Whitebait refers to a kind of fish that is a delicacy here in New Zealand. It belongs to a certain species called galaxiids which spend part of its time in salt water as it develops but it mainly a freshwater fish. The whitebait is caught with nets as the fish migrates back from the sea to the rivers. They are still very small at this stage so whitebaiting can be quite an attention-grabbing activity; you have to constantly mind your nets because the whitebait are agile.
We got our whitebait from the local supermarket. It's kept in transparent packaging. It reminded me of our own Dilis which we also cooked into fritters back in Baguio, or for the "bigger" variety we'd deep fry and then you'd get a number of pieces at a time to soak into vinegar. Very crunchy! Now, where was I?
Ah yes. Whitebait fritters. The whitebait has a delicate taste. We have been googling around for a recipe but found this one from Keewee's corner as the most desirable because it's very easy to make and it does not involve using flour (which, I think, is an unnecessary addition because you can no longer taste the whitebait as it has drowned in flour and eggs. This we have experienced in our first batch of fritters not so long ago.)
Ingredients:
250g whitebait
2 eggs
butter
salt and pepper to taste
Procedure:
After defrosting the whitebait, place in bowl and crack in 2 eggs. Whisk together, adding salt and pepper to taste.
Heat butter on a pan over medium heat. Then scoop manageable portions for frying.
Cook each side for about a minute, or lightly browned.
We served ours with ketchup on the side, but this will also taste great with a vinegar-crushed garlic dip!
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