediately and generously with fine sea salt while the surface is still slick with heat. Salt applied even a minute late will not adhere.
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6
Transfer each batch directly to the table on paper as it is ready; do not hold the fish warm in an oven. The crust softens within minutes and cannot be restored. The fish arrives correct when it shatters at the first bite and yields immediately to tender, sea-flavoured flesh within. Serve with lemon wedges only.