Dinner at Amisfield
Amisfield Restaurant
An exceptional meal, over 5 hours with 20 gastronomic concepts, is a spectacle.
Add to this the polished performance and theatre of both wait staff and chefs who entertained with stories of each dish; the provence of the ingredients while executing final tasks at the table side.
All credit goes to Chef Vaughan Mabee with his unique interpretation of New Zealand ingredients intertwined with culture. The legendary Amisfield Golden Triangle of butter, lemon, salt wins over many dishes with elegant sauces and emulsions.
Amisfield Restaurant was awarded Restaurant of the Year at and Chef Vaughan was placed 44th in the international rating
I am pleased to add that NZSFW has had two graduates work at Amisfield for Chef Vaughan. Sam Phipps who is now based in Switzerland at and Jade Ward who is working at in Denmark until in 2024.
See below my record of an outstanding evening.
Greenbone
Amuse bouche: cones in the mouth of butterfish
Baby paua (18 months) in a delicate broth
Smoking the eel at the table.
Manuka smoked eel on Vogel’s toast with Pinot Noir reduction
Chef presents the flowering Harakeke (flax).
The Otago Flower: Harakeke
A taco filled with harakeke (flax) seeds in sour cream, spears of asparagus, garnished with edible flowers and paired with a chlorophyl tonic of asparagus and extra virgin olive oil.
, New Zealand flax.
River stones mask the 'stones' of truffle mousse and butter. Slices of paua saucisson.
Truffle milk brioche
Perfectly prepared brioche, soft, delicate and flavoursome was served with river stones of grey truffle butter presented along with a selection of real stones. The paua and pork saucisson was exceptional.
Chef explains the provenance of New Zealand king crab.
New Zealand king crab
There is a certain excitement when watching a platter of king crab, with a hearty dose of liquid nitrogen, being transported across the restaurant to your table.
The chef then explained the story of the dish.
King crabs are found a depth of 500 metres in Foveaux Strait, the rough channel that separates the South Island from Stewart Island and home to the legendary bluff oyster. Ferrari red in colour, the crab was lightly poached and served with a consommé.
Wild Paua liver
Local Celeriac over charcoal fire with black garlic molasses, Parsley oil
Poached butterfish with whitebait, butter mousseline
Monkfish fermented chilli crayfish bisque, Agri potato chips
Fiordland Tartare of wapiti, confit of hare, Mallard duck's foot
The Confit of hare was inside a Pinot Noir jelly leaf. The Canter Valley mallard duck's foot (on the stand), had the bone skillfully removed, dehydrated and served with a duck liver parfait
Chef prepares Bluff Octopus on open fire
The whole beast: Bluff Octopus
The Bluff Octopus was prepared outside on the open fire and served on a taco with a sweet mayonnaise.
Chef prepares lamb's tail of Royalburn Merino sheep.
A lamb's tale
Blow torch Lambs tail of Royalburn merino with onga onga (nettle) sauce.
Wild putangitangi Paradise duck liver ice cream
The Far North: Kawakawa snail sorbet
Chef Vaughan presents the Spiker antler blood caramel.
Spiker Antler, Blood (Beetroot) caramel
to find out more about Amisfield Restaurant and Winery.
Celia Hay
22 December 2023
