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.
.
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
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.
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.
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