Lauraine’s blog
3 February 2013
Last night we had this stunning peach tart for dessert. It may be the best and easiest tart ever, made with goodies from some of my favourite artisans and farmers.
THREE ingredients!
- Paneton's ready rolled Flaky Puff Pastry
- Fresh peaches grown by Jenny Quayle at her Waybyond organic farm in the Wayby Valley.
- Heilala vanilla syrup
Place the pastry on a baking sheet.
Halve the peaches removed the stones and place them face down on the pastry.
Bake at 200C until the pastry is golden brown (20 minutes.)
REmove the tart and drizzle over the vanilla syrup.
Serve with Whangaripo buffalo yogurt and runny cream, and for a special treat that gorgeous Tokaji dessert wine (courtesy of Mark Godden of Fishbone, Queenstown.)
31 January 2013
I’ve always thought that the very best restaurants are those that continually work at reinventing themselves - but not changing direction nor completely modifying every single detail from the menu to the décor. Rather, the canny restaurateur knows how to refresh, tweak and invigorate the business constantly while retaining the things that their loyal customers love best and return again and again for. Just like Simon Wright and Creghan Molloy Wright do at The French Café.
Last night I attended a sublime dinner at The French Kitchen at The French Café, and was completely bowled over by this talented pair's newest initiative. They must be Auckland’s most consummate restaurateurs, as everything, as always, was perfect. I’ve been dining at the French Café for the best part of thirty years, ever since Annie Mantell and Barrington Salter opened it in that little back room that you had to enter through a side door of a lane that led to the Symonds St building’s courtyard.
Well now, not only does that courtyard contain the most stunning kitchen garden to supply the restaurant with herbs and seasonal vegies, but on the far side there’s a new state-of-the-art airy kitchen with space for dining, cooking demos, parties and events for up to 25-30 people. There are white walls, big glass doors, a great Electrolux modern kitchen, a fantastic wooden floor (made from floorboards in the old Orange Coronation Hall where my mother used to dance with Bill Sevesi) and some well chosen art.
Simon Wright cooked for us: five fabulous courses that were light, and formed with superbly well thought-out combinations of vegetables, herbs, and seasonal treats. We stood first in the courtyard, admiring the garden and nibbles on pre-dinner appetisers including little round toasted sandwiches filled with whitebait that were buttery, crunchy and that almost stole the show from the meal that followed.
I’m not sure if the dishes were on the regular French café menu, but if the kingfish ceviche with crème fraîche, caviar and garden greens is listed I’ll be back to eat that dish, and the egg yolk confit on smoked potato with peas and the last of the season’s asparagus, and that perfect seared duck breast with spiced fresh cherries, parsnip and red wine, and the strawberries and cream that came with meringue, cream, raspberries and mint. As for the accompanying wines – total delight, especially the demi-sec Roederer with dessert.
Service at the French Café is always stunning. And now it’s combined with the theatre of the French Kitchen. It’s a real treat to watch the intensity of Simon Wright and his chef, with their complete focus and concentration on cooking and plating the food, only metres from the tables. Like so much of the alterations, additions and fine-tuning they’ve brought to the restaurant over the years, this new project should yet again catapault them into the premier position on New Zealand’s restaurant scene. Well done!
The French Café, 210 Symonds St, Auckland City T 09 377 1911
20 January 2013
My husband thinks this is the best salmon he's ever eaten! Here's how I cured it:
I had half a side of super fresh NZ King Salmon. I cut this in half lengthwise (leaving the skin on.)
I made a mixture of 150g sea salt, 150g sugar, and half a cup of excellent vodka. Once dissolved, I poured this over both pieces of salmon, added about half a cup of fresh chopped dill and pressed the two halves together, with the skin on the outer.
I placed the salmon in a shallow glass terrine, covered it tightly with plastic wrap and pressed a weight on the top. It was then into the refrigerator for 48 hours. The final step was to remove the skin, easily done with a sharp knife by putting the salmon skin-side down on a board and running the knife flat along the skin betwen the skin and the flesh.
To serve, slice thinly and serve with wasabi-flvoured mayonnaise. DIVINE!
7 January 2013
An email received today! It was a truly wonderful dinner Pete made for us.
"Hi Lauraine,
Thank you so much for your book - it's a treasure. Tried to comment on your blog but technology stifled me - you can use if you so wish:
True story - was staying with friends this summer in a rented bach when we invited our delightful neighbours over for drinks and as is common right around NZ as it was my night for cooking I invited Lauraine and Murray to stay for dinner. I knew of Lauraine's expertise so it was with some trepidation when I looked at my meagre offering to be prepared and had thoughts probabably similar to Custer after he waved his troops towards Little Big Horn. Well I can say this, I did to that meal what only Spain or Greece can do to an economy and as I finished my last mouthfuls in silent humilation.
Lauraine put her knive and fork together and stared across the table "Is it all right if I have seconds?" - what kindness, what a class act. I don't know much about food, but I can recognise goodness in a person, kindness, love for a family and a passion for life. I was honoured to get to know her and humbled by her and Murrays presence and good cheer - have since got her book "The Confident Cook" and I smiled from page to page and it has easily allowed me to build a bridge between my cooking and healthy digestion for those who have had previously the liability to receive - Thank you, Lauraine, I will never forget your kindness and good grace,
PS. Haven't forgotten the 22nd of April and seriously loved the book, (and Murray.)
Cheers,
Pete and Annie
1 January 2013
My new year resolution is to try to keep a record of the dishes I mess around with each day. When my son was young he used to say to me, "Write the recipe for that dish Mum, so we can have it again." So many times I'd cook something simple and delicious but with no record, it would often only ever appear once on our table.
Today for lunch my daughter Katie wanted something substantial; probably because she had a Big Night Out last evening. So I delved into the wonderful 'Jerusalem' by Ottolenhi and Sami Tamimi, and came up with my own version of their Conchiglie with yogurt, peas & chilli. We had to use linguine as that's all that is currently in the pantry, and I added some of the leftover roast lamb to give the dish a bit more depth. It was light, full of interesting flavours and textures and the recipe is on the RECIPES page of this blog.
22 December 2012
If you’re visiting Matakana this summer you may like to share some of my foodie surprise stuff and special secrets, plus a few new places and what not to miss.
Phuong’s Vietnamese Food Truck: On Thursdays and Fridays throughout the summer, this truck will be in the carpark below Charlie’s Gelato on Sharp Rd, not far from the main Warkworth-Matakana Rd. Steamed pork buns, Vietnamese spring rolls, a several delicious meals to choose from for a tasty lunch or snack.
A new German patisserie and bakery operates at Plume Café at the roundabout at Matakana Cinema. Some of the best sourdough I have ever tasted, plus beautifully made pastries. A great classy café set in a peaceful garden for casual meals.
Matakana Pub – a complete transformation of this historic pub to make it the centre of the action in the village. Burgers, fish and chips and hearty pub meals served with flair and style.
The Village Bookshop in Matakana Village has one of the best selections of cookbooks around, plus everything you ever wanted to read.
Coffee at Fossick. Kate Arbuthnot makes Supreme Coffee, Fri to Mon in the side of the old Cream Factory in Matakana Village. Fossick around her little store of collectables and I'm sure you will return come home with a superb cut crystal bowl for trifle.
Cheese at the Matakana Farmers Market; Whangaripo Buffalo cheese make a stunning range and the best is their Marin Blue which is creamy and dreamy. And the smiley Italian Cheesemaker, Massimo Lubisco in the far corner of the market has been making a sensationally soft burratta mozzarella for me on request.
The Waybyond Farm stand and Patrick Holmes-Miller's Vegetables are opposite each other in the market and everything they offer is fresh and beautifully grown. Don’t miss Jenny’s free range organic eggs and her bags of sweet or spice greens from her farm in the Wayby Valley, or the diverse range of seasonal veges Patrick grows at Mangawhai.
If you venture out to Omaha Beach for a swim or walk on the surf beach, stop in at the Kick Back Café for a coffee and the Iranian owners’ special lamb salad. A recipe from their mother, the boys marinate the lamb for seven hours before cooking it. Their middle eastern flair makes everything pretty tasty. And fish and chips for $12!
19 December 2012
We’ve seen the opening of a number of good restaurants and cafés during 2012 but the very best is The Oyster Inn. Everything has come together perfectly to capture the essence of all that makes New Zealand a special place. On one hand it’s the stunning simplicity of the surroundings, décor and food, combined with the magical setting. But then sitting on the deck, overlooking the ocean, you realise that owners and hosts Jonathan Rutherfurd Best and Andrew Glenn have delivered it all with a great dollop of sophistication and careful thought.
In the process the pair considered the local population, setting out to entice them in, and the number of Islanders rolling up to feast or simply have a drink attests to this. Best and Glenn spent childhood years in New Zealand, and more recently worked in London. The boys may have left the country years ago, but their passion for the lifestyle and culture has been retained and they’ve come home. Hurray!
It shines through in the collection of artefacts, maps and old photos that adorn the Oyster Inn’s walls, and in the sympathetic decoration of both the restaurant and the three very comfortable rooms for guests to stay in. Lots of white painted wood, with touches of a beautiful colour ‘Sea Foam’ reflect the colour of Oneroa’s beach and sparkling water. In those rooms there’s a touch of luxury with spacious bathrooms, Aesop toiletries and superb furnishings.
The Oyster Inn’s masterstroke is the chef. Cristian Hossack had been away from NZ for fifteen years, cooking most recently as head chef for Peter Gordon’s Providores in London. He delights in using the island’s bounty- fish, oysters, olive oil, and the lovely wines. He has put his own personal stamp on the food with a simple menu, befitting the surroundings, yet with some quite quirky dishes like a tender octopus salad with barley and herbs, or crunchy crumbed fingers of lamb belly with mint vinaigrette that makes for interesting eating. Most importantly, it’s very affordable; $22.50 for fantastic fish and chips (line-caught fish, triple cooked fries) and a range of ‘bites’ like tarakihi sllders with burnt butter and crispy capers $18 and an enamel bowlful of salt and pepper squid with coriander cress $16. I loved his Very Green Salad, a tangle of lots of green things with a crunchy finish.
There’s another deft hand in the kitchen too, making a stunning range of desserts; pictured above are the chilled vanilla rice pudding with poached peaches and jelly (harking back to everyone’s Kiwi childhood) and the panna cotta with cherries which is made with the Waiheke Ewe’s milk I’d tried a few weeks before at an Island showcase.
The Oyster Inn is about 20 minutes walk from the Matiatia Ferry, and you can be picked up in a restored Kombi van that captures the quirkiness of the place. I’m picking this will be the place to be this summer, as it’s close enough to the city to take the ferry over for lunch or dinner, so be sure to reserve a table if you’re headed to the island.
The Oyster Inn, 124 Ocean View Rd, Oneroa, T 09 372 2222 www.theoysterinn.co.nz
4 December 2012
The best part about my job is I get to share the inside stories of the food world. Last week I was privileged to get a sneaky preview of the new Ebisu menu.
Ebisu is my first choice of restaurants in the smart Britomart precinct (although Hanoi is a pretty close second.) Also I need to add here that I cannot believe once again Aucklanders have been duped. That 'smart Britomart' is not nearly as appealing now the centre has been filled in with permanent buildings - a wonderful open space once again lost forever. Shame on the Auckland Council planners' stupidity and the developers' greed.
But on with the food; Ebisu has a sushi master, Yokio Ozeki who has joined chef Murray Wiblin in the kitchen. I can't tell you more about him yet, but I can report his 'new style mixed sashimi platter' pictured above would do itself proud in a top Japanese restaurant. I consider myself qualified to say that as I have just returned from two weeks of top-end eating in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Yamashiro.
Like so much of the feasting encountered on my Japanese epicurean adventure, the food on this new Ebisu menu is elegant, beautifully presented and tastes oh-so-light and delicious. Don't miss the wagyu dumplings in a spice sauce with roasted almonds, the tiny square of very authentic tonkatsu pork belly, the scampi tempura with ponzu which almost floated up from my plate and the yakitori lamb fillets with spicy miso that may be the most tender lamb I've eaten anywhere.
To finish there's a stunning sesame ice cream with cherry macaroon - perfect food for seasonal eating as all rightful Japanese chefs will offer. Don't miss this experience. And here's a tip; Ebisu's new shochu bar opens very soon - in the place where Precinct was.
Ebisu, 116 Quay St,(an entrance off Tyler St, too) T 09 300 5271
5 November 2012
You had to be there. There’s no way my words can do justice to the brilliant picture that was painted on Gather & Hunt’s blank canvas in the Nathan Club at the artDEGO last night. Provocative and pretty, sensory and spectacular, colourful and clever, and above all, delightfully delicious.
Traditional chefs, mainstream artists, conventional event managers, I have a message for you all - Move Over! Quickly! The fun and new direction for Auckland food starts here with this energetic team.
Dominique and Courteney run the Tasting Club as part of their terrific Gather& Hunt website. Last night, as part of Auckland Art Week, they harnessed the talent of Mink Boyce to bring five dishes from fine young gun chefs together with five young gun artists. Each course was a collaborative between the pairs, and each was an experience to behold.
Even before we were seated, the fun began. Two different cocktails from mixologist Cam Timmins of Mea Culpa were served with finger food from Ed Verner of Sidart. Playing on the art theme, he’d created broad brushstrokes of colour and taste on a charcoal palette, and we swept a cacophony of flavour into our mouths. And a trick; it looked like an oyster in a shell, but it was a shell fashioned from rice flour (I guess) filled with jelly, wasabi and more. Sensational and that almost stole the show of the night for me.
The artists’ works were on display around the room for one night only, providing the inspiration for the food. The opening dish was sensational. Nick Honeyman (The Commons) set our places with a small artist’s palette, brush, a paint tube of dressing and a wee plastic bottle of turpentine (turned out to be our wine to drink) to accompany his spring Ora King salmon and coconut pannacotta entrée. Inspired by artist John Dwyer.
Then Stephen Smith (Tin Soldier) co-operating with Tiffany Singh and her colourful works, sent out a dainty little decorated cup for the Warkworth clover honey mead that accompanied his brilliant platter of carrot, almond, chilli and turmeric, all set on a wax dipped puka leaf. “Most amazing carrots I’ve ever eaten,” said one connoisseur at our table.
Mark Southon (The Foodstore) was inspired by Liam Gerrard’s graphic charcoal drawing of a pig’s head and served “this little piggy went fishing” with a surf and turf combo of pig’s cheek, John Dory, squid crisps and caviar butter. (Yum, yum, pig’s ***, I thought.) The Pyramid Valley Rose Savagnin was delicious too.
Both Elliot Collins (a handle-bar moustachioed artist) and Hayden McMillan (Tribeca) worked so hard on their course. The meltingly tender masterstock glazed beef shortribs were cloaked in a lovely prawn blanket, perched on a board Collins had painted with random adjectives. Mine; ‘Absurd & Chivalrous’, my husband; ‘Mundane & Ominous’ and the divine Ms Emerald Gilmour; ‘Avid & Odious.’ Appropriate? Maybe, but at least this got everyone at the table talking about the art!
The finale was the crescendo. Brian Campbell (due to open a dessert bar in Britomart) emulated Alex Bartleet’s textural work with a construction of chocolate and raspberry. Everyone was silent as we devoured what must be the ultimately perfect combination of flavours.
We were entertained by Courtney Sina Meredith and there’s so much more to tell. Most importantly, you should have been there!
2 November 2012
What do you serve for guests who have paid thousands of dollars to come to your place? It's a scary dilemma and very stressful. But once the table is set, and the menu decided it becomes fun.
This week I co-hosted a dinner that John Hawkesby and I had donated at this year's 'Ten' Mercy Hopsice fundraising brunch. Four generous couples had won the dinner and they showed up filled with expectation.
The wine was no problem; Hawkesby's cellar is legendary and he brought fourteen bottles of superb French wines (see them in the Wine To Drink section of this blog.)
I served the cured salmon above to start. It's a superb recipe I got from Jimmy McIntyre at Otahuna Lodge in Canterbury and it's filled with the citrusy aromas of lemon, orange and lime. (The recipe is on the Listener website and at the great new food site; the FoodHub.co.nz)
Next up, a duck salad. I love duck salads and this time I made a variant on my famous duck and honeyed walnut salad, as I used baby beetroot, fresh green beans, some hand made mozzarella from Whangaripo Buffalo Cheese company, fresh field greens, mint and seared duck breasts.
The main course was rare eye fillet of beef with rich mushroom sauce accompanied by asparagus, and the first of the season's new Red Rascal potatoes from a farmstand on the Omaha Flats Rd.
To end we had choclate raspberry brownie (recipe on the Listener and Food Hub websites) with vanilla bean ice cream and fresh raspberry puree.
Special thanks to Shona in the kitchen and the lovely Hawkesbys for their company. (And Murray Jacobs who washed all the glasses by hand next morning!)
It was a great success and I hope the guests loved it as much as the Hawkesbys and the Jacobs did.