Table of contents for Issue 105 Oct/Nov 2022 in Dish

I go through phases of avoiding Facebook, usually when I’m on deadline and have seen one sun-soaked holiday post too many. I’m forever promising myself I will find some time in my schedule to dust off my passport, but meanwhile, I am very lucky indeed to be able to take the odd day or two to nip away, as I did for this issue to the mighty Waikato, where I checked out the local scene (page 126). Looking farther afield, in this issue it is my pleasure to bring the travel to your table with exciting dishes from, and inspired by, a variety of cultures and cuisines. Talented and effervescent MasterChef New Zealand winner Sam Low gets us underway with a recipe for Chinese-inspired Cumin and Chilli Lamb Skewers (page…

Sarah Tuck, Editor Weave Eatery, Hamilton: Just in case you miss my Waikato roundup (page 126), I’d like to wax lyrical a little more about the incredible food at Weave Eatery. On our visit we sampled four different options from the menu, and all were equally faultless. It is such a treat to go somewhere where every dish is a banger with amazing seasoning, texture and flavour combinations. Ash’s Chilli Scram is the most popular thing on the menu, but by crikey the Mushroom Toast was bloody good with its miso and onion puree, mushroom cream, nori and togarashi… sensational! weaveeatery.co.nz Claire Aldous, Food Editor Ooh-Fa, Auckland: I love having restaurants that are a short walk from my house, especially if they’re serving delicious sourdough pizzas with Italianish but not…

I’ve written about both broccoli and cauliflower in this column before so I thought I would concentrate on my favourite ways of cooking these vegetables. GETTING THE BEST FROM BROCCOLI A quick and easy side dish Broccoli is served up 2-3 times a week in winter in my house, and nearly as often in summer. I eat it not only because it’s amazingly good for us, but because I’ve grown to love it. My standard method is steaming broccoli florets for a few minutes, until I get that first whiff of sulphur (overcook broccoli and it stinks!), and either finishing off immediately, or splashing with ice-cold water and finishing it later. I add the leaves and peeled or trimmed chunks of stalk. To finish, put 1-2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive…

Anna Janiec, who moved to New Zealand from Poland 20 years ago, has spent time in fine dining kitchens cooking all sorts of food. But far away from her home country, she found herself dreaming of traditional kiełbasa. “I craved it so badly over the years that I made my own,” she explains. Eventually, she realised she wanted to cook traditional Polish food – homemade pierogi, traditional roast meats, smoked charcuterie and barrels of pickles and sauerkraut. A food technologist by trade, she started The Polish Sausage Company to bring a taste of Poland to Wellington. Anna intended to open a bistro and smokehouse serving traditional Polish street food on 1 April 2020, but understandably, things didn’t go quite according to plan. “Being in lockdown meant that I needed to…

Tell us a bit about Wet Jacket Wines. Greg: I set up Chard Farm with my brother in 1987, then started Peregrine Wines in 1998 with a couple of friends. But by 2015, I felt like starting a new brand that had lower volumes and was more domestic-focused, and the idea of Wet Jacket was born. Around the same time, the Woolshed in Queenstown came up for sale and I’d looked at that building for many years thinking what an amazing cellar door it would make! What’s the story behind the name? Greg: I’ve spent a lot of time in Fiordland and have a boat down in Dusky Sound with some friends. I was on a trip there when I was trying to think of a brand name for Wet…

Dong Po Braised Pork Braised pork is my death-row meal. Tender, rich and unctuous, and needing nothing more than steamed rice doused in the braising liquid to make a complete meal, this dish is the king – or emperor – of pork braises. The pork is braised exclusively in rice wine and aromats, with no water added. The result is the most tender, luxurious braise, which yields at the lightest touch. The distinctive red colour comes from caramelising the skin, and sometimes from the addition of red yeast rice, which I have omitted here. 1-2-kilogram boneless pork belly, skin on2 tablespoons (40ml) vegetable oil1 tablespoon (4 teaspoons) caster sugar6 spring onions8cm piece ginger, sliced750ml Shaoxing wine½ cup light soy sauce2 tablespoons (40ml) dark soy sauce10 grams rock sugar (see Cook’s…

Bursting with sunshine and a string of beach hamlets, the Sunshine Coast is one of Queensland’s favourite seaside escapes. Inland you’ll find a world of charming villages, arts and crafts outlets and fresh produce. Here’s how to get under – and into – the belly of the region in just 48 hours. Day 1 8.30am – Leave Brisbane behind and say 'sawadee' to a 30-year-old culinary institution, the Spirit House Cooking School in the hinterland town of Yandina. Learn how to slice, dice, chop and fry your way through food fit for your Asian midday feast. 2pm – Eumundi is famous for its ‘Make it. Bake it. Sew it. Grow it’ markets and its grand old Queenslander pub. Spend the afternoon exploring the boutiques and galleries before checking into the…

DIESEL-POWERED Gen Xers will remember the 90s hard-partying animated anti-hero, Tank Girl. Back then she charmed us with her boots, bad haircuts and blood-crusted fighting injuries. Well, now she’s 50 and it looks like her refreshment of choice has evolved from rocket fuel to North Otago rosé*. She’s now known as Dame Diesel but still can’t seem to shake the dubious hairdo or scars. The Dame Diesel Waitaki Rosé 2021 ($24.99) is available from nockiespalette.com *The wine is real, but the Tank Girl part is total speculation. Nice rack! So, you’d like to proudly display your wines rather than tuck them away? Wine industry veteran Anita Hanna can help with that. She’s launched Wine on the Side, to sell innovative, easy-to-install wine racks by global brand VintageView. With the label…

Fragrant Jamaican Chicken and Vegetable Curry 2 tablespoons mild curry powder2 teaspoons ground allspice1 tablespoon brown sugar½-1½ teaspoons hot chilli powder (or more, for a spicier version)½ teaspoon ground turmeric800 grams skinless, boneless Rangitikei chicken thighs2 teaspoons sea salt2 tablespoons olive oil1 tablespoon butter1 large onion, thinly sliced3 cloves garlic, crushed2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger4 sprigs thyme3 bay leaves1½ cups chicken stock1½ cups coconut cream2 tablespoons soy sauce8 smallish red potatoes, halved2 medium carrots, sliced on the diagonal2 jalapeno chillies Combine the curry powder, allspice, sugar, chilli powder and turmeric in a small bowl. Halve the chicken thighs and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the spice mix and the sea salt and turn to coat well. Reserve the remaining spice mix. Heat the oil and…

Good afternoon It is a very cold afternoon here in Hamilton so I decided to sit and read through the latest edition of dish which I received on Friday. I have been a subscriber to dish since it’s inception and eagerly await each delivery into the mailbox. With each magazine my normal practice is to read through it and fold down the pages with recipes that I will make. This is of great angst to my husband who is an avid follower also. With Issue 104 however I started off folding down prospective pages and then realised I was folding down every page. Much to my husband’s delight I discontinued and decided I will diligently cook all of the recipes and enjoy with good company and great wine. Thanks for…

Join us at Mr Morris, one of Auckland’s most stylish restaurants, and enjoy an outstanding dinner prepared by chef Michael Meredith. Tuesday 11 October – save the date! dish is excited to partner with Nautilus Estate, Michael and the Mr Morris team for this fabulous celebration dinner. The evening will begin with Nautilus Estate Marlborough Cuvee Brut NV and elegant finger food, before a four-course dinner featuring two smaller plates, a main and dessert – all perfectly paired with delicious Nautilus Estate wines. One of New Zealand’s foremost wine brands, Nautilus Estate is committed to crafting textural, age-worthy and food-friendly wines that respect and showcase the unique Marlborough terroir. Grapes from a handful of specially selected Marlborough vineyard parcels each contribute different flavours and aromas, resulting in complex wines of…

Satya South Indian Restaurant and Chai Lounge 17 Great North Road (Restaurant); 515 Sandringham Road (Restaurant and Chai Lounge); 57 Mt Eden Road (Restaurant); 271 Karangahape Road (Chai Lounge) Swamy and Padmaja Akuthota opened the first Satya on Hobson Street in 1999 as a means of survival. Having moved to New Zealand three years earlier, they had no hospitality experience but were well known as good cooks in the Indian community here. “It was your typical migrant story,” explains son Sammy Akuthota, who now runs the handful of Satya restaurants scattered across Auckland’s central suburbs. “Dad was in a really highly speciaised engineering job and there were none available in that field for him here, so they decided to open a restaurant.” As word spread – and to combat a…

Crispy Pork Burgers with Guacamole and Pickled Red Onions If you love crunchy crumbed pork as much as me, I recommend using the full eight pieces of pork and stacking two on top of each other for double crunch! Pickled red onions will keep for up to three weeks in the fridge and are great served with a range of Mexican dishes. PICKLED RED ONIONS 1 red onion, thinly sliced200ml white vinegar50ml water1 tablespoon caster sugar1 teaspoon table salt1 teaspoon peppercorns, optional CRUMBED PORK 1 teaspoon ground cumin1 teaspoon garlic powder½ teaspoon smoked paprika½ teaspoon ground pepper½ teaspoon table salt1 cup plain flour2 large eggs2 tablespoons hot sauce2 cups panko crumbs4-8 pieces pork schnitzelvegetable oil, for frying GUACAMOLE 2 ripe avocados½ red capsicum, diced¼ red onion, diced½ cup chopped fresh…

COOK’S NOTE: The recipes in this section are all fabulous served with lots of warm flatbreads for dipping and scooping up as desired! Aromatic Carrots with Seedy Couscous and Dukkah (v) This is brilliant hot, but the leftovers also make for a great next-day salad for lunch. CARROTS 2 bunches baby carrots,scrubbed and tops trimmedolive oilsea salt and ground pepper1 teaspoon cumin seeds½ teaspoon chilli flakes1 tablespoon runny honey COUSCOUS 1½ cups instant couscous1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil1¾ cups vegetable stock, hot finely grated zest 1 lemon1 clove garlic, crushed1 teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly toasted1 teaspoon ground cumin400-gram tin black lentils, drained and rinsed ¼ cup finely chopped parsley¼ cup purchased dukkah⅓ cup pine nuts, toasted2 tablespoons each toasted sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds⅔ cup marinated feta, drained CARROTS: Preheat…

Kiri Hodi (gf) (v) The name translates to ‘milk gravy’, which is exactly what this is: a gentle dish that is more like a sauce than a curry. Kiri hodi is a great starter curry for kids or those in need of comfort. 5 grams fenugreek seeds25 grams coconut oil4 grams curry leaves150 grams sliced brown onion12 grams finely chopped garlic8 grams White Curry Powder (see recipe below)3 grams turmeric powder1 cinnamon quill250ml coconut cream 4 x 5cm pieces pandan leafjuice of up to 1 limesalt flakes and ground white pepper Place the fenugreek seeds in a small bowl, add 75ml water and set aside. Melt the coconut oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat, add the curry leaves and cook, stirring, for a minute. Add the onion…

As spring beckoned, I took the opportunity to zoom down the new Waikato Expressway from Auckland for an easy, breezy few days of exploring, eating and drinking in Hamilton and Raglan. What I found was passionate, skilled and motivated owners and producers doing their bit to put this region on the map for locals and visitors alike. HAMILTON Novotel Tainui 7 Alma Street, Hamilton Central Perfectly located on the banks of the Waikato River, the Novotel Tainui is the ideal spot from which to explore Hamilton. With great eateries, cafés and bars on its doorstep, this hotel provides first-class service and accommodation. Our room was spacious and well-appointed, with a stunning view over the river, while staff were accommodating and professional. Cream Eatery 14 Garden Place, Hamilton Central Just a…

Lanka Food: Serendipity and Spice by O Tama Carey, Hardie Grant, $60 This gorgeous, gold-covered book from Australian chef O Tama Carey offers a comprehensive guide to Sri Lankan cooking. Chapters survey a mouth-watering array of goodies, from street food to curries, sambols to breads. Hoppers, the addictive pancake-like staples that sit at the heart of the author’s menu at her Sydney restaurant, are a key focus, to my delight. What to cook first? I couldn’t go past the Godhamba Roti (see recipe page 120), a tender-and-flaky traditional bread, which shone alongside a quick dhal. The Love Cake, a recipe passed down from O Tama’s nan, was fudgy and fragrant. But it’s the naturally vegan Cashew Curry that’s next on my list, creamy with coconut and soft spices. Lanka Food…

For passionate cooking enthusiasts, the Titanium Chef Baker XL Black (RRP: $1299.99) from Kenwood’s new Autograph Collection boasts a sophisticated, sleek black colourway to an award-winning product, standing proud on your kitchen worktop. Designed to offer home bakers an appliance with an aesthetic as sleek as its performance, the Titanium Chef Baker XL Black will delight budding bakers in the creative process of baking from start to finish. The Titanium Chef Baker XL Stand Mixer still benefits from all the innovative features Kenwood is renowned for, but now, adds that statement style to provide a stand-out feature in the kitchen too. Features include EasyWeigh Scales, a 12000W Chef Motor, a dishwasher safe 7L stainless steel bowl, optional PopTop Covers for customisation, 25+ optional attachments, a LightLift Head and the Kenwood…

eDM: Braised Nutty Satay Chicken Our previous issue was a tremendous success with readers, both off and online. Alongside our Facebook recipe, the Braised Nutty Satay Chicken from Issue #104 was a hit with our newsletter readers, as all one-pan chicken dishes are. What helps set this dish apart is the lip-smacking satay sauce, which gives it a beautiful rich and nutty mouthfeel. I should know, it was the very first recipe I made the moment I brought it home! Instagram: Baked Feta with Tomatoes and Spaghetti Pasta and cheese is a combo that never fails to please, but when you add a melange of juicy tomatoes, sweet citrus and a hint of chilli into the mix, you’ve got a dish that exceeds all expectations. The ease of this recipe…

I was recently contacted by a journalist writing an article for Rasa, a new Whetstone Magazine vertical dedicated to South Asian culinary journeys. She was curious how kasundi, an obscure fermented mustard condiment from India, became so popular in New Zealand and Australia, and how I came to write a tomato kasundi recipe for my book The Modern Preserver. Her curiosity prompted me to find out more about kasundi – where it came from, how it was originally made, how the recipe has changed over time. Origin and tradition play an important role in food history. As recipes travel, they evolve and form their own stories. When we acknowledge and respect where they come from, we can appreciate and celebrate their journey into the now. Kasundi was traditionally made in…

Malamala Beach Club Malamala Beach Club offers the perfect recipe for a memorable day out to the world’s first island beach club. Offering a mouth-watering a la carte menu as well as Pacific-inspired meals and shared platters with an array of hand-crafted cocktails, it is sure to tame your cravings. Malamala Beach Club combines local cookery with Western methods and brings its own twist to traditional Fijian flavours. So when you aren’t out lounging by the infinity pool, kayaking or taking in the island views, you will love sipping a cold one and tasting your way through their menu. Kanu by Lance Seeto Based in both Nadi and Suva, Lance Seeto delivers a contemporary dining experience using natural ingredients and traditional techniques. Executive chef Lance Seeto has entirely immersed himself…

SAM LOW Content creator, barista and winner of MasterChef New Zealand 2022 By the time you read this, Sam Low will need no introduction. The first New Zealand MasterChef in seven years, he stunned the judges and audiences nationwide with dishes offering a modern, inventive twist on Chinese food. But although Sam is not a professional chef, he has long been cooking up a storm. Before entering MasterChef, he was a food social media star, with over 30,000 Instagram and TikTok followers watching his videos on cooking everything from simple stir-fried bok choy to fried chicken gua baos. (He first made headlines for glamming up the meals he received in a managed isolation facility in 2020.) He’s the brains behind modern Chinese pop-up, Da Lin. And he’s also an award-winning…

Crushed Red Potatoes with Fresh Mint and Chilli Butter (gf) (v) This bowl of perfectly boiled potatoes hits all the right spots: it’s got zing from the chilli, freshness from the mint and richness from the butter. 1 kilogram small red potatoes, washed80 grams butter2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint1 long red chilli, finely choppedsea salt and ground pepper Cook the potatoes in salted boiling water until just tender when pierced with a skewer. Drain well. Break some of the potatoes in half, then pile into a serving dish. Melt the butter in a saucepan, then swirl in the mint and chilli. Immediately pour over the potatoes and season generously with salt and pepper. SERVES 6-8 Grilled Sourdough with Prosciutto and Stracciatella This is more of a how-to than a…

Spiced Salmon and Zucchini Skewers with Chimichurri (gf) A quick and delicious meal that’s packed with flavour and a little extra crunch with the dukkah. 400 grams centre cut salmon fillet, skin off2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds1 teaspoon smoked paprika¼ teaspoon ground turmeric2 tablespoons olive oilsea salt and ground pepper3 medium zucchini, very thinly sliced TO SERVE 200 grams purchased babaghanoush¼ cup purchased chimichurri2 tablespoons purchased dukkah EQUIPMENT: 4 x 20cm thin metal skewers. Cut the salmon into 12 pieces. Combine the spices and oil in a large bowl and season well. Add the salmon and turn to coat. Spread the zucchini into a single layer and season. Thread a few slices at a time onto the skewers along with the salmon. Heat a little oil in a large frying…

When Fiji springs to mind, many think of white sandy beaches and cocktails by the pool. An aspect that is often overlooked is the region’s impeccable food. We spoke with Fiji’s leading chefs to find out how they are putting Fijian food on the map as a foodie destination. Caroline Oakley, head chef at Walker D'Plank What makes Fijian cuisine unique? Caroline: Fijian culture is passionate about food. Every family and special celebration is centred around cooking. What Fijian ingredients do you use? Caroline: Sea water, Spanish mackerel and wahoo are some of my favourites. What is your favourite menu item at your restaurant, and what makes it special? Caroline: Chilli Lobster – I do not follow a recipe. I make up the ingredients and method based on what is…

DESPITE THE FASHIONS OF the time being crafted from itchy fabrics of dubious flammability, a lot of excellent stuff actually happened in 1974. Yours truly was born (shout out to Waipukurau Maternity), we all watched M*A*S*H*, the great game of Connect Four was released, everybody was "Kung Fu Fighting" and we ate at Cobb & Co. And just quietly, Bill Spence from Matua Valley released New Zealand’s first sauvignon blanc. In 1976, when Montana planted it in major scale in Marlborough (of all places!), the industry scratched its head. What even was this grape? But by the late 1980s the world was well and truly taking notice. English wine critic Oz Clark describes his first New Zealand sauvignon blanc experience as follows: “My world of wine would never be the…

Notes for cooks To ensure successful results in cooking, we recommend you invest in accurate measuring tools – measuring cups and spoons and a measuring jug are essential and electronic scales are particularly useful as they weigh accurately in both imperial and metric. Always follow one set of measures in a recipe. Do not mix them up. DISH USES: Large eggs (size 7). Level spoons and cup measurements. Liquids are always measured in a jug and dry ingredients in measuring cups. NB: One tablespoon is 15ml (the Australian tablespoon is 20ml). Oven temperatures Cool oven ………..225°F ………..110°C Very low oven ……. 300°F ………… 150°C Moderate oven …… 350°F………..180°C Hot oven ………..… 400°F ………… 200°C Very hot oven ……. 450°F………..230°C Measurements VOLUME 1 level teaspoon ………..………..……. 5ml 1 level tablespoon ………..………..……