Cooking a meal from a different country every week for my household. Week 3 of 52: New Zealand 🇳🇿 (Green-Lipped Mussels, Oven Hāngī with Parāoa Parai, Louise Cake)
Cooking a meal from a different country every week for my household. Week 3 of 52: New Zealand 🇳🇿 (Green-Lipped Mussels, Oven Hāngī with Parāoa Parai, Louise Cake)
Week 3 of my global family meal tour, and we go down under but not far from home for us… New Zealand.
As my username suggests, I am not far removed from this place. I am a British ex-pat, who lived in NZ for 11 years before settling in Australia now since 2017.
I wasn’t expecting to go to NZ so soon on this tour but it was what one of my household asked for. But what is New Zealand cuisine? There has been of course the ongoing rivalry over famous antipodean dishes like Pavlova and Anzac biscuits, and I was in no mood to ignite that debate. But for a long time I called it home and I wanted to capture that essence and bring it to the table.
**The Menu:**
* **Starter:** **Green-Lipped Mussels.** Steamed in garlic and a good Marlborough Sav Blanc. Simple. * **Main:** **The Oven** [Hāngī](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C4%81ng%C4%AB)**.** I was once welcomed onto a Marae for a celebration and experienced the real thing (cooking in an earth oven). To recreate that memory indoors, I used a sealed roasting dish, cabbage leaves, and liquid smoke to mimic the steam/earth flavor profile. * **Dessert:** **Louise Cake.** A dense slice of sponge, raspberry jam, and coconut meringue. The one dessert Kiwis can claim without any contention from the Aussies.
**The Verdict:** If I’m being honest? The family enjoyed this one a little less than previous weeks. Hāngī is about earthy, subtle flavours – it’s not a spice bomb. It didn’t blow their minds taste-wise, but the *concept* got everyone talking. Another stamp in the passport.
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[Previously](https://www.reddit.com/r/tonightsdinner/comments/1qap1tp/cooking_a_meal_from_a_different_country_every/)
Week 3 of my global family meal tour, and we go down under but not far from home for us… New Zealand.
As my username suggests, I am not far removed from this place. I am a British ex-pat, who lived in NZ for 11 years before settling in Australia now since 2017.
I wasn’t expecting to go to NZ so soon on this tour but it was what one of my household asked for. But what is New Zealand cuisine? There has been of course the ongoing rivalry over famous antipodean dishes like Pavlova and Anzac biscuits, and I was in no mood to ignite that debate. But for a long time I called it home and I wanted to capture that essence and bring it to the table.
**The Menu:**
* **Starter:** **Green-Lipped Mussels.** Steamed in garlic and a good Marlborough Sav Blanc. Simple.
* **Main:** **The Oven** [Hāngī](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C4%81ng%C4%AB)**.** I was once welcomed onto a Marae for a celebration and experienced the real thing (cooking in an earth oven). To recreate that memory indoors, I used a sealed roasting dish, cabbage leaves, and liquid smoke to mimic the steam/earth flavor profile.
* **Dessert:** **Louise Cake.** A dense slice of sponge, raspberry jam, and coconut meringue. The one dessert Kiwis can claim without any contention from the Aussies.
**The Verdict:** If I’m being honest? The family enjoyed this one a little less than previous weeks. Hāngī is about earthy, subtle flavours – it’s not a spice bomb. It didn’t blow their minds taste-wise, but the *concept* got everyone talking. Another stamp in the passport.
Next week… **Thailand!**
[List of countries cooked so far… recipes soon!](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1iKKEQiydvbf5n-gEDVSWc9qp68nQWodsOePcZwufLS8/edit?gid=638550528#gid=638550528)
Looks wonderful!!
I look forward to your posts so much!
i love your posts!