Wild Thyme head chef Ramon Smith. Photo supplied.
In the last of our autumn Queenstown Times Cuisine series, Wild Thyme head chef Ramon Smith shares a dish from his winter menu and tells of how he spent a season working in the Antarctic, serving former prime minister Helen Clark and Sir Edmund Hilary.

A self-confessed adventure addict and a former chef for Antarctica New Zealand, Wild Thyme head chef Ramon Smith knows a thing or two about rustling up a hearty nourishing meal to fend off the winter chill.

He counts skiing, snowboarding, paragliding, climbing and surfing among his many outdoor hobbies.

Pan-seared salmon fillet on a caramelised kumara, broccolini and feta salad. Photo supplied.

In 2007, Mr Smith took his appetite for the extreme outdoors to work in the Antarctic as a chef at Scott Base, New Zealand's government research station.

There, he catered for diners during the Antarctic's busiest year, including for those involved in Andrill - a multinational Antarctic deep-drilling project which involved more than 200 educators, scientists and students from Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States and New Zealand.

In the same season he helped cater for Scott Base's 50th birthday celebrations, and those attending included then prime minister Helen Clark, Sir Edmund Hilary and the American Senate of National Scientific Research.

Mr Smith is for now happily ensconced at Wild Thyme Bar and Restaurant, SkyCity Queenstown Casino, where he directs the kitchen team in producing his new winter menu.

Today, he presents pan-seared salmon fillet on a caramelised kumara, broccolini and feta salad from the new menu.

"I really enjoy crafting fantastic, nutritious cuisine from the fresh produce from this beautiful land that we're so lucky to live in.

"Being an outdoorsy type, I've spent a lot of time outdoors in all weather conditions, so when it comes to hearty fare I feel I really understand what makes a strong winter dish," he said.

PAN-SEARED SALMON FILLET ON A CARAMELISED KUMARA, BROCCOLINI AND FETA SALAD
- Serves 2 -
INGREDIENTS
2 x 200g salmon fillets (pinned and scaled)
Olive oil
Butter
Salt and pepper


BROCCOLINI SALAD
1 medium-sized red kumara (sweet potato)
1 bunch broccolini
80g diced feta
½ red onion, thinly sliced
50g baby spinach
Small handful toasted almonds
Lemon zest
Olive oil


BALSAMIC REDUCTION
Balsamic vinegar
Apple juice
Citrus coulis: (coulis is a thick sauce made from pureed and strained vegetables or fruit)
50g sugar
2 lemons (zested)
2 oranges
250ml orange juice

COULIS COOKING METHOD
1. Slice the oranges and lemons into 1cm-thick slices and place them in a small saucepan with all other coulis ingredients.

2. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, leaving it until it has halved in volume.

3. Pour the coulis into a food processor or blender (be careful not to overfill) and blend, carefully checking the consistency until blended enough.

4. Coulis should be a very thick sauce that will not run on the plate once cold.

5. To test if the coulis is thick enough do a tester on a plate in the fridge first.

BALSAMIC REDUCTION COOKING METHOD
1. Pour the balsamic vinegar and apple juice into a pot and reduce until it is the same consistency as the coulis (tip: use cheaper vinegar for this rather than breaking the bank on 12-year aged balsamic. This reduced balsamic will last forever, so you can make it once and use again.)

KUMARA COOKING METHOD
1. Slice the kumara into 1cm-thick slices and saute lightly in a pan with a mix of olive oil and butter.

2. Once kumara is slightly soft, set aside.

SALMON COOKING METHOD
1. Heat a pan until medium hot and lightly sprinkle salt on the base.

2. Take the salmon and season lightly with salt and pepper and a thin coat of oil.

3. Place skin-side down on to the hot pan and add a small knob of butter.

4. Allow the skin to crisp up (the butter helps this) then turn to skin-side up and cook for a further two minutes or until medium-rare (slightly pink in middle).

5. While cooking the salmon, blanch the broccolini by placing in boiling water for two minutes and strain.

6. Combine the broccolini with all salad ingredients and add a dash of olive oil, lemon juice and zest and season.

DISH PREPARATION
1. Take a large white plate and lightly zigzag the coulis around it with the balsamic reduction surrounding in a thin ring. Place three kumara slices in the centre of the plate then arrange the salad on top.

2. Lastly place the salmon on top and finish with a lemon wedge.

• Cuisine will take a break next week, but will return on June 3 with the first of our winter recipes.