In the spirit of turning two, Warren Elwin celebrates the original bon vivants of New Zealand food television, Hudson and Halls.
Hudson and Halls were always encouraging one to experiment and make mistakes, they cooked with a garlicky heart, madcap humour and a reckless abandon that epitomised the excessive enjoyment of the 70s and 80s dinner party! In their words "Cooking is easy! Be a bit flamboyant, take a risk, don't worry too much... You can always add more wine... Or just go out for dinner!" Here’s a couple of the duo’s recipes that bring two ingredients together perfectly.
Mushrooms in mustard sauce
This unusual salad or hors-d'oeuvre is easy to make and brings out the best in a mushroom. The longer you marinate them, the softer and juicier they become.
Sauce To a screw top jar add 2-3 Tbsp dijon mustard, 1 clove garlic mashed with ½ tsp salt, 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar, the juice of 1 lemon, 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 2 Tbsp walnut oil and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Shake like mad to emulsify into a dressing.
Marinate Weigh 500g mixed mushrooms (we used brown, white button, and portobello). Brush off any loose dirt using your fingers, that's what they're for after all! Using a sharp knife, finely slice into a large mixing bowl. Pour the sauce over the mushrooms, toss well and leave to marinate for 1-3 hours.
Serve Toss through the zest of a finely grated lemon and a big handful chervil (or parsley) leaves. Taste and season accordingly. Serves 4-6
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Pork chops and apricots
Dead easy and super-flavourful. Ask your butcher to cut thick chops (bone in) from the pork shoulder. They are full of good connective tissue, allowing them to cook lower for longer, resulting in a juicy and super tender roast.
Prep Pour boiling water on to 250g dried apricots, cover and leave to soak until soft. Peel and coarsely chop 1 Granny Smith apple and 1 fennel bulb. Add to a large roasting dish with the zest of a lemon, a handful of fresh thyme, and a few bay leaves. You can also add a full bulb of peeled garlic cloves, if you're feeling frisky! Toss all together with the drained apricots in a baking dish.
Sear Liberally season 2 pork shoulder chops (approx. 630g each) with sea salt and pepper. Sear them quickly in a very hot grill pan, to colour both sides. Nestle chops on top of the veges and pour over 2 x 330ml bottles of Gingerella (or ginger ale). Use a little of the Gingerella to deglaze the hot pan first!
Roast Place in a 170C oven and roast for 3-4 hours, basting frequently, until the liquid has all but evaporated and the chops are tender. Turn them over at halftime. Slice and portion meat to serve, smothered in the apricot sauce. Serves 4-6
