Cooks to show their wild side
It is time for hunters and gatherers to get wild in the Waimarino as the Wild Food Challenge comes to Raetihi again this Saturday.
Founder and organiser Bill Manson said he was hoping to see some great entries this year like the “nose-to-tail peacock” entry that won the grand prize for creator Charlotte Von Pein last year.
Mrs Von Pein, a Raetihi teacher, used every part of the bird to create pie, pate, sliders and sausage, and even stuffed the heart with feta and sundried tomatoes.
Junior members of the Von Pein family also made their mark at the challenge with daughters Ell a, 7, awarded the prize for wildest dish for her possum kebabs and possum pie, and her sister Jorja, 10, won the junior section with her snail dishes.
Second place in the main category went to Katherine Chittock for her pheasant, whitebait and berry bubbles and Paul McAlister was third with his hunters’ Scotch eggs.
Contestants are asked to hunt, forage or harvest ingredients for their entries and write a story about their dishes.
“The story is really important, we want to know how they came up with the recipe, how they found the ingredients and how they put it all together,” said Mr Manson.
“Some people have come up with beautiful dishes, but if they didn’t have the story to go with it, they didn’t win.”
The Waimarino challenge is s upported by al most 40 sponsors enabling free entry and $5000 worth of prizes.
A new feature this year is the Marae Challenge, where local marae can compete to see which can produce the best kai and win $600 worth of prizes.
“There is also pro section, food demos, live music and artisan stalls,” said Mr Manson.
Entries are judged by a panel of three professionals and spectators get to taste the dishes after the judging.
The challenge, which began in Eastbourne, Wellington, in 2008, has become an increasingly popular contest in New Zealand and overseas.
As a cook who loves the outdoors, Mr Manson came up with idea for people to hunt, forage, fish or barter for wild ingredients to make dishes.
There are now five regular challenges happening in New Zealand and Mr Manson, with his wife and daughter, live part of the year in North America promoting c hall enges in Finland, Italy, France and the United States.
The Waimarino Wild Food Challenge is at the Raetihi Cosmopolitan Club in Seddon St from 11am until 5pm on Saturday.
The entry fee for spectators is $10 and free for Gold Card holders and children under 12.
To find out more, visit localwildfoodchallenge.com.