Secrets_of_the_chef_queenstown

Photo kindly supplied by Amisfield taken by
Shantanu Starick

Have you been here? Have you waltzed up the stairs knowing your tastebuds are soon to be tantalised? Have you tried their mashed potato? If the answer to any of these questions is no, then run run run like the wind to your car and get there pronto. I must have gone up a dress size last winter after their mashed potato graced my lips, and it was all so worth it.

But now Amisfield have given us a gorgeous recipe for the summer months. Whitebait is a real treat for me, as you have to bargain with someone to give you some after they’ve been out into the wilds to get it. They don’t really want to part with it so this back and forth happens til the death.
So now, here, you can get your hands on an amazing recipe by Jay Sherwood which is also available in their beautiful new book “Amisfield: Food, wine & stories from Central Otago”.

Thank you Amisfield.

Whitebait
Serves 4

Every year, when the whitebait start to run up the rivers on the pristine West Coast, our suppliers turn up at the kitchen door. We think West Coast whitebait is the best, but any will do.

200 g whitebait
60 g olive oil
5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 dried chillies, ripped in half and deseeded
1 bunch of parsley, chopped
100 g flour
40ml canola oil
salt
lemon wedges to serve
bread and butter to serve

Divide the whitebait into 2 x 100 gram portions. Marinate 1 portion in the olive oil, garlic, chilli and parsley for at least 3 hours.

Heat a large frying pan on high heat. Coat the unmarinated whitebait in flour, place in a sieve and shake off all the excess flour. Add the canola oil to the hot pan and place the whitebait into the pan. Fry the whitebait until it becomes crispy, about 1 minute. Drain the crispy whitebait on a paper towel and season with salt.

Wipe out the pan and place it on low heat. Add the marinated whitebait and cook until the whitebait changes from clear to milky white.

Serve immediately with lemon, and bread and butter.

Amisfield
10 Lake Hayes Road
Queenstown
03 442 0556