Sunday Kitchen: Beau restaurant’s Diva Giles and Johanna Brown + Fresh tuna toasts recipe

Diva Giles and Jo Brown from Beau Restaurant in Ponsonby. Photo / Dean Purcell

Co-owner of Beau restaurant Diva Giles (Ngāti Whātua) and general manager Johanna Brown (Te Āti Awa) have been working together for more than three years now - and loving it. Says Giles, “It’s such a joy to be leading with another wahine toa”. At Beau, every week is Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori. “We’re both on a journey of reclaiming our reo. It’s not our, nor our parents,’ fault we have lost our language, so we try to be patient with ourselves,” she says. Maori Language Week and beyond is a time to refocus on creating Beau as a safe space to learn, says Giles, to speak without whakama (embarrassment). “For us, a little goes a long way. Don’t be scared; just give it a go.”

What does Sunday look like in your kitchen?

Relaxed! Lying about with a glass of bubbles, and a whole lot of kai. Running a restaurant is all about efficiency and organisation, so we love lazy Sundays - a spot in the sun, usually at Jo’s place. Resting our tinana (body) and feeding the mauri (life force) by connecting and savouring our friendship with lots and lots of laughter.

Why have you chosen this recipe?

It’s fresh, full of flavour, and a little bit bougie but so easy to make, so lots of time left for gas-bagging and cracking up with our inherited Aunty laughs. Most of the ingredients you’ll have, so you just need to find delicious tuna or any raw fish that you love. Beau serves this at catering events and we’re always hoping the chefs make too much, but there are never leftovers! Clean-up is a breeze; these Aunties don’t do dishes on a Sunday.

Fresh tuna toasts. Photo / Dean Purcell

Fresh tuna toasts

Serves 2-4 as a starter

5 pieces finely sliced sourdough, crusts trimmed off and cut into 4cm squares

150g fresh tuna

1½ Tbsp Kewpie mayonnaise

1 tsp sesame oil

1 small pinch chilli flakes

1 tsp olive oil

2 tsp lemon juice

3 yellow cherry tomatoes

3 red cherry tomatoes

Drizzle olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 tsp each toasted black and white sesame seeds

Micro coriander, or finely sliced spring onion, to garnish

Pulse the tuna in a food processor, until it is just becoming a paste. Pick out any sinewy bits and transfer to a small mixing bowl. Add the mayo, sesame oil, chilli flakes, olive oil and 1 tsp of the lemon juice. Mix well and season to taste.

Cut the cherry tomatoes into quarters, and dress with the remaining lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Spoon the tuna mix evenly on the toasted bread, and top with the tomatoes. Sprinkle the mixed toasted sesame seeds over the top and garnish with a few sprigs of micro coriander or finely sliced spring onion.