"Food and family: it doesn’t get any better than that," Angelo Georgalli says.
So for his second cookbook the Wanaka chef, aka the Game Chef, has brought the two together, producing a variety of his family’s favourite recipes.
Angelo’s Wild Kitchen Favourite Family Recipes is about showing people their "wild kitchen" exists in every grocer, butcher, backyard and windowsill, and including children in the cooking process.
Angelo’s Wild Kitchen, by Angelo Georgalli, Beatnik Publishing, $44.99, beatnikshop.com.
There is nothing he loves more than teaching his kids to cook, to fish, to hunt and to appreciate what they eat.
"Guiding their capable, clever little hands as they tend their own garden, catch their own fish, raise their own chooks. They give it all meaning. They make it more fun."
The book talks about his wild kitchen philosophy as well as providing chapters on tips and tricks, butters and bases and sauces alongside those on pasta, pizza, wild asian fusion, breakfast and greens.
Georgalli’s aim is for people to create a more holistic approach to food and cooking with an emphasis on stress-free, organic and seasonal cooking.
"I believe in wild, foraged, local, fresh, seasonal foods that nourish all aspects of who we are as human beings."
Photo: Sally Greer
Warm spinach, feta and Brussels sprout salad
Serves 2-4
Gluten-free, nut-free
Prep time 20-30 minutes
Cooking time 25-30 minutes
The humble Brussels sprout has been given a bit of bad press over the years, but this little vege, which I like to think of as a condensed cabbage, is full of wholesome goodness and with the right companion cooking, is absolutely delish!
Ingredients
500ml water
salt
20 Brussels sprouts, trimmed
knob of butter (roughly a teaspoon or maybe 2, you’ll know!)
1 clove garlic
Dressing
handful of spinach (4 small spinach plants or frozen will work too)
150g feta, crumbled
1 tsp cumin seeds
pepper
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp Greek yoghurt
juice of ½ a lemon
2 Tbsp powdered parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
Method
Preheat oven to 180degC. Heat water in a medium-size pot and add a pinch of salt. Cook Brussels sprouts in boiling water for 15 minutes. While the Brussels sprouts are boiling, heat an ovenproof pan on the stove. Add the butter and garlic to pan. Drain Brussels sprouts and add to the pan. Toss until coated with butter and garlic then pop into oven for 10 minutes.
Remove stalks from spinach and add to blender with feta, cumin seeds, a pinch of pepper, olive oil, yoghurt and lemon juice. Blend for 40 seconds until it has a dip-like consistency.
Transfer Brussels sprouts to bowl. Spoon dressing over sprouts and toss/mix through. Mix in the powdered Parmesan.
Garnish with grated Parmesan and serve these fantastically tasty Brussels sprouts!
Photo: Sally Greer
Pork belly, mushroom and sage orecchiette
Serves 2
Nut free
Prep 30 min
Cooking time 30 min
Pork belly is one of those meats that works in so many amazing ways. I’ve used it in a variety of dishes and it really does give a dish a sweet, juicy, salty flavour. Wild pork belly is far less fatty than store-bought, and the flavour of the meat is simply incredible. You can taste the very earth, the wildness of the sky and forest, in the meat. If you’re lucky enough to bag a wild pig, try this recipe out on some of the belly; you’ll thank me for it!
Ingredients
250g pork belly
2 Tbsp olive oil
150g white mushrooms sliced
2 cloves garlic crushed and roughly chopped
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp sage chopped
4 cherry tomatoes halved
250ml cream
3 Tbsp white wine
250g orecchiette
1 egg yolk
¼ cup grated or powdered Parmesan
To serve
Parmesan cheese
Method
Slice the pork belly into 4 long slices and then chop into bite-size cubes. Heat a large pan over high heat. Add olive oil. Once the pan is hot, drop the pork in and fry until crispy. Now this is important: not a hard, crunchy kind of crispy but just so the fatty end is golden and crisped.Add mushrooms and garlic to the pork. Season with salt and pepper. Add sage and cherry tomatoes. Add cream and bring to a simmer, then add wine.As soon as you add the cream get your orecchiette pasta on! Fill a large pot about three-quarters full of water and bring to the boil. Cover, ready to cook the orecchiette for about 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and set aside.
To the cream mix, add the egg yolk and stir through. Make sure you stir it right around the whole pan; you’ll find the cream will thicken quite quickly as you stir it round. Add Parmesan and stir through. Take off heat. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
Toss drained orecchiette through the sauce and serve with as much additional Parmesan as you like.
Photo: Sally Greer
Deep-fried venison scotch eggs
Serves 4
Dairy free, gluten free, nut free
Prep time 30 min
Cooking time 30 min
"Born in Scotland so ya know: scotch eggs." These awesome little beauties are perfect on a long hike or hunt. They’re protein-packed and absolutely delicious. Great for lunches or grazing, these bad boys will keep you going all day.
Ingredients
10 eggs
1 Tbsp olive oil
½ onion sliced
1 clove garlic, diced
¼ red capsicum/pepper, chopped
1 tsp real maple syrup
500g minced venison (you can use minced beef or lamb or chicken as well!)
1 tsp fresh thyme chopped
1 tsp fresh rosemary chopped
1 tsp fresh sage chopped
1 Tbsp fresh parsley chopped
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp coarse black pepper or pepper seasoning
½ tsp paprika
1 tsp of salt
2 cups GF breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp GF soy sauce
4 Tbsp GF flour
Method
Place 8 eggs in a saucepan of water, bring to boil and boil for 4-5 minutes, 6-10 minutes if you want hard-boiled eggs. Run under cold water for 15 minutes. Set aside.
Heat olive oil in a medium pan over a high heat and fry onion, garlic and red capsicum/pepper. Once onions have browned off, add maple syrup to caramelise the onions. Take off heat and set aside.
In a bowl, combine minced venison, fresh and dry herbs and spices and salt. Add 1 cup of GF breadcrumbs, 1 egg, and soy sauce. Pour in onion mixture and mix together.
Heat oil in a deep fryer to 180degC. Peel boiled eggs and roll each in GF flour. Use floured hands to make 8 patties from the venison mixture and use to wrap each egg and seal. Lightly beat the remaining egg in a bowl and roll each wrapped egg in the beaten egg then in the remaining GF breadcrumbs. Repeat one more time.
Place in fryer for 5 minutes. Serve hot or cold.Tip: If you don’t have a deep fryer you can add a cup or two of coconut oil to a deep wok and set to a high heat.
