On the West Coast of the South Island, spring means whitebait. During the short season, which now runs from the 1st of September to the 30th of October, whitebaiters stand at the river mouths of the Coast with long nets, waiting for the shoals of tiny, translucent juvenile fish swimming upstream. The catch is so prized that it sells by the cup at prices that make visitors reread the sign, and there is a long running national argument about how much egg a proper fritter should contain. The answer on the Coast is: barely enough to hold it together.

The classic way to eat it is the simplest: a fritter in a slice of buttered white bread with a squeeze of lemon, standing up, preferably near a river. We have kept it that plain, because good whitebait needs very little help and resents interference.

The fritters

Ingredients

• 14 oz (400 g) whitebait
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white or black pepper
• 2 tablespoons (30 g) butter
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil

To serve

Ingredients

• 8 slices soft white sandwich bread
• 3 tablespoons (45 g) butter
• 2 lemons

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