Lash up a vintage boil-up recipe (from an old-time Roslyn Baptist Church Good Eating recipe book):
Pūkeko Soup
Skin the bird, inserting the point of the knife at the base of the breast bone and peel back the skin as far as the legs, pinion wing joints and neck. Remove these and clean the bird.
Cut the carcass into joints and with one large onion, finely chopped, brown in hot fat. Add three pints of boiling water and simmer slowly for two hours.
Strain and return the stock to boiling point, add one grated carrot, one tablespoon of lentils, one chopped leek, a level teaspoon of salt and one tablespoon of port wine. Just before serving, sprinkle into the soup a little chopped parsley.
Or whip up a more contemporary Pūkeko and Paua version from Keith Stewart's Blog.
Kai Time's Peter Peeti offers up a gourmet-sounding Boiled Wild Duck and Pukeko with Miro Berries, Pikopiko and Maori Potato that blends the best of the Aotearoa autumn harvest.
For a more international flavour, check out this 1973 St Petersburg News article on "Cooking up a Gallinule" or mudhen as they are known over there...
