Cook with pipis

Manager of the Sydney Seafood School Roberta Muir introduces us to the finer points of cooking with pipis.

Despite being a nation surrounded by sand, surf and the abundance of produce that goes with that, we still seem to harbour a fear of cooking seafood in our home kitchens. There's no doubt that we love a seafood dinner, from Sydney rock oysters to a fisherman's basket, but when it comes to trying the more obscure critters from the ocean, we shy away for fear of getting it wrong. A case in point is the under-appreciated pipi. A member of the clam family and staple of the Indigenous Australian coastal diet for thousands of years, the pipi has still only managed to carve out a very tiny niche for itself in the modern kitchen. Mostly, it seems, this is because we don't really know what to do with them, resulting in some poor pipi dining experiences. To bring the pipi into the spotlight and to inspire home cooks to add it to the menu we asked MA Gastronomy and manager of the Sydney Fish Market Sydney Seafood School, Roberta Muir, for her tips on dealing with this petite mollusc.

"As with cooking all bivalves, it's important to remove them from the heat as soon as they open," says Muir. "Otherwise, they quickly shrivel and become chewy when overcooked." 

Pipis are fished year round in South Australia, but it's the larger New South Wales pipi that attracts most of the attention when the season runs, from early June to late October (or November in a bumper season). When cooked properly they have a subtle flavour and soft texture, perfect to try as a variation to other clams. 

"Look for brightly coloured, intact, lustrous shells, that are closed or close when tapped or gently squeezed," advises Muir, adding that they should have a pleasantly fresh sea smell.  

"Due to their sandy habitat they can contain quite a bit of grit, so ask your fishmonger if they have been purged - stored in aerated saltwater for at least 24 hours to eliminate sand."

If they haven't been purged, it's easy enough to do yourself (see instructions below).

While Muir recommends eating pipis as soon as possible after purchase for the best experience, she advises that you can store them in a container covered with a damp cloth kept in a cool place for a few hours, or overnight in salted water. Whatever you do, don't put them in the fridge. This will cause them to clam-up, so to speak, and will hinder any cleaning process. 

"Before cooking, discard any shells that are open and don't close when they're tapped or gently squeezed," says Muir, noting that the pipi meat can be frozen for up to three months below -18°C.

How to purge (clean) pipis

If Pipis haven't been purged, place them in a solution of cool water and sea salt - 30g salt to each litre of water - for several hours, or overnight, in a cool part of the house. Do not refrigerate them as they will close up and won't "spit out" the sand. "Gritty bits of sand in your mouth will ruin even the most delicious pipi recipe."

For Muir, it's hard to beat the classic pipis in black bean sauce recipe, "especially with a good chilli kick." 

So what are you waiting for? It's pipi season and here are three tasty pipi recipes to get you started.

Note: While traditional wisdom has been to discard shells that don't open when cooked, Muir suggests that you can try prying them open — away from the plate. "If they smell good when you open them, eat them; if they're bad, they'll have a distinctly 'off' aroma."