5 July 2010
JAZZ & ENVY
I went to an apple tasting. That might sound a little mundane but this was very special. Upstairs at the Mt Eden Nosh (Dominion Rd) they have a great area for tastings, cooking classes and receptions, and I would be hard pushed to say which this was, as the event qualified on all three counts.
A glass of bubbles on arrival (Pelorus NV, no less, from the smart winemaking team at Cloudy Bay) is always a great start to an event. And usually events like this are filled with media who can always be counted on to turn up to a free lunch. This day, however it was a very sophisticated crowd who had been invited, with businessmen, designers, auctioneers and managers from the fruit industry, brand strategists and a few food industry consultants.
It was straight into business. I have never been to Porcini bistro and pizzeria in Helensville, but it has shot to the top of my must-go-to list as the chef Peter Brennan was in the Nosh kitchen cooking up a storm with apples. He was extremely articulate and his introductory words made me think differently about apples. The ‘enza’ brand carries one of New Zealand’s most recognisable logos, due to all those cartons that can be spotted in markets throughout Asia and Europe, and as it was, of course, proudly displayed on Team NZ’s sails in the various assaults on the America’s Cup.
I was of the opinion that the modern enza apples were bred to last, and last, and last in the cool rooms around the world and were nowhere as flavoursome as heritage varieties. How wrong I was! Peter Brennan explained the amazing crispness and flavour of the two stars in the room; Jazz apples and Envy apples. I knew about Jazz but this was my introduction to Envy.
Envy is gorgeous, a crisp sweet apple that’s red and greeny lemon coloured with an almost almond flavour and is big, bold and beautiful. Perfect for cooking and prefect for eating. Jazz, is smaller, more evenly red, is a little tarter and has a ton of crunch due to the dense nature of the flesh. Both apples are strong and will last for ages away from the fridge. Yum!
And then, Peter Brennan passed around ever so slightly stewed Jazz apples that had spicy preserved beef slices wrapped around as an ideal hors d’oeuvre to match the Pelorus. He followed that by tossing together a bowl of roast duck and cashew salad that had Envy apples mixed through with a multitude of other delicious treats. And the Black Estate Riesling from Waipara was an ideal partner with lovely soft apple-ly flavours and a nice balance between acidity and sweetness. And if this was not enough he served up a wonderful layered dessert with an apple and rosewater sorbet accompanied by a late havest Riesling from Fromm.
These apples were just great in each dish served, but the ones I brought home have already been munched up and I am off to Lum’s to buy some more. Jazz and Envy. Envy me!