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White bait is the generic term used throughout the world to describe small fishes that are collected en masse and eaten whole. New Zealand whitebait, consisting of the young of several species, is a traditional Maori food which is highly prized by Kiwis.
Whitebait can be battered or dusted in seasoned flour and deep fried, but is most commonly served in fritters. In the following recipe and step by step pictures I have used a flour based batter, but it can be made using just egg, or egg white, making it more akin to an omelette.
Ingredients
500g Whitebait
250g Self raising flour
1 Egg
1 Shallot
1tsp Lemon pepper
Salt & pepper
Water
Method
Drain the whitebait in a colander.
Sieve the flour into a bowl.
Add the egg and a little water.
Mix into a smooth thick batter.
Combine the whitebait, batter, chopped shallot and lemon pepper in a bowl.
Season the mixture with salt and pepper.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan and place a large spoonful of the fritter mixture in the pan.
Spread it into a round shape with the back of the spoon.
Allow it to cook until brown on one side then turn it over and cook the other side.
This recipe makes about eight fritters.
Serve the fritters with lemon and tartare sauce.
Kiora!
Whitebait is a collective term used throughout the world to describe small fishes that are collected en masse and eaten whole. Many species and many fisheries fit this definition. All whitebait species 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.
Whitebait is highly prized by kiwis. The New Zealand whitebait catch consists primarily of the young of the species: inanga (Galaxias attenuatus/maculatus), koaro (Galaxias brevipinnis) and banded kokopu (Galaxias fasciatus).
Inanga is by far the most commonly caught species. Giant kokopu (Galaxias argenteus), short-jawed kokopu (Galaxias postvectis) and smelt (Retropinna retropinna) are also occasionally present along with the young of many other fish such as eels, bullies and trout.
According to Charles Darwin in Origin of Species, Galaxias attenuatus inhabits Tasmania, New Zealand, the Falkland Islands, and the mainland of South America. This probably indicates dispersal from an Antarctic centre during a former warm period
Galaxias attenuatus is also found in south-eastern Australia. Although present in small numbers in some Tasmanian whitebait catches, G. attenuatus does not occur in quantities of commercial significance in any region other than New Zealand.
Tasmanian Whitebait, Lovettia sealii were commercially fished until an extensive closed season beginning in 1974. Some recreational fishing has been allowed since 1990.
L. sealii occurs only in Tasmanian coastal streams, mainly along the north coast, but also in rivers of the west and far south-east. The adults have a transparent body with their gonad and swim bladder visible. After spawning they are almost black.
The West Australian whitebait, Hyperlophus vittatus is commercially fished from populations of adults occur along the entire coast between Fremantle and Bunbury where the whitebait do not normally extend very far offshore.
Asian whitebait, Salangidae, is imported from China and other Asian countries. It is also known as Chinese nannata, icefish, noodlefish and silverfish.
New South Wales Health is alerting people not to eat raw whitebait following reports of three Sydney women treated for cholera. All three women had recently eaten raw whitebait. Subsequent investigation found that the whitebait was imported from Indonesia and sold as 'Nanata'. Though this whitebait from Indonesia is no longer on the market, thorough cooking of seafood will kill cholera and other bacteria.
Corned beef is made with brisket, topside or silverside which has been picked in a brine of salt, sugar and spices. In the following recipe and step by step pictures I have used an 850g corned silverside.
The term corned originates from the hard grains of salt that were used to salt the meat as a means of preserving it. Corned beef and cabbage is believed to be a traditional Irish dish that was introduced to the New World by Irish immigrants. Corned beef has since become a popular dish for Saint Patricks Day celebrations.
Ingredients
850g Corned Silverside
3L Water
50ml Brown or Red wine vinegar
4 Cloves
1 Bayleaf
1 Onion
200ml Bechamel Sauce
(See October Post)
Method
Wash the silverside under cold running water to remove any excess brine.
Place the meat in a deep pot with the vinegar, cloves, bayleaf and onion and add cold water until the meat is submerged.
Bring the liquid to the boil then reduce to a simmer with the lid on.
Cook for 20 minutes per 250g of meat. A 1kg joint should take 80 minutes.
To test whether the meat is cooked, pierce with a trussing needle in the thickest part.
The needle should penetrate without significant resistance.
When it is cooked, remove the meat from the liquid and allow it to stand for a few minutes before carving it.
Serve the sliced corned silverside topped with béchamel sauce, accompanied by vegetables and hot English mustard.
Barramundi is an iconic Australian fish found across the Top End from Maryborough in Queensland to Roebourne in Western Australia. In the following recipe and step by step pictures, I use another world famous Australian native food, Macadamia nuts, to create a restaurant quality dish that can easily be made at home.
Barramundi are prized by anglers for their fighting spirit and by gourmands for their soft white flesh. They are hermaphrodites, starting life as males, and becoming female at about two years of age. They can grow up to 45kg
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There are numerous species of oysters native to Australia, of which the Sydney Rock Oyster, originally described as Saccostrea commercialis is the most famous. They are commercially cultivated from Malacoota in Victoria, up the NSW coast and as far as Tin Can Bay in Queensland. Saccostrea commercialis has been determined to be the same species as the New Zealand rock oyster, Saccostrea glomerata.
The Pacific Oyster, Crassostrea gigas is often mistakenly called the Tassie Oyster, but it originates from Japan and was initially introduced to Tasmania. This mollusc is much larger than the native species. Pacific Oysters are commercially cultivated in Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia.
They are sold unopened, in the half shell and in bottles. Bottled oysters are required by law to be stored in clean fresh water with no preservatives
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The Andy Warhol art exhibition at the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane has been extended for two more weeks, until April 13, 2008.
Warhols iconic pop art has been on display as part of the year-long program of exhibitions celebrating the opening of the Gallery of Modern Art.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh, said the 'Warhol' exhibition represented a significant coup
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Souvlaki is a traditional Greek dish of grilled meat on a skewer. It is usually served on the skewer as finger food, in Pita bread with the meat removed from the skewer or on pilaf rice accompanied by tzatziki.
In the following recipe and step by step pictures I reveal the secret of naturally softening the meat to get really tender souvlaki.
Ingredients
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Pilaff Rice
One of the earliest literary references to Pilau can be found in the histories of Alexander the Great. It is known to have been served to Alexander upon his capture of the Sogdian capital of Marakanda (modern Samarkand). Alexander's army brought it back to Macedonia and spread it throughout Eastern Europe.
Pilaff rice is cooked by the absorption method in which the liquid is fully absorbed by the rice
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Tzatziki, or tsatsiki as it is spelt by some, is a Greek dish served with flat bread as an appetizer, or as a sauce for souvlaki and kebabs.
Traditionally made with sheep or goats milk yoghurt, it can also include cucumber, salt, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, dill, parsley and mint. There are a number of variations originating from Greece, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Cyprus, Iraq and Iran.
In the following recipe and step by step pictures, I have made a basic version using a tub of Greek style yoghurt which is quite thick and eliminates the time consuming process of draining the yoghurt in a muslin cloth for hours
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Eight-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater is once again the worlds number one surfer after beating reigning ASP World Champion Mick Fanning at his home break of Snapper Rocks on Queenslands Gold Coast today.
Slater beat Fanning in the final to claim his second Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast title.
Prior to his win today, Florida based Slater had not defeated Fanning since 2003. Both surfers have now won the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast twice Fanning in 2005 and 2007 and Slater in 2006 and 2008
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Comment by GlenB
on The Whitebait Debate
Raw Fish