When a Kiwi friend of mine told me about the HAPUKU KITCHEN experience over a year ago, I started to check out this renowned location on a remote corner of the South Island and learned that the couple who created this amazing place in their home were pioneers of New Zealand modern cuisine and also just great folks. I knew our ship was scheduled to stay into the late evening in Kaikoura (which means "eat crayfish"!!) so we planned to do the cooking lessons in the afternoon followed by dinner as a private event for just Will and me.
As is the issue with all well laid plans, the ship decided to curtail the later evening tenders and a day prior we were scurrying to reschedule. Luckily it all worked out perfectly in the end.
Chefs Fiona Read and her husband Chris have lovingly built a home around their kitchen, gardens and homestead for many years after previously having worked at the luxury Hapuku Lodge just up the road. Their plans were a tad delayed with Covid, but now they welcome small groups and individuals for group cooking lessons and meals which had to be one of the best things we have done on this entire trip Down Under (and that includes some pretty momentous stuff!). We were warmly welcomed by Chef Fiona and her amazing co-chef Jerusha(all the photos are on FB) and immediately seated with cups of coffee and home made Anzac biscuits(cookies) as we discussed the menu and what was to follow and compared notes. We headed out into the gardens to forage for herbs, veggies and more and visited with the pigs, ducks, chickens and whatever else flew by during our outing. Back in the kitchen, Jerusha brought out the best-ever home made cheese scones and we began to prepare what was to be our dinner:
-Ravioli with whipped Ricotta, Black Garlic ,Sorrel, Sheep Cheese & Sage Butter
-Kaikoura Crayfish with Miso & Herb Butter & Foraged Salad
-Plum & Ginger Galette with whipped Mascarpone, local honey & rosemary
This may all sound quite simple, but we spent a couple of hours preparing this and Will actually made the ravioli for the most part and may have even gained an interest in cooking! I did most of the pastry dough for the galette and then Chef Fiona taught Will how to use the pasta machine(watch the amazing videos on FB). The gorgeous local Kaikoura crayfish are a delicacy in this region, and we spiced them up with some chillis as well and all the ingredients (for the most part) were all local or regional and largely sustainable. I do have to say that I don't think I ever saw more butter used in a meal for two people anywhere on earth, but then if you are in New Zealand butter is indeed essential in most every dish!
You will see from the FB photos that our meal was dreamy, and the wines were excellent as well--we had several. Our dinner was outside in the gardens where the native birds flew by, the ducks waddled around, and the dogs came by for an occasional pet. We had arrived at around 1245pm and had our dinner early at about 430-5pm so as to be able to get back to the pier by the new last tender time of 630pm. It all went swimmingly smoothly well, and we waddled back on the ship having had the best meal in New Zealand for sure....that we helped to cook. We have the recipes and maybe we shall try to replicate them, but nothing can match the experience of this wonderful team, the love they have for cooking and patience they have for teaching. Brava to Chef Fiona and to Jerusha as well as Fiona's husband Chris who joined us later as he was setting up for a huge local event in Kaikoura coming the next day! I can assure you that when we are next in this region, the first event we shall plan is a return to Hapuku Kitchen!
