The Great Kiwi Bake Off 2021 winner Alby Hailes is now training to be a psychiatrist while also making cakes in Dunedin. He talks to Alana Rae about how food can affect mental health.
How do your work in the mental-health sector and your passion for food complement one another?
Undoubtedly, what we eat has a huge impact on our health. But often the physical impacts of food overshadow how it affects us on an emotional and cognitive level. Working in mental health, I’ve been able to see just how important people’s access to good nutritious food is. Often, in our work-centric society, we’re eating to survive and making decisions based around stress and convenience. If you’re able to reflect on how certain foods are making you feel, you’re able to create more of a positive relationship with what you’re consuming.
You’ve just launched Beau cakes, which donates a cake for each signature cake bought. What’s the experience of gifting cakes been like?
When I moved down to Ōtepoti Dunedin at the start of the year, I was looking for a premise to start a food business. Beau was just me creating something from my home kitchen where I could share deliciousness with others. I also wanted there to be a wee bit of extra good that came with it. It’s been great to go down to the likes of Women’s Refuge and give something that can bring a bit of joy to someone’s day. It’s always worthwhile.
You appear to have a lot going on. How do you avoid burnout?
Last year, I was working full-time up in Whangārei as a doctor in mental health while developing my cookbook, Good Vibes. I found I was starting to stretch myself too thin and ended up having time off as I was starting to develop symptoms of poor mental health. It was ironic that I wasn’t looking after my own wellbeing despite encouraging others to do that. It’s basics like good nutrition, regular exercise, getting enough sleep and connecting with others. Those are so important in terms of keeping yourself buoyant in this hectic world.
What’s your go-to comfort cook?
I’m a sucker for a good lasagne. For a lot of New Zealanders, I feel like that’s a very nostalgic comfort food. There’s something about the process of making a lasagne. It takes a bit of time getting all the layers and components in there, so it can be quite a mindful process.
Which chef inspires you the most?
I’m most inspired by chefs who can translate their skills from the commercial restaurant kitchen world into an accessible way for the home cook through food writing with flavours at the centre. That’s cooks like Yotam Ottolenghi and Anna Jones, who are very focused on vegetables and conscious about how our eating affects the world.
What’s your earliest cooking memory?
I have this vivid memory of making classic sugary cinnamon scrolls with Mum in the kitchen. Rolling out the dough and then eating that cinnamon sugar paste from the bowl. Mum is, for sure, great in the kitchen and one of my biggest cooking inspirations as well.
A-little-luxe overnight bircher
This is the ultimate make-ahead breakfast. The brightness of the beetroot bircher and the warming gingerbread and fig bircher are two of my favourite flavour combinations. The basic bircher is versatile – use it as a base for whatever flavours you have on hand, such as dried fruits, spices, berries or grated apple.
Serves 2
BASIC BIRCHER
- 100g traditional wholegrain rolled oats
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- finely grated zest of ½ orange
- 250ml milk (oat or almond)
- 60ml freshly squeezed orange juice
BEETROOT, RASPBERRY, RHUBARB & HAZELNUT BIRCHER
- 75g fresh or frozen raspberries
- ½ small beetroot, peeled and finely grated (about 70g)
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground star anise
- to serve: yoghurt (coconut or unsweetened natural), rose & orange roasted rhubarb (see separate recipe), 50g roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped, to serve
GINGERBREAD, FIG & PECAN BIRCHER
- 75g dried figs, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp golden syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp mixed spice
- pinch of ground nutmeg
- to serve: yoghurt (coconut or unsweetened natural), 2 fresh figs, quartered, 50g roasted pecans, roughly chopped
Combine the basic ingredients in a medium bowl or container, then choose one of the following.
For the beetroot, raspberry, rhubarb & hazelnut bircher, stir in the raspberries, beetroot, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and star anise until well combined. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
The following morning, stir the bircher and divide evenly between two bowls. Serve topped with yoghurt, roasted rhubarb and hazelnuts.
For the gingerbread, fig & pecan bircher, stir in the dried figs, golden syrup, vanilla and spices until well combined. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
The following morning, stir then divide evenly between two bowls. Serve topped with yoghurt, figs and pecans.
ROSE & ORANGE ROASTED RHUBARB
- 400g rhubarb, cut into 5cm pieces
- 50g caster sugar
- finely grated zest of 1 orange
- 60ml freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 tbsp rose water
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the rhubarb in a single layer in a baking dish or roasting tin. Add the remaining ingredients, then toss to coat. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the rhubarb is just starting to soften but still retaining its structure. Set aside to cool in the syrup. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Beetroot blush lasagne
This is no ordinary vegetarian lasagne. Roasted beetroot is blitzed through béchamel and layered with pockets of pumpkin, spinach, sage and feta. It can be made in advance and heated as required.
Serves 8 as a main
BEETROOT BÉCHAMEL
- 1kg beetroot, peeled and chopped into 2cm chunks
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- ¾ tsp sea salt
- ¾ tsp cracked black pepper
- 100g butter
- 100g plain flour
- 1 litre milk
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
FILLING
- 750g peeled pumpkin flesh (from ½ crown pumpkin), chopped into 2cm chunks
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp finely chopped sage
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 200g spinach leaves, shredded
- 200g feta, crumbled
- ½ tsp cracked black pepper
ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS
- 375g fresh or instant dried lasagne sheets
- 2 large handfuls grated tasty cheese
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line 2 large oven trays with baking paper.
First, roast the beetroot and pumpkin. In a bowl, toss the beetroot with 3 tbsp olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Tip onto one oven tray. In a clean bowl, toss the pumpkin with the ground cumin, 1 tbsp of the sage, 3 tbsp of the olive oil and salt and pepper. Tip onto the other tray. Roast the beetroot for about 50 minutes or until cooked through (a knife should easily pierce the flesh). Roast the pumpkin for 30 minutes or until tender. Remove the beetroot and pumpkin from the oven, then reduce the oven temperature to 180°C.
For the beetroot béchamel, melt the butter in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat until starting to bubble and foam. Add the flour, then whisk for a minute or two until it forms a smooth, thick paste. Remove from the heat, then gradually pour in the milk, whisking constantly until smooth. Return to medium heat and slowly bring to the boil. Cook for about 5 minutes until thickened, stirring regularly to prevent it catching on the bottom. Remove from the heat, then add the beetroot, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Using a stick blender (or similar), blitz until completely smooth.
For the filling, heat the remaining 2 tbsp of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes until starting to colour. Add the spinach, then cook for 2 minutes or until starting to wilt. Transfer to a large bowl. Toss with the pumpkin, remaining sage, feta and pepper.
To construct the lasagne, lightly grease with butter a deep ovenproof dish or baking tin (about 33cm x 23cm). Spread a thin layer of beetroot béchamel over the base. Arrange a single layer of lasagne sheets over the béchamel, then spread with half the filling. Add another layer of lasagne, then spread with half the béchamel and a handful of grated tasty cheese. Repeat so you have 4 layers of lasagne sheets, with a top layer of béchamel sprinkled with cheese.
Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden and the lasagne sheets are cooked through. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm, with your favourite side salad.
An edited extract from Good Vibes, by Alby Hailes (HarperCollins NZ, HB, $55).
Where to get help:
If it’s an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
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· Additional specialist helpline links: https://www.mentalhealth.org.nz/get-help/in-crisis/helplines/
