Numia Fereti, from Samoa, shows how to make sapasui, a Samoan variant of chop suey made with beef and noodles.
He sells Pacific specialties from his mobile Pineapple Bakery that can be found at the Sunday market at Forsyth Barr Stadium and on line at www.pineapplebakery.co.nz
Sapasui is an adaptation of chop suey, which was brought to Samoa by the Chinese. In the islands it's not eaten every day but is a popular dish for a special-occasion feast and for Sunday lunch after church.
However, in New Zealand you can eat it whenever you want as it's cheaper to make, he says.
There are many ways of making sapasui, and he prefers to cook his in water instead of frying it first, as he says it has more flavour.
Sapasui
4 cups water
500g stewing beef cut into very small pieces (about 0.5cm cubes)
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
½ cup dark soy sauce
mushroom-flavoured soy sauce (optional)
salt to taste (about 2 tsp)
1 tsp arrowroot
1 packet (250g) Chinese vermicelli noodles
Taro with coconut cream
taro roots (one taro root feeds four Europeans or one Samoan, he said)
boiling water (4 cups per taro root)
a can of coconut cream
about ¼ onion, finely chopped (optional)
salt to taste
Method
Bring 4 cups water to the boil in a large pan, add the meat, onion, garlic, dark soy sauce, and salt. Leave to simmer for a few minutes, then add the arrowroot, and the vermicelli noodles - they will absorb some of the water.
Stir and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes until the stock has reduced and the noodles are done, but don't overcook it or the meat will become chewy, he says.
If there is too much liquid, pour some off and keep it for soup as it is well flavoured.
Taro with coconut cream
Taro is a starchy tropical vegetable. Its stems and leaves are eaten as well as the root, which is a staple in Samoa. The rough brown corms are widely available in New Zealand. When peeled the flesh is slightly pink, and cooks to a pale purplish-grey.
Because taro contains calcium oxylate, which can irritate the skin, be careful how you handle the raw vegetable flesh and do not touch your eyes or other sensitive parts of the body until you have washed your hands. Cooking deactivates the oxylate.
Numia uses an asi to peel taro. This is made from a recycled can with a shallow curve cut in the sharp edge. First cut off the stem of the taro root, then place the flat surface on an upturned mug and hold it firm while you use the asi to scrape the skin off the taro. Remove the last bits with a knife. Raw taro has a slimy texture. Cut into pieces and put into boiling water (not cold water), along with salt, and cook until soft, about 20 minutes.
When the taro is cooked, drain and put back on a low heat to dry out.
Stir the coconut cream to an even consistency, making sure you get all the thick bits that cling to the can. Add the onion, if using. Pour over the taro. Add salt to taste and allow to simmer for a few minutes, then serve with the sapasui.
Tips
• In the islands a shell with a sharpened edge was used to scrape the skin off the taro while the taro was held on a stake in the ground.
• Taro is said to be very good for indigestion and has many health benefits.
• In the islands they make fresh coconut cream by grating the flesh from ripe brown coconuts, steeping it in boiling water then straining and squeezing, but here it's easier to buy a can, although it doesn't taste quite as good as fresh, Numia says.
• Any meat can be used for sapasui - beef, chicken, pork, lamb.
• He likes to add a little mushroom soy sauce for extra flavour.
• Numia says arrowroot is the secret ingredient in his sapasui.
• Thanks to Afife Harris and Centre City New World.