From Parliament to the pantry: Five island dishes that remind me of summer

Aside from politics, cooking is another passion of mine, just as cherished as the black and white tile runs in Parliament.

Growing up, my Nana, after whom I am named, was always in the kitchen. No matter what we had in the fridge or pantry, she could always whip up a delicious meal, affectionately called a ‘Poly feed’.

After she passed away, I was fortunate to inherit her cooking skills.

Now that the Christmas and New Year leftovers should have been used up, here are my top five dishes that always remind me of summer!

Me as a teen after cockle hunting at Kawakawa Bay. Photo/Ala Vailala

5 - Cockles in coconut cream

Growing up, collecting cockles was a highlight of our summer holidays.

Our favourite spot was always Kawakawa Bay in Clevedon, Auckland.

This was just a task, it was a fun summer swim and a nice road trip away from the town.

Kawakawa Bay is one of the many places in Auckland great for cockle picking, with a limit of 50 cockles per person each day.

Here’s my recipe for a delicious summer cockle meal.

Ingredients

• 5 cups of cockles (cleaned and washed thoroughly)

• 1 can of coconut cream (Kara is my go-to brand)

• 1 white onion.

Instructions

• Wash and clean the cockles thoroughly. There’s nothing worse than enjoying a bowl of hard-earned cockles only to be met with a gulp of sand.

• Steam the cockles in a shallow pool of salt water in a pot until the shells open. The water should not completely cover the cockles.

• Add the coconut cream and diced onion to the pot.

• Once simmering, serve in a bowl.

• The fresher the cockles, the better the dish! I prefer to have mine with a side of steamed kumara, as the sweet and salty flavours balance each other perfectly!

This pairs so well with kumara. Photo/Stella vs Food

4 - Puteni or steamed pudding

Although my Nana was never much of a baker, we often enjoyed cakes on special occasions and sometimes steamed pudding called puteni in Tongan.

As a child, I was never really fond of puteni and never understood why it was such a treat.

My first attempt at making it was while I was living in Tonga.

I baked on the side to earn extra money while volunteering at Tailulu College, and when my great-aunt asked me to bake her a pudding, I decided to give it a go.

That experience quickly taught me why it was such a cherished dish.

The first step - caramelising the sugar and then adding water - still terrifies me to this day. One of my biggest fears in life is getting a sugar burn if you know what I mean!

But the end product is such a delight, especially when paired with a good custard.

Here’s my recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 cup water

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 4 cups white flour

• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

• 2 1/2 teaspoons allspice

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup melted butter

• 3 eggs

• 1 cup milk

• Optional: 1 cup dried fruit

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 180°C.

• Stir sugar in a pot until it becomes a liquid.

• Carefully add water to the sugar. Don’t panic when the pot feels like it will explode.

• Stir the water and sugar together until it becomes a caramel sauce, then add vanilla. Be careful not to stir too long, or the sauce will burn and make the puteni taste bitter.

• In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, allspice, salt, and sugar, then mix well.

• Add melted butter and mix, then add one egg at a time, and mix.

• Add vanilla and milk, and mix well.

• Finally, combine the mixture with the caramel sauce.

• Pour the mixture into a greased or lined baking tray (I usually use a bundt tin) and cover with foil.

• Place the baking tray into a larger tray filled with water and bake in the oven for 40-60 minutes.

• Important note - Let the puteni rest for about 30-60 minutes before serving

• I like to serve mine with homemade custard using Edmond’s custard powder, adding a dash of vanilla for extra flavour.

I prefer to make my custard not too thick and not too thin. Nice and glossy, almost like a glaze. Photo/Ala Vailala

3 - ‘Ota ‘ika

While ‘ota ‘ika is an all-year-round dish, it truly comes alive in summer, especially when accompanied by a plate of island barbecue.

Snapper is my top choice for the fish selection in ‘ota ‘ika.

Although it’s a controversial take, I prefer fresh cream instead of coconut cream and minimise the vegetables. To me, the star of the dish is the fish.

I also find it odd when people drown their fish in lemon/lime juice to “cook” it. It’s called raw fish for a reason!

Here’s my recipe.

Ingredients

• 200g filleted raw snapper

• 500ml fresh cream

• 2 tomatoes

• 1 cucumber

• 1 lemon

• Salt to taste

Instructions

• Chop the snapper fillet into bite-sized pieces and place them in a bowl.

• Add the cream and mix well.

• Deseed and dice the tomatoes and cucumber, then add them to the bowl.

• Squeeze in the lemon juice and add salt to taste.

• I love to serve my ‘ota ‘ika with kumara; once again, the sweet and salty combination is simply the best!

• Sometimes, I add raw fish roe to my ‘ota ‘ika for an extra creamy touch.

Here's a bowl of 'ota 'ika I prepared last year. Just delish! Photo/Ala Vailala

2 - Topai

Topai, or coconut milk dumplings, was a staple in my childhood.

Although it is more common to eat for breakfast, it holds a special place in my heart because of the memories it brings back, sharing with my family at night.

My Nana made the best topai. The dough was always the perfect consistency - firm but very chewy - and she balanced the fragrances just right!

She always used fresh lemongrass and orange tree leaves from the backyard, which made it even more special.

Despite being a hot dish, it always cooled me down during the hot summer nights.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• Pinch of salt

• 1/2 cup water

• For the coconut sauce

• 1 can of coconut cream

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/2 water (may need more)

• 1/4 cup dried, shredded coconut

• Optional: lemongrass and 2-3 leaves from an orange tree.

Instructions

• In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.

• Gradually add water and mix until a soft dough forms. It should be pliable but not too sticky.

• In a large pot, bring water to a boil.

• Spoon and drop the dumplings into the boiling water, making sure they do not stick together.

• Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the dumplings float to the surface.

• Drain and set aside.

• For the coconut sauce

• In another pot, combine the coconut cream, water, and sugar.

• Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Do not let it boil.

• Add the cooked dumplings to the warm coconut milk mixture and serve in bowls.

I love this creator's Tongan recipe series on TikTok, similar to those I use.

1 - Otai

It’s not summer without otai.

This classic Tongan drink tastes best when made at home.

Back in Tonga, there’s an abundance of watermelon, pineapple, and mango during this time, making for the freshest otai.

Here’s my take on otai, which is always a crowd-pleaser and best paired with breakfast crackers.

Ingredients

• 8 Granny Smith apples

• 850g mango pulp

• 1 litre of fresh cream

• 200g crushed pineapple

• 4 cups of sugar (or to taste)

Instructions

• Peel, core, and grate the apples into a large container.

• Add the mango pulp, cream, and crushed pineapple.

• Measure and add the sugar, tasting as you go to achieve your desired sweetness.

• Serve in cups with ice.

Here's a recipe similar to mine.