Kina - Seafood Treat

How do you start this... the humble Kina.... no.... the prickly Kina...

Kina is a "polarizing" seafood - either you love it - to the point of an addiction - or you hate it - in fact more than hate - you are dead scared of it.

The Kina is a sea urchin - that lives amongst the seaweed on New Zealand's rocky coastal shores - in similar habitat to the Paua.

The Kina is sought for its buttery roe which you can see above.

Kina is said to be absolutely bursting with vitamins and goodness.

In terms of eating the lady behind the counter at Guytons Seafood (Nelson) recommended "raw" - they were selling punnets. I tried it - the flavour yip.. creamy... seafoody... salty... pretty intense.

Some recipe's below:

Kina Pie

2	cups prepared fresh kina tongues (poha)
1	cup breadcrumbs
2	rashers lean bacon

Place alternate layers of kina and breadcrumbs into a buttered pie dish, finishing with a layer of breadcrumbs. Cover with chopped bacon. Bake in a moderate oven 350' F. until the crumbs and bacon are crisp and the tongues cooked. About half an hour.

Kina Fritters

1	cup fresh kina tongues (poha)
4	ozs. flour
1	teaspoon baking powder
1	egg
½	cup milk salt and pepper

Mix together the dry ingredients, add beaten egg and milk to make a smooth batter. Stir in the kina tongues and leave to stand for half an hour. Fry dessertspoonfuls in hot fat. Drain on absorbent paper. Serve hot, garnished with wedges of lemon and sprigs of parsley.