The dish
Charcoal beef fillet
The dish, Hawke’s Bay beef fillet grilled over charcoal, is served with pekepekekiore developed from coral tooth mushrooms, which are grown locally by a small producer in Napier—the only commercial grower of these mushrooms in New Zealand. I knew I wanted to create something with the mushrooms and I had the charcoal burning to grill the beef on, so decided to try these mushrooms grilled. The results were intriguing with the mushroom taking on a flavour almost like crayfi sh, giving a nostalgic nod back to ‘surf and turf’ of times past. This was totally unexpected, but I liked it so it stayed. Accompanying the dish is fresh produce from Cape Kidnappers garden, gai lan, broccoli flowers, celeriac and nasturtium. The dish features regularly on our daily changing menu over spring when the produce is fresh and in season.
The chef
James Honore
New Zealand born and bred, James Honore is the Head Chef and master of farm-to-table cuisine at Cape Kidnappers in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. Taking inspiration from the seasonal fruit and vegetables that are bountiful at both The Farm at Cape Kidnappers and the wider Hawke’s Bay region, James’ dishes are fresh, vibrant and full of flavour. He and his brigade of chefs pride themselves on using the freshest seasonal cuisine available to them.
Our thanks to James and The Farm at Cape Kidnappers: https://www.robertsonlodges.com/the-lodges/cape-kidnappers
