BEHIND THE SCENES WITH NZ'S TOP CHEFS
There was great excitement recently when our four newly named Beef + Lamb Ambassador Chefs came together for the first time to cook up a storm and show us exactly why they have been chosen as Ambassadors. I knew each chef had delivered superb dishes during the application process and to finally get to this point where the Beef + Lamb team were able to meet the chefs and watch them cook was very exciting.
First to arrive was Christchurch-based chef, Tejas Nikam of Vices & Virtues. Tejas said he was inspired to use beef in two different ways on his dish to highlight its versatility and to use different cooking techniques to make the dish interesting. He says the key to successful cooking is to use a variety of flavours, colours and textures to build a great dish using as much locally sourced produce as possible and his choice of two cuts of Canterbury beef was a great example of this.
The eye fillet was sous vide to keep all the flavours and juices intact and the brisket bonbon added another flavour which comes from the brisket being slow cooked. He slowly confits the carrots with butter, spices and trimmings turning it into a velvety puree with the pepita seed pesto adding a fresh flavour to the dish. The crispy onion rings add extra crunch and is a classic pairing of flavour for the beef.
Next into the kitchen was Phil Clark, from Phil’s Kitchen in Kingsland, Auckland. Phil loves to push the boundaries of modern cuisine and travels to Europe each year to immerse himself in the different cultures and styles of cooking. In fact, he had literally just stepped off a plane from France and straight into the kitchen.
Phil cooked a superb dish from his menu using lamb rack and cuttlefish – a very sophisticated take on surf ‘n turf. You would be forgiven for thinking this dish may be more at home in a restaurant on the French Riviera than suburban Auckland, but Phil has successfully combined two outstanding New Zealand ingredients with fresh local produce and put a kiwi spin on an international dish.
He took great pride in cooking his lamb rack and so he should - it was perfect! Having cooked thousands of lamb racks during his career, he has fine-tuned it down to a carefully controlled process. He pointed out that it should be handled carefully – a bit like cooking a mandarin or orange – no hard searing which can create a bruised or grey crust, but a precise amount of time in the oven at 180°C (17 minutes to be exact) followed by 15 minutes of resting. The result was the most beautiful blush pink lamb rack I had ever seen – tasty and tender too!
This year we are delighted to welcome a female Ambassador Chef into the mix. Norka Mella Munoz is head chef at Mangapapa Hotel in Havelock North. Originally from Chile, Norka arrived in New Zealand as a fully trained chef, but unable to speak English. However, this did not hinder her rise to fame and neither did being a female chef in a predominantly male industry. Norka says food is a universal language and if you can ‘dance’ in the kitchen and work hard you can work anywhere in the world.
Her philosophy of minimising waste was evident in the three cuts of lamb she used on her dish – a trio of lamb with polenta, beetroot and jus. Wanting to highlight how different cuts of lamb can be used on one dish she ‘danced’ her way around the kitchen bringing together a superbly cooked lamb loin, coated in fresh herbs from the Mangapapa garden, a crunchy golden sweetbread and a delicious piece of lamb belly.
The lamb belly was infused with a smoky flavour from a small charcoal grill she had brought with her. Cooking food over a flame brings the South American cooking style she grew up with, into the kitchen and is a way Norka infuses her heritage with our delicious New Zealand produce.
Also not afraid to cook over an open flame in the kitchen is Jack Crosti of Number 5 Restaurant in Auckland. Jack, originally from Italy, created a bit of theatre for us with a lot of flame on his charcoal grill. It was evident that he loves to cook with all the emotion and passion that he has gathered from growing up in Italy and working around the world. Lucky for us he chose New Zealand to settle down and as a first-time owner and chef, he says it is an amazing feeling to be able to cook and plate up food that is reflection of himself.
His dish of hanger steak, coffee, carrots, cavolo nero and leek ash, was a perfect balance of ingredients which created a beautiful harmony of flavours. The hanger steak was wrapped in a delicate membrane of caul fat which melted into the steak over the flame grill, making it very flavoursome and moist. The infusion of coffee throughout the dish was very clever, with the use of coffee charcoal on the grill and the carrots which were baked in coffee beans. Why coffee? It was inspired from Jack’s childhood memories of aromas of roast dinners and coffee coming from his family kitchen. We too had the same experience as we watched Jack cook and construct his dish – a little bit of Italy right here in Auckland!
One thing that really struck me about our line-up of talented chefs this year, is that they have all worked incredibly hard to get to where they are now. Each has had a very different food journey to this point in their career, and to watch these chefs cooking and to listen to their stories it is evident that their passion for food has driven them to work extremely hard, and it is now time to reap the rewards!