New World explorers
As a result of winning the 1998 New Zealand Contemporary Cuisine Competition at Hotelympia, I was given the opportunity earlier this year to return to the country I had left in 1997 after spending a year of my working life there.
Ten days of culinary indulgence, thanks to the generosity of the New Zealand Meat Producers Board, awaited my girlfriend, Katy, and I when we touched down at Auckland airport. Despite being jet-lagged, all I wanted to do was eat.
Essence restaurant, my last place of work in New Zealand, was the first stop. A lot of the old staff were still there, and while we caught up on our news we tucked into smoked chicken and potato hash with soft poached egg, and a combination breakfast pizza of field mushrooms, bacon, egg and tomato, with a selection of toasted bagels and fire-grilled brioche with berry confit on the side. I also picked up recipes for two other Essence favourites: timbale of melon and blueberry in a lemon grass and ginger consommé with deep-fried blueberry ice-cream; and loin of salmon on a mussel and clam chowder. (These are two of the dishes I have had the opportunity to recreate since returning home - photographs opposite.)
Once brunch was over we had a quick tour around Auckland, ending up at the new restaurant at the Skytower, the country's tallest structure. The restaurant is located at the top of the tower and is appropriately called Orbit. The restaurant spins and makes you feel a bit dizzy. I don't know how the waiters remember where their stations are.
It costs a minimum of NZ$25 to eat in the restaurant. Katy went for seared broadbill and scallops with shiitake salsa and beetroot chips, while I chose seared venison with kamut risotto, crispy bacon and rocket leaves, because I was intrigued to know what kamut risotto was. A waiter informed us it was "an ancient grain, hibernated organically and in use all around the world". When my plate arrived I discovered it was in fact barley.
Ingredients are very cheap in New Zealand at the moment and the amount served reflects this. For my NZ$23 main course I received two pieces of venison weighing about 8oz each. You definitely got your money's worth.
The next day we relaxed and shopped until the evening's visit to the trendy Iguacu restaurant in Parnell, a popular Auckland area. We started with curried lamb samosas with mango mint mojo and char-siu barbecued pork spring rolls with soya dipping sauce. That was followed by Canterbury lamb rack, roasted pink, with pistachio crust, mint horseradish mojo, on eggplant polenta, and rare barbecued venison with tomato and corn risotto, and cranberry chipotle salsa.
From Auckland we moved south, stopping on the way at the West Coast wine region of Hawke's Bay, the art deco town of Napier and New Zealand's capital city, Wellington.
After crossing the Cook Strait by ferry to the South Island we headed straight down to the garden city of Christchurch on the West Coast. The journey down is beautiful but we had a spot of trouble outside Kaikoura when I was pulled over for dangerous driving. I had forgotten that 100kph is 60mph.
In Christchurch we ate at Michael Lee Richard's place, a Pacific Rim fine dining restaurant called Michael's. I was disappointed that the restaurant was really dark, making it difficult to see the food. I had a cartwheel of Canterbury lamb, which had been battered out and stuffed with oodles of sun-dried tomatoes.
Our final meal of the trip was back in Auckland at the highly-rated Vinnie's restaurant in the city's trendy Ponsonby district. It lived up to its reputation - both food and service were excellent.
We dined on chermoula-seasoned cervena (venison) cutlet roasted over grape leaves, fresh date compote and skordalia (chermoula is a Moroccan paste of turmeric, chilli, coriander, cumin, paprika, tomatopaste and lemon juice); and asian spiced eye fillet,sticky rice and oxtail dumplings with deep-fried beef chop suey parcel and Oriental scented broth. I had the latter and it was excellent, very visual. We definitely saved the best till last. I have recreated another dish from the Vinnie's menu, fillet of beef on glass noodles and soy stock with duck dim sums, since returning (photograph, left).
Holiday memories
New Zealand produce is excellent, especially the fish and shellfish; and its venison is beautiful. Lamb is not on the menu as much as you would expect, though. Of the food I tried, Vinnie's was the best - it was fantastic. The restaurant's menu was the only one that I thought I would like to do at home. You could easily bring the beef on to a British menu, with lots of different flavours that do not overpower each other.
New Zealanders call their style of cooking "fusion" but I would call it mixed up. Some of it works but some of it is terrible. Because cooking styles change so quickly here, I don't think New Zealand cuisine will ever be Michelin star standard, but with the Americas Cup and the Sydney Olympics across the Southern Ocean in Australia next year, it will continue to get better in the next millennium.
