Ingredients
| FOR THE PANNA COTTA | |
| 950ml cream | |
| 500ml milk | |
| 4 star anise | |
| 30g gelatin leaves | |
| 400g kina | |
| 40ml fish sauce | |
| 40ml soy sauce | |
| salt | |
| FOR THE HOT-SMOKED WAREHOU | |
| 50g brown sugar | |
| 50g coarse sea salt | |
| 5g freshly ground black peppercorns | |
| 1kg warehou fillets, deboned, skin on | |
| FOR THE STEAMED KUKU | |
| 5 garlic cloves, smashed | |
| 1 onion, peeled and diced | |
| 150ml fish stock | |
| 150ml dry white wine | |
| 30 green-lipped mussels | |
| FOR THE KAWAKAWA OIL | |
| 300ml grapeseed oil | |
| 80g kawakawa leaves, blanched in boiling water and refreshed in iced water, then dried | |
| TO ASSEMBLE | |
| 40–50 pieces samphire, blanched | |
| 20–30 small bundles ice plant, blanched | |
| 5 teaspoons caviar or salmon roe | |
| freshly squeezed lemon juice | |
| kawakawa oil |
The salty-briny-creaminess of kina is one of my favourite flavour profiles. In Aotearoa, kina is a pricey commodity commonly sold in pottles. These are usually 2 parts kina loaf, 1 part kina juice, and people often discard the juice after draining. This recipe came about as a way to use a pottle of kina for maximum flavour and minimal waste.
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Instructions
| 1. | PANNA COTTA |
| 2. | Set a medium-sized pot over medium heat. |
| 3. | Pour in the cream and milk and add the star anise. |
| 4. | Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat. |
| 5. | Add a pinch of salt and set aside. |
| 6. | Bloom the gelatin leaves separately in cold water. |
| 7. | Once soft, wring out excess water and add the leaves to the cream mixture. |
| 8. | Let the gelatin dissolve for about 1 minute, then strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve and pour into a blender. |
| 9. | Add the kina and blend until smooth. |
| 10. | Check the seasoning and add soy or fish sauce if necessary. |
| 11. | Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 30 minutes (to allow air bubbles to settle). |
| 12. | HOT-SMOKED WAREHOU |
| 13. | Combine the sugar, salt and pepper. |
| 14. | Sprinkle this mixture over the fish and allow to cure for 1 hour. |
| 15. | Brush half the cure mixture away and smoke the fish in a hot smoker for 15 minutes. Set aside to cool. |
| 16. | STEAMED KUKU |
| 17. | Put the garlic, onion, stock and wine in a pot and bring to a simmer. |
| 18. | Add the mussels, cover tightly and steam for 5 minutes, until the mussels have opened. |
| 19. | Discard any that don’t open. |
| 20. | KAWAKAWA OIL |
| 21. | Put the oil and blanched kawakawa leaves in a high speed blender and blend until emerald green. |
| 22. | Chill immediately over an ice bath. |
| 23. | When the oil is cool, pass through a fine sieve lined with a coffee filter. |
| 24. | Put into a squeezy bottle and store in the fridge. |
| 25. | TO ASSEMBLE |
| 26. | Divide the warehou and kuku between 10 small bowls. |
| 27. | Pour over the kina mixture and leave to set in the fridge overnight. |
| 28. | Garnish with the samphire, ice plant and caviar, then sprinkle over a little lemon juice and a few drops of kawakawa oil. |
This is an extract from Hiakai by Monique Fiso, published
by Penguin Random House NZ, $65. Text © Monique Fiso,
2020. Photography © Manja Wachsmuth, 2020.