Table of contents for Issue 63 December/January 2015 in Dish

What makes for a delicious Kiwi Christmas? Taking ideas and traditions from other places and adapting them to what seems right for our way of life – and our climate. One of the benefits of enjoying Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere is being able to pick and choose from traditional festive menus while adding a lighter, summery touch to make it very much our own. Whether you prefer to stick to traditional dishes or are looking for something new to wow family and friends on the big day, you’re sure to find inspiration in the pages that follow. Food writer Julie Biuso has stunning ideas to fill the table on Christmas Day: from crispy-skinned roast duck salad dotted with the fresh flavours of lychee and watermelon, to an irresistible trifle…

NOVEMBER Saturday 21st MÉTHODE MARLBOROUGH WINE MATCHED DINNER – BLENHEIM Celebrated Marlborough chef David Anderson will create a five course menu paired with the region’s most prestigious traditional méthode sparkling wines, all served around a vintage Spitfire aeroplane at Omaka Airfield. Tickets $150pp or $1,350 for a table of 10. RSVP to nicola@spyvalley.co.nz or call 03 572 6208. Sunday 15th ITALIAN CHRISTMAS MARKET – AUCKLAND Get all your christmas food, present and decoration shopping done at this authentic, one-off gourmet Italian market. Stick around for a coffee and a slice of wood fired pizza while you’re at it. Visit www.dante.org.nz for details DECEMBER Saturday 5th KAPITI FOOD FAIR Get your Christmas shopping done early with a wide array of produce and artisan products from the Kapiti region and a long…

With the quality and precision of a commercial machine, a quieter motor and a sleek, modern design, the Vitamix Professional Series 750 is the ultimate sous chef for any home kitchen. From nutritious green smoothies to perfectly smooth nut butters, and steaming hot soup to all-natural frozen desserts, nothing powers through fresh ingredients like a Vitamix blender. The Professional Series 750 features five pre-programmed settings, variable speed control and pulse feature. This machine prepares every dish to perfection. What's more, it self-cleans in seconds! www.vitamix.co.nz save up to 35% when you subscribe WHY SUBSCRIBE? • save up to 35% on the cover price • all existing print subscribers are entered in every issue’s subscription prize draw • every issue delivered to your door • access to online recipe content via…

silverfernfarms.com It’s hard to believe a new cut of beef could have been created and introduced to kitchens and dinner plates as recently as 15 years ago, but the origins of the flat-iron steak are the result of work by research teams from the University of Nebraska and the University of Florida in the early 2000s, funded by the American National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. American in origin, flat-iron steak is also known as ‘butler’s steak’ in the United Kingdom, from the days when the butler of the house would bags the best piece of meat for himself. Called a ‘flat-iron’ due to its unusual shape – resembling an old-fashioned iron – the cut comes from the animal’s shoulder muscle, which sits around a seam of gristle. Silver Fern Farms Flat-Iron…

TIP: If strawberries are lacking in flavour, add a splash of lemon juice; the contrast makes them taste sweeter. Of all the berries – and I use the term loosely as we all do to include strawberries, blackberries, boysenberries and raspberries which are not true berries botanically – I love raspberries the most. They smell of hot summer days and earth after a shower of rain. I love their vibrant colour and the way their juice bleeds through cream, ice cream, sponge cake and meringues, but most of all I love the juicy, mouth-filling tangy taste. Raspberries are generally too sour to eat without sweetening. Caster sugar will do the trick, but icing sugar has the added effect of thickening the juices while also sweetening them. If raspberries are puréed…

Rata’s stunning interior draws on iconic elements of New Zealand landscape – from the wall-size photograph of rata trees to salt dishes made from local river stones – making it a fitting environment in which to enjoy the best of wine and food our country produces. Esk Valley winemaker, Gordon Russell, described growing the different varieties of grapes in the Hawkes Bay region and the natural yeast fermentation that occurs in the winemaking process as, “Our own expression of place”. Fittingly, Josh Emett and his team created a seasonal menu using fresh produce from small producers in the local region, including merino lamb, stinging nettle and miner’s lettuce. The flavours of each dish were carefully considered matches that perfectly complemented each of the superb wines from the Esk Valley collection.…

THE JUDGES YVONNE LORKIN Dish drinks writer LIZ WHEADON General Manager, Glengarry NZ MEG ABBOTTWALKER Sommelier at Masu RATING SYSTEM: GOLD Superb. Strongly recommended. SILVER A cut above the rest in quality. BRONZE A good-quality crowd pleaser. (NB: all wines are judged blind and the scores of judges for their own wines cannot exceed those of other judges.) Look for the Dish Tasting Panel selection sticker, which can be worn by our top wines. With thanks to Janet Blackman and Cameron Douglas from the Professional Wine Studies Department and the AUT School of Hospitality and Tourism. For more on the programmes in hospitality, food and beverage, and hotel management visit www.aut.ac.nz Water kindly supplied by Antipodes. TOP WINES OF THE TASTING 1. BRANCOTT ESTATE Letter Series ‘B’ Late Harvest Marlborough Sauvignon…

1 Grilled Peach and Salted Ricotta Salad with Shredded Roast Chicken A crisp, lip-smacking white wine with a squeak of sweetness like the Wairau River Marlborough Albariño 2015 ($25) is perfect here. Its citrus blossom, peach and spice aromas work beautifully with the savoury chicken and creamy saltiness of the ricotta. To order visit www.wairauriverwines.co.nz 2 Crispy Roasted Duck with Lychee, Watermelon and Watercress Salad Gamey duck paired with tangy Thai-style salad just itches to be enjoyed with a floral-forward, lychee-laden gewürztraminer. Reach for the Johanneshof Marlborough Gewürztraminer 2014 ($29). They’re specialists in extracting maximum exotic mouthfeel in this style – it’s a winner with the tender duck. To order visit www.glengarrywines.co.nz 3 Turkey Breast with Pine Nut, Preserved Lemon and Fresh Herb Stuffing Balls This is a hero dish…

1 Grilled Crayfish, Potato Skins and Aioli Crayfish is my ‘end-of-days’ dish, so whenever treated to it I always ensure the wine is up to the task. Crayfish has sweetness and texture that sing when paired with bold, buttery, old school chardonnay. I recommend the outstanding Saint Clair Cell Block Marlborough Chardonnay 2013 ($32) because of its pineapple, peach, brûlée and spice-buttered toast characters. To order visit www.saintclair.co.nz 2 Mussel Escabeche Crack open a kick-ass, new season sauvignon to do justice to these amazing flavours. The Wairau River Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015 ($20) is bursting with sweet sweaty basil, passionfruit, peach and punchy acidity. Beautifully ripe, creamy and full in the midpalate, it aligns magically with these chilled mussels. To order visit www.wairauriverwines.co.nz 3 Garlic and Herb Butter Grilled Clams…

1 Cider and Orange Marmalade Baked Ham Start out the way you intend to finish and impress your friends along the way by using Zeffer Pear Cider ($7.50, 500ml) with this recipe. Buy a handful of bottles so you can use a decent slug for the gorgeous glaze and then enjoy a glass with your mates as you tuck into this sweet, salty ham. The pure, tangy crisp pear flavours are perfect here. To order visit www.glengarrywines.co.nz 2 Hasselback Pork Fillet with Apples, Sage and Bacon It may be pricey but believe me, it’s worth asking your friends to chip in for a bottle of Millton Clos de Ste. Anne Gisborne Viognier 2013 ($60). Not only is it a joy to drink, it’s sublime with pork of any kind. The…

1 Soy and Five-Spice Chicken Think pink to balance out the spice and pour the full, fruity Black Barn Rosé 2015 ($23). Made from merlot grown at the front of the property, it’s super pale but loaded with pomegranate, raspberry, red fruits and dried herbs. Great for those who like their rosé with meat on its bones. To order visit www.blackbarn.com 2 Avocado Bruschetta with Smoked Chicken & Mint Salad The smoked chicken’s salty sweetness combined with the twang of mint and creamy avocado cries out for the lifted spritz of a good prosecco. The pillowy lemony spritz and lengthy dry finish of the Santa Margherita Prosecco Superiore DOCG ($25) work perfectly. To order visit www.glengarrywines.co.nz 3 Mussels with Cider and Tarragon You want a seriously good cider to do…

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 INGREDIENT EQUIVALENTS Breadcrumbs 1 cup fresh = 50 grams 1 cup dried = 115 grams Butter 1 (American) stick = 100 grams 1 cup = 225 grams 2 tablespoons = 30 grams…

GO FOR GOLD Bring a little bling to the drinks trolley this Christmas with glam metallics, party-ready polka dots and plenty of festive fizz. BREW KIT For the coffee geek in your life: The Kokako Summer Holiday Kit features an AeroPress portable coffee maker as well as a Portlex Hand Grinder, 350 filters, 200 grams of Kokako Aotea Blend coffee beans and a fair trade cotton tote bag. RRP$169 from www.kokako.co.nz A Friend Indeed Imagine one of your close friends is a wine expert. They know exactly what your tastes are and they’re always introducing you to fabulous new wines that they know you’ll love. That’s essentially how new online wine retailer, WineFriend, works. Dish drinks writer Yvonne Lorkin and wine industry veteran Debbie Sutton are behind the new service,…

A Year of Good Eating BY NIGEL SLATER One of the best things about the holidays (food, of course, being another) is the time available to finally read those books that have been piling up by your bedside all year long. Who better to combine these two delights than Nigel Slater? A Year of Good Eating is divided by seasons, each section brimming with the charming, witty prose for which Nigel has become renowned. Between a selection of 250 hearty, achievable recipes is a series of diary entries with endearing titles such as ‘Time on my floury hands’, ‘A Thai curry to make your heart pound’ and ‘Ice cream of Angels’. (A favourite begins, “Dear Mashed Potato, I don’t see you much anymore, but I still think of you.”) His…

To say that Jessica Mentis makes jelly would be oversimplifying things. Her creations almost defy categorisation, occupying a unique space somewhere between art, food and fancy cocktails. “My aim is to merge architectural practices with cuisine,” she says. “I really enjoy the idea of working on something that’s going to be consumed. To put all this time and energy into something, and then have people eat and enjoy it – it’s a really accessible form of art.” A spatial design and architecture graduate, Jessica has always had a passion for food. She never considered that these two areas might intersect until living in London, when she came across the works of mad food scientists Sam Bompas and Harry Parr. The duo’s outlandish stunts have included flooding part of a building…

It’s hard to imagine a scene more serene: families and friends lazing about on picnic blankets, knees stained from the lush grass; a rogue lamb providing the loudest sound as groups wander Auckland’s Kelmarna Community Gardens foraging, listening to the mellow music from a central tent or waiting for the hāngi that’s about to fill 300 empty plates. Yet it’s this last element that had Tom Hishon, the head chef and co-owner of Ponsonby restaurant Orphans Kitchen, shaking in his sneakers during the Kelmarna Spring Festival. The chef is used to cooking for dozens of hungry diners each night, but creating a feast for a few hundred people at once, particularly as they look on expectantly, isn’t so familiar. With plates at the ready, they surrounded the pit that Tom…

Top butchers around the world have been keeping the details of their favourite steak under wraps. Until now... Our new Beef Flat-Iron Steaks are mouth-wateringly juicy cuts of beef that have been expertly removed from the often overlooked shoulder. But what really sets these steaks apart is the fact our beef is hand-selected by Master Graders using our Eating Quality System. So you’re guaranteed A+ eating quality, every time. Expertly trimmed and prepared, this special cut is both tender on the palate and the wallet. Available in store now. 100% MADE OF NEW ZEALAND www.silverfernfarms.com…

NEW KIDS ON THE CORK Fans of rare, lesser-known champagnes will be keen to check out the burgeoning number of ‘Grower Champagnes’ that Chris Ayson and business partner Richard (Rico) Starr are bringing into New Zealand via their import company Cave du Cochon. “It translates to ‘Cellar of the Pig’,” says Chris. “It’s a tongue-in-cheek dig at some of the elitism around wine.” Grower Champagne is artisanal product that’s often better value and more interesting than its mainstream equivalent, according to the lads. “The wines from these small family-owned vineyards struck a chord with us. Unlike the big houses, that aim for consistency at all costs, these growers seek only to be themselves – to express the terroir where their family grows by producing something authentic.” Visit www.caveducochon.com Le Brun…

Crispy Peanut and Lamb Skewers These tender nuggets of lamb are coated with a crunchy peanut crust and topped with a fresh, zingy salsa. 400 grams lamb fillet or short loin 2 tablespoons Massaman curry paste ½ cup thick plain yoghurt 1 cup roasted peanuts 3 tablespoons plain flour ½ teaspoon sea salt vegetable oil for cooking Cucumber salsa 10cm piece telegraph cucumber, seeded and diced 1 long red chilli, seeded and finely chopped 1 tablespoon lime juice ½ teaspoon sea salt ½ teaspoon caster sugar 16 × 10cm skewers (if wooden, soak in cold water for 30 minutes) Trim any silverskin off the lamb and cut into 2cm pieces. Combine the curry paste and yoghurt in a bowl. Add the lamb and turn to coat well. Cover and chill…

Mini Christmas Cakes It just wouldn’t be Christmas without a wedge of cake to enjoy with a cup of tea – and it’s even better when it arrives as a gift! These little cakes are topped with a luscious, smooth whiskey icing and are the perfect size for grandparents, couples or teachers. 400 grams mixed fruit 250 grams dried figs, finely chopped 250 grams dried prunes, finely chopped 1¼ cups whiskey grated zest and juice of 1 small orange 250 grams butter, softened 250 grams brown sugar 4 eggs 4 ripe bananas, mashed 380 grams plain flour 2 teaspoons cinnamon ½ teaspoon allspice ½ teaspoon nutmeg 140 grams roughly chopped walnuts Icing 150 grams butter, softened ¼ cup cream cheese, at room temperature 3½ cups icing sugar ⅓ cup whiskey…

Vegan ‘Cheesecake’ with Almond and Pistachio Base, Ginger Vanilla Filling and Blueberry Chia Jelly This vegan version of cheesecake is by no means a traditional Christmas dessert, but would sit happily on your festive table with its rich ginger and vanilla notes. As it’s stored in the freezer you could make it a day or two ahead. Base ¾ cup shelled pistachios 1 cup almond meal ¾ cup desiccated coconut ¾ cup dried dates, soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes then drained well 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil 2 pinches sea salt 2 tablespoons water Filling 2½ cups raw cashew nuts, soaked in cold water overnight or for at least 6 hours 2 teaspoons ground ginger ½ teaspoon ground mixed spice ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg…

Sicily is just a pebble’s throw from the southern tip of Calabria (the ‘toe’ of Italy’s distinctive boot shape), but this is a very different realm from the rest of Italy – it pulses with a gravitational pull all its own. Amongst gracious city palazzi there are bullet holes in doorways and bomb-blasted alleyways – reminders of a turbulent past. Baroque towns of golden splendour give way to sunparched volcanic landscapes strewn with stone walls and ancient fortresses. To the west, brooding headlands rise up from the glassy waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Sicilian food is equally intriguing and bound intrinsically to the region’s history. Blessed by the absence of Barbarian invaders – who had their hands full further north – the cuisine of the island was able to develop…

110 grams butter 100 grams dark chocolate, chopped 2 tablespoons golden syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 x #7 eggs (large) 120 grams ground almonds ¼ cup caster sugar ¼ cup brown sugar ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom 2 tablespoons cocoa (I used Valrhona) To serve 100 grams mascarpone ½ cup cream 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract 1 punnet strawberries, hulled and sliced ½ punnet blueberries and raspberries 20cm loose-based tart tin, greased and lined with baking paper and placed on a baking tray. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan bake. Cake: Put the butter, chocolate, golden syrup and vanilla in a large heatproof bowl and set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until melted. Don’t let the base of the saucepan touch the water. Take off the heat…

Christmas Day might be just around the corner, but the shiny new toys are still about six months away for the team at Emerson’s Brewery. Midway through 2016, the beloved Dunedin brewery will relocate to impressive new premises nearby on Anzac Avenue. This means that as well as getting a new, larger brewery and bottling line, they’ll finally have a place to share what they love doing with the public. “We’ve dreamed of having a place where people could come and relax in a good environment for Emerson’s,” says Emerson’s Brewery Manager, Chris O’Leary. “We sat down with Lion and said, ‘We need a real spiritual home’, and they were prepared to back that for us.” That new home will be situated a little way up the line from the…

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK Join the growing community of like-minded food lovers on our Facebook page and get all the up-to-the-minute foodie news, interviews, updates and the latest batch of recipes direct from the Dish team. Go to www.facebook.com/dishmagazine GREEN MONDAYS Fans of regular Dish contributor Kelly Gibney rejoice: you can also find her online in the form of her fortnightly recipe column, Green Mondays, which features her signature flavourfirst whole food recipes. Find Kelly’s regular recipes online at www.dish.co.nz/recipes RECIPES With hundreds of unique recipes available on our brand-new website, you’ll want to set aside time to rifle through our online recipe section. With exclusive recipes from regular columnists Kelly Gibney, Sarah Tuck and Dish Food Editor Claire Aldous, recipe extracts from the latest quality cookbooks and classics from…

Tonight, for the very first time, Coco’s Cantina will be hosting a midnight yoga session. Attempting the child’s pose or downward dog at the end of service in this frenetic, inner-city restaurant may seem an unusual way to encourage staff to wind down, but when you meet the sisters behind Coco’s, Damaris and Renee Coulter, you realise that nothing is ever too out there. “We wanted to offer something to our staff to help promote mindfulness and thought instead of always finishing the night with a staff drink, we could do something that wasn’t quite so habitual, so we thought of yoga,” says Damaris. Giving back to staff and the community around them is central to the ethos of Coco’s Cantina. Located as it is on Auckland’s Karangahape Road, the…

It bugs me if someone can’t pull a cork out of a bottle of wine,” says Cameron Douglas. “If you’re employed in a position you should take ownership and do the job to the best of your ability. So many people go into the hospitality sector and think ‘All I have to do is take the food order and deliver the food, take the beverage order and deliver the beverage.’ If that’s their attitude they’re in the wrong industry.” Pulling a cork out of a bottle of wine is something at which Cameron Douglas MS excels. As a Master Sommelier he could also present (decant if required) and serve it, recommend a suitable food pairing and discuss the wine’s characteristics and history. You could even blindfold him and switch the…

Here at Dish we adore a good sweet, sticky wine. In fact we are huge champions of anything resembling a sweet treat, so it was understandably exciting times when the call was made to highlight New Zealand’s most delicious dessert and fortified wine styles for our Christmas issue. A whopping 65 entries were received and our judges assembled at AUT with excited tastebuds but trembling teeth (this is not the sort of tasting you want to be doing if you haven’t been to the dentist recently). Limiting the appreciation of these wines just to dessert time is terribly unfair though, according to Dish wine writer Yvonne Lorkin. “Kiwis have a habit of hiding these wines away (often in the fridge – eeek!) and not bringing them out until the end…

Crispy-Skinned Roast Duck with Lychee, Watermelon and Watercress Salad Served warmish, this exotic salad with hints of chilli and lime, shredded kaffir lime leaves and pomegranate seeds explodes in the mouth with summer freshness. It sings ‘beach’ to me. Duck 2 × 2 kilogram oven-ready ducks sea salt small piece of ginger (as big as your thumb), sliced 6 kaffir lime leaves Glaze 3 tablespoons honey, warm 1 tablespoon lime juice 1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce To assemble 4 tablespoons lemon-infused olive oil 2 tablespoons lime juice ½ teaspoon salt 20 kaffir lime leaves, ground or very finely chopped 2 baby cos lettuces, leaves separated large bunch watercress, ends trimmed, 1 pomegranate (optional), seeds removed 750 gram watermelon wedge, rind removed and flesh cubed 565 gram tin lychees, drained and…

Grilled Crayfish, Potato Skins and Aioli This is my posh take on fish and chips and is perfect for entertaining over the Christmas break. Large prawns would also be delicious. 2 cooked crayfish, halved Herb butter 150 grams butter, at room temperature 1 tablespoon dried tarragon 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon lemon juice ½ teaspoon smoked paprika ½ teaspoon chipotle or regular Tabasco 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce sea salt and ground pepper Parmesan for grating To serve Potato Skins and Garlic Aioli (see recipe be Herb butter: Combine all the ingredients, except the Parmesan, in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Heat the grill to its highest setting. Place the crayfish on a baking tray, cut side up and making sure they lie flat. Spread…

Blistered Tomatoes with Orange and Black Olives A delicious combination of sweet and sour, these tomatoes take on a deeper flavour when roasted and are perfect piled onto crusty bread with all the luscious pan juices. 2 stems vine tomatoes (about 16 in total) 1 punnet mixed coloured cherry tomatoes pinch chilli flakes 1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds ½ cup golden sultanas 1 cup green olives ¼ cup pine nuts 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar juice 1 orange 2 tablespoons water sea salt and ground pepper Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake. Put the tomatoes in one large baking dish or two medium dishes with the chilli, fennel seeds, sultanas, olives and pine nuts. Pour over the oil, vinegar, orange juice and water then season…

Avocado Bruschetta with Smoked Chicken and Mint Salad Enjoy a night off from cooking with this easy put-together of crisp, minty chicken salad and avocado-topped bruschetta. Use a good sourdough bread for best results. 4 long slices sourdough bread olive oil 1 clove garlic, peeled 2 avocados 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar 1 teaspoon grain mustard 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 × smoked chicken breast (about 300 grams), shredded 1 green apple, julienned small handful mint leaves, chopped pinch chilli flakes Preheat the grill to its highest setting. Brush the bread lightly with olive oil and grill both sides until golden. Rub one side with the raw clove of garlic. Slice the avocados thinly and arrange over the grilled bread. Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, mustard…

Recipe For A Perfect Summer This pulled pomegranate lamb is perfect for any special occasion, mid-week dinner or Christmas lunch and you can find the recipe in this summer’s mEAT Magazine, alongside other recipes perfect for warm weather gatherings and barbecues. Find mEAT Magazine at your local supermarket or butcher and for more inspiration visit recipes.co.nz, which boasts recipes for everything from quick, easy burgers to delicious Sunday roasts. PEACHY KEEN A trophy winner at the 2015 Bragato Awards, Villa Maria Single Vineyard Ihumatao Chardonnay 2013 displays an array of white peach and oatmeal on the nose, followed by a butterscotch palate with integrated fine oak. Mediumbodied, it is finely balanced with subtle flint and minerality nuances. Available from the Villa Maria cellar door or fine wine retailers. RRP$34.99. A…