Kiwi Kristmas Kai
Having lived and travelled overseas I’ve experienced Christmas dinner in so many ways. Travelling gave my tastebuds an international appreciation of life beyond a roast dinner with the trimmings, though I must categorically state, nothing beats first my mother’s now my older sister’s date pudding with custard and cream. I’m sorry world but my sister’s date pudding is quintessentially hands down the best!
I’m lov’in that kiwi kai (food) magic is rife in the kitchen in fresh new ways these days and more particularly that delectable mediterranean-style offerings with local flair and produce are finding their way to the kiwi kristmas kontext, a kontext embracing our strong Land and Sea cullinary heritage.
Kina Pate
I’m still trying to cajole Moana Maniapoto of Moana and The Tribe into sharing her kina pate recipe with me but she’s an extremely busy lady so catching her at a standstill is not a happening thing any time soon. I did manage however to hunt out Hamish and Nichola Apatu of ‘Apatu Aqua’, runners up in the 2009 Artisan Cuisine Awards who have reportedly come up with the idea to make the first-ever kina pâté.
The competition judges said, “Not only is it a fantastic pâté, it’s a brilliant way to introduce those who haven’t tried kina (sea urchin) roe to its ocean-fresh brininess”. Just writing about it makes my mouthwater! I’m a seafood girl from way back, so I’m pretty much sold on most things from the sea’s kite (basket). I recall an afternoon when my former brother-in-law was ambushed by some of my rascalish boy cousins. You know the kind, pure pranksters!
The Prank
Poor Roy, he’s not a Maori so he was totally willing to have a go at eating the spiny-coated delicacy, the smaller purple-spined variety, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus as opposed to the the rarer red sea urchins franciscanus to show good spirit in meeting the whanau (family).
“Inside every urchin are five pieces of roe. Soft almost to the point of trembling, these melt on the tongue, releasing a vivid blast of pure ocean flavor. These are what are prized by sushi lovers. The good roe ranges in color from dark yellow to pumpkiny orange. The latter coloured are oftentimes preferred because the lighter coloured ones tend to have less flavor”.
My prankster boy cousins had removed the roe entirely. Poor Roy! When we girl cousins asked him what he thought of the kina, he replied,”…it’s crunchier than I thought!” And after a little investigation as to how Roy could describe his taste-test in this way, we managed to piece together a fishy story of gastronomic proportions. Poor Roy! Finding the culprits needed no Holmes or Poirot sleuthing methods either, not at all! It was a simple matter of spotting the heaving shoulders and low chuckling for hours afterwards.
Ever gracious, Roy took it all in his stride although I think watching the other half of his kina shell wander across the table just might have tipped his sense of humour (in the circumstances) over the edge! It was sort of a headless chicken moment. Bottom line, he likes that ‘other’ people like them.
Hawke’s Bay Highlight
Goodness, where’s the bloggone! I just want to mention from the Land side of things that here in Hawke’s Bay, it can be warm round Christmas time so it’s fabulous that guys like Noel Crawford of Aromatics can be on hand to add a different taste sensation to a kiwi kristmas meal. I love his cheeky yet apt tagline, “May the sauce be with you!” Chur!
“Noel Crawford’s love of great food is evident in his wine barrel-smoked mushrooms, which add an interesting touch of class to anything from antipasto platters, pastas, salads and risotto. They have a full natural flavour, with a smokiness that doesn’t have a bitter streak sometimes found in smoked goods, “smoke without the ashtray”, as one 2009 Cuisine Artisan judge put it. With kristmas round the korner, I look forward to plenty of kiwi kleverness in the kitchen. Ka pai te kai! That’s Maori for good tucker!
LATE BREAKING NEWS I love bush telegraph! Moana emailed me with the Kina Pate recipe she’s got but which she attributes to Maureen Maxwell who used to own Bees Online. She’d tasted John Panohos one day but reckoned ‘you think he would give me the bloody recipe?’ Bugger. Spread the love is HER motto. I love can-do women! She hunted for it online and wallah. The stem ginger she says you can get from Nosh, on Ponsonby Rd in Auckland, but ask your local green grocer wherever you are. Moana’s pretty ecstatic about it, she reckons, “Its bloody delicious!” That’s a good enough recommendation for me.
Ingredients:
Fresh Ginger peeled and finely sliced, (thumb-sized piece)
1 medium chopped onion
2 cloves of minced garlic
4 sprigs of roughly chopped fresh coriander. Keep leaves separate
Olive oil
500g fresh Kina (wild sea urchin)
150ml cream
100g Honeyed Ginger
300g diced butter – 2 cm cubes
Freshly Ground salt, pepper and kelp seasoning to taste
Method:
1. Saute the Ginger, onion, garlic and coriander roots and stem in a little Olive Oil.
2. Add the Kina then the cream. Reduce by half.
3. Remove the Kina to the food processor with the honeyed ginger and coriander leaf.
4. Reduce the remaining liquid again by half, then add to the food processor.
5. Whiz together, adding butter one cube at a time until all is absorbed. Takes about 3 mins.
6. Season with salt, pepper and kelp to taste.
