Lauraine Jacobs

Food Writer and Author of Delicious Books

Recipes

18 February 2013

TUATUA FRITTERS

Many people steam the shellfish open, grinding or chopping the meat before adding it to the batter. I find those fried fritters with their twice-cooked meat can be pretty tough. Years ago my mother shared a tip with me to get around this. She puts her pipis, once purged, into the freezer for at least two hours. When she takes them out they pop open as they defrost and the raw meat is easy to remove and far better for adding to the fritters or soup.

  • 1kg surf clams tuatuas, diamond or any other clams
  • 4 tbsps butter
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • Pinch of cumin
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 3 tbsps self rising flour
  • Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
  • 2 tbsps chopped fresh herbs (parsley, tarragon or lemon thyme)
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 4 tbsps grapeseed or vegetable oil

If using the vacuum-packed Cloudy Bay surf clams, remove from the packet and split them open through the hinge of the shell. (If using freshly gathered clams, see notes above.) Remove all the meat and the juices to the food processor. Briefly pulse the clams to chop them roughly. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a frying pan and add the chopped onion and cumin. Fry gently until golden. Beat the eggs, add the flour and the cooled onion and mix well. Add the reserved clam meat with the lemon zest and herbs. Season with black pepper. To cook the fritters, heat the oil with the remaining butter and when hot drop about a tablespoon of the batter into the pan. Cook about 4 or 5 at a time, turning over after three minutes to cook the other side. Remove to a paper towel and keep the fritters warm. Serve with classic tartare sauce. Makes about 10-12 fritters. Serve with ice cold lager.

Easy tartare sauce

1 egg, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, Juice of ½ lemon, 250ml grapeseed oil, 250ml olive oil, juice of ½ a lemon,
1 tbsp chopped tarragon, 1 tbsp rinsed capers, 1 tbsp chopped gherkins, 2 tbsp chopped parsley,

Make a mayonnaise by placing the egg, 1 tsp of Dijon mustard, the lemon juice and a little salt and black pepper in the food processor. Whizz together and then slowly pour in the oils through the feed tube with the motor running. Remove to a bowl and stir in the chopped tarragon, rinsed capers and chopped gherkins, the chopped parsley. Season to taste.

Photo by Elizabeth Clarkson for The NZ Listener

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