Creamed Pāua

METHOD

To clean the pāua, make sure the teeth and gut sac are removed completely, and wash and rub the pāua thoroughly under cold running water.

Tenderise the whole pāua by placing it on a wooden chopping board, covered in a tea towel to prevent it slipping and sliding, and banging it with a meat tenderiser on both sides, making sure you tenderise the edges, which tend to be quite tough.

For minced pāua, chop into smaller pieces and put it through a mincer or high-speed blender (note that consistency will be different in a blender, and some may get stuck around the blade; a meat mincer is preferable). For sliced pāua, leave whole or cut in half lengthways, and then slice thinly (5 millimetres) with a sharp knife.

Heat the butter and olive oil in a skillet or frying pan over a medium heat.

Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, but not brown.

Add the pāua and sauté it, stirring and turning frequently to ensure even cooking. Depending on whether you’re using minced or sliced pāua, it should take about 10 minutes. You don’t want to brown it too much, but you want it to be cooked and tender to the bite.

Add the cream and bring to the boil, then turn down to low and allow it to simmer until reduced slightly and thickened. This should only take a few minutes.

Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately!