PALATE

As we are finally reaching the depths of winter, why not bring the restaurant to you? The Bespoke Chef’s Jacob McKerrow has over a decade of experience in some of New Zealand’s top restaurants, providing luxury restaurant-quality in-home dining. Jacob loves creating seasonal and exciting menus for you to enjoy at home. This beef cheek dish is the perfect complement to a frosty Christchurch evening.

SERVES 4

4 beef cheeks 2 parsnips 1 pumpkin 4 large shallots 1 carrot 1 onion 1 stick of celery 2 bay leaves 500mls of cream 2 litres of beef stock 3 cloves of garlic 250g of butter 500ml of red wine 2 cups of water Preheat your oven to 160 degrees Celcius. Place your roughly chopped onions, carrots, celery, bay leaves, and garlic in a heated frying pan. Once they are nicely brown, remove them from the heat and place them in an ovenproof dish. Take your beef cheek, and season with salt and pepper. Heat up the pan again and sear the beef cheeks until they are crispy and browned. Deglaze your pan with red wine.

Put the beef cheeks in the ovenproof dish with the vegetables, add red wine and beef stock. Place the lid on and put it in the oven for four hours, checking occasionally. Once cooked, take the beef cheeks out and put them aside. Place half of the cooking liquor from the ovenproof dish in a pot, heat and reduce until it makes a thick sauce.

For the parsnip purée, peel and dice the parsnip, and place it into a medium pot. Add cream and a knob of butter, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer on medium heat until soft. Remove the parsnip from the pot and keep the cream liquid. Add your parsnip to a blender and blend, slowly adding the cream mixture until parsnip is a smooth purée.

Place peeled shallots and water in a pot and boil. Cook until tender and then drain. Cut in half when cool, and sear in a hot pan. This adds colour and flavour.

Cut and peel the pumpkin, and season with salt and pepper. Roast with oil at 180 degrees Celcius for 20–30 minutes until brown and tender. Put the beef cheeks back in the oven to heat for the last 10 minutes.

To plate, start with your parsnip puree, then pumpkin, then shallots. Lastly, place your beef cheek beside this and pour over the reduced sauce. You can add peas or green vegetables for colour.

For such a young nation, New Zealand’s history is as rich as it is diverse. Colony, a new boutique at The Crossing in central Christchurch, tells a part of this saga – of a family that has been retailing in Aotearoa since 1868, the same time as the Wild West era in the United States.

Kris Jansen, the founder and owner, recently uncovered the history of her family.

“It was only during the COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020 that we really researched my own whakapapa, something us Pākehā are pretty bad at really,” says Jansen.

Her ancestors first arrived in the early 1860s to join the central Otago Gold Rush. Having left Denmark and Prussia – which were about to go to war – Johan and Louisa met on the Bendigo goldfields.

“We discovered this missing generation and the story of how Johan only found enough gold to make a ring for Louisa.”

The aforementioned ring is apparently still in the family.

Johan and Louisa followed the rush and moved north to Thames with the gold miners, but, along with Johan’s brother Lars, decided it was better to sell to prospectors than be one, so their first general store was established in 1868.

Johan and Louisa’s son Waldemar then started farming in the Waikato settlement of Orini, which included beekeeping. All these generations ago, the principles of pacifism, community, and harmony with nature were established and continue today.

Colony represents a journey from pioneering New Zealand to now, which the team aspires to share with the customer, with a range of locally made products from traditional mead and honey liqueurs to modern natural skincare.

“We want people to try quality NZ-made products, but also want them to understand the story. Our history is complex; we should understand each generation and add our own chapter.”

colonystores.com

Cashel Mall’s Sweet Soul Patisserie is the clear front runner when it comes to fine patisserie, and its fabulous creation the Bordeaux Velvet is making a return, and it’s vegan! The plum sponge cake is gloriously gluten-free, with crunchy cocoa nibs, and a raspberry insert.Sisters Rea and Taina have dedicated their craft to offering exceptional dessert offerings unlike anything else in the city. sweetsoul.nz

Omahu Valley preserves are hand crafted in small batches and made with fruit from the Omahu orchards. These artisan products are preservative free with no artificial ingredients. The candied citrus peel is an ideal balance of sweet and tangy citrus; perfect just for decoration, in baking, or a nice naughty nibble. Check out the range of Omahu Valley goodies in Ballantyne’s Pantry. ballantynes.co.nz

These individually crafted, unique chocolates in stunningly detailed designs are almost too good to eat. Each gift box includes a selection of ten of House Of Chocolate’s delectable flavours and comes in beautiful gift box packaging. Try the award-winning Bourbon Butterscotch or the intriguing Plum and Passionfruit. Online orders over $65 are delivered free!

houseofchocolate.co.nz

Ōtautahi’s newest pâtissierie, Butter, offers traditional French pastries to celebrate the special events in life. The seasonal menu offers a range of tarts,petit fours, macarons, and canelé, all from the recipe book of pastry chef and Nestle’s Toque D’Or gold winner Corentin Esquenet. If you’ve yet to experience a canelé, this is your official invitation to get on Butter’s buzz – these crispyshelled, custardy treats are cooked with real vanilla pods and rum in copper moulds with beeswax and are fast on their way to being the next big thing. Butter does them best. You heard it here first.

butterpastry.nz