Pāua Stew is the Māori way of cooking pāua (black-lipped abalone) — the prized shellfish tenderized and simmered in a rich onion, bacon, and cream stew. Pāua is the most culturally significant kaimoana (seafood) of Māori culture, its iridescent shell carved into jewelry and its dark, meaty flesh eaten raw, frittered, or in this rich stew.
Pāua (Haliotis iris, the black-footed abalone) is endemic to New Zealand and is one of the most culturally significant kaimoana (seafood) of Māori culture. The shell — iridescent blue-green-purple — is carved into jewelry and ornaments; the flesh — dark, dense, powerfully flavored — is eaten raw (the traditional way), minced into fritters, or slow-cooked into a rich stew. Pāua is strictly quota-managed; Māori have customary harvesting rights. The stew (a more modern preparation, influenced by European cooking) tenderizes the naturally tough abalone through long, slow cooking with cream and bacon.
A bowl of dark, glossy stew with chunks of dark-purple pāua flesh, soft onions, and bits of bacon in a creamy gravy. The pāua is tender (after long cooking), intensely oceanic — briny, iron-rich, unlike any other shellfish. The cream rounds it; the bacon deepens it. Eat it with bread, mopping the gravy.
Pāua is extremely tough raw — it must be tenderized by pounding (the traditional method) or by long, slow cooking. In the stew, the abalone is cleaned, sliced, and simmered for 45+ minutes with bacon, onion, and cream. The long cooking breaks down the tough muscle fibers. The cream (a NZ dairy staple) is the European influence, mellowing the intense pāua flavor.
Variations
Some mince the pāua before stewing; some add mushrooms; some use milk instead of cream; the thickness varies.
On the Palate
Where Pāua Stew sits in the New Zealand flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4How it's made
8 steps · 40 min active + 35 min waiting
- 18 min
Remove 4 pāua from their shells; clean thoroughly; slice thinly or mince.
- 23 min
Pound the slices lightly to tenderize.
Watch outPound the slices until they visibly relax and slacken — pāua is fiercely tough, and skipping this leaves it chewy no matter how long it simmers.
- 35 min
In a pot, fry 100 g diced bacon until crisp; add 2 sliced onions; cook 5 minutes.
- 43 min
Add the pāua; cook 3 minutes.
- 53 min
Add 300 ml cream and 100 ml water; season with salt and pepper.
- 645 min
Simmer covered 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pāua is tender.
Watch outSimmer low and slow the full forty-five minutes until a slice cuts tender — rush it and the muscle stays rubbery.
- 72 min
Adjust seasoning.
- 81 min
Serve with crusty bread or over rice.
