Savouring the Pacific (+recipes)

Make Pacific-flavoured crisps and dip to go with a Samoan Bloody Mary. Photo / Janna Dixon

Be inspired by the unique flavours from our Pacific backyard, writes Grant Allen.

Let's gossip about the neighbours.

I caught wind of some wonderful food stories from the Pacific when I read the cookbook Me'a Kai by Robert Oliver, Dr Tracey Berno and Shri Nam.

Then at The Food Show in Auckland two weeks ago I came across True Pacific, the quality assurance mark issued by The Pacific Co-operation Foundation.

The aim of this not-for-profit foundation is to showcase the best Pacific products to the world, sparking economic growth by supporting community-based initiatives.

To date 25 producers have been issued with the True Pacific mark and each one has a great story behind it.

Pacific Bloody Mary

A wake-up call for breakfast or brunch, make your favourite Bloody Mary mix using Hot! Samoan Boys chilli sauce instead of Tabasco, then add some tropical garnish.

Hot! Samoan Boys chilli sauce is made with village-grown birdseye chillies - but I'll let the boys tell their story, from their website: "When we say HOT! We are not talking about show ponies; our guys saw a way to provide employment for young people and village families, producing birdseye chillis. They had a great idea and they bottled it using the knowledge of their forebears mixed with a bit of muscle, big bling bling smiles, much laughter and singing and a tinny old guitar counting the beat of the chilli harvest. How HOT! Is that?"

I'm told credit for this idea goes to Samoan Chief Papalii John Ryan who, five years ago had an idea to inspire young Samoan men to get off the streets and back into villages to farm their ancestral land.

He set them a challenge to grow chillis in return for a set price for harvested produce, and invested his time and resources to provide training.

It is now well established in the local market, and travellers turn up at the factory shop most days to buy a box of Hot! Samoan Boys Chilli Sauce to take home.

To cool it down, serve with this dip:

300g of light cream cheese
Juice of a lime
A few drops to taste of HSB sauce

Blend until smooth.

Blue Coconut Oil is a fantastic product from Vanuatu. It has been deflavoured and deperfumed resulting in a high food value cooking medium, easily ingested. Belmont cafe Little and Friday use it to cook their famous doughnuts.

1. Thinly slice some orange kumara and taro.

2. Heat up some Blue Coconut cooking oil and deep fry until the veges puff.

3. Drain on paper towel.

4. Cut some Punja Roti Wraps (from Fiji) into 8 triangles, spray with oil and put into a hot oven to crisp.

5. Serve with the Moa Samoa sauce.

Thanks to Robert Oliver and Random House for allowing publication of his modified sauce recipe from his book Me'a Kai, which won the prestigious international Gourmand Best Cookbook of the Year last year.

Find out more about Pacific products at the True Pacific Showcase, Auckland, September 5-7.

See also:

Heilala Vanilla
Blue Coconut
All Good Bananas
HOT! Samoan Boys
Art of Produce

Cast Iron Pans

As I have got more time efficient (ie, lazier) in my cooking I love my set of cast iron pans. They sit on my hob and can be readily put in the oven to roast, bake or grill. I serve food on the table from them.

I use them as lids on my saucepans, they're heavy and it's easier to plonk them on a pot than crash around in the cupboard for the right saucepan lid. They hold the heat, and if you have a ridged one you can get those grill marks on your meat or vegetables.

They are easy to clean. Never put them in the dishwasher, just wipe them with a paper towel. You must buy good solid pans and keep them oiled to develop a cooking surface.

Go find some, they represent more investment shopping for your kitchen, but remember cheap ends up expensive. Buy the best you can afford.

* Grant Allen has been a professional cook for 30 years. He works as a caterer in Auckland. Grant's facebook page can be found here.