Ambassador Series Dinner in Te Anau - A Fusion of Two Chefs

There was a buzz around the small Southland town of Te Anau recently with chef Cameron Davies kicking off the Beef + Lamb Ambassador Series at his restaurant The Fat Duck.  There was great anticipation from locals who had booked to enjoy a stunning five course degustation that he had prepared with guest chef and fellow Platinum Ambassador, Darren Wright from Christchurch.

It was a beautiful winter’s day as we headed South to Te Anau driving through lush green pastures with picturesque snow-capped mountains in the background.  I knew we would be in for a treat as Cameron’s philosophy is to use local produce and along with the combined talent of two great chefs, I couldn’t have thought of a better way to begin the Ambassador Series again after all the disruptions the pandemic has caused over the last two years. 

This is not the first-time these chefs have worked together.  As a young chef, Cameron spent time working under Darren in various kitchens in Christchurch and now to be side by side creating a menu for The Fat Duck felt pretty special to Cameron.

“I have always looked up to Darren. He has always been a big influence in my career and has fostered me right from those early moments and now to be cooking as a Beef + Lamb Ambassador Chef with someone like Darren in my kitchen was really cool.”

It was also an invaluable experience for Cameron’s kitchen team to have a guest chef such as Darren in their kitchen for several days.

“I am extremely proud of my kitchen team - they are passionate about what they do and they have kept going through very challenging times.  To be able to bring a chef of Darren’s calibre into our kitchen provided them a great opportunity to ask questions and learn from the experience,” says Cameron.

Darren says he was delighted to be collaborating with Cameron after seeing him as a young chef grow his career and go on to be a successful restaurant owner.

“When I was asked to collaborate with Cameron, because we have that history together, I knew that we would be able have input from both of us into each dish rather than coming up with
individual dishes,” says Darren.

 And that is exactly what they did – create a delicious five course menu using exceptional ingredients and little bit of both chefs on each plate.

 We arrived early to relax with a pre-dinner drink and with the kitchen team fully briefed and busy in the kitchen, guests began to arrive and were treated to a warm and friendly welcome from Selina and her front of house team.  We mixed and mingled with guests and got to chat to some of the local farmers who told us with pride that their produce was being showcased on the menu tonight.  We nibbled on canapes which to my delight included my favourite treat– the most delicious miniature cheese rolls – well it wouldn’t be a trip to Southland without these!

The first courses were cold courses and showcased the best way to serve beef and lamb as a cold.  First was an amazing dish - lamb tartare with black garlic mayonnaise, fermented plum gel, wild cress and a seeded cracker.  Darren is the brand ambassador for Lumina Lamb and he says with its elevated levels of Omega 3 and 6 the lamb is oily rather than fatty so works really well used in a tartare.  It was fresh and tangy with delicious, tender lamb that just melted in the mouth.

Course two was a beef cheek and tongue terrine with pickles which was a great way to showcase these lesser-known nose-to-tail cuts.  Cameron had braised the cheeks and used the braising liquor to enhance the depth of flavour by putting it back into the terrine.  It worked so well to bring all those delicious flavours together to create a beautiful well-rounded dish with the pickles adding sharpness to cut through the richness of the terrine.

With the cold courses behind us it was time to bring on the big guns (or main courses) and next up was a duo of Lumina Lamb – loin and shoulder with textures of carrots, goats’ cheese and hazelnut. 

The combination of the delicate flavour of the loin and the punchy flavour of the shoulder were complemented with three different forms of carrots – pureed, fermented and spring.  Darren had explained that this dish was quite rich but was toned down with the acidity from the fermented carrots and the tartness of the goat’s cheese.  The resulting flavour profile was well pronounced and a joy to savour.

The final main course was as simple as beef and onions! Cam’s BBQ beef rib, sirloin, burnt onion and parsnip.  The description belied the deliciousness of this course and showcased Cameron’s philosophy of using simple ingredients to tell their own story on the plate.

The rib was moreish with a smokey BBQ flavour and a tenderness that you could cut with a spoon.  The delicate onion petals were filled with a rich onion puree atop a silky-smooth parsnip puree with a sprinkling of burnt onion crumb.  The flavours and textures of this dish made it stand out to me as a favourite of the night!

To finish we were treated to a divine citrus and coconut dessert which was the perfect finish after eating four courses of red meat.  The citrus flavours were light and clean and not only was this dish tasty it looked sensational with a bit of a surprise factor when slicing into the mandarin on the plate!

It might have been a wrap in the kitchen, but the night lingered on with the chefs joining the guests and the kitchen team relaxing with a drink and an opportunity for everyone to find out more about the chefs and the amazing food they had just eaten.

As an outsider coming to Te Anau, I could clearly see the support here for Cameron and Selina and how much The Fat Duck is part of the community.  Guests had come from as far away as Invercargill and Christchurch and it was heartening to be part of a hospitality event again and to see our Beef + Lamb Ambassador Chefs shine in the kitchen doing what they do best!

You can find out more about The Fat Duck here.