Mock White Bait

This may seem like a strange dish to start with, but to those who know it, it is a classic. I first learnt about mock white bait through my grandmother in Sydney Australia, and my mum says she had to learn how to cook it when she met my dad as it was a staple food for him. It is delicious, and was always a surprise when mum would agree to making it, saying it was easy to make, and I secretly hoped she wouldn't realise how much we liked it for fear of her discovering some other "easy" dish to make instead. It is called "mock white bait" and it wasn't until much later in life did it ever dawn on me that "mock white bait" may have actually been mock whitebait. Growing up in Sydney, I knew whitebait as a fairly long fish that would be served individually fried in a basket. When I moved to New Zealand, I discovered a completely different thing called a whitebait pattie, and this has dozens of little whitebait fish mixed with egg and fried, then served on buttered white bread with salt and lemon juice. I realised then that this is what mock white bait is trying to imitate. They are really different dishes though, and my first "real" whitebait pattie in New Zealand was quite a disappointment as the flavour is much more delicate and mild that my favourite staple mock white bait. Before I give the recipe, I should say that there is a "Mock whitebait pattie" recipe in the NZ Edmonds cookbook—and I realise I might get into trouble over this claim (remember the pavlova and all that)—but the Edmonds recipe doesn't cut it—it contains cheese, too much flour, and is pretty bland. Try the recipe below and see if you don't agree! The perfect mock white bait is crispy on the outside and deliciously creamy inside. If the potato is still raw in the middle, turn the heat down and cook a little slower. You can use other oils, but peanut oil gives the best flavour.

So, here's the recipe

Mock White Bait

5 large potatoes, coarsely grated (peel if desired, but I like to leave the skin on)
3 large eggs
1 tbs plain flour (optional)
Salt and pepper

Peanut oil for frying

Shredded iceberg lettuce, sliced tomato and tomato sauce to serve

Grate the potatoes coarsely into a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs, flour (if using) and seasoning and mix well. Heat about 0.5 cm of oil in a heavy frying pan and fry tablespoons of the mixture until golden brown, then turn and fry the other side.  Drain and serve hot with the lettuce and tomato. Some food snobs may shudder, but it is pretty much mandatory to serve these with a good squirt of tomato sauce. I like to add other condiments like prepared mustard, sweet chili sauce etc, but you can experiment to find your favourite additions. I've tried basil pesto a few times, but the pesto/mock white bait combination a bit oily, so more piquant condiments work better.  Enjoy!