Well, only a few minutes in and Mac already struck "black gold"! That is the nickname for the black-foot abalone around here. They are commonly known as paua, their Maori name.
We had never prepared abalone before, so it took a bit of research. After looking at some of the choices for preparation I decided to make a ceviche, trying to copy conch salad. Bell peppers, spicy chiles, onion, lime juice, and raw abalone= awesome!! Then I tenderized thin slices, battered them like you would cracked conch, and fried them in butter--double awesome! One foodie online described their taste as a blend of foie gras and scallops. Well, I've never tried foie gras, but if I had to describe the taste, I would say that it's like a tender conch with a bit of oyster flavor. I also marinated some slices in pureed kiwis in the traditional manner (according to one website). I never realized how acidic kiwifruit is; it actually makes a great marinade. I would hesitate to use them at the price you have to pay in Alaska, but here you can buy a kiwi on sale for about eight cents, so using a few for a marinade cost me less than a quarter. |
Stopped at a beach and wetlands preserve on the drive home. That is Kapiti Island in the background. I was struck by how empty the beach was at sunset.
The wetlands area was really interesting. Some locals were whitebaiting and a friendly kid showed us his whole set-up of nets and little plastic pieces that help corral the whitebait. Whitebait are migrating fish larvae and some people here like to net them, dry them, and make a kind of pancake out of them. We saw paradise shelducks, native to NZ, but my picture didn't turn out well. Their call is really funky. So, I was really looking forward to seeing black swans...I thought that they would be really majestic...but they aren't nearly as pretty as our trumpeter and tundra swans in Alaska, and these ones were used to getting fed, so they promptly came out of the pond and started following me, hissing. Hissing black swans following you around is pretty creepy, and I was out of there. Next entry: Winetasting! |