Kiwi’s Best

PlaceMakers Kiwi’s Best is an exclusive area designed to showcase quality food and beverages loved by New Zealanders. Newly located in the busy Rural Living area, PlaceMakers Kiwi's Best amrquee features the Kitchen Theatre to demonstrate exhibitors products by celebrity chef, Nici Wickes and other guests.

Head along to the PlaceMakers Kiwi’s Best marquee to nab the finest gourmet delights at Fieldays.

Accomplished food and travel expert, Nici Wickes, will be demonstrating how to use the premium produce and beverages found in the Kiwis Best marquee during Fieldays. Nici’s aim is to rouse others to cook by showcasing the ease of preparing delicious but simple meals. With her extensive knowledge of food, you are bound to pick up tips and tricks as she prepares stunning dishes. She is entertaining and easy to relate to, encouraging you to find your confidence in the kitchen.

Growing up in a large family, Nici began cooking at a young age where her Mother and Nana fostered her passion for cooking. Nici trained as a chef and previously owned her own catering company but her big break came with her TV series, World Kitchen. The programme takes her around the world searching for food inspiration as she then recreates international dishes in her own kitchen. Nici has appeared at other food shows and enjoys the exhilaration and unpredictable nature of live demonstrations.

Catch the sizzling shows in the PlaceMakers Kiwi’s Best Kitchen Theatre with Nici, as she teaches audiences how to create delicious dishes from ingredients sourced in the PlaceMakers Kiwi’s Best marquee.

Pasta Dough (Makes about 400g)

250g/1 Cup ‘OO’ flour, pasta flour of fine semolina
Pinch of salt
2 Whole eggs
2 Egg yolks
1 Tablespoon Olive oil
1 Table spoon water

Sift flour into blender, add wet ingredients and mix until it comes together, take out of the blender and kneed for 10 minutes and rest in the refrigerator for a further 30-40 minutes wrapped in cling film or glad wrap.

Roll out as thin as you can and cut into thick fobbons and blanch in softly boiling water for 2-3 minutes, strain and toss in pesto or roll out and form into any number of ravioli fillings sealing the edge with water, below please see my pumpkin and feta ravioli filling.

Ravioli Filling

450g/1lb piece of pumpkin deseeded and peeled.
1 tbsp olive oil
1 Clove of garlic
Large pinch of fennel seeds, lightly crushed
1 medium egg, yolk only
25g/1oz parmesan cheese, grated, plus extra to serve
A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons of feta cheese
15g/1oz fresh white breadcrumbs
Freshly ground black pepper

Roast the pumpkin in a moderately hot oven with the olive oil, fennel seeds and the garlic, in a roasting tray covered with tin foil until cooked, remove from the oven and cool then crush it together the other ingredients with a fork.

Roll out the pasta, cut into large circles, add the mix into the centre of each circle and wet the edge with water and seal with another circle on top working out the air, blanch (cook in boiling water) for 3 minutes, place into bowls and finish with a drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive oil and parmesan.

Crust/Pastry

1 1⁄2 cups flour
1⁄4 cup plus 1 tbsp cocoa powder
1⁄4 tsp. Flaked sea salt
10 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed and softened
1⁄2 cup plus 2 tbsp caster sugar
2 egg yolks, preferably at room temperature
1⁄2 tsp. vanilla extract

Caramel
1 1⁄2 cups sugar
3 tbsp. light corn syrup
1⁄4 tsp. Flaked sea salt
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
6 tbsp. heavy cream
1 tbsp. crème fraîche


Ganache
1⁄2 cup heavy cream
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
Gray sea salt for garnish

1. Make the crust: Heat oven to 350˚. Combine flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Using a handheld mixer, cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until mixture is pale and fluffy; mix in yolks and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients. Transfer dough to a 9" fluted tart pan with a removable bottom and press dough evenly into bottom and sides of pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Prick the tart shell all over with a fork and bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool.

2. Make the caramel: In a 1-qt. saucepan, whisk together sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 6 tbsp. water and bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer inserted into the syrup reads 340°. Remove pan from heat and whisk in butter, cream, and crème fraîche (the mixture will bubble up) until smooth. Pour caramel into cooled tart shell and let cool slightly; refrigerate until firm, 4–5 hours.

3. Make the ganache: Bring cream to a boil in a 1-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Put chocolate into a medium bowl and pour in hot cream; let sit for 1 minute, then stir slowly with a rubber spatula until smooth. Pour ganache evenly over tart and refrigerate until set, 4–5 hours. Sprinkle tart with sea salt, slice, and serve chilled.