Behind the scenes with New Zealand's top chefs

I knew each chef had delivered superb dishes during the application process and to finally get to this point where the Beef + Lamb team were able to meet the chefs and watch them cook was very exciting.

First to arrive was Christchurch-based chef, Tejas Nikam of Vices & Virtues.  Tejas said he was inspired to use beef in two different ways on his dish to highlight its versatility and to use different cooking techniques to make the dish interesting. He says the key to successful cooking is to use a variety of flavours, colours and textures to build a great dish using as much locally sourced produce as possible and his choice of two cuts of Canterbury beef was a great example of this.

The eye fillet was sous vide to keep all the flavours and juices intact and the brisket bonbon added another flavour which comes from the brisket being slow cooked.  He slowly confits the carrots with butter, spices and trimmings turning it into a velvety puree with the pepita seed pesto adding a fresh flavour to the dish.  The crispy onion rings add extra crunch and is a classic pairing of flavour for the beef.

Next into the kitchen was Phil Clark, from Phil’s Kitchen in Kingsland, Auckland.  Phil loves to push the boundaries of modern cuisine and travels to Europe each year to immerse himself in the different cultures and styles of cooking.  In fact, he had literally just stepped off a plane from France and straight into the kitchen.

I knew each chef had delivered superb dishes during the application process and to finally get to this point where the Beef + Lamb team were able to meet the chefs and watch them cook was very exciting.

First to arrive was Christchurch-based chef, Tejas Nikam of Vices & Virtues.  Tejas said he was inspired to use beef in two different ways on his dish to highlight its versatility and to use different cooking techniques to make the dish interesting. He says the key to successful cooking is to use a variety of flavours, colours and textures to build a great dish using as much locally sourced produce as possible and his choice of two cuts of Canterbury beef was a great example of this.

The eye fillet was sous vide to keep all the flavours and juices intact and the brisket bonbon added another flavour which comes from the brisket being slow cooked.  He slowly confits the carrots with butter, spices and trimmings turning it into a velvety puree with the pepita seed pesto adding a fresh flavour to the dish.  The crispy onion rings add extra crunch and is a classic pairing of flavour for the beef.

Next into the kitchen was Phil Clark, from Phil’s Kitchen in Kingsland, Auckland.  Phil loves to push the boundaries of modern cuisine and travels to Europe each year to immerse himself in the different cultures and styles of cooking.  In fact, he had literally just stepped off a plane from France and straight into the kitchen.

This article was first published on www.thechefskitchen.co.nz and is republished here with permission.