Tītī-licious - Part I

The tītī or muttonbird or Sooty Shearwaters is perhaps one of the more eclectic dishes within the  Māori repertoire. When you first mention the name, immediate reactions can be grouped into two camps - either they get all teary eyed and nostalgic and consider it to be food heaven within the realms of Māori cuisine, or those whose facial expressions basically say they prefer to be at least a few kilometres away from anywhere this bird is being cooked. This love-hate relationship that Māori have towards this bird is something that influences the status of this bird and its significance within Māori cuisine. 

Its distinct taste is discerning to even most Māori palettes who consider this to be one of the traditional dishes as well as being an important part of life, especially to the Rakiura Māori (Ngai Tahu iwi), the Māori people from the southernmost region of of New Zealand and their descendants who are the only people that have the rights to harvest this bird within the 36 islands around the area. To say it is an acquired taste would be the most affable way to describe the palatability of this dish and one that I fell in love with the first time I tried it. 

The name somewhat is confusing especially given that it is a bird, but the reason why it has earned this nickname is because of its taste which apparently resembles that of mutton. I don't agree with this as I find the taste to be more gamy and resembling that of a really well hung wild duck with a slight fishy after taste. Somehow, the description of its taste never does proper justice to the bird and the uninitiated often get put off based on that. Over the years and after numerous discussions around this dish, I think the reason why people have such strong emotions and opinions is perhaps not because of the taste of the bird itself, but rather, the aromas that are associated during the cooking process which unfortunately influence the perceptions of how it tastes. 

Traditionally the bird was boiled and served alongside potatoes, puha/watercress and dough boys (dumplings). Tītī's have a very limited season and are quite hard to get hold off. The harvest season starts from the 01 April and runs through until 31 May and most birds harvested during the season get snapped up sometimes even before they make it to the market. You either have to know someone who can get hold of it from the South Island or hope that your local delicatessen might stock some when in season. Luckily for me, the usual Saturday morning visit to the Auckland Fish market today resulted in me being able to get one myself. It is expensive for a bird that is not that yielding in portion size, but the flavour is unparalleled.

So, with a muttonbird in hand and some cress and potatoes, I think dinner tonight is sorted. Let the cooking begin.