Al Browns Paua Ravioli

So I am currently on annual leave at the moment.  You may have noticed, I have complained about being tired lately in a few blog posts.  I have decided to take a 4 day weekend to recoup. I need to sleep and relax.  Nothing confirmed that I need time off more that this......

So I decide to swap my heals for flats to go to the supermarket this afternoon to find the ingredients for this recipe. When I am half way there I look down and notice that I have on 2 different pairs of shoes on..... In broad daylight, in the middle of Dunedin.... Serious fail!!!!!

I have been obsessing over this recipe for weeks. After I bought my first round of paua and its ingredients I found this recipe.... and was gutted I had committed myself to two other recipes

However...I finally did it!  I bought some minced paua from Hawks Bay Seafoods and the rest of the ingredients and tonight I gave it a go.  DELISH! Al Brown knows how to combine some serious flavours! Al brown is one of my Celeb Chef hero's

One thing I have learnt.  No more than 3 ravioli's per plate.  I am a paua hoarder and consumer..... And a pasta hoarder and consumer. I will literally eat the stuff till its gone. Combine the two and.......

  Well its gone and I feel full....

 Soooooo full I could pass out.....  I forget that paua is soooooo damn rich!

One normal person doesn't need more than 3 ravioli's... period.  Mix that with Beurre Blanc and you have a very heavy but amazing meal.   Too much of both could leave you in a food coma!  Right now, I am very close to that!

Sorry this isn't more exciting than "Mexican Meatball Soup", but hey, all I can do is try.

Al Brown's Paua Ravioli

Step 1: Ravioli 

Ingredients 

3 egg whites     I used one eggwhite

1 packet wonton wrappers    I used 12 wonton wrappers

1 kg paua (minced)     I used 250grams of paua

1 tsp garlic (minced) 

2 tbsp shallots (minced)   

1/4 cup coriander leaves (rough chop) 

2 tbsp chili sauce 

Salt & FBP Pepper to taste )

FBP means fresh black pepper, incase you didnt know.

Place the minced paua in a bowl and add all the other ingredients.  

To check seasoning, just microwave half a teaspoon full, taste and adjust if necessary. Now a comment on this.  Don't be a dumb ass and actually put the teaspoon in the microwave with the paua.  It could make the microwave explode.  Ours almost did.



To make the ravioli, take your egg whites and a pastry brush.  Spread 6 wonton wrappers out on the bench then brush the egg whites around the outside edge of the wrappers.   Place about a tablespoon (20gms) of the  paua mix in the centre of each wonton wrapper and place another over the top. 

Jade getting all creative with the masterchef top angle.

Cut with a cookie cutter, discard the off cuts and pinch together the two wrappers.  The ravioli can be made one day ahead before needed. 

Step 2: Basil Lime & Coriander Beurre Blanc 

Ingredients 

50ml white wine     

50ml white wine vinegar 

1 shallot (rough chop)   

8 peppercorns     

1 bay leaf      

100ml cream     

250g butter (cold & cut into cm squares) 

Place the wine and vinegar in a saucepan, add the shallot peppercorns and bay leaf.

Reduce the liquid by three-quarters over medium heat. Next add the cream and reduce by half.

 Cool slightly then return to the low heat and whisk in the butter chunk by chunk until silky smooth.


 Strain and discard peppercorns etc. The beurre blanc will keep in this form for a couple of hours if kept covered in a slightly warm place, i.e., next to the stove. 

Step 3: Plating & Serving 

Ingredients 

2 large pots of boiling water   

Paua ravioli      

Beurre blanc    

2-3 tbsp basil (rough chop)   

2-3 tbsp coriander (rough chop)  

1-2 limes (flesh only-minced)   

Salt & FBP to season 

Divide the ravioli between the large pots of boiling water.  Cook for 2-3 minutes then strain and  remove.

  
Place immediately in a warm bowl and pour over the warm beurre blanc.  Add the basil, coriander and minced flesh from the limes.  

Season with salt and fresh black pepper.  Serve the portions in the center of a warm bowl plate and garnish with a sprig of coriander or basil.

Recipe from here.

Paua in a bacon and coconut cream sauce

This recipe is killer. I made this after the patties on Friday night and knew it would be amazing. This is probably the best food I have cooked and is easily my favourite recipe on this blog.

I need to reiterate that this is farmed Paua.  Its not undersized paua thieved from the ocean. 

Was served with the Astrolabe Chardonnay

Sensational.....

Ingredients

200-300 grams of Paua sliced very finely.

3/4 of a can of coconut cream.

150 grams of bacon diced

1 heaped teaspoon of garlic

tablespoon of oil.

Method

Heat the fry pan to medium.

 Add the oil and bacon and fry till cooked. 

Add the garlic and fry till fragrant.  Add the Paua and fry for a minuet. 

 Once the Paua is cooked it should bend a wee it.  Add the coconut cream and keep on medium heat till it reduces. 

 Serve.

Paua Patties

I need to reiterate that this is farmed Paua.  Its not undersized paua thieved from the ocean. 

As you can see from 2 posts ago, I bought some Paua this week.  It was shipped from Northland from a Paua farm so it defrosted slightly by the time it was delivered. That meant I had to de-beek and de-gut them that night and cook them the next day. Last night I had a wee dinner party with my bestie Tania and her husband Leo and decided to share my Paua with them.  My menu for the night was Paua 2 ways and Squid Ink pasta with a creamy prawn sauce.

 I teamed the Paua two ways with Astrolabe Chardonnay.  Teaming Chardonnay with seafood was a no brainer.  They LOVED the Chardonnay.  Tanz thinks this Chardonnay has converted her! It was the perfect pairing!

This may sound conceited, but my cooking is defiantly getting better.  

Now with this recipe, I chopped the Paua finely.  I don't have a mincer or a blender so this is the best I could to.  If you decide to mince your Paua, You probably wont need as much flower or eggs.

Ingredients

Paua finely chopped 

100 grams of ham chopped finely

2 rashers on bacon chopped finely

1/2 an onion diced

1 cup of flour

3 eggs

50 grams of butter for cooking

1 teaspoon of salt

Method.

Dice the onion, ham and Paua as fine as possible

Combine all the ingredients except the flower and butter into a bowl. 

 Slowly mix in the flower till it is at a thick and well combined. 

Heat the fry on medium and add butter. Use a desert spoon to put the patties into the frypan.

 Flip the patties once they are cooked on one side.  remove once cooked through.

Images by me.

Paua.

For all my Aussie followers, Paua is Abalone. Its a shell fish we have here in NZ.

I discovered Paua the first year I moved to NZ.  I remember the day very well.  It was at work xmas BBQ.  It was cooked with a coconut cream sauce.  I ate it all.  I didn't share it..  Selfish I know but it was the birth of something beautiful. It was one of the happiest days of my life. Paua is easily my favourite food. 

Paua completes me......

Paua is hard and expensive to come by if you don't dive or know someone who does. I made it my mission last week to research how I could get my hands on some of this black gold.  I found Oceanz Blue Paua farm in Northland.  They have a really good range of product at the best price I could find.  They deliver overnight as well.  We got a 1kg bag to try the product. 

 Now before anyone starts freaking out, I need to reiterate that this is farmed Paua.  Its not undersized paua thieved from the ocean. 

Images by me.

http://www.oceanzblue.co.nz

Just wait.... I have recipes to come!