Whitebaiting on the Awakino River. New Zealand.
S 38° 39.700 E 174° 38.868
60H E 295339 N 5718142
Awakino is a whitebait wonderland and Whitebaiting Stands are dotted along the riverbanks of the Awakino River near the rivermouth on the Taranaki coast.
Waymark Code: WM6C2Y
Location: North Island, New Zealand
Date Posted: 05/11/2009
Views: 3
Awakino is known for its whitebaiting and scattered all along the edges of the river are little huts in which keen whitebaiters will endure all kinds of weather to capture the little transparent delicacies. The whitebaiting season starts in August and goes for 3 months, and in this time the rivers are like a highway with hundreds of people trying their luck to catch the whitebait.
More than 250 of these stands line the Awakino and the nearby Mokau rivers. Beaten paths lead to little "DOC green" long drop-like corrugated iron sheds, and on down to jetties jutting out into the murky brown or green waters of the river - little possie's hidden among long grass, flax and toi toi. Some stands are rickety and falling down, wobbly looking piles and loose boards with flood logs teetering on their tops. Others are the height of luxury - sheds with windows, built-in bunks and primus stoves, radios and easy chairs.
Most of the time the place is deserted but during the Whitebait Season from August to the end of November the whole area turns into a whitebait wonderland with residents in every shack manning their huge whitebait nets.
Nets are placed in the river usually over a piece of white board to show up the little fish as they approach. A screen guides the little fish into the net, a rectangular apparatus with a "V" shaped trap so, once they're in, the whitebait can't escape. The little fish jump against the front of the net in a miniature frenzy. The nets are hauled up, emptied into a cup or bucket and lowered again.
Whitebaiting is a waiting game - it's not for the impatient. Sometimes the wait is for nothing - an empty net. In between waiting, time is spent relaxing on the river bank and telling yarns.
Today's whitebait catch will be taken home and turned into fritters - a little egg, some salt and pepper and a good dollop of whitebait. Drizzle the fritter with lemon juice and slap it between two pieces of bread - divine!
Whitebait Fritters: Traditional West Coast Recipe.
500g Whitebait
4 Eggs
1- 2 heaped dessertspoons Flour (less flour, more tradition)
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Fresh ground Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder (frowned on by purists)
For squeezing and garnish... Lemon
1. Beat together eggs, flour, salt and baking powder until smooth
2. Carefully drain whitebait. Excess juice will produce fritters with a lump of fish in the centre and acres of eggy stuff around the outside.....which you don't want.
3. Combine fish and batter.
4. Heat frying pan.Add a generous quantity of oil (or lard or dripping).
The aim is to get the outside of the fritters golden brown without leaving raw bits in the middle or soaking the whole affair in fat. Know your stove. Hint: use a heavy base pan, and turn the element on to low until the pan has heated right through. If you don't do this, the early fritters can be burned near the middle of the pan and raw near the outside.
5. Drop spoonfuls of batter into the pan. Turn when golden brown on one side and cook for a minute or two on the other.
Eat and enjoy with lemon wedges and buttered bread!