A first signature dish for Fenua
At the end of October 2024, multi-starred chef Thierry Marx and Tahitian chef Teao Maiarii created the recipe for the first Polynesian “signature dish” in Bora Bora. An essential step in promoting the inimitable heritage of the islands of the Ocean People. Discover the history and recipe for this unique Tahitian delicacy created by two chefs.
Two chefs, two techniques, one iconic recipe
What a pleasure to see them meet: on the one hand Thierry Marx, who has been on first-name terms with the Michelin stars since 1988, with his mischievous gaze and his constant concern for transmission; on the other hand, Teao Maiarii, a former chemistry student who became an alchemist of local products, an immediately recognized chef, first at the restaurant 'Umete de Vairao, then at the Maru Maru in Papeete. It was as part of the Campus des métiers et des qualifications de l'hôtellerie-restauration (CMQP), directed by Hina Grepin, and after an invitation from chef Thierry Marx in Tahiti by President Moetai Brotherson, that they met at the end of October 2024, for an interesting challenge: to formalize the first signature dish of Polynesian gastronomy.
On Sunday, October 27, in Bora Bora, welcomed by the team of the Intercontinental Thalasso of Bora Bora and watched over by Mount Otemanu, the two chefs, assisted by two vocational baccalaureate students in professional cookery from the island's lycée, created this first signature dish live.
The Cultural Heritage of Local Products
Tahitian cuisine consists mainly of fish (mahi-mahi, tuna, parrotfish, swordfish, etc.), seafood, pork, or chicken, served with fruits, vegetables, rice and tubers. Lime, coconut, vanilla, and other exotic flavors add aroma to the dishes. Raw fish, chicken fafa (taro leaves), and pua’a choux (pork stew), served with uru (bread fruit), sweet potatoes, or fe’i (cooked bananas), are the must-try dishes served in a meal cooked in the 'ahimā'a (a traditional underground oven used for steaming food). When it comes to desserts, po’e made with banana, guava, pumpkin, and all its variations, is always a hit!
But beyond the traditional 'ahimā'a, Polynesian cooking techniques and recipes are constantly evolving through the fusion of culinary influences from around the world. This is where this unique fusion of Pacific ingredients and French gastronomic culture comes into play.
This delicious dish was conceived a few years ago by Teao Maiarii, project manager for the campus working group dedicated to Polynesian culinary identity. The initial idea had several goals: to highlight Polynesia’s ecosystem, to create a recipe using ingredients that everyone consumes, and to develop a recipe with which the local population could easily identify. Ultimately, the goal was to create a dish and a recipe representative of today’s Tahitian cuisine, based on local ingredients, some traditional techniques, and other techniques adopted from abroad, particularly from France.
This recipe thus provides a good balance between the cultural heritage of Polynesia and local flavors: on one hand, shrimp, taro, and coconut; on the other, French culinary expertise, including emulsions, broth, court bouillon, and sauce reductions... all those small steps that aren’t obvious, but are essential to the final dish.
An inimitable taste
Only local products were used for this signature recipe: even the sauce reductions were not made with wine, but with taioro*. “The products are local, the taste is local, but the working method is French. You could say that this dish is pure Escoffier**”, summarized Teao Maiarii, the Tahitian chef. What really sets this dish apart is its taste: ‘You can eat it anywhere in the world, it reminds you of Tahiti and its islands, it carries that identity’. It was in this sense that it was put forward for the visit of chef Thierry Marx.
The taro field ecosystem
Let's return to the chosen ecosystem. Teao suggested the taro field. “We wanted to highlight taro and coconut. In a taro field, there is taro of course, an abundance of water and coconut palm mulch. That's why we plant coconut palms nearby. Often, “pest-resistant” plants are added: ginger, re'a Tahiti, papaya trees, etc. Finally, “with an abundance of water, wild watercress grows, and water spinach grows in the water...” Water spinach, taro, coconut, re'a Tahiti or ginger, watercress: enough to make a big deal of it.
This first signature recipe will tell, on every continent, a delicious and true moment of The Islands of Tahiti.
To enjoy a homemade dinner or lunch inspired by the cuisine and flavors of the islands, check out the recipe below. Feel free to pair it with an easy appetizer or salad featuring exotic flavors and a traditional dessert. And to discover Polynesia through its cuisine, check out the travel tips provided by Patrick Seurot, editorial director of Tama’a magazine.
Blue shrimps sautéed in re'a tahiti,
coconut foam & taro risotto
Ingredients:
SHRIMPS • 1 kg blue shrimps
| SHRIMP FUMET • Shrimp shells |
RISOTTO 1 kg cooked tarot | SHRIMP BISQUE • Shrimp heads |
RE'A TAHITI SAUCE • Shrimp bisque
| COCONUT FOAM • 200 g coconut milk
|
Finishing touches: • Prepared shrimp | |
Preparation:
- Taro
The day before, cook the taro in water. Then rinse with clean water and keep cool. Cut the taro into brunoise then keep cool.
- Shrimp stock
Cut the aromatic garnish into mirepoix. In a saucepan, combine all the ingredients and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat after boiling and cook for 45 mins, skimming regularly. Strain through a conical sieve, then set aside.
- Shrimp
Shell the prawns. Set aside the shells for the stock and the heads for the bisque. Rinse the prawns in clean water for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the brine (coarse salt 200g + 1.5L of water) + ice cubes. Place the prawns in the brine for 20 minutes, then rinse three times in clean water. Set aside.
- Prawn bisque
In a saucepan, brown the prawn heads, crush them with a rolling pin, add the aromatic garnish, then deglaze with taioro water. Reduce until syrupy. Add half the stock. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, then set aside.
- Re'a Tahiti sauce
Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve, then set aside.
- Risotto
Pour olive oil into a saucepan. Sweat the onions until translucent, add the taro, simmer until translucent and deglaze with the taioro water, then add a little shrimp stock. Season with salt and pepper. Add the Parmesan. Mix.
- Coconut foam
In a saucepan, bring the fish stock and the taioro water to the boil, then add the coconut milk. Season with salt and pepper, return to the heat until the sauce is simmering, then emulsify with a whipping siphon.
- Sautéed prawns
Start with the ingredients cold. Put the prawns and olive oil in a frying pan. Cook over a high heat. Once browned, turn the prawns over. Deglaze with the re'a Tahiti sauce. Bring to the boil, then turn off the heat. Add the cress and serve.
* taioro: a Polynesian condiment made by fermenting a mixture of grated mature coconut kernels, seawater and shrimp heads
** Auguste Escoffier (1846-1935) was a renowned French chef, often considered one of the greatest chefs of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is most famous for revolutionizing and modernizing culinary techniques and kitchen organization in the grand hotels, while simplifying and codifying the style of classic French cuisine.
** for mulching, roofing, brooms, drinking and eating, fertilizer, stuffing for ropes, husk for making fire or bowls...