After starting a discussion on food items that linger in your pantry or fridge, sesame seeds seemed to appear on many posts and in particular the black variety seemed to be one of those things that people find difficult to use but the uses for black and white are fairly interchangeable.

Sesame seeds, whether they are black, white or red (yes really) add a nutty flavour and a just discernible crunch to many foods.  The white are most commonly used in NZ and generally found sprinkled on top of bread.  Black sesame seeds have a nuttier flavour than their white counterparts and can look striking when contrasted with food.

While most of us would be pushed to consume sesame seeds in any volume they are actually highly nutritious being high in calcium, copper and magnesium (as well as many other attributes).  The oil is high is antioxidants and is able to be shelf stable for a sustained period of time without going rancid.
Sesame oil is most commonly found in SE Asian recipes where it is used sparingly due to its very intense flavour.
Tahini, sesame paste, is the base for hummus and also halva, a Middle Eastern confection.

1. Chop pita pockets into triangles, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with sesame seeds and sea salt and toast until crisp and golden.

2. Soba noodle salads, sprinkle with black or white sesame seeds.

3. Dukkah is a mix of seeds and spices that is lovely with bread and olive oil and sprinkled on eggs, avocado or salads.  You can use black or white sesame seeds.

4. Sesame Green Beans, cook green beans in a wok or frying pan with a little oil, a splash of soy sauce and a tiny splash of sesame oil.  When they are cooked toss with sesame seeds until they are aromatic.

5. Coating chicken nibbles that already have a sticky coating such as hoisin sauce.

6. Teriyaki Salmon sprinkled with sesame seeds be they black or white is stunning, just what the photo in this recipe needs :)

7.  Sesame seared tuna, this recipe on Taste.com.au is delicious.

8. Sesame Chicken Salad – use black or white sesame seeds or a mixture of both

9. Smoked Chicken Slaw – you can of course leave out the smoked chicken and simply serve the slaw as a side dish with other meat.  The black sesame seeds look stunning contrasted with cabbage.

10.Cheese and Sesame Biscuits

And… you can sprinkle sesame seeds on top of pies, sausage rolls, asparagus, prawn toasts,

What do you use sesame seeds for?

Red gurnard (Chelidonichthys kumu), like most of the worldwide gurnard family, are shallow-water, bottom-dwelling fish. They are found all around New Zealand (except for the southern fiords) on sandy seafloors to a depth of about 180 metres and feed mostly on crabs, shrimps and worms. Red gurnard is available year-round.  While there are several other varieties of gurnard, red is the most prevalent and what you buy as “gurnard” is most likely to be red gurnard.
The red gurnard is easily identifiable due to its striking orange body with two large bluey green coloured pectoral fins.
Red gurnard grow up to around 2kg in weight.

Red gurnard is a firm fleshed fish, the fillets hold together well once it is cooked.
With its firm flesh and low oil content gurnard can dry out when frying so it is best to make sure that you don’t overcook it.
Gurnard is great for frying, poaching, curries, soups or stews and the bones are good for stock.

Red gurnard are found around the world and mostly the names are logical, Australia are the same as us, Grondin rouge in France and Grondin rouget in Canada  although Houbou in Japan may take some working out.

Some recipes on foodlovers suited to gurnard include;

Pan fried fish with Asian Flavours

Fragrant Fish Curry

Mediterranean Fish Stew

Pan Fried Fish with Capsicum and Ginger

Sustainability: Red gurnard annual catch has remained relatively stable for over a decade, ranging between 3,250 and 4,000 tonnes. Total allowable catch has similarly remained consistent at just over 5,000 tonnes. Red gurnard are often caught alongside other species, such as snapper and flatfish. North Island gurnard stocks have been relatively stable over the last decade, fluctuating around target levels. Recent increases in abundance are apparent for most South Island stocks. The total allowable commercial catch in the 2012/13 fishing year was 3,804 tonnes, of which 70% was caught (5,457 tonnes).

Dietary information: Red gurnard is a good a source of selenium, niacin (vitamin B3) vitamin B12 and vitamin D, and is a source of iodine, phosphorus and potassium.

Do you cook with gurnard and if so what are your favourite recipes?

Bluff (dredge) Oysters Tio Paruparu; Tiostrea Chilensis 

Fondly known as Bluffies, Bluff oysters live in gravel or coarse sand in the seabed, in waters 25 to 50 metres deep. While they can be found in small patches around New Zealand’s coast (Tasman and Golden Bay have them too) ,it is notably in the cold clear waters of the Foveaux strait where they are found in dense beds.. The same species is found in Chile.

Bluff oysters are available from March to August and the start of the Bluff oyster season sparks great excitement around the country.
Their silky smooth texture and pure sea fresh flavour has oyster lovers rating these as up there with the best oysters in the world.

Purchasing
The majority of Bluff oysters available in shops are in pottles, while this does keep the oysters fresh hopefully we will see a time soon when live Bluff oysters are available as well. . If you happen to find  live Bluff oysters, their shells should be tightly closed or close slowly when tapped. These should be stored in an open container with a damp cloth over them, in the fridge, and used within 24 hours.
To open the oysters, Hold the oyster firmly in a tea towel on a bench with the flat shell uppermost. Push the point of an oyster knife into the hinge, located at the narrowest point, and move the knife back and forth until the hinge breaks and you can slide the knife between the 2 shells. Twist the point of the knife upwards to lift up the top shell Flick the oyster from the bottom shell and remove it, picking out any little bits of shell. Eat immediately.

Sustainability

Bluff oysters have been commercially fished in the Foveaux Strait since the late 1880s. Over that time, total landings of oysters have varied from 7.5 to 77 million oysters annually.

Bonamia exitiosa, a parasite identified in 1986 and found globally, caused high mortality in the oyster population. In response, reduced catch limits were put in place, including a period of closure from 1993-1996. The fishery has since recovered and catch limits are now being increased. Regular monitoring for disease outbreaks is in place. In 2012, the catch limit was set at 14.95 million oysters, of which 77% was harvested (11.5 million oysters).

Health and Wellbeing
Bluff oysters are a good source of iodine, selenium, zinc, vitamin B12 and vitamin C, and are a source of copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin B3) and vitamin D.

While purists would argue that Bluff oysters are at their best as is, there are others who like to incorporate them into recipes such as;

Leek and Potato Soup with Oysters – really delicious
Oysters with Asian Flavours
Al Brown’s Oyster Rockefeller
Canape Oysters in a Champagne Sauce
Peter Gordon Beer Battered Bluff Oysters

How do you like your oysters?
Natural or cooked and if cooked then what are your favourite recipes?

The aroma of bacon sizzling in a pan is one of the most mouth watering of all the cooking smells.  It rouses sleepy heads out of bed and needs nothing more than a couple of eggs and toast or a soft white roll, to make a favourite breakfast meal. Continue reading →