Why did you decide to become a chef?
For as long as I can remember, cooking and learning from my grandmother, working next to her was definitely the driving force behind my chosen career path.
Where did you train?
I studied at Tai Poutini Polytechnic in Greymouth.
Where have you worked?
Shortly after graduation I moved to Taupo to work at Huka lodge under chef Paul Froggart. After spending two years there I moved to Dunedin to work with chef Michael Coughlin at Pier 24. Following this I moved to Glenorchy to work under chef Cory Hume at Blanket Bay Lodge. Moving forward to now, I have spent four years working at Prohibition Smokehouse, working my way up to the top to run the kitchen as head chef.
What is your food philosophy?
I find this a rather difficult question to answer. I do not have a philosophy on food as such but my outlook is to treat the product with respect and have good relationships with the people that both supply and grow the produce that we use and to do the best by these products. In return this helps the customer to have a better experience.
Who inspires you?
Anthony Bourdain. Anthony's extensive exploration of, perspectives on and knowledge of cuisines transcend the food itself into all avenues of life. His willingness to learn and to embrace cultures as they are, from food to way of life.
What is your favourite dish to cook at home?
I don’t have one. I just love to cook what I have grown or forraged. My partner is vegetarian, so mostly I enjoy the challenge of cooking without meat.
What is your favourite comfort food?
Good home-cooked roast meat. Nothing can beat that.
What is always in your fridge?
Cheese — in particular, double cream brie or camembert.
What do you do when not working?
I have a small garden, so mostly gardening and spending my limited time with family and friends.
What is your favourite cookbook?
The Flavour Thesaurus by Niki Segnit. It's not a cookbook as such but it's a book that dives into how ingredients can match on a chemical level. Definitely a good read.
What is your favourite kitchen gadget?
Overall I don't have a favourite but my top three would have to be:
- Dry Ager meat lockers.
- Thermomix (blender that has a heating function).
- PacoJet (a machine which purees frozen foods).
Your restaurant is ‘‘unashamedly meat focused’’, so what are your top tips for cooking a steak at home?
- Let the steak “bloom” to room temperature, 30 minutes minimum prior to cooking
- Season with salt only prior to cooking. Adding pepper to a steak then cooking will burn the pepper, making it bitter. Season with pepper after, when resting.
- Use a temperature probe. You can't rely on cooking a steak without a timer as all cuts can cook differently.
- Rest the meat well after cooking on a small wire rack in a warm place for at least half the cooking time. This will let the steak relax and will result in more of the juice retained in the protein when cut.
Tua Tua clam and smoked mussel pasta
250g 00 flour
1 whole egg
4 egg yolks
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
5g salt
200g chopped smoked mussels
250g tua tua clams
100ml sweet white wine
1 large shallot
2 cloves garlic
100g havoc farms pork belly bacon
1 lemon (juice and zest)
1 sprig thyme
10 g butter
1 egg yolk
50ml of cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
1) Place flour, salt into the food processor, slowly add whole egg and egg yolks and vinegar.
Process until the pasta forms into a dough ball. On the bench work the pasta into a ball and wrap, let dough rest overnight in the fridge.
Using a pasta roller, roll dough to setting No2, and cut into fettuccine using the supplied cutter attachment.
2) Crush two garlic cloves, and finely chop the shallot. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter, slowly cook the shallot and garlic with no colour. Add the clams and wine, cover with a lid and cook until they have opened, and set aside.
3) Reduce the remaining clam cooking stock by half and remove the thyme and add the cream and remove from heat.
4) Boil a large pot of water, adding 20g salt per litre of water.
5) Add the chopped bacon to a cold pan, bring the pan up to medium heat and render out the bacon fat. Add the clam stock and cream and reduce to taste. Add mussel meat.
6) Cook the pasta, approximately 3-4 minutes for fresh (7-8 minutes for store bought dry).
7) Add the cooked pasta, toss in the sauce, remove from heat, leave to stand for one minute to cool. If the sauce is too thick add some of the pasta cooking water. Toss in one egg yolk to thicken the sauce. Season with salt and pepper and lemon juice to taste and serve with aged parmesan and the steamed clams.
