Paul Mercurio, better known for his role in Strictly Ballroom and as a judge on TV One's Dancing with the Stars, has become an accomplished cook, brewer of home-made beer and a popular TV personality on both sides of the Tasman.
Mercurio toured Central Otago in November, meeting local business owners and collecting a selection of top quality local produce.
He then took the ingredients to Ms Crompton to whip up a Central Otago feast.
A full-time chef tutor at Otago Polytechnic's Cromwell Campus, Ms Crompton has a passion for learning and teaching different food styles and a strong culinary drive to use local ingredients.
"That's why I did the show.
"What a great way of showcasing Central Otago and the abundance of top-quality fresh produce we have here."
Well-known in Queenstown for her roles as Millbrook Resort's executive chef, the Spire Luxury Hotel's chef de cuisine, Kinloch Lodge and Restaurant consultant chef and Punatapu Lodge's head chef, Ms Crompton still guest chefs at the latter and runs its Ki Tao - the art of cooking from Aotearoa - Cooking School, a fun and social way for her guests to learn about local cuisine.
Meeting Mercurio and being involved in the show was a "fantastic experience", she said.
"He's such a nice guy.
"I really enjoyed meeting him and swapping cooking tips and techniques.
"I've already seen the episode and it's fantastic - what a great plug for the region.
"Paul and I use ingredients synonymous with Central Otago, like wild thyme, goodies from Provisions, Ida Valley saffron, Kutash Organic garlic, and Poverty Gully Olive Oil to make dishes like Central Otago roast pheasant with saffron and bay potatoes.
"There's also some wonderful footage of the area, and of Paul hunting pheasant with Paul Davie, picking wild thyme up in the hills with Pauline Murphy from Provisions and chatting to Jane at their store.
"Old Cromwell looks great," she said.
More than 3 million people have already watched the show in Australia and those who featured products on the show have received dozens of calls from interested buyers.
• Mercurio's Menu, screens on Sunday at 7pm on the Food Channel (Sky digital 9).
