The Salad in Winter

The week before I was out of town for most of the week and ate out. I thought I would share with you some of the restaurants I visited. With a work group I went to Wildfire, a Brazilian barbecue restaurant in Auckland. This was certainly an experience. To be recommended if you like to eat a lot of meat. The meat was certainly of a high quality and excellently cooked.
A regular haunt of mine when in Auckland in Tony's on Wellesley St. I regularly eat here with my sister & cousin when in town, not particularly because the food is outstanding but for nostalgic reasons. The food is however good quality, reliable and reasonably priced. Back in the 60s this was one of the few, possibly only, places to get a proper restaurant meal outside of expensive hotels and I'm really pleased it has survived. I remember they used to have candles on the table in those wicker-encased Chianti bottles. I also caught up with an old friend at Swashbucklers at the Westhaven Marina. The calamari is highly recommended.
On my return to Wellington we ate at Le Metropolitain, a French Bistro-style restaurant on Cuba St. I had the snails which are always good and lamb rump with puy lentils. I can never go past a dish served with these most delicious of pulses.
In winter, as well as casseroles & stews, don't forget you can put together a warm salad meal. We had a couple of those this week. Try broccoli with a shell-shaped pasta - orecchiette or conchiglioni. Cook the broccoli until just tender in boiling salter water, then lift out & drizzle with good olive oil. Bring the broccoli water back to the boil & cook the pasta according to the packet. Drain the pasta reserving a little water to toss at the end. In a frying pan, soften sliced garlic, pancetta or bacon chopped into matchsticks, chilli flakes & anchovies. Remove from the pan & warm though the broccoli. Tip the pasta into a serving bowl and toss through all the ingredients with that pasta water you put aside and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve with grated parmesan at the table.
Try this chicken salad with wasabi mayonnaise. A good way to cook a chicken breast without any fat while retaining maximum moisture is to soak in a brine of cold water, sugar & salt - about 3 tbsp each to 2 cups of water - for 1/2 an hour. Drain & dry the chicken, then dust with 2 tsp Chinese 5 spice, then put under a hot grill - 8 minutes each side until juices run clear. For the dressing, whisk 1/4 cup mayonnaise, zest & juice of 1/2 lime, 1 tbsp wasabi, 1/2 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp water and s & p to taste. In a serving bowl mix 1/4 red cabbage v thinly shredded, 2 spring onions thinly sliced, 1/2 c bean sprouts (remember those home spouted puy lentils), and a small handful of mint leaves finely chopped. Toss with the dressing and arrange thinly sliced chicken on top. Garnish with a few mint leaves and 1/4 c roasted peanuts, roughly chopped. As well as being light and healthy it gives your jaws a good workout!
This afternoon we went for a long walk on the Petone foreshore & then stopped in at La Bella Italia for a reviving shot of coffee. Bought some provolone cheese and salami which we enjoyed with as glass of red wine and some of our home pickled onions. Look out for the picture of the provolone on the website - slung over Antonio's shoulders.