The Cook and the Chef

Olives & Mussels (3x22)

Data de estreia: Jul 09, 2008

In tonight's episode Maggie and Simon continue their food Odyssey in the Land of the Long White Cloud. On New Zealand's North Island Maggie discovers a microclimate responsible for some wonderful produce while Simon travels across the beautiful, pristine waters of Marlborough Sound in search of the Green Lipped Mussel. Hawkes Bay on the east coast of New Zealand’s north island is one of the sunniest regions of New Zealand. Sheltered by ranges to the west, the Hawke's Bay landscape opens up to reveal rolling hills and fertile plains, the perfect environment for orchards and a host of internationally acclaimed wineries. The city of Napier was devastated by an earthquake in 1931 and was re-built in the art deco style and now has one of the most outstanding collections of 1930’s architecture in the world. The area is renowned for the range and quality of its artisan food producers and while she was there Maggie visited Silver trail gourmet snails, a snail farm run by Raewynne Achten. Raewynne feeds her snails on Brassicas, Plantain and fresh vegetables, all grown without the use of pesticides, providing a healthy and nutritious pasture for her free range snails which she sells to local restaurants. From snails Maggie moved to olives, visiting Rose Gresson at her beautiful olive grove overlooking the bay. Rose has over two and a half thousand trees, which she described as growing like mushrooms and very easy to establish given the Hawkes Bay climate and soils. She grows varieties which are suitable for both the table and oil. Her main oil varieties are Barnea and Manzanillo which she blends and Leccino, a tiny little Tuscan olive which makes beautiful peppery oil. In the kitchen Maggie takes her inspiration from the New Zealand olives and fills a delicious puff pastry with a combination of Kalamata Olives, Olive oil and sweet roasted garlic topped with goat's cheese and oregano. Simon marinates a combination of three different olives and encourages every