how to make your own tuatua fritters

gather tuatua mussels as they wash up from their seabed at opotere beach or

do tuatua dance* over seabed and hunt them out
*this involves wading out in waist deep water and digging your heal into the sand while doing 'the twist'. attempted at ruakaka. only dug up sand dollars. bummer.

allow to sit in shaded salt water for 12 hours so sand is spit out or
4 hours if you just can't wait

obtain other ingredients: flour, egg, milk, parsley and spring onion*
*coincidentally one of june's new favorite words (onion) and flavors

steam those suckers open and pluck from steamer as they open.
NO PHOTO, sorry

ask your husband to remove mussels from shell and debeard them.
NO PHOTOS, please

mince mussel meat and mix with thinly sliced onion, parsley. mix up batter. altogether now.
NO PHOTO, sorry

fry in hot oil of your choice and top with lemon mayo.

wow! i just made food from tiny animals (bivalves?)
i collected from the sea. good on ya!

note to self: consider food styling before devouring half the meal