Oceanian Seafood Recipes
A tour of Oceania through seafood: 29 authentic dishes, each tied to a real country and region, each with its cultural story and dietary swaps built in.
29 recipes
Ika MataRarotonga, Cook Islands · easy · 25 minRaw fish cured in lime and bathed in fresh coconut cream with cucumber, tomato, and spring onion.
Ika Mata DemokNgerulmud, Palau · easy · 1 h 10 minA rich Palauan taro-leaf soup thickened with coconut cream and studded with crab or fish.
Demok Babai with Coconut FishTarawa, Kiribati · medium · 1 h 30 minGrated giant swamp taro (babai) steamed with coconut cream, served with reef fish poached in coconut.
Babai with Coconut Fish Bwiro with FishMajuro, Marshall Islands · medium · 1 h 5 minPreserved-breadfruit dumplings in sweet coconut, served with grilled reef fish.
Bwiro with Fish Coconut Crab with TaroPalikir, Micronesia · medium · 1 hPrized coconut crab simmered in its own fat with coconut cream, served with steamed taro.
Coconut Crab with Taro Coconut FishYaren, Nauru · easy · 30 minNauru's national dish: freshly caught tuna diced raw and steeped in thick coconut cream with lime, served cool with rice.
Coconut Fish Fish with Slippery Cabbage & KumaraHoniara, Solomon Islands · easy · 55 minReef fish and kumara simmered in coconut cream with slippery cabbage (aibika) greens.
Fish with Slippery Cabbage & Kumara Pulaka with Coconut FishFunafuti, Tuvalu · medium · 1 h 15 minEarthy swamp-taro pulaka served with fish baked in coconut cream, the mainstay of atoll life.
Pulaka with Coconut Fish Grilled Reef Fish with RicePalikir, Micronesia · easy · 30 minWhole reef fish grilled over coconut husks with lime and served over hot rice, a savory, protein-rich Micronesian morning plate.
Whitebait FrittersSouthland, New Zealand · easy · 20 minWhole translucent whitebait bound in barely any egg and fried golden, a South Island seasonal delicacy on white bread.
Whitebait Fritters Aibika with Tinned FishHighlands, Papua New Guinea · easy · 30 minTender aibika greens simmered in coconut with tinned mackerel over rice, the honest everyday lunch of Papua New Guinea.
Aibika with Tinned Fish Marshallese Macaroni SaladMajuro, Marshall Islands · easy · 1 h 30 minA cool, creamy macaroni salad with tinned tuna and crisp vegetables, the potluck staple of the Marshall Islands.
Reef Fish with BreadfruitPalikir, Micronesia · easy · 1 h 15 minReef fish gently poached in coconut cream with ginger and lime, served over roasted breadfruit, the everyday midday plate of the Pohnpei coast.
Kiribati Palu (Marinated Reef Fish)Tarawa, Kiribati · easy · 25 minRaw reef fish cured in lime and salt, then folded through fresh coconut cream with onion and chili, a bright, no-cook lunch of the atolls.
UlkoyNgerulmud, Palau · easy · 35 minGolden fritters of grated squash and small shrimp bound with a little flour and fried crisp, a favorite Palauan snack-lunch.
Chili Taiyo (Tinned Tuna Noodles)Honiara, Solomon Islands · easy · 20 minThe Solomon Islands' favorite fast lunch: tinned Taiyo tuna tossed with noodles, fresh chili, tomato and onion into a quick, fiery plate.
Oka I'a (Samoan Raw Fish in Coconut Cream)Upolu, Samoa · easy · 20 minFresh fish cured briefly in lemon or lime, then folded into thick coconut cream with onion, tomato and cucumber.
Oka I'a (Samoan Raw Fish in Coconut Cream) 'Ota 'Ika (Tongan Raw Fish Salad)Tongatapu, Tonga · easy · 55 minWhite fish marinated in lemon, then tossed with coconut cream and plenty of diced tomato, cucumber, capsicum and spring onion.
'Ota 'Ika (Tongan Raw Fish Salad) Lo'i Feke (Octopus in Coconut Cream)Tongatapu, Tonga · medium · 55 minTender octopus simmered gently with onion in thick coconut cream, a simple three-part island dish.
Eke Takare (Curried Octopus in Coconut Cream)Rarotonga, Cook Islands · medium · 1 h 35 minTender octopus simmered in a lightly curried coconut cream sauce, a Cook Islands seafood favourite served with rice or taro.
Reef Fish in Coconut MilkNgerulmud, Palau · easy · 35 minFresh reef fish gently simmered in coconut milk with onion, ginger and turmeric, a straightforward Palauan preparation of the day's catch.
Barramundi in Banana LeafMajuro, Marshall Islands · easy · 50 minA whole reef fish seasoned simply, wrapped tight in banana leaves and baked until sweet and buttery, one of the national dishes of the Marshall Islands.
Crab in LoloFunafuti, Tuvalu · medium · 55 minCrab simmered in lolo, a rich coconut-cream sauce with onion and garlic, a celebration dish of Tuvalu where the prized coconut crab is reserved for feasts.
Fish Baked in Coconut and PandanusYaren, Nauru · easy · 55 minFresh reef fish baked in coconut cream and wrapped with fragrant pandanus leaf, the everyday cooked counterpart to Nauru's raw coconut fish.
Ika Vakalolo (Fijian Fish in Coconut Cream)Viti Levu, Fiji · easy · 45 minFirm reef fish lightly fried, then simmered in lolo (coconut cream) with onion, garlic, tomato, chilli and greens, finished with lemon and served with boiled cassava or dalo.
Ika Vakalolo (Fijian Fish in Coconut Cream) Kokoda (Fijian Coconut Ceviche)Viti Levu, Fiji · easy · 2 h 30 minFresh fish "cooked" in lime, then mellowed in rich coconut cream with chili, onion, and tomato.
Pohnpeian Tuna SashimiPalikir, Micronesia · easy · 15 minThick slices of just-caught yellowfin tuna served raw and cold, with soy sauce, lime and fiery local hot pepper, and a little grated ginger or wasabi.
Oysters KilpatrickNew South Wales (Sydney), Australia · easy · 23 minFreshly opened oysters on the half shell, splashed with Worcestershire sauce, topped with finely diced bacon and grilled until the bacon crisps, served hot with lemon.
Oysters Kilpatrick Kiwi Seafood ChowderCanterbury, New Zealand · medium · 55 minA thick, creamy New Zealand chowder of green-lipped mussels, white fish, prawns and scallops with kūmara, onion, celery and thyme, served with crusty bread.
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