Table of contents for Issue 81 December /January 2019 in Dish

It’s always a bit crazy to be working on the bumper end-of-year issue when Christmas is still some time away, but the excitement of creating fantastic recipes and putting together ideas to help make your big day the best yet, wins through every time. In The Main Attraction (page 42), dish Food Editor Claire Aldous has delivered a Christmas Day meal to remember with her contemporary versions of yuletide classics. The line-up also includes our showstopping pavlova cover recipe, complete with gilded mini meringues and gold stars you can eat (page 64). Contributor Sarah Tuck has used the freshest seasonal berries to produce four decadent desserts that will work for any occasion throughout the festive period (page 56). We’ve got party time canapés (page 66) and Easy Everyday dishes (page…

ROSEMARY Bring the outdoors in with one of the season’s most evocative herbs, rosemary’s woody, piney scent summoning up the roasts of Christmas past. The leaves will dry up within a few days, but that beautiful aroma will linger. THYME Ah… the heady scent of high summer. That is thyme to a tee. This herb blends beautifully with the rosemary – just be sure to give it a daily spritz to keep it perky and fragrant. STEP BY STEP First, assemble your kit. You’ll need a 10-inch metal wire wreath (ours was from Spotlight), pliars, fresh herbs, decorative leaves of your choice, and very fine gardening wire. Lay the longer pieces of rosemary on the frame first as a base, twisting the fine wire around to fix it in place.…

From the WINE HERO A director of Wellington’s Noble Rot Wine Bar, senior wine consultant and former Sommelier of the Year, Maciej Zimny lives his life around wine and has a passion that is unmatched by many in his industry. noblerot.co.nz From the ECO FOODIE Gisborne’s Jane Lyons is dish’s recipe creator and writer of Flour & Water, the magazine’s column which helps people reduce waste and create more sustainable habits. On Instagram @jane_lyons_ From the EXECUTIVE CHEF After six years honing his skills in kitchens in Paris and Marseille, up-and-coming culinary star Wallace Mua has returned home to take up the reins as Executive Chef at Auckland’s FISH restaurant. hilton.com/auckland From the FOOD EDITOR Claire Aldous has been food editor at dish since its launch in 2004. She aims to encourage New Zealanders…

We Kiwis love our mushrooms, with a recent study showing they’re our fourth favourite veg (even though they’re technically a fungi). And those mushrooms that end up on your plate are in all likelihood from Meadow Mushrooms farm in Christchurch, which has been supplying New Zealanders with fresh portabello, white button and swiss brown mushrooms since 1970, and where today they pick and process one million mushrooms every two days. Grown in a compost mix, rich in selenium, Meadow Mushrooms pack a nutritional punch. When exposed to sun they increase in vitamin D, which is why putting your mushrooms on the window ledge 30 minutes before eating is beneficial. Cooking mushrooms also increases their levels of vitamin C. Another fun fact: did you know the portobello mushroom is just a…

“Celebrate the festive season with these crowd-pleasing dishes that you’ll love cooking and sharing with friends”FOOD EDITOR CLAIRE ALDOUS V VEGETARIAN GF GLUTEN FREE…

Christmas Pavlova 8 large eggs, size 72 cups caster sugar1 teaspoon vanilla extract2 teaspoons lemon juice1 tablespoon cocoa (I used Valrhona)¼ teaspoon each ground cinnamon and cloves TO SERVE 2 cups cream250 grams mascarpone1 teaspoon vanilla paste2 punnets raspberriesGilded Mini Meringues (recipe opposite)3 tablespoons purchased dulce de lechesmall spray-free purple flowers, edible gold stars and dust for garnish Preheat the oven to 120°C (not fan bake). Draw 2 x 20cm circles on two sheets of baking paper. Grease 2 flat baking trays and place the paper ink-side down on top. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks then gradually beat in the sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time. Keep whisking until the sugar has fully dissolved and the meringue is very thick and glossy. Using a large metal spoon, fold…

Cumin and Coriander Lamb Stir-Fry Once you’ve prepped all the ingredients, this dish is super-quick to throw together. Gai lan or Chinese broccoli can be found at Asian grocers and supermarkets, but use broccolini if need be. 600 grams boneless lamb leg steaks, fat removed and thinly sliced1 tablespoon peanut oil1 tablespoon cumin seeds3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger¼ cup coriander stalks, finely chopped2 bunches gai lan, chopped2 green capsicums, stalk and membrane removed, chopped2 spring onions, sliced1 tablespoon soy sauce1 tablespoon caster sugar TO SERVE Chilli oil; sticky white rice Heat the peanut oil in a wok or large non-stick saute pan. Add the cumin seeds, garlic, ginger and coriander stalks and fry for 2-3 minutes or until aromatic. Add the lamb and fry until browned…

“We’ll pair the sparkling wines with tasty dishes that complement the season but with a Culpeper twist – expect fun and innovation.” WHERE: The Culpeper Restaurant 143-147 Princes Wharf Auckland Viaduct WHEN: Monday, 19th November 2018 Guest arrival 6pm, seated for 6.30pm PRICE: $110 pp (includes six-course dinner and matched wines) TO BOOK: Tickets available through Eventfinda or email events@nourishgroup.co.nz Credit card details will be required DON’T MISS OUT — SEATS ARE LIMITED SO BOOK YOUR TICKETS EARLY…

1 ROAST SALTED MACADAMIAS The rich, buttery flavour of macadamias make them an indulgent treat, perfect to jazz up a cheese or dessert platter. 2 ROAST UNSALTED CASHEWS & ROAST UNSALTED ALMONDS Absolute favourites among Kiwis, these are perfect to add crunch to a salad, as a topping for fruit cake or a snack when Christmas shopping. 3 ROAST SALTED CASHEWS IN SKIN If you love cashews you will love these even more. Exclusive to Alison’s Pantry, these crunchy cashews are roasted in their skins and lightly salted for a flavour explosion. 4 DELUXE NATURAL NUTS Packed with everyone’s favourite nut varieties including walnuts, hazelnuts and macadamias, this delicious blend will add a touch of Christmas to any occasion. 5 VITALITY MIX This festive mix is an all-round winner. With…

BASE 200 grams dark chocolate digestive biscuits50 grams roasted hazelnuts⅓ cup melted butter FILLING ½ cup cream200 grams dark chocolate, 68 per cent cocoa, well chopped ⅓ cup Nutella¼ teaspoon sea salt1 tablespoon hazelnut liqueur500 grams cream cheese at room temperature½ cup caster sugar2 large eggs, size 7 for decorating ideas see Cook’s note Preheat the oven to 150°C, not fan bake. Grease a 20cm springform cake tin and line the base and sides with baking paper. BASE: Put the biscuits and nuts in a food processor and blend until fine crumbs. Add the butter and pulse to combine. Tip into the tin and press down firmly to form an even layer. Chill while making the filling. FILLING: Put the cream in a saucepan and heat to just below the…

Gourmet in the Gardens OCTOBER 28 - NOVEMBER 25 HAMILTON Enjoy the scenic setting of Hamilton Gardens as you indulge in gourmet cuisine. hamiltongardens.co.nz Waiheke Walking Festival NOVEMBER 17-25 A free, nine-day event with more than 50 walks over a variety of terrain. Add food and wine for the ultimate day out. waihekewalkingfestival.org Kapiti Food Fair DECEMBER 1 PARAPARAUMU Go along hungry to this fun, foodie day out. It’s the perfect chance to purchase bespoke Christmas gifts. kapitifoodfair.net Alberton Market Day DECEMBER 9 AUCKLAND A fun, family-friendly market abundant with fresh produce, flowers and artisan stalls. heritage.org.nz Wellington Underground Christmas Market DECEMBER 12 A go-to for creative and crafty items to stock up on before the main event. undergroundmarket.co.nz Beast of a Feast JANUARY 13 MT MAUNGANUI Food and craft…

I’m British-born, and so of course for me it’s not Christmas without a turkey. I like to bone my bird, as it makes it easier to carve, plus it means that everyone gets a bit of breast, leg and stuffing on their plate. This pancetta and pecan stuffing is delicious, too – rich and full of flavour, it tastes suitably decadent. You do have to take care when boning the bird to keep the skin in one piece – use a small, sharp knife, and take a look at tutorials on YouTube if you need further guidance! Roasting the rolled turkey with the skin on means the fat from the skin will render down and make the bird juicy; you don’t need any butter or oil. I highly recommend investing…

Ah, fresh baby peas, how we wax lyrical about them, declaring the first peas of the season to be the true sign of spring, reminiscing how we sat on the kitchen steps with our siblings podding freshly-picked peas for Christmas lunch – eating more than we put in the bowl – and on and on … but it’s a myth that needs busting open: frozen baby peas are more likely a better buy than fresh ones. The problem lies in the harvesting. If only peas were all at the same stage of maturity when they were picked, all would be “sweet”, but they’re not, and sweetness is the very thing that is affected. The sugars in peas quickly convert to starch once the peas reach maturity, and you end up…

Tuscan Roasted Pork Belly Juicy tender meat infused with aromatic Italian herbs enrobed in crispy, crackled skin – roast pork at its finest! 2 kilogram boned pork belly, skin on (or use two 1 kilogram pieces)olive oilsea saltkitchen string for tying roast RUB 1 tablespoon olive oil1 tablespoon ground fennelsmall handful each rosemary and sage leaves, finely choppedfinely grated zest1 large lemon2 cloves garlic, crushed1 teaspoon caster sugar1 teaspoon sea salt½ teaspoon ground pepper½ teaspoon chilli flakes Preheat the oven to 150°C fan bake. RUB: Stir all the ingredients together in a bowl then rub the paste evenly over the pork, meat side only. Roll up the pork and tie at 3cm intervals with kitchen string. Place in a shallow roasting dish, rub the skin with olive oil and season…

Zeppole with Spicy Preserved Lemon Mayo These savoury doughnuts are perfect with beer or bubbles. They can also be made with offcuts of pizza or bread dough. ZEPPOLE 250 grams plain white flour10 grams active dried yeast granules250ml water10ml olive oil5 grams salt100 grams anchovies, roughly chopped grapeseed oil, for cooking LEMON MAYO ½ cup good quality mayonnaise2 tablespoons preserved lemon, finely dicedzest and juice 1 lemon½ teaspoon chilli powder ZEPPOLE: Sift the flour into a large bowl and combine with the yeast. Make a well in the centre and gradually pour in the water, oil and salt and stir until a sticky dough forms. Cover and leave to rise for 60-90 minutes. MAYO: Whisk together all the ingredients in a small bowl. Place in a jar in the fridge…

For more than 25 years Greenlea have been sending their premium Waikato beef overseas, where it’s served up and enjoyed at top restaurants around the globe. And now this proudly family-owned business – New Zealand’s fourth largest beef exporter – is delighted to launch the online Greenlea Butcher Shop, bringing world-class meat directly to your door. Greenlea’s beef is 100 per cent pasture-raised, grass-fed, antibioticand hormone-free. In addition to family favourites like mince (made from prime steer chuck, the same muscle group as scotch fillet so it’s incredibly lean), Greenlea Butcher Shop offers those hard-to-find cuts like beef cheek, lamb loin, brisket, short ribs, and more. NOT JUST BEEF Greenlea Butcher Shop has also partnered with outstanding Kiwi producers Ovation for Lamb and First Light for Venison to bring you…

SUPER-PREMIUM RELEASE It’s taken around 30 years, since the Preston family first planted grapes in Hawke’s Bay’s Gimblett Gravels district, but they’ve finally decided they’re ready to create an icon range of red wines. The Arthur Edmund range is named after the husband of Elspeth, the Preston matriarch whose name has adorned their premium-release wines for the past few decades. A 2013 Cabernet Merlot and a 2013 Syrah were created from only the oldest vines, on the best soils, pruned to just three to four bunches of grapes per vine and matured in only the best French and American oak barrels; meaning the intensity of flavour in each one is beyond anything they’ve achieved before. The wines will retail for $350 each and are available from millsreef.co.nz. Love is in…

SUQAR Greg and Lucy Malouf, Hardie Grant, $60 When a great book of sweet treats trundles your way, it’s verging on criminal to say “sorry, I don’t have room”. So politely ask your cookbooks to squidge up and make space for SUQAR. This collection of more than 115 recipes – drawing on the authors’ extensive travels around the Middle East – showcases exciting ingredients such as cardamom, labneh, saffron and more. In this, their eighth book, Greg and Lucy Malouf bring us deliciousness in the form of Bay-butterscotch Baklava and Persian Butter Fudge. Above all, SUQAR is a celebration of sharing, a pillar of Middle Eastern culture. In this season of giving, gift yourself this tasty tome. VEGAN Kyra de Vreeze, Murdoch Books, $27.99 There are many reasons why you…

A MEATY GIFT THIS FESTIVE SEASON, MAKE SOMEONE’S DAY WITH THE GREENLEA BUTCHER SHOP’S “SIZZLE AND CHEER” GIFT BOX. PACKED WITH PREMIUM EXPORT QUALITY NEW ZEALAND BEEF AND LAMB, ALONG WITH A FEW OTHER GOODIES, THIS IS THE PERFECT GIFT. $99. SEE GREENLEABUTCHER.CO.NZ. FESTIVE KICK An Italian classic since 1933, the Bialetti Moka coffee maker will stand the test of time and provide you with delicious coffee throughout the busy Christmas period. Also available in inductioncapable, they make a wonderful gift for the coffee lover in your life. Get yours at bialetti.co.nz or at all good homeware stores. Small but mighty Mini but mighty in flavour, you can become a masterchef in your own home with these three new microgreens on offer: micro coriander, radish and pea tendrils. They’re packaged…

What’s new, news and necessary for your home COCKTAIL HOUR We’re shaken and stirred by this great new addition to our cocktail toolkit. Elemental Bitters are made by hand in New Zealand with 100 per cent natural ingredients in batches of 250 or less. The three flavours – Grapefruit & Hops, Coffee & Pimento Bitters, and Blackberry & Balsamic Bitters – have been created with cocktails in mind. We also love the dinky little sealed bottles. elementaldistillers.com It’s just a little blush Premium Pink Distilled Gin is Gordon’s way of raising a glass to the shade du jour. Inspired by an original recipe from the 1800s, this classic spirit with a modern twist is the perfect summer beverage. The refreshing taste of Gordon’s is balanced by the natural sweetness of…

Looking at Christmas through the lens of waste reduction can feel overwhelming – food, gifts, packaging; where to start? I’ve been mulling over a concept Rekindle founder Juliet Arnott spoke of in a TED Talk about waste; resourcefulness is the opposite of wastefulness. So during this festive period, how can we minimise what we’re wasting by celebrating what we have? TO EAT: Cured egg yolks They’re not a big food waste issue dayto- day, but come pavlova season, it’s easy to end up with a big bowl of egg yolks sitting in the fridge and not enough time to prepare a bulk batch of silky hollandaise or chocolate mousse (though if you do have time, please go ahead!). Cured yolks sound very flash but they’re actually very easy and fun…

Wouldn’t it be nice to open up your fridge at the end of the week and find veggies that are as fresh, feisty and flavoursome as the day you bought them? There’s nothing more frustrating than limp lettuce or carrots on the verge of a meltdown – especially at this time of year when you’ve filled the shelves with produce to feed the holiday hordes. Fisher & Paykel takes their food quality very seriously, so their designers and engineers took a long, cool look at the problem of keeping food fresher, for longer. They wanted to create intelligent refrigerators that would help your food go the distance (and lock in those vital nutrients) by keeping it at a consistent temperature. Temperature fluctuations happen all the time in refrigerators, caused by…

Rhubarb, Raspberry and Rose Water Trifle with Praline I love the combination of rhubarb, raspberries and rose water, but if you prefer something less floral simply substitute the rose water for vanilla extract. FRUIT 800 grams rhubarb, washed and trimmed2 tablespoons rose water3 tablespoons caster sugar2 tablespoons water1½ cups fresh raspberries TRIFLE 3 eggs, size 7, separated½ cup plus 2 tablespoonscaster sugar1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste400 grams mascarpone500ml cream¾ cup water⅓ cup caster sugar1 tablespoon rose water¼ cup Vanilla Gallianoreserved rhubarb syrup300 grams trifle sponge TO SERVE Persian Fairy Floss; Praline (see recipe); Preheat the oven to 180?C. 2.5 litre capacity dish. FRUIT: Chop the rhubarb into 5cm lengths. Put in a single layer in a roasting pan and sprinkle with rose water, sugar and water. Roast for 15-20 minutes,…

Iced Gingerbread Cookies It’s hard to give the number of cookies this recipe will make, as it depends on what size cutters you use. Mine were assorted and I stamped out 40 by re-rolling all the scraps and doing a second cut. 175 grams butter¾ cup packed brown sugar¾ cup golden syrup1 teaspoon sea salt2 teaspoons each ground cinnamon and ginger½ teaspoon ground allspice 1 large egg, size 73½ cups plain flour1 teaspoon baking powder½ teaspoon baking soda TO FINISH purchased royal icing gel food colouring Put the butter, brown sugar, golden syrup, salt and the spices in a saucepan over a medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved then take off the heat. Tip into a large bowl and cool. Beat in the egg. Combine the flour, baking powder…

TASTING PANEL JUDGES AND RATING SYSTEM Yvonne Lorkin dish drinks writer and experienced beer, wine and cider judge Jane Boyle Wine consultant James Rowan Winemaker at West Brook Winery Gold Medal Superb. Strongly recommended. Silver Medal A cut above the rest in quality. Bronze Medal A good-quality crowd-pleaser. Best Buy……… BEST BUY Wines that retail for $20 or less and earned five-star gold-medal status. (NB: All wines are judged blind under competition conditions. The scores of judges for their own wines cannot exceed those of other judges.) I adore a good, sweet, sticky wine. To be honest it doesn’t even faze me when someone at the table refuses a glass because that generally means more for me. Many people refer to these wines as ‘dessert wines’, but I think that’s…

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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 : A fan-forced oven unless otherwise specified. Large eggs (No.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). Useful techniques BAKE BLIND Line a prepared pastry case with baking paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. The beans support the pastry as it cooks. Bake in a preheated 190ºC…