Toni Walker, Ngāti Ranginui, is a passionate cook and ocean enthusiast who combines her love for food with a commitment to sustainability. She advocates for catch-and-cook practices and shares her culinary adventures through social media, inspiring others to appreciate and protect New Zealand's natural resources.
Toni Walker, Ngāti Ranginui, is a passionate cook and ocean enthusiast who combines her love for food with a commitment to sustainability. She advocates for catch-and-cook practices and shares her culinary adventures through social media, inspiring others to appreciate and protect New Zealand's natural resources.
MĪTI KAU KŌHUA
Beef Brisket Stew
Kia ora, I’m Toni Walker, this year I’ve teamed up with Ironclad to raise awareness about Matariki. To celebrate I’m making my mums delicious beef & vege stew to Waipuna-ā-rangi, the star that represents rain and the life-giving waters that sustain our whenua. Get your tastebuds ready for a side of crispy fried bread to dunk in this hearty goodness.
We normally put on a hangi or boil up for Matāriki but this stew honestly reminds me of home, of mum, the good parts of my childhood. Mum loved gardening she loved growing all the hua whenua/veges for the kai she fed us.
She was happy when it rained so she didn’t have to water her mara/garden. This was one of the first meals I properly learnt how to make with fresh produce from the māra.
It’s real family memories when things were easy- setting the table, lining up to grab our piece of raw onion, getting a growling for putting sauce on mums food.
This stew reminds me of having my brother still with us, those were happy days we shared.
Nga mihi o te touhou maori. Happy Māori New Year.
— Toni Walker
Serves 6–8
Prep time 1 hour
Cook Time 3 ½ hours
THE STEW
Ingredients:
1kg brisket (any stewing beef)
4 T flour
Salt and pepper to season beef
3 T oil
1 onion
1 stalk celery
3 carrot
Half a small piece pumpkin
1 large swede
1 parsnip
4 cloves garlic
4 c chicken stock to just cover the meat
2 T soy sauce
2 bayleaf
Add any other veg at the end, I grew up with frozen mixed veg ( sometimes mushroom or mum would try to sneak in kidney and tell us they were mushroom 😭) but I always add broccoli or asparagus when I have it.
PARĀOA PARAI
Ingredients:
1 c milk
1 c boiling water
1 ½ t salt
1 T dried yeast
1 T sugar
1 T white flour
Up to 5 c white flour
Plain oil to fry about 3 cups
Method:
Cube the meat (into about 3cm chunks).
Season with salt, pepper and the flour.
Using the lid and the pot of your Ironclad Old Dutch, brown the meat off in batches in the oil, making sure it forms a nice brown crust.
Remove the meat to the lid of the Old Dutch.
Heat oven to 140C.
Add the root veg to the Old Dutch pot and fry, stirring all the time until there is some colour. Add the celery and onion to the pan, a Tbsp butter and finally the garlic and fry till fragrant.
Deglaze the pan with stock, add the meat back in and top with stock until just covered.
Add your soy and cover on a medium heat till just bubbling.
Reduce the heat and cook for 3 hours.
30 minutes before serving, add your extra veg and check seasoning.
Final step, if you need to, is to mash the hunks of pumpkin into the stew- to help thicken it.
While the meat is cooking prepare your Paraoa Parai.
Put the milk and hot water in a bowl. It should feel warm not hot. Sprinkle the yeast, sugar, salt and 1 T flour over the top of the liquid and leave to prove for 5 minutes.
Add enough flour to make a stiff dough, knead a minute or two or a floured bench then return the dough to a clean oiled bowl and leave to rise, covered, until 30 minutes before the stew is ready to serve.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured bench. Roll out until it’s half an inch thick and cut into pieces.
Heat 3 c of oil in your Matāriki Pan till a small piece of dough bubbles on contact but doesn’t burn. Fry off the dough in batches. Don’t over fill the pan as this will reduce the heat of the oil.
Drain the fry bread on paper towels and serve hot and crunchy with the stew.
