Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Kina Omelette with Lemon Sauce

Chef: Cameron Petley (chef at The Master's Table, Putaruru Hotel and a contestant in series 2 of NZ Masterchef ) as heard on Nine To Noon Monday 6 August 2012

Tags: seafood, lemon, egg, omelette, kina

This is a good way to introduce people to eating kina. A lot of people who don’t usually like kina love it this way. A winning combination of salty, sweet, creamy and crunchy.

Hunter from the Heartland by Cameron Petley
Published by Random House NZ

(Serves 1)

Ingredients

Lemon Sauce

• 100ml cream
• 1 × 200g pot of kina
• 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• salt and pepper

Kina Omelette

• 1 egg, beaten
• 50ml cream
• salt and pepper
• 25g butter

To Serve

• 50g baby spinach
• 25g butter
• salt and pepper
• 1 slice ciabatta, toasted

Method

Lemon Sauce

Place cream and half the kina in a bowl and blend with a stick blender. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and chives, and season with salt and pepper. Blend until slightly thickened.

Omelette

Place beaten egg, remaining kina and cream in a bowl and season well with salt and pepper.

Stir to combine, trying not to break up the kina. Set aside.

Melt butter in a hot frying pan and pour in egg and kina mixture. Cook for a few seconds until edges go frilly, then tilt the pan and draw the cooked egg into the centre, letting the uncooked egg run to the outside of the pan.

Do this a few more times until omelette is just cooked but still soft in the centre. It is now ready to fold. Fold omelette in half and keep warm.

To Serve

Wilt down spinach with butter in a hot frying pan and season with salt and pepper.

Place toasted ciabatta on a plate and top with spinach and then omelette. Drizzle over sauce and serve.

Drinks match

Eggs are always tough to match with as they fill the mouth, and the addition of kina makes it no easier.

Option one for me would be cold and crisp lager – Steinlager anyone?

But, with the omelette as a fresh and sunshine filled brunch.. sauvignon blanc.

Goldwater 2011 Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough) – archetypal fresh and green flavours with good mineral notes. $20

 Wither Hills “Rarangi” 2011 Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough) – pungent asparagus and tomato leaf. There are oyster shells in there too. Good mouthfeel. Classic Marlborough freshness but with a step up. Rock salt on a tomato calyx. $25