Titi a la Fleur

For those intrigued by muttonbird but too timid to try it, Elizabeth Latham offers some encouragement to indulge in the pleasures of a deep-south delicacy.

If you enjoy sardines, anchovies and tuna then you will adore muttonbird. If you have been afraid to try it, it's time to take the leap.

It is muttonbird season now and once you know how to cook it, it will be a delicacy that you will embrace.

The English name muttonbird, given to titi, appears to have arisen from early-settler accounts in Norfolk Island where the meat was likened to mutton - not an association I would make, certainly not in terms of taste.

Titi is a bird and therefore has the flesh of a bird but the taste of fish, from the prestigious diet of fish, squid and shrimp-like krill that it feasts on during its migration from the breeding grounds of the southern hemisphere to the feeding grounds of the northern hemisphere and back again.

Titi is a seabird, the sooty shearwater, to be precise - a petrel hunted by humans for thousands of years. The harvesting of them is the domain of Rakiura Maori from Stewart Island. They have the rights to gather titi from the 36 islands known as the Titi islands, near Stewart Island. The season is from April 1 to May 21.

The sooty shearwater population worldwide is estimated at around 50 million (some accounts say 20 million, others 40 to 60 million) and they breed in New Zealand, Australia, South America and South Africa. New Zealand's breeding colony has an estimated five million pairs in 80 breeding colonies. There are claims of a diminishing population from climate change and birds becoming caught in the nets of commercial fishing operations, however the gathering of titi remains an annual ritual in the far south of this country.

Titi is available in retail outlets throughout New Zealand with about 250,000 birds harvested each year.

Young birds are harvested just as they are about to fledge. They are collected from burrows, plucked and often preserved in salt.

Guytons stock titi from the end of April. They sell for about $10 a bird. The birds are brined and will keep in this state for up to a year. The longer they spend in the brine the saltier they are and the longer the preparation time.

If you buy titi soon, you will only need to "wash" them a few times. If you are buying them later in the year you will need to wash them four to five times to get the salt level low enough to enjoy them.

Muttonbird isn't often served in restaurants but there is one place in the country you can go to and find titi regularly on the menu.

If you are lucky enough to be passing through Otago and you want a special treat, stop in Moeraki, a quintessential fishing village on the Pacific coast, and go to Fleur's Place.

Photo:Rob Corlett

Here you can experience cultural tourism at its best and be a guest of the amazing Fleur Sullivan. Fishermen come ashore in their boats right next to the restaurant and Fleur picks the fish only a few hours before it arrives on your plate. She also sources titi and this is her recipe - from her new book, Fleur's Place.

The recipe also explains how to prepare the bird. Later this year Fleur will be at NMIT with her chef, Simon Peacock, to prepare a degustation dinner based on regional seasonal food.

MUTTONBIRD WITH MAORI POTATOES AND SPINACH
2 salted muttonbirds
10 small Maori potatoes (or regular potatoes)
2 handfuls of native NZ spinach (or regular spinach)

• Place the muttonbirds in a large pot and cover with cold water. Slowly bring to the boil and allow to simmer for a couple of minutes.
• Taste the water. If it is overly salty, drain, refill with fresh cold water and repeat the process. The number of times you have to do this will depend on the amount of time the titi have been in brine.
• When the birds pass the salt test, simmer until the leg bone begins to give away from the flesh.
• Remove from the water and cool.
• Boil the potatoes until just tender. Place these in a roasting pan and place the boiled mutton bird on top.
• Grill or roast on a high heat until the skin begins to crisp and the potatoes roast in the mutton bird fat.
• Soften the spinach in the remaining fat just before serving and serve the dish with spinach oil (recipe follows).

SPINACH OIL
1 bunch of spinach, washed
1 bunch of sorrel leaves, washed
100ml sesame oil
500ml of olive oil
1 lemon, juiced

• Salt and pepper In a food processor, place the spinach and sorrel and process until smooth. Drizzle in both oils, add the lemon juice and season. Pass through a sieve and serve surrounding the mutton bird.

PHILLIP'S MUTTONBIRD MASH
This is a recipe that extends the flavour of muttonbird and allows a larger number of people to enjoy the experience. For 4 to 6 people.

500g swedes and potatoes for the mash
1-2 mutton birds

• Prepare the mutton bird as described in the Fleur recipe. Reserve the water from the last boil of the titi. After boiling the bird, open it up so it can be put flat under the grill. Grill until the skin turns golden. Remove the skin from the bird and reserve. When the bird has cooled enough to handle, cut the flesh from the bones and shred into small pieces.
• Meanwhile boil the swede and potato in the water from the titi. When cooked, mash with butter and milk and pepper to taste (you shouldn't need any salt).
• Mix the shredded titi through the mash. Serve on individual plates with watercress tossed in olive oil and lemon juice. Add a little crisp skin to each plate.
• A true entree from Aotearoa New Zealand.