Tag: New Zealand

IN PRAISE OF FRESH LOCAL PRODUCE NEW ZEALAND, WAIHEKE ISLAND and the NORTH

I do like New Zealand and every time I visit I praise and enjoy its extraordinary food culture. Not to mention the amazing scenery.

There is so much fresh and flavoursome produce in shops, farmers markets and roadside stalls – ‘gate to the plate’, so as to speak.

Kumera (Sweet Potato ) baked in local Waiheke honey and thyme.

Restaurants and eateries where the owners or chefs grow or source their produce locally are not scarce.

Fish too is local and staff in shops or in restaurants seem ready and eager to answer questions about their suppliers.

…that is if the produce is not already labelled or written about in the menu i.e. line caught tuna supplied by a trusted small fishery.

Menus highlight the production of New Zealand’s local and wide-ranging supply of produce and fine wines.

We have friends on Waiheke Island so Auckland and Waiheke are always a must on each visit.

On this occasion we  were able to view the amazing sculptures on Waiheke Island (Headland Sculpture on the Gulf). Above, artist=Paora Toi-Te Rangiuaia.

Below , artist=Robert Jahnke Kaokao

Who needs the Venice Biennale…they have their own!

Below , artist= Virginia King

On this trip we hired a campervan and travelled to the Bay of Islands. Ever since my first trip to NZ I have been impressed by the apparent and increasing awareness and appreciation of organics and of locally-produced produce.

Of course great and diverse produce is more apparent in places like Waiheke but as we travelled around we found satisfactory local produce in the 4Squre stores and in supermarkets….local sweetcorn or avocados were  5  for $5.00.

Below  New Zealand Spinach (also known as Warrigal Greens) growing on Waiheke in our friend’s garden.

We even bought local fresh produce from the local garage, opportunity shop or news agent in country locations.

On beaches around Opononi I found some samphire and some wild fennel near Rawene.

We bought some local fish, picked some blackberries and I used all those ingredients that night for a meal.

I picked some blackberries and we ate them with some fresh cream.

Pity the prickly pears weren’t ripe! We could have pretended to be in Sicily!

It is amazing how in limiting circumstances, how little one needs to make food flavourful and healthy.

I cooked the above fish (very simply…what else can you do in a campervan!

Fish sautéed in red wine

I pan fried in a light amount of extra virgin olive oil, fish turned once – it will only need about one minute on each side,  add salt, pepper, a few herbs. Remove fish and then add about 3 tablespoons of red wine and evaporate. Return the fish to the pan, add a few more herbs if necessary. If I had some butter I may have whisked a little into the sauce.

Below, simple lunch at the New Zealand Gallery… a bed of spinach leaves, cured meat, soya beans, raw beetroot, radishes, and a Japanese soy/sesame sauce. Light, fresh and simple.

 

 

FISH IN MINI CASSEROLES WITH SICILIAN FLAVOURS

Two of my friends live on Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand, located about 17.7 km from Auckland. They both have kayaks and when time and weather permits one or two of them go fishing and it seems that every time they do, they catch fish.

They catch mainly snapper off Oretangi Beach where they live, but if they go to some of the other bays they catch John Dory, Kingfish and Hapuka. The fish in the three photos were caught on two separate occasions and when I stayed with them we enjoyed eating fresh fish very much .

My friend boned one of the fish, a Kawhai, a New Zealand fish which needs to be bled. He smoked it using a simple smoker and manuka wood smoking chips.

We cooked some of the snapper in colourful, enamelled, cast-iron mini “casseroles” or “dutch ovens” using simple Sicilian flavours: tomatoes, capers, garlic, olives and some Sicilian common herbs.. They are brought to the table straight from the oven so do tell your guests to be ultra careful when they eat from them. Also protect your table with mats.

Of course the ingredients can go into one large casserole, covered and baked for 25-30 minutes.

For 4 people

INGREDIENTS
4 pieces of fish (1 serve per person)
4 peeled red tomatoes (or tinned)
1 tbs capers
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
½ cup of fresh herbs, use 1 or more: parsley, basil, oregano, chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 green olives or black olives, stoned

PROCESSES
Preheat the oven to 220°C.
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan and pan-fry the fish lightly.
Add a little salt. Remove the fish and set aside.
Add the other ingredients and sauté, until the juice of the tomatoes is
reduced.
Spoon some of the tomato mixture into each mini-casserole. Place 1 piece of
fish in each and top with more tomato.
Either cover with a lid or if using a different type of ovenproof small baking dishes cover with metal foil and bake for 7-10 minutes, depending on how cooked you like your fish.

MA2SBAE8REVW

COZZE (Mussels) GREEN LIPPED MUSSELS WITH TOMATO AND CANNELLINI BEANS

Mussells

Adding tomato and cannellini beans to mussels is a simple yet rewarding culinary experience — full of colour, flavour, and texture.

And when in New Zealand, eating green-lipped mussels is an absolute must. These mussels are impressively large and meaty, quite different from the smaller black varieties common in Australia and Europe.

when I was in New Zealand, I first cooked mussels while staying with friends on Waiheke Island, a beautiful spot in the Hauraki Gulf, about 17 kilometres from Auckland in New Zealand’s North Island.

WAIHEKE KITCHEN

I picked up a fresh batch from the local fish shop and made a classic Cozze in Brodetto — mussels cooked with extra virgin olive oil, white wine, parsley, and plenty of garlic.

GREEN LIPPED MUSSELS, TOMATOES AND CANNELLINI

A few days later, visiting friends in Queenstown in the South Island, I found another great fish shop in Dunedin and couldn’t resist buying more green lipped mussels. This time, I decided to cook the mussels with tomatoes and cannellini beans — and that’s the recipe I’m sharing here. On this occasion, I used tinned beans, which worked perfectly.If you can’t get green-lipped mussels, black mussels will work beautifully.

There were four of us around the table — the kind of night that called for something simple yet special. I love dishes that bring everyone together, and this one did just that: fresh mussels, creamy cannellini beans, and a rich tomato salsa that ties it all together beautifully.I

INGREDIENTS, SERVES 4

Mussels: 2.5 kg, cleaned and de-bearded

Dry white wine: ½ cup

Parsley: ½ cup, finely chopped

Cannellini beans: 2 × 400g tins, cooked and drained

Tomato salsa: 800g tinned red tomatoes, 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil,  fresh basil leaves or 1 tsp dried oregano, salt, to taste

Make the Tomato Salsa

In a saucepan, combine the tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and your choice of herbs. Add a pinch of salt and cook uncovered over medium heat for 10–15 minutes, until the sauce thickens and reduces to about 2 cups.

Cook the Mussels

In a large, wide saucepan, add the mussels, white wine, and parsley.Cover and steam over high heat, removing the mussels as they open. Cook the ones that remain closed and they will open.

Once all are cooked, reduce the remaining cooking liquid to about 1 cup. This concentrated broth is briny and full of flavor — no extra salt needed!

Bring It All Together:

Stir the reduced mussel liquid into the tomato salsa.

Add the cannellini beans and simmer gently until heated through.

Finally, add the mussels and toss everything together to coat them in the sauce.

Serve immediately, ideally with some crusty bread to soak up every drop of that incredible broth.

otes from the TableThe sweetness of the mussels and the creamy beans make a lovely contrast, while the tomato salsa adds freshness and depth. It’s a dish that feels both rustic and elegant — and one that tastes even better shared.

QUEENSTOWN KITCHEN:

You can see that I like mussels quite a bit. For other mussel recipes see:COZZE IN BRODETTO (mussels in a little broth)

SAFFRON RISOTTO WITH MUSSELS (Risu cu Zaffaranu e Cozzuli is the Sicilian, Riso con Zafferano e Cozze is the Italian)

COZZE CON SAMBUCA (Mussels with Sambuca- anice flavoured liqueur)

ZUPPA DI COZZE SGUSCIATE (A thick soup made with mussel meat)

 

BRACIOLI DI MAIALI O’ VINU (Sicilian for Pork Chops Cooked In Wine)

Free-Range Pigs and Culinary Memories from New Zealand to Sicily

Travelling through the North Island of New Zealand on the way to Napier, we found ourselves slowing down every time we passed paddocks dotted with free-range pigs. These were not isolated sightings—pigs foraging freely across spacious pastures seemed almost commonplace. We returned to photograph a particularly lively group near Greytown, but a sudden burst of rain sent them scurrying into their ‘kennel’ for shelter.

One scene remains vivid in my memory even without a perfect photograph: a gentle sow lying calmly as her piglets climbed, tumbled, and chased one another with the playful abandon of puppies or kittens. I had never imagined pigs could be so spirited.

 

The photo below was taken in Mondello, close to Palermo in Sicily.

DSC_0004_2
Pork hanging in Butcher shop in Mondello Sicily

Sadly, when my thoughts turned to food, I did think that the pigs would be supreme in taste and tenderness; as cute as these piglets are, I know that eventually they will have to face the butcher’s knife. Quality meat is achieved through keeping pigs in a stress free environment, able to graze their whole lives and free to roam. The care and quality of life that appears evident for these pigs points to a more humane end than what is apparent for the live cattle or sheep that are being  sent to brutal and cruel slaughters in some other countries.

A Sicilian Connection: The Nebrodi Black Pig

The last time I ate braciole like these was in Ragusa, at a relative’s country house—Sicily’s equivalent to a holiday home. We discussed il suino nero dei Nebrodi, the famed Sicilian Black Swine native to the Nebrodi Mountains. Small, black, and bristly, they resemble wild boar and continue to forage in wooded landscapes.

During that same trip, my partner and I had just returned from Monreale near Palermo, where we tasted exquisite salame made from Nebrodi pigs.

Exquisite salame made from Nebrodi pigs.

Around this time I was reading Carlo Petrini and immersing myself in the Slow Food movement; the Nebrodi pig, listed in the Ark of Taste, is a symbol of heritage animal breeds at risk of disappearing.

All of this—ethics, flavour, memory—comes together beautifully in a simple Sicilian dish.

Sicilian Recipe: Pork Chops Cooked in Wine (Bracioli di Maiali o’ Vinu)

Ingredients

  • 6 pork bracioli (chops)
  • 1 tbsp fennel seeds
  • 1 glass red wine
  • 1 glass water
  • 6 small sprigs fresh rosemary or oregano
  • Juice of 2 lemons
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • (Optional) Olive oil, if the meat is very lean

Method

  1. Prepare the chops:
    Make a small incision in each pork chop and insert a sprig of rosemary or fresh oregano.

  2. Start the braise:
    Place the chops in a single layer in a frypan with a little water and salt.
    Braise uncovered until the water evaporates and the chops begin to colour.

  3. Add wine and spices:
    Pour in the red wine, add the fennel seeds and pepper, and allow the wine to evaporate.

  4. Finish with lemon:
    Add the lemon juice and serve immediately.

If the pork is very lean, mix a little olive oil with the lemon juice to make a light salmoriglio.

SALAMURRIGGHIU – SALMORIGLIO (Dressing made with oil, lemon and oregano)

SAFFRON RISOTTO WITH MUSSELS (Risu cu Zaffaranu e Cozzuli is the Sicilian, Riso con Zafferano e Cozze is the Italian)

A saffron and mussel risotto is one of the dishes I cooked when I stayed with friends in New Zealand.

I have just returned from a two week stay in the North Island and the South Island of New Zealand where there seemed to be a public awareness about sustainable fish and sustainable fishing and farming practices. Seafood seemed plentiful and well priced and I found fish sellers that clearly state their support for sustainable fish species and how they only procure stocks from sustainable resources. There was even information on restaurant menus such as line caught snapper, or this fish was farmed in a sustainable way.

During my stay I ate many varieties of fish that I had not eaten before – I loved it all.

GREEN LIPPED MUSSELS and sustainability

Green lipped mussels (such as the ones in the photo from The Fish Market in Auckland) were around $3.50 per kilo; I did not spot any on restaurant menus, but maybe this is because they mussels are so common. While I was in New Zealand I stayed in serviced apartments (not that I did much cooking), and on one occasion I bought some and steamed them lightly (just enough to open them) and enjoyed them with some lemon juice.

Green lipped mussel farming in New Zealand is sustainable; the government conducts research and careful monitoring into selective breeding, farming and harvesting methods.

A good way to eat mussels (any type) is with rice.

Saffron is used in Sicilian cooking and in this recipe, the rice is simmered in fish stock – the more traditional and older way to cook risotto in Sicily.

INGREDIENTS 
rice, 2 cups of aborio or vialone
fish stock, 6-7 cups
saffron threads, ½-1 small teaspoon
extra virgin olive oil, ½ cup
garlic cloves, 2 chopped finely
mussels, 2 k,
wine, ½ cup, dry white
parsley, ½ cup chopped finely
PROCESSES
Clean the mussels by rubbing them against each other in cold water(or use a plastic scourer). Pull the beards sharply towards the pointy end of the shell.
Heat the oil in a large pan (which can be used to cook both the mussels and the rice), add the garlic and soften.
Add the mussels and the parsley, toss them around in the hot pan, add a splash of wine, cover and cook until they open (about 4-6 minutes). Do not discard any mussels that don’t open – they just need more cooking.
Remove the mussels from the saucepan. Take out half of the mussels from their shells – the mussels with their shells will be used for decoration on top of the rice.
Add about 5 cups of the fish stock and saffron to the same pan and when it reaches boiling point add the rice.
Bring to the boil, cover and simmer over moderate heat, stirring now and again to ensure that the rice does not stick and the stock has been absorbed.
Taste the rice and season with salt if necessary. Add more stock or wine if needed – the rice is done when it’s al dente – just tender, but resistance can still be felt when you bite into it. (The rice will continue to soften).
Stir into the rice the shelled mussels. Place the mussels with the shells on top of the hot rice or gently fold them through the top layer of the hot rice (Italians are never fussy about eating food which is not piping hot).
Leave to rest for a few minutes for the flavours to meld before serving (the rice will also continue to cook and soften slightly).
Green lipped mussels kept fresh and alive under jets of sea water below.
Sustainable fish display in Auckland Fish Market