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“WHITEBAIT”

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Kiwithrottlejockey
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« Reply #25 on: April 03, 2009, 02:55:43 pm »


Little wonders of whitebait

By PETA MATHIAS - The New Zealand Herald | Monday, 27 August 2007

Whitebait Tagliarini. JANNA DIXON.

    Whitebait Tagliarini. — JANNA DIXON

When I was a child, whitebait cost almost nothing and were plentiful. You could even get them in fish and chip shops. Now they cost a fortune but one must be careful not to buy the inferior, tasteless, frozen Chinese variety.

The West Coast is one of the few places in New Zealand where whitebait still run. During the season, September to November normally, people flock to the mouths of rivers and streams with their nets, or erect their stands to scoop up this delicacy that has an almost mythical status on that side of the South Island.

Whitebait nets can be purchased at any sports shop or hardware store in town, and come with all the strict rules and regulations.

All whitebait spend part of their life cycle in fresh water and part in the sea. Tiny fish hatch in late autumn and are carried along rivers out to sea, where they live and grow over the winter.

In the late winter and early spring whitebait migrate back up rivers and streams, finally settling and growing in bush covered water and swamps. The start of the migration is thought to be influenced by river flows and phases of the moon. Mature inanga adults migrate downstream to lower river sections and estuaries to spawn in grasses covered by water during spring tides. The eggs remain in the grass until the next spring tide covers them again, when the young hatch and are carried out to sea.

On the East Coast, whitebait are something of a secret, which folk from these parts talk little about. Each spring, when the water warms and the moon is full, whitebait run the mighty Waiau river. They are found near the river mouth and access is tricky so people use jet boats to get at it.

I got this pasta recipe from a gentleman down there who drank whisky and water in equal measure. It is rich, but the creamy sauce, delicate whitebait and soothing pasta seem made to go together.

The way most of us love to eat whitebait is simply in a fritter. I have always disliked this as the critter-to-fritter ratio is far too low and the taste of the egg ruins the subtle and slightly sweet flavour of whitebait. Here's the solution — egg-white fritters or better still, no egg at all.

For the egg-white fritter, beat the egg-whites till stiff, throw in pepper and salt then fold in lots of whitebait — the egg-white is just to hold it together and it ends up being really light and crunchy.

In the no egg version, toss the whitebait in flour and shake the excess out through a sieve. Add salt and pepper. Take a really small fry-pan, melt some butter or oil in it and slap in the floured fishies. Fry for a few minutes on both sides and squirt with lemon juice.

In my restaurant in Paris I used to do the flour thing then deep-fry them — amazing. Bon appetit.


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=300&objectid=10460182



Whitebait with tagliolini

By AMANDA LAIRD - The New Zealand Herald | Monday, 27 August 2007

Tagliolini with whitebait. JANNA DIXON.

  Tagliolini with whitebait. - JANNA DIXON

Buy fresh to create this mouthwatering tagliolini with whitebait.

For the sauce:

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 shallots, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 cup of chardonnay
  • 300ml cream
  • freshly grated nutmeg
  • sea salt and freshly ground green peppercorns

For the rest:

  • 400g of whitebait
  • 200g of fresh tagliolini (very narrow strips of pasta)
  • Freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • Finely chopped flat leaf parsley or chervil

Method:

  • Make the sauce by melting the butter in a medium-sized saucepan and add the shallots to the butter. Add the garlic and wine and reduce by boiling to half the amount.
  • Add the cream and peppercorns and reduce again for a few minutes.
  • Add salt and nutmeg to taste and keep warm.
  • Cook the pasta until al dente and drain. Cook the whitebait in the hot sauce for one minute.
  • Twirl the pasta into the centre of four warm plates, pile whitebait on top, spoon on some sauce and top with parmesan and parsley.

Serves 4 as a starter.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=300&objectid=10460180



Maori potato salad with fried whitebait, watercress and kelp

By AMANDA LAIRD - The New Zealand Herald | Monday, 27 August 2007

Maori Potato and Watercress Salad with Fried Whitebait and Kelp. JANNA DIXON.

Maori Potato and Watercress Salad
with Fried Whitebait and Kelp.
— JANNA DIXON


Try this delicious whitebait and salad dish.

Ingredients:

  • 6 or 8 (depending on size) peru or urenika potatoes
  • 1 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp granulated kelp
  • Juice of 1 small lemon
  • 2 tsp cream
  • 2 tsp olive oil, plus 1 tbsp
  • 2 tsp butter
  • 100g whitebait
  • Plain flour
  • 1 tsp flaky sea salt
  • 1 bunch watercress

Method:

  • Put the potatoes in a pot, cover with salted water and boil until just beginning to soften, drain, cool then slice into rounds.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, kelp, lemon juice, cream and olive oil. Pour over the potatoes.
  • In a frypan heat the extra olive oil and butter together until starting to foam. Toss the whitebait in a little flour and salt then fry in batches until just starting to brown.
  • Pick any coarse stalks off the watercress and discard. Combine the potatoes with the watercress and place them on the plate, topping with the whitebait.

Serves 4 as a starter.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=206&objectid=10460183
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