TUA TUA & HERB FRITTERS

Plump tua tua, spring onions and fresh herbs come together in these golden, crisp little fritters. Simple, full of flavour and best eaten hot from the pan with a generous squeeze of lemon.

Makes: about 15 small fritters

Prep time: 25 minutes, plus 1 hour chilling

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Skill: Easy

Ingredients

500g cooked, shelled tua tua (or cockles, mussels or mixture)

200g potatoes

1 small onion, grated

1 egg, lightly beaten

3 spring onions, finely sliced

3 Tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

2 Tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1-2 Tbsp flour

polenta, for coating

Vegetable oil, for frying

Lemon wedges, to serve

Method

Begin by preparing the tua tua, rinse under cold water, discarding any with broken shells or those that don't close when tapped. Place in a large saucepan with a splash of water, cover and cook over high heat for 4–5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the shells open. Discard any that remain closed.

Remove the tua tua meat from their shells and let them cool. Roughly chop them, you want some texture rather than a smooth paste.

Cook the potatoes in lightly salted water until tender. Drain well and mash roughly with a fork. Leave to cool.

Combine the potato and tua tua with the grated onion, egg, spring onions, parsley and dill. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well to combine. .

Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour to firm up.

Shape into small, slightly flattened fritters and lightly dust each one with the polenta.

Heat 2–3cm vegetable oil in a heavy-based frying pan to around 180°C. Fry the fritters in batches for 3–5 minutes, turning as necessary, until crisp and golden all over. Drain on kitchen paper and season lightly with salt.

Serve hot with plenty of fresh lemon.