Luxury Travel October 2009 - Otahuna Luxury Lodge New Zealand
The Australian Financial Review March 2009 - Otahuna Luxury Lodge New Zealand
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LIFE L08 L8 THE AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW MARCH 20-22 ● 2009 FOOD Fertile ground for seeds of a great idea One of the prize attributes of New Zealand’s newest luxury lodge, Otahuna, is a century-old botanic garden that is a veritable Eden for chef Jimmy McIntyre. He has spent five years on the estate, recently overhauled at a cost of $8 million by owners Hall Cannon and Miles Refo from Manhattan. Cannon and Refo holidayed at the lodge a few years ago and saw an opportunity to restore the Queen Anne mansion. They kept McIntyre and he has helped bring a Relais & Chateau gong to the enterprise. Marguerite Winter talks to the talented chef. Otahuna Lodge, near Christchurch, has a century-old botanic garden. Photo courtesy Otahuna Lodge I get to balance work and family because I don’t need to work 100 hours a week Chef Jimmy McIntyre What ingredients from your heritage garden are you cooking with now? The beginning of autumn and the end of summer are a special time in the Otahuna gardens as we have the bounty of the summer plantings alongside the cooler evenings heralding the return of the mushroom season. We have seven to eight tomato varieties at their peak (see three-tomato gazpacho recipe, right) and hazelnuts are falling off the trees. We have had 4 kilograms of porcini mushrooms so far from under the oaks. The mulberry tree has nearly finished its season; we just have to beat the birds to the fruit. The chillies are just colouring up and we are still getting plenty of zucchini and squash blossoms – they’re fantastic stuffed with a creamy chevre and coated in a crisp tempura batter with salsa vierge. Sweetcorn picked and eaten on the day makes a beautiful soup. Not to mention the potatoes, pumpkins, artichokes, gooseberries, quince, almonds, peaches, pears and apples and many many more. What suppliers are you using from the Canterbury region, which has a reputation for fine food and wine? We are lucky enough to have free- range organic ducks from a local producer in Tai Tapu, our local village and a fantastic butcher who helps butcher our own lamb, pork and beef. He also dry-cures and smokes an amazing bacon. We make our own prosciutto and sausages. In the winter, we can buy white and black truffles. This will be my fourth year using local truffles and we open the lodge up to casual diners, which is a treat for locals and a great way for them to experience the Otahuna truffle dinners. The most amazing saffron comes from Central Otago, our southern neighbours. Why a cooking career? My stepfather was a chef and I started annoying him and his chefs at the age of 11 years. I left school at 15 and went straight into the kitchen full time. I wasn’t allowed to cook and had to wash dishes for two years. The best meal you ever cooked? That is a hard one because I feel that as the seasons evolve and more produce comes on, the combination just gets better and better. It would be silly to say every dish is amazing, as every day is different and not everything goes according to plan. However, I did this menu last week: Sweetcorn soup with avocado, lime and grilled tiger prawns; buffalo mozzarella with fresh nectarine, prosciutto and rocket; braised canterbury duck leg, porcini mushroom tart with glazed carrots, green beans and hazelnuts; Whitestone Windsor blue with pear cheese; chocolate parfait with strawberry and mulberry salad. Why is Otahuna a good place for you at this stage of your career? I cook what I want using the freshest produce. One of our gardeners owns Tai Tapu heritage seeds and, as a result, we have many varieties of heirloom and heritage vegetables, some of which are very rare, not to mention tasty. I can open my kitchen windows and listen to the birds and watch as native wood pigeons feed only a few metres away. I have an amazing sous chef, Jeremy. But, most important, I get to balance work and family because I don’t need to work 100 hours a week. Have you a favourite utensil? My zester – the amount of flavour I get out of a little citrus zest is incredible. THREE-TOMATO GAZPACHO Jimmy McIntyre uses Green Zebra, Gold Nugget (yellow) and Bloody Butcher (red) tomato varieties for this recipe. Allow one medium-sized tomato per person for each of the three soups. This will make enough soup for seconds. Core and quarter the three types of tomatoes and place them one type at a time in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle. Add a little salt and turn the mixer to low speed. Run until the tomatoes are thoroughly broken into a pulpy slush. (Do not use a blender or food processor as it will introduce air leaving a foamy meringue.) Transfer the mixer’s contents to a food mill fitted with the finest plate and mill tomatoes into a bowl. Load the mixer with the second batch of tomatoes, quartered and salted as before, and paddle as before. Set the first batch of milled tomatoes aside and transfer the second batch to the food mill over a clean bowl. Process the third colour of tomatoes the same way. When all three varieties are pureed, check their consistency. They will have different textures and flavours. To ensure the soups greet rather than invade each other, you may need to add a little cold water to achieve a liquid that is easily pourable without being too runny. To start, season each soup with salt only. If you find the soups satisfying as they are, refrigerate them until fully chilled – at least four hours. Or you could place the bowls over crushed ice. Corn Salsa 1 cup fresh whole kernel corn, blackened 3 firm avocados diced 1 fresh chilli seeded and chopped finely 1 tsp salt 2 tablespoons fresh coriander chopped 2 red peppers finely diced Zest and juice of 1 lime Ground black pepper Mix together and correct the seasoning. Scallop Ceviche 4 scallops Zest and juice of 1 lime Allow one scallop per person: slice off the roe and discard, slice the scallop in half horizontally, add the lime zest, juice and salt and pepper to taste. Marinate in the refrigerator for an hour, gently turn once or twice. To serve Place a tablespoon of corn salsa into the centre of each chilled soup bowl and lay two slices of scallop on top. Use two ladles and scoop up about 1 /3 of a cup of two of the soups and pour them evenly into the far side of the bowl, allowing them to flow towards you. Ladle an equal amount of the third to the front of the bowl at the line where the first two meet.
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Otahuna Luxury Lodge New Zealand situated at the head of a secluded valley on New Zealand’s South Island. http://www.otahuna.co.nz Read about Otahuna Lodge in the March 2009 of the Australian Financial Review
Transcript of The Australian Financial Review March 2009 - Otahuna Luxury Lodge New Zealand
LIFE L08
L8 THE AUSTRAL IAN F INANC IAL REV IEW MARCH 20 -22 ● 2009
FOOD
Fertile ground for seeds of a great ideaOne of the prize attributes of New Zealand’snewest luxury lodge, Otahuna, is a century-oldbotanic garden that is a veritable Eden for chefJimmy McIntyre. He has spent five years on theestate, recently overhauled at a cost of$8 million by owners Hall Cannon and MilesRefo from Manhattan. Cannon and Refoholidayed at the lodge a few years ago and sawan opportunity to restore the Queen Annemansion. They kept McIntyre and he has helpedbring a Relais & Chateau gong to the enterprise.Marguerite Winter talks to the talented chef.
Otahuna Lodge, near Christchurch,has a century-old botanic garden.
Photo courtesy Otahuna Lodge
I get to balance workand family because Idon’t need to work100 hours a weekChef Jimmy McIntyre
What ingredients from your heritagegarden are you cooking with now?The beginning of autumn and theend of summer are a special timein the Otahuna gardens as wehave the bounty of the summerplantings alongside the coolerevenings heralding the return ofthe mushroom season. We haveseven to eight tomato varieties attheir peak (see three-tomatogazpacho recipe, right) andhazelnuts are falling off the trees.We have had 4 kilograms ofporcini mushrooms so far fromunder the oaks. The mulberry treehas nearly finished its season; wejust have to beat the birds to thefruit. The chillies are justcolouring up and we are stillgetting plenty of zucchini andsquash blossoms – they’refantastic stuffed with a creamychevre and coated in a crisptempura batter with salsa vierge.Sweetcorn picked and eaten on theday makes a beautiful soup. Not tomention the potatoes, pumpkins,artichokes, gooseberries, quince,almonds, peaches, pears andapples and many many more.
What suppliers are you using fromthe Canterbury region, which has areputation for fine food and wine?We are lucky enough to have free-range organic ducks from a localproducer in Tai Tapu, our localvillage and a fantastic butcher whohelps butcher our own lamb, porkand beef. He also dry-cures andsmokes an amazing bacon. Wemake our own prosciutto andsausages. In the winter, we canbuy white and black truffles. Thiswill be my fourth year using localtruffles and we open the lodge upto casual diners, which is a treatfor locals and a great way for themto experience the Otahuna truffledinners. The most amazingsaffron comes from Central Otago,our southern neighbours.
Why a cooking career?My stepfather was a chef and Istarted annoying him and hischefs at the age of 11 years. I leftschool at 15 and went straight intothe kitchen full time. I wasn’tallowed to cook and had to washdishes for two years.
The best meal you ever cooked?That is a hard one because I feel
that as the seasons evolve andmore produce comes on, thecombination just gets better andbetter. It would be silly to sayevery dish is amazing, as everyday is different and not everythinggoes according to plan. However,I did this menu last week:Sweetcorn soup with avocado,lime and grilled tiger prawns;buffalo mozzarella with freshnectarine, prosciutto and rocket;braised canterbury duck leg,porcini mushroom tart withglazed carrots, green beans andhazelnuts; Whitestone Windsorblue with pear cheese; chocolateparfait with strawberry andmulberry salad.
Why is Otahuna a good place foryou at this stage of your career?I cook what I want using thefreshest produce. One of ourgardeners owns Tai Tapu heritageseeds and, as a result, we havemany varieties of heirloom andheritage vegetables, some of whichare very rare, not to mention tasty.I can open my kitchen windowsand listen to the birds and watchas native wood pigeons feed only afew metres away. I have anamazing sous chef, Jeremy. But,most important, I get to balancework and family because I don’tneed to work 100 hours a week.
Have you a favourite utensil?My zester – the amount of flavourI get out of a little citrus zest isincredible.
THREE-TOMATO GAZPACHO
Jimmy McIntyre uses GreenZebra, Gold Nugget (yellow) andBloody Butcher (red) tomatovarieties for this recipe. Allowone medium-sized tomato perperson for each of the threesoups. This will make enoughsoup for seconds. Core andquarter the three types oftomatoes and place them one typeat a time in an electric mixerfitted with a paddle. Add a littlesalt and turn the mixer to lowspeed. Run until the tomatoes arethoroughly broken into a pulpyslush. (Do not use a blender orfood processor as it will introduceair leaving a foamy meringue.)
Transfer the mixer’s contents toa food mill fitted with the finestplate and mill tomatoes into abowl. Load the mixer with thesecond batch of tomatoes,quartered and salted as before,and paddle as before. Set the firstbatch of milled tomatoes asideand transfer the second batch tothe food mill over a clean bowl.Process the third colour oftomatoes the same way.
When all three varieties arepureed, check their consistency.They will have different texturesand flavours.
To ensure the soups greetrather than invade each other,you may need to add a little coldwater to achieve a liquid that iseasily pourable without being toorunny.
To start, season each soup withsalt only. If you find the soupssatisfying as they are, refrigerate
them until fully chilled – at leastfour hours. Or you could place thebowls over crushed ice.
Corn Salsa1 cup fresh whole kernel corn,blackened3 firm avocados diced1 fresh chilli seeded and choppedfinely1 tsp salt2 tablespoons fresh corianderchopped2 red peppers finely dicedZest and juice of 1 limeGround black pepperMix together and correct theseasoning.
Scallop Ceviche4 scallopsZest and juice of 1 limeAllow one scallop per person:slice off the roe and discard, slicethe scallop in half horizontally,add the lime zest, juice and saltand pepper to taste. Marinate inthe refrigerator for an hour,gently turn once or twice.
To servePlace a tablespoon of corn salsainto the centre of each chilledsoup bowl and lay two slices ofscallop on top. Use two ladles andscoop up about 1⁄3 of a cup of twoof the soups and pour themevenly into the far side of thebowl, allowing them to flowtowards you. Ladle an equalamount of the third to the front ofthe bowl at the line where thefirst two meet.
