Glorious whitebait

Photo> Marion van Dijk
Whitebait may be bound up in mystique and mythology, but that doesn't mean you can't be adventurous with it.

Whitebait has to be a Kiwi icon. The mere mention of the word conjures up joy for many. Even though whitebait in some form or other is enjoyed in many parts of the world, Kiwis love to lay claim to our whitebait as being superior to those caught in other places.

What people may not know is that whitebait, in New Zealand, are the young of five freshwater native species of the galaxiidae family. They can be caught in rivers throughout the country (although West Coasters believe their whitebait is the finest in the country and, arguably, it could be, given the quantity and quality of the catch).

The species are inanga (galaxias maculates), koaro (galaxias brevipinnis), banded kokopu (galaxias fasciatus), giant kokopu (galaxias argenteus) and shortjaw kokopu (galaxias postvectis). In rivers throughout the country, inanga, koaro and banded kokopu form the majority of the catch, with inanga being the most common.

Whitebait start life as eggs laid in estuary vegetation. When the larvae hatch, they are carried out to sea to spend the winter feeding on small crustaceans before starting their return journey upriver to live in fresh water. This is when the whitebait season starts and fisherfolk come out in droves with either fine-meshed hand-held nets or set nets to line river banks all over the country, dreaming of the catch and their first feed of "bait".

There is an air of mystery and intrigue around catching whitebait. For some reason, people are prepared to lie about their catch and will go to the lengths of using false-bottomed buckets to pretend that their catch is meagre, presumably with the intent of discouraging others from fishing in their part of the river. Asking a whitebaiter about where they fish will be received with an uncomfortable shuffle and a vague reply such as "Oh, up the river".

There is as much debate about the right way to cook whitebait as there is fascination with the small silvery fish. A visit to a down-home Kiwi cafe can have you eating whitebait patties where the taste of the whitebait is lost in flour, eggs, the frying and being slapped between two pieces of white bread. More often than not, the ratio of whitebait to batter has the batter winning.

Most Kiwi cooks swear that whitebait should be cooked as plainly as possible. A good rule of thumb when making patties or fritters is to allow about 100 grams of whitebait to one egg to bind them together and create a form.

The disagreement tends to be over what can or should accompany the whitebait, with many arguing that ingredients such as garlic, chives and parsley detract from the taste.

There is a myriad of recipes for whitebait fritters and whitebait omelettes, all more or less following the egg to whitebait ratio, with some recipes advocating flour and others not, and others suggesting separating the egg yolk from the white and beating the whites until fluffy before adding them to the batter.

We would like to suggest that it is, in fact, not sacrilegious to play around with whitebait, and although the flavour is delicate, there are some great ways to enhance that flavour.

Rather than giving you the traditional whitebait fritter or omelette recipe, we would like to share the following, more adventurous, recipes with you. Try these and make your own decisions.

Whitebait crepes
Serves 4

Photo: Marion van Dijk
This recipe is from author Keri Hulme, an avid and passionate whitebaiter. These crepes are both delicious and filling.

Crepe batter
4 tbsp flour
1 egg
1 cup of milk
pinch of salt
20g butter, melted

Mix ingredients into a smooth batter and pour into a lightly buttered hot pan to evenly coat the pan. Turn once. The crepe should be as thin as possible and evenly browned. Set aside, covered, while you make the filling.

Whitebait filling
400g whitebait
1 tbsp coriander or parsley
1 tsp salt
2 tsp chopped jalapeno pepper

Using 100g of whitebait per crepe (400g), saute the whitebait in 20g of butter for a couple of minutes until the whitebait is translucent and has barely cooked through. Toss through the coriander and jalapeno and salt. Spoon on to crepes and roll up. Pour remaining butter from the pan over crepes and serve.

Wine match: Goose Bay chardonnay.

Whitebait with tomato and caper salsa
Serves 6-8
Adapted from www.fooddownunder.com.

Photo:Marion van Dijk
Salsa
Combine:
1 cup seeded, peeled and diced tomatoes
1 tbsp capers, finely chopped
3 tbsp red onion, finely chopped
2 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup olive oil
sherry vinegar or lime juice to taste

Whitebait
500g whitebait
cup of flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tsp paprika

Dredge the whitebait in seasoned flour and saute in clarified butter or vegetable oil until golden and crisp. Drain and then heap in the centre of a plate with a couple of tablespoons of the salsa mixture. Serve immediately with lime segments.

Wine match: Waimea pinot gris.

Sauteed whitebait with fresh asparagus and beurre blanc
Makes 8 entree-size portions
Adapted from www.tvnz.co.nz.

Beurre blanc
50ml white wine
50ml white wine vinegar
1 shallot
8 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
100ml cream
250g butter, cold and cut into small squares
salt and pepper
squeeze of lemon juice

Place the wine and vinegar in a pan. Roughly chop the shallot and add to the liquid with the peppercorns and bay leaf. Place over a medium heat and reduce by three-quarters. Next, add the cream and reduce by half. Cool slightly, then return to a very low heat, whisking in the butter piece by piece until it is all incorporated and silky smooth. Strain through a sieve to remove solids. Season and add the lemon juice.

Steam the asparagus until just tender - do not overcook. Allow 2 to 3 spears of asparagus per person.

Whitebait
400g whitebait
flour for dredging
salt and pepper

Toss the whitebait in the flour and sieve to remove excess flour. Saute in a combination of vegetable oil and butter. Cook for about a minute and then toss and cook on the other side.

Layer the asparagus on the plate followed by a mound of whitebait, then spoon the beurre blanc over the top. Finish with a squeeze of lemon.

Wine match: Waimea Estate classic riesling.