AMISFIELD - food, wine and stories from Central Otago

Last night I was privileged to attend the Auckland launch of this new title  at De Brett's Hotel and what a grand event it was. Gorgeous finger food  being prepared on the spot by the laid back Amisfield chef  Jay Sherwood washed down with fine Amisfield wines.  I especially enjoyed their superb, complex, lemony dry Reisling.

These wines, many award winning, are made at Amisfield Farm which sits on the terraces beside the Clutha River, below the Pisa mountain range in the Cromwell Basin. The view from there is spectacular - out over Lake Dunstan to craggy mountains and big sky. 

In contrast the Amisfield Bistro is situated 15 minutes drive from Queenstown. It’s an impressive sight. Made of copper and schist the building is a long and slender and seems anchored to the land. I have eaten there on several occasions and the food is exceptional, designed to perfectly accompany the wine made at the winery 45 minutes away.

The bistro and winery may be in two separate locations but they complement each other perfectly, reflecting the philosophies of Amisfield itself. Those of working with the land not against it, utilising everything within its grasp and letting nothing go to waste.

A Queenstown icon for 25 years, known for its award-winning food and wine it’s no wonder that Amisfield was chosen to host the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge when they visited earlier this year.

Part cookbook, part homage to the wonder that is Central Otago, Amisfield: food, wine and stories from Central Otago is Amisfield’s story from rabbit-infested scrubland to one of Central Otago’s most admired wineries.

Created by Amisfield’s talented chef Jay Sherwood the dishes contained within the book are stunning. From honey and polenta foccacia to tender slow-roasted lamb, from whitebait to citrus souffle, they are beautiful to look at and exciting to eat. You won’t be surprised to learn that the kitchen at Amisfield uses as many ingredients grown on the properties as possible, like the potatoes planted between the vines or the verjuice created from excess grapes. For the fresh produce they don’t grow themselves they make sure they source it locally. If they can’t they just don’t use it.

But this is not just a cookbook. For those with an interest in viticulture and wine making the book contains information about the award-winning wines created by Dr Stephanie Lambert, Amisfield’s grape growing and wine making philosophy and all the features of the property that make their wines unique.

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Amisfield: Food, wine and stories from Central Otago

RRP: $59.99 - Hardback

 Random House

Above - The Amisfield & Random House teams at last night's launch in Auckland.


And here is a recipe from the book for you to try, reproduced by kind permission of the publishers:

Crispy pork belly, nectarine, chilli,
watercress, vincotto

Serves 4–6

Customers have been known to stop our staff in the street to rave about this dish – it varies depending on what’s available and the season, but it never leaves the menu!

Crispy pork belly

1.5 kg (approx.) pork belly,
skin on

1 handful of flaky sea salt

20 ml canola oil

2 large onions, cut into rings

2 lemons, sliced

1 handful of sage

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 litre milk (approx.)

To serve

2 nectarines, cut into segments

1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced

1 bunch of watercress

olive oil

vincotto

salt to taste

For the pork belly

Preheat the oven to 220ºC.

Score the belly 2–3 mm apart with a sharp knife and massage with salt and oil. Rest for 30 minutes to allow the salt to season the skin and draw out the moisture.

Place the onion rings on a metal rack and place in a roasting pan large enough to fit the pork belly. Place the belly on top of the onions and pat
the skin dry.

Cook for 1 hour, or until the skin is crispy all over, opening the oven every 15 minutes to let the steam out and to pat the belly dry. Once the skin is crispy, place the belly in a separate roasting tray with the lemon, sage, fennel seeds and milk. Reduce the oven temperature to 150ºC. Cook for 1½ hours. Remove and rest in the liquid for 15–20 minutes until cool enough to handle. Then cut the pork belly into sections.

To serve

Mix together the nectarine, chilli and watercress, then dress with olive oil and vincotto. Season with salt. Place sections of the pork belly on serving plates and garnish with the nectarine, chilli and watercress.