THE GLUTTON CLUB: MANGROVE MARINARA
This is a recipe that was born from the loins of Cara and Amy’s hunting trip on the Tiwi Islands. Cara had been hunting for, and eaten, long bums before, but this was Amy’s first time to the Tiwi’s and she had never tasted long bum before. When Cara described them to her the day before their hunting trip, she had a brainwave! They would keep some of the long bums they hunted to make a seafood pasta dish so delicious, nothing else they ate in the Tiwi’s would compare. Cara informed Amy of her brilliant idea, and Amy agreed that this was going to be the pasta dish to end all other pasta dishes. And so, their adventure began to make a Mangrove Marinara on Father’s Day, 2018.
Before we go any further though, a few details. Long bums (Telescopium telescopium) are a mangrove sea-snail with a cone-shaped shell. You can find them in amongst a variety of brackish mangroves in the mud. There are many medical benefits of long bums. Really, anyone who is sick, anaemic, and has thin blood should hit the mangroves hard for these bad boys (you can thank us later for your quick return to full health). Benefits include:
1. They are high in Vitamin C, so give them to anyone who has a cold. 2. They are high in Iron, for when you need to grow big and strong. 3. They will thicken your blood, perfect for babies with thin blood.
First things first, there are a few tools you will need to collect long bums and make the perfect Mangrove Marinara:
4X4
Hammer
Flat rock
Bag, preferably a Woolworths tote variety
Grate for fire pit
Knife to find mussels
Axe in case there isn’t enough firewood at your beach site
Access to the Tiwi Islands*
Once you have all the appropriate tools, the fun can begin!
Hunting Methods
Long bums can be ‘hunted’ in mangroves in the Northern Territory, including on the Tiwi Islands. Our hunting trip wouldn’t have been possible without Tony and his family. Tony is a Traditional Owner of Racoon on Bathurst Island and is a respected elder in the Tiwi community. He accompanied us on our adventures in the mangroves, along with Tony’s wife Maree, step-daughter Karen, and his grandson Timmy.
Step 1: On Father’s Day, Tony will invite you hunting at Pirlangimpi. When you go to pick him up he will decide he is too comfortable sitting in his lawn chair and tell you he isn’t coming any more. So, you will go to pick up Karen and Timmy from Karen’s house around the corner. She will then tell you to drive back to Tony’s because there is no way he isn’t coming hunting. Tony and Maree will then all pile into the car, along with Karen and Timmy.**
Step 2: Drive everyone to the mangroves. This will be the location of the hunting. Enter the mangroves. We would recommend you do what Karen and Tony did and wear reef shoes or enclosed shoes. Do not do what Amy and Cara did and wear thongs; they will get stuck in the mud and you will have to take them off and you will step on many ouchy mangrove roots. Proceed to hunt for long bums, periwinkles, and mussels whilst getting covered in knee-deep mud. Listen to Tony when he tells you not to go too far in.***
Step 3: Drive to the beach and make a fire pit. Throw whole long bums onto the fire and wait until you can see them boiling in their own juices. Chat to Karen, Tony, and Maree about cooking long bums and mussels. Entertain Timmy whilst the food is on the fire.**
Step 4: Take the long bums off the fire, but be careful they will be very hot! Find yourself a nice flat rock and a hammer. To get the edible part out of the long bum simply lay one on the flat rock and hit it with the hammer until you see the gooey blue bit. Cover in lemon juice and eat. Save some long bums for later (don’t be an Augustus Gloop).
Step 5: Drive everyone home again and put saved long bums in fridge to keep fresh.
Ingredients for cooking in a regular kitchen
Long bums
Periwinkles
Mussels
Pasta sauce
Onion
Garlic
Chilli
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Feta (to taste)
Pasta (your favourite style, we went with spirals because twirling is fun)
Pepper
A sprinkle of basil
Cooking Methods
Step 1: Put a pot of water on the stove to boil. When the water is boiling, add pasta of your choice.
Step 2: In the meantime, fry onion, garlic and chilli in a fry pan (duh) in oil until you are satisfied with the delicious smell that has filled your kitchen.
Step 3: Add long bums and simmer until the long bum smell reaches your nostrils. Your kitchen should now smell so good your mouth is watering and it’s only Step 3!
Step 4: Add sauce of your choice to the pan. We chose a tomato, olive, and chilli number that we thought matched the long bums quite nicely.
Step 5: Once simmering, add periwinkles and mussels.
Step 6: Pause from cooking to take photo of amazing Tiwi sunset.**
Step 7: Cook until mussels open. Add lemon juice to pasta
Step 8: Mix sauce and pasta together. Season with basil, feta, salt, and pepper and serve.
Step 9: Eat your delicious Mangrove Marinara!
*Optional. **All the Tiwi steps can be adapted for Mangrove Marinara preparation in Darwin, but it will probably be way less fun. ***SAFETY NOTE: Always be CrocWise when hunting in the mangroves. Crocs are deadly, remember that they are deadly.
