Leyton Ashley: A sense of place

Leyton Ashley at Craggy Range's Terroir restaurant.

Forget additives, foam and froth, the success of Craggy Range’s Terroir restaurant comes down to using seasonal New Zealand ingredients, explains head chef Leyton Ashley.

Terroir, meaning "sense of place", is a romantic French term. It is frequently used when referring to the inherent characters of soil, climate and culture reflected in a wine from a particular vineyard or region. For the winemaking team at Craggy Range, the concept of terroir lies at the heart of our winemaking philosophy. Each of our wines reflects the vineyards in which the grapes are grown. This philosophy is also reflected in our Terroir restaurant, too, which uses vegetables, herbs and flowers grown in the kitchen garden in Havelock North, Hawke's Bay.

My inspiration comes from our garden of fresh, quality produce paired with bounty from the best regions in New Zealand. At the start of each season, I get together with the guys at Kahikatea Farm, planning the plantings for each season to showcase the rustic, earthy flavours of the garden. Our menu is less about additives, foam and froth and more about organic, seasonal produce and delicious meat and fish. The focus in the kitchen is always on the freshest seasonal and local produce presented in a style that is simple and real.

My latest addition to the menu signifies the change in season and the display of autumn colours in the region. This recipe for Beef with Merlot and Shallot Butter is perfect paired on a cold evening with celeriac from our garden. I'm using "Firstlight" grass-fed wagyu shortrib which is smoked then braised slowly but any good quality beef will do. This is complemented by Merlot and Shallot Butter using grapes from our Gimblett Gravels vineyard. Serve with crunchy grapevine leaves plus cavalo nero and kale.

Duck season has opened and the duck recipe showcases a much underused ingredient.

Duck fat is a chef's secret ingredient, bringing comfort and indulgence to winter dishes.

Duck is also a perfect match with New Zealand pinot noir. The richness of the duck is balanced by the sweet, dark fruity notes of our 2011 pinot noir from the Te Muna Road vineyard.

We are so blessed to have an abundance of incredible seafood. New Zealand is also famed for its fantastic sauvignon blanc wines and there is no better match for them than New Zealand oysters.

A simple dressing of vinaigrette, chives, shallots and red wine vinegar mixed with
a spoonful of sugar will have these singing on the plate.

Naturally, the wines influence the menu and we develop our dishes with the wines in mind. We also work closely with the winemaking team. Our chief winemaker Matt Stafford often comes into the restaurant and tastes the wines alongside my dishes as he knows this is ultimately what the wines are designed to do.

Locally grown food bursts with flavour. Picking something fresh from the garden will taste better than anything flown in from miles away. So get planting and picking or get down to your local farmers' market and make the most of our wonderful autumn ingredients paired with some of the best wines in the world.

Recipes

• Steak with merlot and shallot butter
• Duck leg confit, celeriac, roasted quince
• Terroir oysters

• Terroir, Craggy Range, 253 Waimarama Rd, Havelock North, Hawke's Bay, ph (06) 873 7126, craggyrange.com