A Family Dinner Inspired by New Zealand's Culinary Influences

New Zealand, an island country nestled in the South Pacific Ocean, boasts a rich culinary heritage influenced by both British and Māori cuisines. These unique flavours and cooking techniques have made their way into the homes of many families around the world, including ours.

For our latest family dinner, we decided to pay homage to New Zealand by preparing a traditional dish called Hāngi. This method of cooking involves using heated rocks buried in a pit oven, resulting in a deliciously smoky and tender meal. As we were not willing to dig a pit oven in our back yard I found a version that could be made in a slow cooker

To start our Hāngi preparation, we gathered a variety of ingredients that are commonly used in New Zealand cuisine. We opted for a combination of meats, such as pork and chicken, along with an assortment of root vegetables like sweet potato (kumara), potatoes, and carrots. As we were not using the traditional Hāngi I also added some liquid smoke to give the dish a smoky flavour that would be missing.

A traditional Hāngi is prepared digging a hole for the pit oven and lining it with hot rocks. Placing the marinated meats and vegetables on top of the rocks, ensuring they are well-seasoned with a blend of herbs and spices that are popular in New Zealand cooking.

Once everything is in place, you cover the pit with damp cloth and soil, creating a seal that will trap the heat and steam inside. This slow-cooking method allowed the flavours to meld together and infuse the food with a unique smoky aroma.

For the slow cooker version, I wrapped our meat and vegetables in foil, added a few balls of foil to the bottom of the slow cooker to keep the dish raised and filled with water to half the height of the foil. I place the wrapped meat and veg on top of the foil, placed a damp tea towel over the top of the slow cooker, before adding the lid to trap in the steam.

As the Hāngi cooked, we took the opportunity to learn more about the cultural significance of this traditional cooking method. We discovered that Hāngi is not only a delicious meal but also a way for families and communities to come together and celebrate special occasions.

After many hours of anticipation, we carefully unwrapped our dish and revealed our perfectly cooked Hāngi. The meats were incredibly tender, and the vegetables had absorbed the flavours of the herbs and spices, creating a harmonious blend of tastes.

Our family dinner inspired by New Zealand was not only a culinary adventure but also a journey into the heart of a vibrant culture. Through the flavours of Hāngi, we experienced a taste of New Zealand's rich heritage and the warmth of its people.

As we enjoyed our meal, we couldn't help but feel a connection to the land and its culinary traditions.