Ingredients
| KOMBU STOCK | |
| 12g kombu seasoning | |
| 200g water | |
| CHILLI MISO | |
| 15g chilli paste | |
| 50g miso | |
| white soy sauce, to season | |
| SEAWEED PASTE | |
| 2 nori sheets | |
| 20g shio kombu | |
| 40ml water | |
| MUSSELS | |
| 12 green-lipped mussels | |
| white soy sauce, to season | |
| 8 kawakawa leaves | |
| kombu stock (see recipe) | |
| 1 litre canola oil | |
| 50g rice flour | |
| 25g gluten-free self-raising flour | |
| 100ml sparkling water, cold | |
| togarashi, to season | |
| TO SERVE | |
| Kewpie mayonnaise | |
| Imperial Caviar (I used Caviar Mafia brand) | |
| calendula flowers |
Instructions
| 1. | KOMBU STOCK |
| 2. | Mix the kombu seasoning with water and bring to a simmer. |
| 3. | Divide into two portions and set aside. |
| 4. | CHILLI MISO |
| 5. | Mix the chilli paste and miso together. |
| 6. | Loosen with a splash of water if needed. |
| 7. | Adjust spiciness with more chilli paste and season with white soy sauce. |
| 8. | SEAWEED PASTE |
| 9. | Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend to a paste consistency – you may need to add a little more water. |
| 10. | MUSSELS |
| 11. | Heat a pot over a high heat. |
| 12. | Add the mussels and one half of the kombu stock. |
| 13. | Cover with a lid and immediately remove from heat, allowing the mussels to cool in the stock. Strain the stock through a fine strainer. |
| 14. | Remove mussels from their shells, retaining the shells, and wash in the strained stock. |
| 15. | Cut the plump cheeks from the mussels, put onto a tray lined with parchment paper and refrigerate. |
| 16. | Blend the remaining mussel trimmings with a little stock to form a paste. |
| 17. | Season with white soy and refrigerate. |
| 18. | Reduce the strained mussel and kombu stock to a glaze. |
| 19. | Clean the mussel shells and set aside for serving. |
| 20. | Cut the kawakawa leaves down the middle, removing large veins. Divide into two containers. |
| 21. | Bring the remaining kombu stock to a simmer, and blanch half of the cut leaves in the stock until soft but intact. Lay on a tray. |
| 22. | Heat canola oil to 170°C. Mix 25g rice flour with the self-raising flour and sparkling water to make a tempura batter. |
| 23. | Spread some mussel paste on an unblanched half of kawakawa leaf and roll it up. |
| 24. | Repeat for the remaining unblanched kawa leaves, reserving a little mussel paste for garnish. |
| 25. | Dust the rolls in the remaining rice flour, dip in tempura batter and fry until crisp, about 1-1½ minutes. |
| 26. | Drain on a rack and season with togarashi and salt. |
| 27. | TO SERVE |
| 28. | Place the fried, rolled kawakawa leaf on top of a blanched leaf, near the tip. |
| 29. | Roll tightly like a cigar to the size of a mussel. |
| 30. | Pipe one dot each of mayonnaise, mussel paste, seaweed paste and chilli miso on top of the rolled leaf. |
| 31. | Brush the mussel cheek with mussel glaze and place on top. |
| 32. | Pipe three dots each of mayonnaise, seaweed paste, and chilli miso on top of the mussel cheek. |
| 33. | Add four piles of caviar along the dots and garnish with calendula flower petals. |
| 34. | Arrange on the cleaned mussel shells and serve. |
Recipe Cory Campbell / Photography Tony Nyberg