Catch, Cook, Eat

Toheroa, Invercargill. 2008. Ajr
How lucky are we to know award-winning Ngai Tahu chef, Jason Dell, who, until recently, worked as executive chef at Blanket Bay, one of New Zealand's most luxurious lodges. (He's now headed off to Singapore to set up a super-classy restaurant complex on Orchard Road). He's always been on our side. He makes us nice things to eat. He lets us wash his dishes - if we're really lucky we get to chop his parsley. It's been his mission over the last three years, to take the traditional kai (food) of South Island's Maori (all 18 Ngai Tahu runanga) and whip it into tasty dishes that give it a whole new modern interpretation. Then we sit the kaumatua down and give their taste buds a surprise.... and if we've been good, writer and photographer also get to eat. It's hard to call it work - but we insist it is! (And for anyone thinking I do nothing else but travel around eating.......well....what can I say? It's a travel guide writer's lot!)