Kai Tāmaki Makaurau – fantastic food from this isthmus at a special Homeland dining event
RESTAURANT MONTH 2023
At this Restaurant Month event at Homeland on August 17th, chef Peter Gordon will treat guests to a meal that’s uniquely of this place, a true Auckland affair.
The menu (some elements tbc)
Welcome cocktail served with an appetiser of fish head mayonnaise on Wayne crostini
Papatūānuku Kōkiri Marae salad (let’s see what they have on the day but thinking it could be grilled cauliflower, pickled kohlrabi, steamed silverbeet, fresh greens …)
Hauraki Gulf fish, Wild Fermentary kimchi hollandaise, kawakawa croutons, PKM roast kūmara
Hāngī pork belly, rib and pigs cheek boil up, kūmara, potato, watercress and horopito dough boys
Auckland honey parfait, warm chocolate sponge, hazelnut praline
Guests will be welcomed with a cocktail
If you haven’t experienced Homeland’s cocktails yet you really need to do so, they’re always such a delicious explosion of flavours and this occasion’s welcome drink is no exception: vodka married with the vibrant taste of passionfruit and yuzu. It’s been designed to pair perfectly with the first bite for the night – fish head mayonnaise on Wayne crostini.
Who’s Wayne? (Spoiler alert it’s a what not a who – it’s Peter’s sourdough starter – although it probably has more personality than some humans).
“In 2001 in London we created Wayne at my restaurant The Providores & Tapa Room. When we closed the restaurant I built Wayne up to around five litres and we handed out 180 baby Waynes to anyone who came along with a clean jar and a good vibe. Some made its way to Aotearoa in 2020 – it was lovely to be reunited with my ’son’. Incidentally he’s also the sourdough starter that powers Crosstown Doughnuts, a company I am a co-founder of back in the UK.”
Fish heads? Tell us more!
“How cool is it that there is a charity, the Kai Ika Project, that rescues fish heads and distributes them through Papatūānuku Kokiri Marae. Fish heads are thought of by many as inedible yet for many of us they are a prized ‘joint’. I remember my father’s happy place was sitting with a large pot filled with boiled fish heads sucking out the flesh. There’s so much meat in them that it is a disgrace to throw them away.”
Boil-up holds special memories for many, while for some it’ll be something novel…
“I’ve eaten many boil-ups in my time, usually on a marae but also at whānau members’ homes. Always tasty and always comforting, boil-ups are often a rather sloppy tasty mess of a meal – which I love. Ours has hāngi pork belly, pork cheeks and pork ribs. Rewi Spraggon cooks the pork belly for us in his pits at Te Hēnga Bethells, and brings them back to Homeland. He is known as the hāngi master for a reason - he’s a skilled craftsman.”
Papatūānuku Kokiri Marae holds a special place in your heart. What winter produce is looking lovely there that guests can expect to get a taste of?
“I met [operations manager of the marae], Lionel Hotene, along with his wife Val Teraitua about five years ago and fell in love with them, then got to meet their children and wider whānau. They work tirelessly for the greater good of many, look after a lot of people and they give a shit about the good stuff. When they have excess veggies at the marae then we buy them, otherwise they can be found at Grey Lynn Farmers Market on Sundays.
“At this time of the year we’re looking at brassicas and kūmara, but Lionel will let me know what he has available and we’ll create a dish based on what he has.”
We have partnered with Heart of the City to offer a special Restaurant Month giveaway to our Lazy Susan members. Purchase tickets to any Restaurant Month event via iTICKET using the promo code LAZYSUSAN and go in the draw to win a $500 Heart of the City dining voucher of your choice. Click here for T&Cs.
Proudly in partnership with Heart of the City
