Whitebait - The West Coast's Caviar

I guess I really should have posted this on Waitangi Day on Friday, such is the esteem that Whitebait is held by some New Zealanders who really do see it as a national treasure.

In New Zealand, Whitebait is the juvenile form of fish from the Galaxid family, made up of five species of native fish. In Spring these youngsters make their way upstream from the sea, keeping close to the river's edge. Through the Spring season (between August and November, depending on where in NZ) fishermen flock to rivers around the country - particularly the South Island's West Coast - to pitch nets at sites which are often passed down through the generations.

This batch came out the freezer today (caught back on the Coast in November) and made it's way into the pan for tea tonight, cooked up as a fritter. Not that I want to go all Marco Pierre White on it, but my philosophy is to let the fish speak for itself, so I mix 250g of whitebait with two eggs and a tablespoon of flour, fried in a bit of butter and seasoned with a squeeze of lemon. Simple and tasty. Nom Nom.

I'm heading back up to the smoke again tomorrow as Mrs H has a follow up with her surgeon following her operation last week. It looks like another flying visit, but maybe I'll be able to sneak in a Mono Monday blip too. Watch this space.