Story: Seafood

Whitebait

Whitebait

There is no waste when you eat these tiny whitebait. Dozens of the tiny fish – 3 centimetres long – are eaten whole, usually in a fritter.

This recipe comes from David Burton’s 200 years of New Zealand food and cooking.

Whitebait fritters (makes 9–10)

225 g whitebait
1 tablespoon flour
2 eggs
salt and pepper
butter for frying

Mix together flour, eggs, salt and pepper.
Add whitebait and stir in gently.
Drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto a hot buttered pan.
When whitebait start to turn milky white (after about one minute), turn the fritter and cook the other side for one minute.

Using this item

Department of Conservation
Reference: 10054033
Photograph by Philippe Gerbeaux

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How to cite this page:

Maggy Wassilieff, 'Seafood - Favourite Kiwi fare', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/5100/whitebait (accessed 17 April 2024)

Story by Maggy Wassilieff, published 12 Jun 2006