Our first belly delicious guest recipe ever, on our first show, May 6 2004. The guest was local Arakwal woman Delta Kay, who spoke about the food of her childhood, including finding pippies in the sand and selling bucketfuls by the side of the road. Please note, there are legal restrictions on collecting pippies on many beaches. Try this with the smaller vongole that you can buy at local fishmongers.

This recipe was passed to Delta by her little brother Norman and her Aunty Eve. It is without definite quantities and ingredients except for the pippies – do it to your own tastes!

10 large pippies (large means 3 fingers wide – if any smaller they are still growing)

fresh vegetables

oil

coconut cream

chilli

curry powder

Soak the pippies in fresh water for one hour to remove the sand.

Boil some water and when boiling add the pippies until they open. Rinse them under cold water and leave them to cool.

Shell the pippies, remove the outer layer of flesh, ‘the dangly gut stuff’ and any remaining sand.

In a pan or wok, heat a small amount of oil and add any fresh veggies that you want – e.g. peas, corn, carrots. Cook until crisp but tender.

Add coconut cream, chilli, curry powder and simmer until cooked.

Add pippies and warm through. Serve on a bed of rice.

Serves 1-2 people