Elusive as they are, whitebait always attract controversy. If it isn't about how many whitebait make a good fritter, it's a river-side turf war on the West Coast or environmentalists holding whitebait up as the poster children for polluted rivers. While West Coasters boast of one and three hundred kilo catches, this season half a cup is a good result from a few hours at the Waikanae River.

However the half cup could go toward this recipe from Ruth Pretty, and if you miss out completely there is the mock whitebait recipe in old versions of the Edmonds Cookery Book.

West Coast Whitebait with zucchini ribbons