Chef du Jour

words Denise Irvine

It’s not often you see chef Mat McLean as a guest in his own restaurant, Palate, all dressed up and taking a seat at a table rather than being on the tools in the kitchen.

But there he was, socialising out front last Sunday night while others were running the engine room, a kitchen takeover for the Chef du Jour event, a degustation dinner to support and celebrate some of Hamilton’s rising culinary stars.

There were five courses and five chefs, and lashings of good food and goodwill as Amanda-Jo Pickup (head chef, The Lookout Bar & Kitchen), Chelsea Mendes (kitchen manager, Bahn mi Caphe), Matt Gemmell (head chef, Furnace Steakhouse), Joseph Arthur (sous chef, Palate) and Scott Bray (chef de cuisine, SkyCity) prepped, cooked and collaborated to deliver the goods to a packed restaurant.

 “We’d been talking about this dinner for ages,” Mat says. “The younger chefs in Hamilton aren’t getting enough publicity and exposure. We wanted to support the ones coming up behind my generation of chefs. I got a real kick out of having them here, seeing everyone working together. They were so calm and relaxed; there was a really good synergy in the kitchen.”

He says that in an industry not always known for its collegiality it was great to see the support and encouragement generated by the event. “Chefs need to put their egos aside and do more of this.”

Chef du Jour was initiated and organised by Mat and his friend Gus Tissink, founder of Waikato premium produce supplier FED for Chefs, and a long-time supporter of city hospitality. There was a five-course menu and wine matches were selected by Palate sommelier and part-owner Larissa Muller.

Each of the five chefs chose a course – there was a starter, two entrées, a main and dessert – and then came up with their own ideas and dishes.

Joseph Arthur, Mat McLean’s right-hand man at Palate, says everyone was in high spirits in the kitchen. “We had a really good time together. With five courses and 80 guests there was a lot to do. There was a lot of energy in the team.”

So here’s the rundown of what was delivered to the tables, showcasing the chefs’ creativity and their knowledge of seasonal ingredients, flavours and techniques. And judgement of portions, an essential element of degustation. You want to send everyone home satisfied but not saturated.

Amanda-Jo Pickup, first course: a clever dish of Knocknaveagh 1862 gin-cured salmon terrine with lobster, tarragon and crème fraiche pate, cucumber ribbon and tonic gel: deceptively simple on the plate, there were multiple techniques, textures and flavours at play here.

 Chelsea Mendes, second course: a treat of pork sorpotel bunny chow (crunchy hollowed out bread filled with deliciously spicy pork) cut through with cucumber, tomato and lime salsa, kokum dressing (using a fruit from the mangosteen family) and fried ginger.

Matt Gemmell, third: tender dry-aged duck breast, beautifully paired with confit duck tortellini, celeriac puree and a pop of fermented beetroot: possibly my stand-out but there were other close contenders.

Joseph Arthur, fourth: a seasonal treasure of melt-in-the-mouth Royal Burn lamb loin with lamb belly saltimbocca, sweet and nutty celeriac fondant, local asparagus, fermented slaw and sage.

Scott Bray, fifth:  knock-out dessert compilation of Raglan Roast espresso, local honey, dark chocolate and cocoa nib. And to nod at just one of many thoughtful wine matches, this was paired with a sensational Lustau Pedro Ximenez sherry, a sweet note to end on.

There were excellent little snacks and a palate cleanser as well, plus a happy crowd of punters. We did an informal poll on favourites at our table and the responses covered all  the dishes. Everyone involved should take a bow.

Mat says he and Gus are planning more events like this, and the next one may be a celebration of the city’s female chefs.

“They did a great job and it was good to relax and hang out with the customers.”