Meals of artistry
TWO STAR dishes that appeared on last year’s series of My Kitchen Rules are such works of art it is totally appropriate for them to be on show at Porirua’s Pataka art gallery and museum.
The entree and desserts for the Visa Wellington On a Plate event this Saturday were two of the dishes that got Heather and Aaron Freeman through to the grand final of MKR in 2014.
The entree is a tartare of fresh yellowfin tuna marinated with lime, soy, sesame, chilli with mango and shallots wrapped in compressed cucumber while the dessert, Te Pai Remene, is a lemon meringue pie with Pacific, Maori and Central American influences.
The main is also full of Pacific flavours, with twice-roasted pork belly served with baked banana puree, seasonal vegetables and Koko Samoa glaze.
Aaron Freeman says the dishes got them into the semifinal and the final of My Kitchen Rules.
‘‘They were the two dishes that defined us as cooks. The chef judges said the entree and dessert were the best presented of the entire show.
‘‘They are the reason our fan base latched onto us during the show and we thought it would be a good idea to serve it at our Wellington On a Plate event so MKR fans can try the same dishes.’’
Freeman describes the dishes as haute cuisine versions of classic Pacific soul-food dishes.
‘‘They’re probably dishes anyone who’s been to a Pacific island before or a market in Auckland has tried, but refined to a standard where it would belong at a restaurant.
‘‘That’s where we are in the industry at the moment – we’re trying to raise the profile of Pacific food in general and getting our people to actually realise that our cuisine is good enough to be in the conversation with fine dining restaurants.’’
The Wellington On a Plate courses will be matched with wines from Wairarapa’s Paulownia Estate, with pinot gris to go with the entree, merlot for the main and a limoncello with dessert.
He says the event at Pataka is a chance to celebrate Pacific produce in the heart of Porirua’s Cook Island community.
‘‘It’s the 50th anniversary this year of the independence of the Cook Islands and we’re also involved with the Cook Islands Commission, doing a few things with them during August.’’
That will see them at the TSB Arena for the anniversary celebrations on August 22 and then back for their final Wellington On a Plate event on August 29 at Pataka for Kai Pasifika Demo and Canapes.
The Freeman’s are now busy doing corporate and private catering, cooking presentations and hospitality consultancy, and they will be taking the Tatou name around the country in the Tatou food truck, using local produce to produce Pacificflavoured meals.
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