Ingredients
Shellfish
- 24toheroa, if legally obtained under customary permit
- or 1 kg tuatua, pipi or other permitted surf clams
- or 500 g clams with a handful of spinach, for the colour
Soup
- 50 gbutter
- 1onion, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoonsplain flour
- 500 mlmilk
- 300 mlshellfish cooking liquor
- 200 mlcream
To season
- white pepper
- salt, sparingly
- a squeeze of lemon
- chopped parsley
Directions
- Check the current daily limits before gathering anything. Buy from a fishmonger if you would rather not gather. Check for current public health warnings before gathering. Put the clams in a bucket of clean seawater. Leave them for several hours so they spit out sand. Salted cold water works if you have no seawater.
- Discard any shell that stays open when tapped. Discard any with a cracked or broken shell. Opening them is done with brief heat. Put the clams in a wide pan with a splash of water. Cover it and set it over a high heat. Shake the pan and cook them for three minutes. Lift out each one as it opens.
- Discard any that stay firmly shut after cooking. Strain the liquor through muslin and keep it. Pull the meat from the shells into a bowl. Chop the meat roughly, keeping some texture.
- Melt the butter in a heavy pan over a medium heat. Cook the onion gently until it is soft and clear. Do not let the onion colour at all.
- Stir in the flour and cook it for two minutes. Pour in the strained shellfish liquor gradually. Whisk hard after each addition to keep it smooth. Bring it to a gentle simmer, whisking as it thickens.
- Let it cook quietly for ten minutes. Finishing it is done off the boil. Add the chopped shellfish meat to the pan. Warm it through for two minutes only. Pour in the cream and stir it through. Do not let the soup boil after the cream goes in. Season it with white pepper and a little lemon.
- Taste before adding salt, since the liquor is already salty. Serving it is done hot in warmed bowls. Scatter chopped parsley over the surface. Serve it with buttered bread alongside. It does not reheat well and should be eaten fresh.
Technique
- The toheroa fishery closed to general harvesting in 1971 after decades of decline, and surveys since have not shown the recovery needed to reopen it.
- Limited customary harvest under permit continues for some iwi, which is the only lawful taking of the species.
Substitutions
- Tuatua is the closest legal relative and is what most New Zealand cooks now use for this soup.
- Pipi, cockles or littleneck clams all make a good version.
Variations
- Some old recipes added a glass of sherry at the end.
- A thicker chowder version adds diced potato.
- A clear broth version leaves out the flour and cream entirely.
History
Once canned and exported to British royalty; harvesting has been largely banned since 1971 after the beds collapsed.
Frequently asked questions
What is Toheroa Soup?
Toheroa Soup is a soup & stew from New Zealand: pale green soup of large surf clams, creamy with a strong iodine tang. Once canned and exported to British royalty; harvesting has been largely banned since 1971 after the beds collapsed.
How long does Toheroa Soup take to make?
Toheroa Soup takes 20 minutes of preparation and 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Toheroa Soup?
Yes, within limits. Tuatua is the closest legal relative and is what most New Zealand cooks now use for this soup. Pipi, cockles or littleneck clams all make a good version.
What is the most important thing to get right in Toheroa Soup?
Melt the butter in a heavy pan over a medium heat. Cook the onion gently until it is soft and clear. Do not let the onion colour at all.
