Hottest date in town
Seven Manawatu¯ chefs paired with chefs from throughout New Zealand to compete in this year’s Plate of Origin. Reporter Kirsty Lawrence tasted three of the dishes and talked to the chefs behind them.
Liquorice, Taihape-grown quinoa and chili chocolate sauce are just some of the intriguing flavours food lovers can experience at Plate of Origin this month.
The event, in its third year, showcases New Zealand’s finest produce during New Zealand Agrifood Investment Week.
The chefs taking part have created meals that incorporate each chef’s skills and personality, while championing two hero ingredients, one from Manawatu¯ and one from the region they are paired with.
Cuisine editor Kelli Brett has had the hard task of judging the competition, alongside UCOL chef lecturer Mark Smith.
Normally, the dishes are available for five days, but this year they will be on restaurants menus for two weeks until March 17.
FAT FARMER WITH MEAT AND LIQUOR (TARANAKI)
Using locally sourced produce is something Fat Farmer is passionate about, so when it came time to pick its hero ingredient for Plate of Origin, head chef Janet Gray wanted to think a little outside the box.
Gray, who worked alongside Meat and Liquor’s chef Shawn Fisher, said she had read about a couple in Taihape who are the only producers of quinoa in New Zealand, so she approached them to use their product in this dish.
This quinoa is not heated and polished and also does not contain bitter saponins, which results in a cleaner and ‘‘sweet’’ flavour.
This is paired well with a macadamia nut puree in the dish, with macadamia the hero produce from New Plymouth.
This puree gives the dish a nutty, creamy emulsion with a hint of acid and freshness to cut through the anzco lamb and give the tabbouleh freshness.
Gray said she and Fat Farmer chef Dwaynne Blackett always aimed to use as many local ingredients as possible in their dishes, going as far as using herbs from Blackett’s own herb garden.
ABERDEEN WITH PALATE (WAIKATO)
If you’re not a fan of liquorice, this is not the dish for you, Aberdeen chef Craig Robinson says.
A hint of liquorice is found in their dish through a liquorice and duck jus, which is served with a crispy skin duck breast and celeriac, beets, kawakawa, oyster mushroom, chorizo and confit duck tortellini.
Robinson paired with Palate in Waikato and said duck was the obvious choice for their hero product as they are based in Cambridge.
It was Palate chef Mat Mclean’s idea to use liquorice and make it into a freeze-dried paste, with duck and liquorice a perfect pairing.
Celeriac from Levin was added as the hero product and works well on the plate with the beets and chorizo, creating a appealing combination of textures and flavours.
Having won Plate of Origin in its first year, Robinson said it was always great to be involved and try something new while learning new skills.
This is one of the more fiddly dishes on the Aberdeen menu and brings together great flavours, is well presented, with the crispy skin duck breast cooked to perfection.
LA PATIO WITH THE WHITE SWAN (WAIRARAPA)
La Patio chef Dexter Gallaza has taken a classic dish and given it a modern twist. The standout to the way both beef components are cooked to perfection with Gallaza using both Wairarapa Angus pure beef cheek and Whanganui Ranui Angus eye fillet.
He uses the technique of marbling with the beef cheek.
When cooked, the meat is almost suspended in a mesh of fat, that instantly liquefies when it enters your mouth.
The beef cheek is paired with a summer sweetcorn puree and avocado salsa, which gives the dish a fresh kick, and pickled onion petals inject acidity.
These are paired with the subtle flavour of a chili chocolate sauce to add some sweet to the savoury flavours.
Also on the plate is the Whanganui Ranui angus eye fillet, resting on a duck fat fondant potato with a choron sauce, carrot gel and a trio of green beans wrapped in smoked pancetta.
The unique carrot gel has a different texture to a standard puree and helps enhance the flavour of the dish.
Although two meats might seem overwhelming to some, Gallaza has weighed out each portion to perfection and the whole meal comes together to create a sensory experience.
Gallaza was paired with The White Swan chef Dale Keith and said he was proud of how the dish panned out.
TALL ORDER
Also taking part in Plate of Origin are: Table 188, paired with Mount Bistro from the Bay of Plenty, Nero, paired with Cibo from Auckland, Amayjen paired with Gatherings in Canterbury, and Nosh paired with Bracken in Otago.