ika collars with pipi seasoning

For the dehydrated pipi
  • 5 kg pipi 
  • 3 tbsp sunflower oil
  1. Place a large saucepan on the stovetop and heat until very hot. 
  2. When the saucepan is hot, add in the pipi and sunflower oil then immediately cover with a lid to trap in the heat. Cook the pipi until all the shells have opened, about six to eight minutes.
  3. Once the pipi are cooked, carefully pour them onto an oven tray. Allow the pipi to cool for five minutes at room temperature. 
  4. Remove the pipi from the shells. Set the meat aside in a bowl and discard the shells. 
    Tip: If there is any cooking liquid leftover at the bottom of the oven tray, strain it off into a container and keep it in the fridge or freezer for use at a later date. It works great in pasta dishes and sauces for added depth of flavour.
  5. Line some dehydrator trays with baking paper. Arrange the cooked pipi on a dehydrator tray so that they are evenly spaced. Dehydrate the pipi for 24 hours at 70C or until they are hard and brittle. 
  6. Once they’re fully dried, grind into a fine powder with a spice grinder.  
Note: if you don’t have access to pipi, you can use tuatua or tuangi instead. 
For the pipi seasoning
  • 3 tsp coriander seeds
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 40g	soft brown sugar
  • 80g flaky sea salt
  • 80g	pipi powder
  • 2 lemons, finely zested
  1. Toast the cumin and coriander in a hot dry pan until fragrant. 
  2. Remove the spices from heat and transfer them onto a tray or plate to completely cool.
  3. Once the spices have cooled, place them into a spice grinder along with the soft brown sugar. Grind everything together until it resembles fine sand.
  4. Transfer the sugar and spices into a bowl and add in the remaining ingredients. Stir together until it is well combined. Store in an airtight container until required. 
For the ika collars
  • 8 ika collars
  • 200g rice flour
  • 50ml nasturtium vinegar **
  • Pipi seasoning
  1. Remove the scales from the collars using the tip of a knife. Be firm but careful not to pierce the skin.
  2. Rinse the collars under cold water to remove any remaining scales then pat dry with a paper towel and set aside. 
  3. Lightly and evenly coat the collars in rice flour and set aside.
  4. Heat a pan to a medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add a liberal amount of oil to the pan then place the collars skin side down. Cook until the skin is golden and crispy, about two to three minutes. 
  5. Flip the collars over and cook on the underside for a further two minutes. 
  6. Take the collars out of the pan, drizzle with a little nasturtium vinegar then finish them off with a generous sprinkling of salty sweet pipi seasoning.
Note: if you don’t have access to nasturtium vinegar, malt vinegar makes a great alternative.