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The King of Josh Emett Drives ME to the bach for lunch in the latest Range Rover Evoque Coupe. Michelin starred chefs are not often stumbled upon in Europe, let alone Parnell, New Zealand. So, luck was definitely on my side when I walked into
Kitchen Cool this MasterChef judge. Josh Emett is, however, affably charming and approachable and we chatted easily about what he is up to now he’s back home. Leaving the shop, I was left with one thought: I must have another opportunity to find out more about this King of the Kitchen.
one of my favourite foodie spots, Neat Meat, and saw a tall and willowy figure cooking in the shop’s demonstration kitchen. A man wielding a knife is never easy to approach and I felt more than a little nervous to strike up conversation with 10
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While at Neat Meat, Josh had explained the concept behind his ‘Chef Series’ range of prepared meals he was devising in collaboration with the boys from Neat Meat. Pondering on this for some time, I masterminded a plan which eventually morphed into sourcing a fabulous bach,
luxury vehicles, a helicopter and an All Black. The concept of Josh’s Chef Series meals is exactly what I and, I suspect, you will find very exciting. Every one of us has days when we simply run out of time and energy to prepare the type of meals we like to eat. Perhaps you are heading off to the bach in search of relaxation, or have a few extra unexpected mouths to feed, or maybe you’re just not a terribly good cook and want a decent restaurant quality meal without the restaurant. If you said yes to one or more of these situations, Josh has conveniently whipped up six meals to
solve your culinary desires, ambitions and dreams. The lingering memories of Josh’s divine duck meal have made me digress from my plot of how six people ended up sitting around the dining room table. The scheme began when the General Manager of Motorcorp fortunately identified with my vision and generously provided ME with two Range Rover Evoque Coupes. Wow, these cars are definitively cool! Driving around Auckland was a real buzz, turning heads wherever I went but opening out the throttle on the motorway was even greater fun. Sleek and sporty, the Evoque Coupe will charge your imagination and, like the ‘Chef Series’ meals, won’t hurt your pocket in running costs. Did I mention a helicopter and an All Black? Helicopter ME, a fortuitously named Dairy Flat helicopter company, offered to fly some of our lunch guests, including Ali Williams and his exceptionally long legs and his lovely wife, Casey Green, to our Omaha destination in their brand new, six-seater Bell 407. Professional and smart, the Helicopter pilots are some of the best you will find. Via a logistical miracle, the two Range Rover Evoque’s and one helicopter arrived in Omaha at the same time! Sotheby’s
agent, Shane Romani, let us into the fabulous bach, situated right on the beach and instantly we were all asking what it would take to own such a fantastic property. Heading straight for the kitchen was Ali whose huge frame looked quite at home in the modern and spacious kitchen. The two chefs soon had the vege prep sorted, entertainingly following the instructions that come with each dish. A smorgasbord of appetising meals was soon laid out on the table for us to enjoy with accompanying wines and beer.
• Easy to take to the bach or boat so you can spend more time relaxing instead of cooking • Allow you to make the extra effort on impressing with the accompaniments rather than slaving for hours on the main dish and, best of all... • Have the taste of the lovely Mr Emett’s cooking in your kitchen without even having him there!
As we all know, the depth of flavours in restaurant meals come with hours of preparation. Sauces are reduced, meats are marinated, and slow cooking is essential in developing taste and tenderness. Time is of the essence and is not always available to us at home. Each ‘Chef Series’ meal has the taste of time and is ready to serve within minutes. Reheated by either placing the unopened bag into boiling water or by pouring the contents into a pan, the meals are an ideal solution for a number of occasions: • Impress your friends at a dinner party • Hearty meals make great dishes for any family meal
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Josh Emett ‘Chef ’s Series’ and beverage matches
3-4&2(&5",&671$,#8&38"#)$,&9":8&9",$;& French braise of chicken cooked with red wine, lardoons and mushrooms. We matched it with Cuvée No1, highly regarded and well renowned, both throughout New Zealand and Internationally, winning numerous Trophies, Gold Medals and Five Star awards since it’s release. 100% chardonnay (blanc de blancs), a style for which their winemaker has consistently been awarded, presenting a perfect balance between fruit and yeast, the wine was held on lees for two years allowing full autolysis displaying a tiny consistent bead, and firm mousse resulting in a typical, complex, champagne-like character. The palate is intensely flavoured and focused with the good fruit-yeast balance providing elegance and style.
!"#$%&'(#)&*$+&",& -.&/&012,+$& Matched with the exceptional craft beer brewers of Moa, their Five Hop. Moa Five Hop Winter Ale shows the unique signatures of traditional North European bottle conditioning. Displaying a Nelson-dominant hoppy nose with a subtle oak character leaving extra smooth and creamy, honeyed characters on the palate. A well-balanced companion to spiced foods. Traditionally served just below room temperature.
71$$&<2,+$&38"#)$,&",&=8->$+12",& ?(@:21%&/&A2112+-, Matched with the Man O’War Valhalla 2010. The name Valhalla is conferred upon the finest barrels of chardonnay selected by their winemaker each year. The 2010 vintage was superb for this Waiheke vineyard with excellent mid summer heat, little or no rain and relatively cool nights throughout the growing season. The vineyards that make up the 2010 Valhalla Chardonnay are those which are located on the mid slope of the hillsides and are predominantly rich clay based soils with some light volcanic deposits in the top soil. These vineyards produce wines which are full bodied and very textural so the wines are fermented in large oak puncheons and smaller barriques to enhance those characters.
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“Every one of us has days when we simply run out of time and energy to prepare the type of meals we like to eat.”
C$$D&38$$)& C-(1+("+,-,& Matched with the MT Difficulty Pinot Noir 2010. A warm, low-yielding vintage has produced a Pinot Noir displaying ripeness concentration and balance; dark fruits of the forest dominate the aroma and these are underpinned by lifted florals and black cherry, balanced with sweet aromatic spice notes. Mt Difficulty Pinot Noir will improve for 7-10 years given optimal vintage and cellaring conditions.
!"#$%&3212B2>"@$%&C$$D& 8-1:1"E& Matched with the Moa St Josephs is brewed in the traditional style of a classic Belgian Tripel. Strong spice and clove characters create complex flavours and aromas which are heightened by its extended bottle conditioning, with a combination of malt and candy sugars complimenting the high alcohol content produced by the Belgian ale yeast. Best served at 8°C in a goblet after gently rolling the bottle to distribute the sediment signature.
*2BE& 8-(>%$1&9":8&=8"@).&/&F1(,$@& Matched with the Man O’ War 2009 Ironclad. Ironclad is full of sweet ripe fruit with lifted aromas of crushed red berries and darker cassis, hints of floral perfume with tobacco and cedar. The palate is vibrant, exuding ripe fruit and a rich texture finishing with supple fine grained tannins. The 2009 Ironclad shows great fruit accessibility with a powerful structure coated in luxuriant fruit, supple yet powerful it is an engaging wine in its youth that will reward patient cellaring revealing a refined structure and greater complexity with age. 5 STARS Gourmet Wine Traveller (Bob Campbell MW) Oct/Nov 2011.
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Testament to the moorishness of the meals came when we announced the helicopter had to return to Dairy Flat. Never take a bone from a dog. Ali’s stare of disbelief that he was supposed to leave the table while there was still good food to be had was enough to silence the meanest fullback. Josh’s ‘Chef Series’ dishes obviously make even big men happy! So girls, they say one way to a man’s heart is through his stomach and Ali proves that with Josh’s meals this is so true! The rest of us were able to relax for another hour, talking and soaking in the fabulous ‘Chef Series’ meals. Reluctant to end the convivial afternoon, we did eventually pack up the Range Rovers and head to the Leigh Sawmill Café for the night. Having fallen in love with the white Evoque, Josh drove the windy roads from Omaha to Leigh, chatting about the vehicles he had previously owned, Range Rover being one of them, and about how a vehicle needs to fit his purposes – the Evoque looked as though it was a natural fit. We arrived in great ME style at the Leigh Sawmill, adding a real panache to their car park with the Evoques. After dinner their young chef came out to ask Josh what he thought of the bellissimo pizzas he had prepared for us and Josh was happy to share his wealth of cooking knowledge with the younger man. The warmth of hospitality in the Leigh Sawmill is always evident and it felt like we were all family by the end of the evening.
“A vehicle needs to fit his purposes – the Evoque looked as though it was a natural fit.” 14
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It was a fantastic early autumn day, made more perfect by two of the nicest guys, Ali and Josh, combined with the beautiful Range Rover Evoque Coupes, the good people of Moa Beer, Man O War, Mt Difficulty and No 1 Family Estate wines, and six of the best meat dishes I have tasted made for a fantastic 24 hours in bach country. With great reluctance we returned the Evoque’s to Range Rover headquarters. A huge and heartfelt ME thanks to Josh and Ali, two of New Zealand’s greatest exports and both totally cool to have in our kitchen!! The ‘Chef Series’ will be launched exclusively into selected New World stores nationally on May 14th.
Special thanks to the fabulous Cavit & Co, The Studio of Tableware, Ted Baker London - all the men and I were delighted to be dressed in Ted Baker; the boys from Neat Meat (Josh’s new business partners in the “Chef Series”); Victor Carter, our calm photographer; Leigh Sawmill for your great hospitality; Shane Romani, Real Estate Agent Extraordinaire from Sotheby’s International Realty; Stuart Poppelwell of Helicopter ME; super groovy Gary Upson of Range Rover; our generous wine and beer sponsors and, of course, gorgeous Casey Green - you’re a great ME girl!
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