Kiwi as: homegrown recipes from Christall Lowe’s beautiful Kai cookbook

‘My meals story begins at residence, on my nana’s lap, as she fed me kamokamo mashed with butter once I was only a younger factor. Too younger to stroll or discuss, I’m certain that first meal set me up for a lifetime of loving good, homegrown kai (and butter).’ — Christall Lowe

Kaimoana chowder

Serves 4 as a essential

I’ve tried many seafood chowders in my lifetime — it is develop into a little bit of a factor to do once I see one on the menu. There have been a number of disappointments, but additionally some absolute standouts. I consider a superb chowder is hearty, creamy, and completely steeped within the flavour of kaimoana. It ought to actually be a celebration of the ocean, and I prefer it loaded! You should utilize no matter kaimoana you will get your arms on, as long as you retain the final portions for substances the identical. Utilizing shellfish in addition to the fish and prawns or shrimp provides one other dimension to that kaimoana flavour, and actually epitomises what a superb seafood chowder is all about — a celebration of kai from the ocean.

1 cup water

1 cup white wine

800g shellfish (e.g. mussels, cockles, clams, pipi), cleaned

1 Tbsp butter or olive oil

1 giant onion, finely chopped

1 giant leek, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped

2 Tbsp flour

1 carrot, diced

1 small kūmara, peeled and diced

250g uncooked fish (eg snapper, tarakihi), reduce into 2–3cm chunks

250g uncooked prawns or shrimp 1 cup cream or coconut cream

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp floor black pepper small bunch parsley, roughly chopped or torn

Lemon wedges, to serve

Recent crusty bread, to serve

1. Put the water and wine in a big stockpot and produce to the boil. Add the shellfish. Cowl with a lid, and steam till the shells are at the least 5mm opened. Utilizing tongs, raise the shellfish from the pot into a big bowl. Pour the cooking liquid via a sieve to take away any remnants, then reserve liquid.

2. In a heavy, deep saucepan or giant stockpot over a medium warmth, soften the butter or oil, and sauté chopped onion, leek and garlic, stirring till tender however not brown, about 5 minutes.

3. Stir within the flour to make a roux, and slowly add the reserved shellfish broth, whereas stirring, till mixed.

4. Add carrot and kūmara to the pan, cowl with a lid and simmer till greens are tender, stirring each minute to stop it sticking on the underside of the pan. Add extra water if obligatory in order that the soup will not be too thick.

5. Add the uncooked fish and prawns or shrimp, and proceed to simmer till simply cooked via. Add the cream or coconut cream, stirring till mixed right into a creamy chowder. Season with salt and pepper and add the cooked shellfish.

6. Serve in bowls with a sprinkling of parsley, lemon wedges and recent crusty bread to mop up the sensational, creamy chowder.

Smoked fish bites

Makes 18

Grandad has an previous rusty fridge in his again yard. It has been there for over 40 years. There it stands in the course of the rows of greens, close to the previous swing and the hāngī pit, as if it is completely meant to be there. I imply, everybody has an previous retro fridge in the course of their vege backyard, proper? However that is one thing particular. That is Grandad’s smoker, which has smoked eels, kahawai, salmon, trout — every thing that has wanted to be smoked through the years has gone via that fridge smoker. It is one thing of an establishment in our lifetime of kai. Today you should purchase smoked fish from the grocery store, and I created this recipe utilizing smoked kahawai that I purchased. However I’ve additionally used home-smoked salmon and eel — all equally scrumptious. The filling of those bites goes all gentle and oozy and bursts out of the crispy coating while you chunk into it — my gosh! Luxurious in each chunk. What’s extra, you need to use the bitter cream and smoked fish combination as a dip or unfold. Simply mix the primary 5 substances as per the directions — so easy and so good.

1 cup bitter cream, plus additional to serve

125–150g smoked fish, flaked

1 Tbsp lemon zest

½ tsp salt

½ tsp cracked black pepper

2 cups panko crumbs

3 eggs, whisked

Impartial oil for cooking eg canola oil or rice bran oil

1. In a medium bowl, mix bitter cream, smoked fish, lemon zest, salt and pepper.

2. Put panko crumbs right into a bowl, and whisked egg in one other beside it, and on the finish of the row an empty plate for the coated fish bites, able to prepare dinner.

3. Utilizing 2 spoons, make a small oval-shaped ball with a tablespoon of the smoked fish combination, shaping it firmly.

4. Drop the smoked fish ball into the panko crumbs and switch to coat totally.

5. Then dip the ball into the egg combination, coating totally, then drop into the panko crumbs once more, turning to utterly coat. This step is essential as it’ll create an additional crispy and powerful coating, as the within softens whereas cooking.

6. Repeat with the remaining smoked fish combination, and refrigerate for quarter-hour earlier than cooking.

7. When able to prepare dinner, warmth oil in a frying pan over a low to medium warmth, guaranteeing it’s about half a centimetre deep all through the cooking course of (high up if obligatory). Fry 5 or 6 smoked fish bites at a time, turning typically till golden and crispy throughout, about 2 minutes.

8. Serve instantly with additional bitter cream for dipping. Break open or chunk into every crispy morsel to disclose the gentle, creamy and tremendous tasty centre.

Uncooked fish

Serves 4

That is most likely my favorite option to eat recent fish – uncooked. Properly, primarily it seems ‘cooked’, but it surely’s not finished with warmth. The acid within the recent lemon juice ‘cooks’ the fish by reacting with the protein within the flesh – it is fairly exceptional. I’ve such fond recollections of having fun with uncooked fish on the marae, throughout hākari (feasts).

500g boneless, skinless white fish, eg tarakihi, trevally, snapper, kahawai

⅔ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ pink onion

1 medium capsicum

2 tomatoes

2 spring onions

½ cup coconut cream

1 tsp salt, or to style

1. Cube the fish into 1–2cm cubes, and place in a non-metal bowl. Completely combine within the lemon juice, cowl, and depart to relax and ‘marinate’ within the fridge for 1 hour, or till the fish turns an opaque white color.

2. Finely chop the pink onion, capsicum, tomatoes and spring onions.

3. As soon as the fish has marinated, combine within the chopped greens and coconut cream, and season with salt to style. Maintain chilled till serving.

Creamy lemon garlic crayfish

Serves 2 (or extra, if served as a facet dish)

Crayfish are an actual deal with, however extremely costly to purchase. I’m so lucky that my husband not solely grew up by the ocean, however he and his brothers spent their weekends and holidays studying the methods of diving for and gathering kaimoana. It is also tremendous helpful to know individuals who go diving commonly who’ve a stash of crayfish of their freezer, and who’re eager to swap kai, and even pay you in crayfish — good kai is the perfect forex! Whereas I normally like to take pleasure in crayfish with no additional frills, cooking it with a creamy, garlicky sauce is subsequent stage. You continue to get to savour that genuine flavour of the cray, and on the identical time the lemon and garlic creates a style explosion when mixed with the scrumptious juices. My mouth is watering simply eager about it, as I ponder how I would get my subsequent feed of crays…

2 crayfish (500g–1kg every)

2 Tbsp butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup cream

1 lemon, juice solely

Salt and pepper

1 Tbsp chopped recent parsley, plus additional to garnish

1. If the crayfish is frozen, enable it to defrost within the fridge earlier than cooking.

2. To prepare dinner, in a big stockpot deliver well-salted water to the boil, then add the crayfish. Cook dinner for five–8 minutes relying on measurement, till the shell is vibrant orange. On this case it is best if the crayfish is barely undercooked, in order that you do not overcook it within the closing a part of the recipe. Control it and do not prepare dinner it for any longer than obligatory.

3. Take away from the pot and plunge the crayfish instantly into a big pot or sink of ice-cold water to cease the cooking course of.

4. Lower the crayfish in half lengthways and take away meat from the shells. Lower the meat into bite-sized chunks. Do not discard the shells, because the crayfish shall be served in them, and in addition to, there’s nonetheless nice meat to be pulled out of the legs! You may both serve the crayfish within the tail alone, or in the whole shell.

5. Soften the butter in a skillet or frying pan over a medium warmth and add the garlic. Sauté for about 30 seconds, then add the crayfish and sauté for one more 30 seconds.

6. Add the cream and lemon juice to the pan and produce to a simmer. Simmer for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper, and spoon the crayfish and sauce into the shells.

7. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with heat crusty bread to mop up the creamy sauce with additional parsley on the facet as a garnish.

Edited extract from Kai: Meals tales and recipes from my household desk, by Christall Lowe, pictures by Christall Lowe, revealed by Bateman Books, RRP $59.99