SOUTH: MODERN NEW ZEALAND CUISINE

Jonathan Rogers and Justin Craig

Pause for Effect Ltd, $180

At dinner with friends from the UK recently, one of them asked “What is New Zealand’s national cuisine?” That stumped all the Kiwis around the table (slightly embarrassed dish

writer included). So I was relieved to hear South co-author Jonathan Rogers – head chef at Matakauri Lodge at Lake Wakatipu – declare it’s a puzzle chefs and restaurateurs have also been quietly grappling with. However, he says, “What does unite us in terms of food is the amazing quality and variety of produce available throughout the country”. As the world turns its gaze inwards, and community solidarity come to the fore, his plea to support small, local, organic, and sustainable is more timely than ever. He and Matakauri Lodge pastry chef Justin Craig share recipes that speak of Otago, the Southern Lakes and Queenstown, and they’re a snapshot of where the duo are at in conceiving a truly representative cuisine. Fine dining dishes like Scampi, Tomatillo, Greenage; Quail Inspired by Red; Hare, Cherry, Beetroot are hardly lockdown larder fare. Instead this is a book to linger over, to be inspired and charmed by; a way to flee the confines and roam this beautiful land with our eyes.

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