So, what exactly is New Zealand cuisine? According to my web sources, New Zealanders enjoy quality local produce from land and sea. Similar to the cuisine of Australia, the cuisine of New Zealand is a diverse British-based cuisine with Mediterranean and Pacific Rim influences as the country becomes more cosmopolitan. For dishes that have a distinctly New Zealand style, there’s lamb, pork and cervena (venison), salmon, crayfish (lobster), Bluff oysters, paua (abalone), mussels, scallops, pipis and tuatua (both are types of New Zealand shellfish), kumara (sweet potato), kiwifruit, tamarillo and pavlova, the national dessert. It’s also good to know a little New Zealand slang before embarking on such an adventure, and you’ll notice I’ve had a little fun with it throughout this post….
Ladies a Plate means please bring a dish of food to share; Entree is an appetizer or hors d’oeurve; Main is the primary dish of a meal; Take-away means food to be taken away and eaten; Tea is the evening meal, dinner; and my favorite, Piss Up – a party, social gathering, and excuse for drinking alcohol…BINGO! As if we need an excuse to drink wine!
Before I get into our entrees and main, please realize these Concert in the Park Culinary Challenge blog posts are primarily photo recaps, featuring one or two recipes and/or links to recipes that inspired us. I do not request recipes from everyone who participated each week. If you decide to host your own theme party, along the lines of one of our challenges, I hope these posts will simply provide you with ideas. Ok then, let’s get started!
I’ll begin with Kai’s Rewena paraoa (potato bread), since kai is the Maori word for food. Nigel Olsen, author of Curious Kai, The Curious New Zealand Food Blog, dedicates three posts to the preparation of this bread, with the complete recipe and step by step photos. The first post starts here. Our Kai served two loaves, still warm from the oven, with garlic butter…we were very impressed that he went through the 3-day process to make this flavorful bread! Kai also served Grilled New Zealand Lamb Chops, but discouraged my photo shoot because they were served on one of Max’s monkey plates 😉
Jim and Carmen arrived with a hot basket of Green Lip Mussel Fritters and Kiwi & Tomato Salad.
Makes 30 brochettes
2 1/2 pounds boneless leg of lamb
2 Tbsp lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
3 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp chopped mint
8 ounces pancetta, thinly sliced, or bacon* (about 15 slices)
2 cups mint pesto (jarred or homemade)
Directions:
Cut the lamb into 3/4-inch cubes. Combine the lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and whisk until blended. Add the oil and mint.
Toss the lamb in the mixture to coat well, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator, tossing occasionally, at least 4 hours.
Soak thirty 6-inch bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes to prevent burning. Thread 2 pieces of lamb and 1/2 slice of pancetta onto each skewer; arrange on a sheet pan.
Roast the brochettes in a preheated 450 degree F oven until the lamb is nicely browned outside, yet still pink and juicy inside, 8 to 12 minutes.
Serve the brochettes with mint pesto sauce for dipping.
Note: If using bacon rather than pancetta, blanch it in a large saucepan of slowly simmering water for 5 minutes. The bacon will become opaque and firm. Drain and pat dry before using.
***John used bacon and grilled the brochettes at the park.
G’day mates, I’m buggered!
***
Denise