Sea Cucumber Stew — Print Recipe

Cleaned sea cucumber slowly braised with onions in coconut cream until soft and gelatinous. A traditional delicacy harvested from Kiribati lagoon floors.

Ingredients

500g fresh sea cucumber
300ml coconut cream
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lime, juiced
Salt to taste
Water for cleaning

Instructions

1 Clean sea cucumbers by slicing open lengthwise and removing all internal organs. Scrub the outer skin thoroughly.
2 Boil the cleaned sea cucumbers in plain water for thirty minutes to soften the tough exterior and reduce the strong ocean smell.
3 Drain and cut the parboiled sea cucumbers into thick rounds about two centimeters wide.
4 In a heavy pot, combine the sea cucumber pieces with onion, garlic, and coconut cream.
5 Simmer very gently over low heat for one hour, stirring occasionally, until the sea cucumber is soft and gelatinous.
6 Finish with lime juice and salt. Serve hot over rice or with breadfruit on the side.

Did You Know?

Sea cucumbers were once so heavily exported from Kiribati to Asian markets that the government imposed strict harvesting quotas to protect lagoon populations.