As the kiwi summer kicks into full gear everybody in the country is prompted to revisit outdoor entertaining and of course cooking over various forms of fire Local celebrity chef exponents like Al Brown have fully endorsed open fire cookery of some form with various publications however our favourite summer cookbook and in our view the legend of world open fire cooking is Francis Mallman. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ8Htm4jAGc Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way by Francis Mallman (2009)   As one of South America’s most famous chef’s and recently featured on Netflix’s Chef’s Table, you may have heard Chef Francis Mallmann’s name before. Classically trained in French cuisine and born in Argentina, it is not only Mallmann’s recipes that inspire but his life and philosophy.   Born in 1956, Mallmann opened his first restaurant at 19. Achieving such success, he was able to close for half the year to travel in Europe, training...

Christmas season is a busy one. So we want to help you make the most of these special months. As a family-owned caterer, we happen to be experts on a few key things: food and traditions. Our passion is in the kitchen; with every turkey we roast and  ham we glaze , we put our heart and soul into our work. Let us do the cooking, so you can host the best holiday party with tasty eats and enjoy this season without unnecessary stress.     If you’re looking to host a holiday gathering, big or small, we have a versatile Christmas menu detailed below.It is formed as a buffet/grazing table or table buffet/family style, you may choose your own layout and consequently your event is sure to be the talk of the town. All of our contemporary & funky  seasonal menus  will surely tempt  your tastebuds. We actually can’t wait...

Peking / Parisian Duck w/butternut puree We cross reference the classic French technique of “duck confit” with Asian vegetables and flavours. The result is meltingly tender meat on the bone with super tasty oriental aromatics. all the produce in this recipe is available during winter in Auckland. Ingredients 1 size 18 Canterbury farmed duck 5 teaspoons NZ sea salt 8 teaspoon black pepper 10 small shallots, halved 200 gms baby corn 1 x Renkon or lotus root 1 tablespoon honey 7 sprigs fresh thyme 7 tablespoons unsalted butter 3 litres of duck fat  50 g of fresh thyme 6 star anise seeds large piece ginger sliced small bunch spring onions pinch Chinese 5 spice 2 tbsp each of char sui sauce and hoisin sauce( available in most Chinese supermarkets) 3 tbsp red wine vinegar          8 cups of water or duck stock          6...

We sat down with our Chef Dominic hodge who spoke with us about his experiences in the kitchen, food & dining today, as well as some tips for the newly engaged! What was the main reason you decided to be a chef? My mother is a fantastic cook and owned various small food businesses as I was growing up-she was well ahead of her time in contemporary dietary fads and still is! What inspires you the most? I take inspiration from all places; Food and ingredients themselves- the seasonal challenges that come with catering particularly now as we progress in to winter can also be inspiring.. I call it the PPP season Pears parsnips and pumpkins.. I take my biggest inspiration however from my small young family- they get me going every day. What is your favourite thing about working in the catering industry and for Kawau Bay kitchen - What...

There's nothing quite as intimate as a private home wedding. We recently catered a 75 person wedding in the backyard of a beautiful home in Mahurangi. To say that this wedding was fabulous would be an understatement! While the mother of the bride handled the lighting as well as the delicate pink and creme floral arrangements, Auckland kitchen catering (www.aucklandkitchencatering.nz )handled the rentals and catering needs for all the guests.  For this wedding, we arranged three different dinner stations to appeal to all guests. The goal was to create a relaxed, informal setting for the guests to feel comfortable and casual. We set up  the salad station, the gourmet slider station, and the carvery station next to each other to create an easy line for guests to get their food.We also provided a bar setup on the client's newly renovated backyard deck where guests could relax, mingle, and sip on drinks...