The executive chef of dine by Peter Gordon at SkyCity answers your cuisine questions
Where can you access real black puddings in New Zealand - the real McCoy made from pigs' blood, pork fat, barley, herbs and seasoning? Apparently, the pigs' blood is verboten, here; hence, what we can buy is a poor replica of the real thing, which I grew up with in the UK. It was a staple food in our Lancastrian neck of the woods. Are there any specialist butchers allowed to import the authentic ingredients? There's a world of difference between the two products and Kiwis are missing a real treat. - Sybil
I'm not sure about this - but a good question to ask. We serve Stornoway pudding at The Providores and Kopapa in London, which, I hate to say, is even better than the Lancashire one in my view - less dense and gets crunchy if cooked enough.
[Ed's note: We have tracked down a black pudding made with real blood and a blend of pork and beef, spices, barley and oatmeal from Leonard's Superior Smallgoods (ph 09 274 1254 or 09 272 2721 to find your stockist). Central Butchery in Kawakawa does one too (opposite the fancy Hundertwasser toilets)]
I moved to London about a year ago and have tried all the usual suspects in terms of restaurants in London - Maze, Nobu, Providores, Hawkesmoor, Modern Pantry, etc. Where would you recommend for a nice quiet dinner with a couple of friends that won't break the budget but still has interesting food? - Jo
London restaurants I'd suggest are Caravan, Dehesa, Polpo, or for lunch Rochelle Canteen. A favourite is Petersham Nurseries for lunch - but it ain't cheap. When I am back in Auckland I like the Ponsonby Rd Bistro, Molten, The Engine Room or Delicious.
I found a gorgeous vintage cookbook of puddings and mousses, most of which used rennet or gelatine to set them. What could I use if I am serving these to vego friends? Someone told me there is a pot cream recipe that uses cream and lemon juice that sets firm - what would be the proportions to make that? - Kate
The lemon dessert is called posset and is lovely. Agar-agar sets jellies, but makes them quite crunchy - ask at a health food store. Posset history is here. And there's a good recipe for posset here.
*Ask Peter a question: Send your questions to askpeter@nzherald.co.nz