Tuatua in Asian coconut broth

Doug Sherring

In Maketu, you can find tuatua in the surf by digging your feet into the sand and doing the well-known shuffle to find them. Luckily for us, we are able to get our hands on big, juicy Cloudy Bay clams. They are so succulent and, even better, sustainable, so they are a favourite ingredient. We cook them in an Asian coconut sauce with some takakau (Maori flatbread) on the side to dip into the juices.

Asian coconut broth

1	Onion, diced
2 Tbsp	Olive oil
2 cloves	Garlic, diced
5 cm	Fresh ginger, chopped finely
¼ cup	White wine
1 cup	Fish stock
1 kg	Clams, use Cloudy Bay clams or tuatua (Main)
½ cup	Coconut milk
1	Red chilli, deseeded and sliced
1 bunch	Fresh coriander, chopped
2	Spring onions, chopped

Takakau

2 tsp	Salt
3 cups	Flour
1 ½ cups	Water, warm, approximately

Directions

Asian coconut broth

1. In a large pot on medium heat, fry onions in oil for 5 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic and ginger and cook for a further 2 minutes, without browning the onions.
2. Add wine and cook for 3 minutes, then add stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Once the stock is heated, add the tuatua and cover. Shake the pot every minute and remove the lid once the tuatua start to open.
3. When tuatua are cooked, pour in the coconut milk and add chilli, spring onions and coriander. ladle into a soup bowl.

Takakau

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Sift flour and salt together. Make a well in the middle and add water bit-by-bit, stirring as you pour. Mix until dough is soft but firm.
2. Knead the dough until it bounces back to the touch. roll it until approximately 1cm-thick, using flour to stop it sticking.
3. Place dough on a flat tray and place in the oven in the middle for about 10 minutes or until the bottom starts to brown.