Renowned foodie Tina Duncan distils her 60 years of cooking (thus far) to bring together favourite tried-and-trusted recipes in a new cookbook.

You’ve been in the kitchen for some of the most exciting and innovative food moments in recent decades, such as the arrival of garlic (the ingredient wasn’t commonly used in New Zealand cooking until the latter part of the 20th century). Is there a stand-out new ingredient or food moment that lives with you better than all the rest?

Yes, the arrival of the avocado, which is now ubiquitous, in the 1980s. From news reports of the great avocado shortage of 2017 to suggestions that less avocado could help you buy a house, it really is a cult ingredient. When we first got our hands on it, I would pop out the stone and fill the space with a homemade classic vinaigrette. It’s still one of the best ways to eat it.

With Savour, the food masterclass series you established, was there one renowned chef or cook you brought to New Zealand who had the most significant impact on how we see food?

Unquestionably, the much-loved and respected Italian cookery writer, cook and restaurateur Antonio Carluccio. Besides being a wonderful teddy bear of a man — kind, charming and authentic — his strong reaction to New Zealand’s food exports stuck with me. He, being Italian and therefore living to eat, was baffled by why we’d send our best food overseas.

White Tie Catering fed thousands of people over its 15-year life with you. Do you have an unforgettable event?

We were present for some of the most memorable moments in clients’ lives. Thanks to the number of “celebrity” weddings, I can categorically state the next AB’s coach made the best groom speech I’ve ever heard. If I had to choose, it would be the Savour New Zealand Gala Dinner in the Isaac Theatre Royal in Christchurch. We removed every other row of seats and served a dégustation on the guests’ knees while they were entertained by a performance on the theatre of food.

Did you ever have an awful disaster, and how did you “pick up the pieces”? 

Generators failing, torrential rain in a paddock, dropping a tray of chicken between the oven and bench with no more to hand — there were many. Our first event as owners of White Tie was mortifying: on the road between Christchurch and the event, the old van we’d inherited in the business purchase broke down, and we were slowly towed onto the clients’ premises. Oh, and there is one particularly stressful moment around a wedding cake with its own story in the book. I still shudder.

What is your favourite Sunday night meal?

Anything shared with my family or friends. In summer, a throw-together salad, such as a roast chicken panzanella or my pickled pork and lentils. In winter, a spicy broth, noodle bowl, or a serving of slow-cooked casserole on creamy mash. If it’s just me, brawn on toast with lashings of worcestershire sauce.

Any advice for the perfect dinner party beyond cooking delicious food?

Don’t overcook it — metaphorically speaking. Guests are in your home, and you are not a restaurant, so you don’t provide multiple beverage options, courses, or elaborate table settings. Keep it simple, and don’t get into knots. My most important advice, which is the tenor of my book, is to do it in advance and not get stuck in the kitchen. A runsheet is a crucial reminder of when to pop things in the oven for reheating. Timing can get a little loose after a glass of bubbles.

Lime Tart with Passionfruit Pastry

Late one night and over a glass of wine, brilliant chef Michael Lee-Richards and I dreamed up this tart. The following morning, I enthusiastically set out to create it and how delighted we were with the result. It’s best eaten on the day as if kept overnight, the filling sometimes pulls away from the pastry.

INGREDIENTS

For the pastry:
175g butter
80g icing sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon passionfruit pulp
250g flour
For the filling:
6 large eggs
180g sugar
5 limes, zest of 1 and juice of all
200ml cream

METHOD

To make the pastry, cream together the butter and icing sugar. Add the egg yolk and passionfruit pulp, followed by the flour. Mix until the pastry comes together. Tip onto a lightly floured bench and bring together with your hands into a flat disc.

Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes to an hour.

Remove the pastry from the fridge, and on a lightly floured board, roll out to 3mm thick. Gently wrap the pastry around a rolling pin to help lift it into a fluted tart tin with a removable base, approximately 22cm across and 4cm high. Gently press the pastry into place, trim the top edge and prick the base with a fork. Chill for at least 30 minutes or freeze for 15 minutes. Reserve some of the scraps in case you need to patch any tiny holes after the tart case has been cooked.

To make the filling, whisk together the eggs and sugar gently, add the zest and lime juice and the cream and combine well. (If you’ve created foam on the surface, use your hair dryer to wave over the bowl, making it disappear.) Pour into a jug to make pouring into the tart shell easy.

Heat oven to 190°C. Line the pastry shell with baking paper and pie weights or rice and bake blind for 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and remove baking paper and weights. Turn down the oven to 160°C and return the pastry shell to the oven for 5 minutes to colour the pastry a little more and ensure it is cooked.

Pour the filling into the hot shell and bake for approximately 35 minutes until the filling is set but still slightly wobbly. It will continue to set as it cools. Remove from oven and cool in the tin. Serves 8

TIPS
l A larger, shallower tin can be used. The tart filling won’t be as deep, and the cooking time will be less. It’s important to remove the tart from the oven when the filling is still slightly wobbly.
l The base can be made the day before and reheated in the oven just before adding the filling.
l The filling can be made the day before and kept in the refrigerator until needed.

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