Contents

Introduction
Kupu whakataki—p.11
Seafood
Kaimoana—p.35
Bird
Manu—p.143
Animal
Mīti—p.191
Vege
Huawhenua—p.267
Pudding
Purini—p.313
Whipped cream
Kirīmi pāhukahuka—p.341
Baked
Ō tunu—p.363
Preserves
Kai whakapounamu—p.403
Go-tos and garnishes
Hokihokinga me ngā kīnaki—p.437
Index
Kuputohu—p.452
Let us give thanks
He mihi—p.462
Introduction / Kupu whakataki

In Baches We Believe

The word ‘bach’ is such an

evocative word. When I hear it
or see it written in any form, a
wave of joy always washes over
me. It’s a funny old word, as it
doesn’t really look the way that
it is actually pronounced.

There are two schools of

thought on where the word
‘bach’ originated from. The
first is that it’s shortened
from the words ‘bachelor pad’,
which is okay, but it doesn’t
fit the narrative in my head of
what a bach represents.
 Trevally sashimi with soy syrup,
wasabi peas and Kewpie mayo

This has become a staple on the Depot menu for a while now. I developed it up at the
bach a few years back, when I had some fresh trevally but not a lot of other ingredients.
So I whipped up the soy syrup, then went foraging in my pantry for other ingredients
to add. Turns out it’s a bit of a winner of a dish. Everyone seems to rave about it, which
I always find a bit embarrassing because this recipe is essentially just two ingredients.
I prepare a jar of the sweet, salty syrup each summer and make this dish often. It works
with any fresh raw fish.

Serves 6

SOY SYRUP
1 cup (250 ml/9 fl oz) soy sauce
1 cup (220 g/7¾ oz) sugar

TO ASSEMBLE AND SERVE

600 g (1 lb 5 oz) super fresh trevally (or whatever fresh fish you have scored)
Kewpie Spicy Mayonnaise (any Kewpie or mayo will work)
¼ cup (25 g/1 oz) wasabi peas, crushed
micro basil or regular basil, finely chopped
toasted sesame seeds (optional)
fresh chilli, thinly sliced (optional)

Chill your platter.

To make the soy syrup, place the soy and sugar into a small saucepan over
medium-high heat. Keeping a watchful eye on it, bring it up to the boil, then lower the
temperature to a simmer. Reduce for 10 minutes or so. When any syrup is hot it will be
a lot runnier than when it cools, so what I like to do is place a saucer in the fridge and
after 10 minutes I put a couple of drops on the cold plate to see how syrupy it is. You
don’t want to over-reduce it as it will be too thick.

Take the sharpest knife you have, give it a couple of passes on the steel, then slice the
fish into smallish pieces, as thinly as possible. Arrange them on the chilled platter.
Take the Kewpie mayo and squeeze a small amount onto each piece of fish. Scatter
over the crushed wasabi peas. Drizzle the soy syrup over it all—less is more, as you can
always add a bit extra. Scatter over some basil if you have it. For a couple of optional
extras, you can sprinkle over a few sesame seeds or add chilli slices if you want to turn
up the temp a little more. Serve now.
 

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 Spiced lamb shoulder chops with
labneh, honey and dukkah

Growing up on a farm where ‘home kill’ was the norm, we ate more lamb, hogget
and mutton than any other protein. I never tire of sheep meat—in fact, if I have been
overseas for a bit, when I arrive home it’s usually a simple lamb chop that I look forward
to eating the most. Racks of lamb and loin chops are normally the most tender; however,
I have a real fondness for lamb shoulder chops. With their irregular bone and cartilage
formations, shoulder chops offer up a far more interesting eat than the others. Some of
the pockets of meat are super tender, others have a little more chew, and that is what
I like about them. Chops are finger food; it’s a messy job at times, but that’s the appeal.
The following recipe works wonderfully well, with spice, char, sour, sweet and nutty all
hangin’ out together. I like to let these chops marinate in the fridge for a couple of days
prior to cooking.

Serves 6
1–2 red chillies, finely chopped
LAMB AND MARINADE finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
1.5 kg (3 lb 5 oz) lamb shoulder chops ½ cup (125 ml/4 fl oz) olive oil
2 tablespoons ground sumac
1 tablespoon smoked paprika TO SERVE
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted and 2 cups (500 g/1 lb 2 oz) labneh or thick natural
ground yoghurt
1½ tablespoons cumin seeds, toasted and ⅓ cup (115 g/4 oz) runny honey
ground handful mint leaves
1 tablespoon flaky sea salt seeds of 1 pomegranate (optional)
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper dukkah (page 444)
1½ tablespoons finely chopped garlic 2 lemons, cut into wedges

Place the lamb chops in a large bowl with all of the 444 ingredients. With clean hands,
massage all the spices into the chops. Leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 days.
The longer you marinate them, the better the result.
Preheat your chargrill, barbecue or oven grill to high.
Cook the shoulder chops all the way through, letting them get a decent amount of
char and caramelisation on them. Remove and let rest for 5 minutes.

To serve, spread the labneh or yoghurt on a platter or plates. Top with the charred
chops, then finish by drizzling over the runny honey, picked mint leaves, pomegranate
seeds and dukkah. Serve with lemon quarters on the side for squeezing. Eat now.

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 Roasted eggplant with creamed
cauliflower and salsa verde

I look at this dish and it feels rustic and elegant at the same time. Serve this as a terrific
side with a simple grilled steak or the like. Equally, it would be an impressive and simple
dish to begin a meal with.

Serves 6 as a starter or side dish

CAULIFLOWER ¼ cup (15 g/½ oz) finely chopped mint

½ head cauliflower
1¼ cups (310 ml/10¾ fl oz) cream
flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
SALSA VERDE
1 green capsicum, finely diced
¼ cup (40 g/1½ oz) finely diced shallots
½ tablespoon finely minced garlic
2 tablespoons finely chopped capers
⅓ cup finely diced gherkins
1 tablespoon finely chopped anchovies
(optional)
⅓ cup (10 g/¼ oz) finely chopped flat-leaf
parsley
¼ cup (15 g/½ oz) finely chopped basil
1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ cup (125 ml/5½ fl oz) Al Brown & Co Lemon
Infused Olive Oil or extra-virgin olive oil
½ tablespoon sugar
freshly ground black pepper
EGGPLANT
3 eggplant
extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Take the cauliflower and cut into medium-sized florets, complete with the stalk. Place
in a saucepan and cover with cold salted water. Place over high heat, bring up to the
boil, then simmer for 15 minutes until the cauliflower is soft. Drain, then return the
cauliflower to the pan and add the cream. Place back on the heat and cook for another
5 minutes so the cream reduces slightly.
Pour into a blender (or use a stick blender) and process until silky-smooth. If it seems
a little thick, add a bit more cream until you are happy with the consistency. Taste and
season with salt and pepper. Let cool, then refrigerate until required.

To make the salsa verde, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Refrigerate for half a
day to let the flavours blend and develop. Check the seasoning and add a little more lemon
juice if you think it’s required. (You can keep this in the refrigerator for up to a week.)

Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).

Take a cast-iron or other heavy-bottomed pan and place over high heat. Cut the
eggplant in half, lengthways. Score the flesh in a 5 mm (¼ in) deep criss-cross pattern.
Brush the eggplant halves with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Once the pan
is hot, place a couple of the eggplant halves in, flesh side down. Cook for 2 minutes, until
the flesh has begun to caramelise.
Place the eggplant on an oven tray and repeat with the remaining eggplant halves.
Now place the oven tray in the preheated oven and cook the eggplant for another
20–30 minutes, until super soft.

To serve, heat up the creamed cauliflower on the stovetop or in the microwave, and
spoon a liberal amount onto the centre of warm plates. Top this with the caramelised
roasted eggplant, then spoon over a generous amount of the salsa verde. Serve now.

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