TUATUA FRITTERS

Ready in 45 mins Serves 8-10 as finger food

1.6kg tuatua or other shellfish in the shell 1 cup rice flour ½ cup coconut cream 2 eggs 2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp turmeric Salt and ground black pepper, to taste Neutral oil, for frying Coriander sprigs, to serve

Curry Cream

1 cup creme fraiche ½ tsp curry powder 2 Tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves

To make curry cream, stir together creme fraiche, curry powder and coriander leaves. Chill until needed.To make fritters, place shellfish in a large pot with 2 Tbsp water. Cover tightly and cook just until shells open (about 5 minutes), discarding any that do not open. Remove flesh from shells (you should have about 1 rounded cup of cooked shellfish). Place in a food processor with all other ingredients except oil and coriander sprigs and blend until evenly combined and fairly smooth. Heat a little oil in a large, heavy-based frypan and fry small spoonfuls of the mixture over a medium heat. When bubbles form on the surface flip to cook other side (2-3 minutes each side). Serve scattered with coriander sprigs and accompanied by curry cream.

Annabel says: You can use any shellfish for these tender fritters but be sure to check the shellfish are very fresh and sourced from clean water. The fritter batter can be made in advance and chilled for up to 8 hours before cooking.