Paua Risotto by Anne Thorp

This is a simple, straightforward dish; the challenge is getting the paua. If you can’t, you can substitute just about anything from the sea. Serves 4

1 paua
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 whole cloves garlic, chopped
1 litre chicken stock
1 stalk celery, finely diced
½ cup arborio rice
2 teaspoons finely chopped dill,
plus sprigs to garnish
salt and pepper

Method
Pull paua from shell and remove the hua (gut sac). Dice paua into small pieces. Put aside.
Coat a frypan with olive oil, heat, then fry onion and garlic until translucent. Meanwhile heat all of the chicken stock.
Add celery and aborio rice to the onion and garlic; mix well. Add the warmed chicken stock ladle by ladle, stirring until absorbed.
When the rice is al dente (about 20 minutes), fire in the paua and finely chopped dill to warm them through.
Garnish with dill sprigs, season and savour every morsel.

Sexy Kamokamo by Anne Thorp

Ingredients Serves 4
Kamokamo was one of the foods brought to Aotearoa on the great migration. A bit like courgette, it’s part of the Maori staple diet.
Best time to devour them for me is when they’re young and sweet. Serves 3

3 cups chicken stock (enough to cover kamokamo
1 kamokamo, sliced
1 tablespoon rice bran oil
1 tablespoon slivered fresh ginger
juice of ½ a lime
1 fresh mild red chilli
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Method
Bring the chicken stock to the boil. Put in the sliced kamokamo and simmer for around 6 minutes until it becomes plump and juicy with the lovely stock.
Heat rice bran oil in a pan and fry slivered ginger for 1-2 minutes to bring out the flavour.
Haul the kamokamo out of the stock.
Sprinkle with ginger, lime juice, chilli and extra virgin olive oil. Season.
If you ever have any left over, sear them in a tiny bit of rice bran oil on the stove in a pan.
They taste even better!