2010 Monteith's Beer and Wild Food Challenge about to get underway

More than 100 of the country’s top chefs have a challenging time ahead but hopefully only temperatures, not tempers, will be raised.

Chefs from Whangarei to Invercargill are taking part in the 13th Monteith’s Beer and Wild Food Challenge from Friday 4th June through to Sunday 18th July.

During this time, consumers have the chance to enjoy extremely interesting and creative wild food dishes – each matched with a Monteith’s beer – at a restaurant near them.

Monteith’s marketing manager, Russell Browne, says once again the calibre of entrants is pleasingly high.

“We are seeing more and more three to five star restaurants entering the competition which assists in raising not only the bench-mark for the overall winner, but the standard of meals created by chefs. We’re thrilled too by the degree of creativity shown by this year’s contestants and the thought they have put into developing a truly unique dish and blending it with an appropriate Monteith’s beer style. I for one am looking forward to getting around the country and sampling as many dishes as possible once the Challenge gets underway on Friday 4th June.”

To enter the Challenge, chefs have to source wild food which is defined as “anything not usually raised on a farm”. Over the past month chefs have been gathering ingredients from 100 kilometres of their kitchen, testing their dishes, and entering them via the Monteith’s website (monteiths.co.nz). As is the case in previous Challenges, chefs are encouraged ‘go wild’ with not only the dish itself but also its name. Once again the chefs have shown their cookery talents, and sense of humour, by creating dishes such as the following:

Like Father, Like Son: Basalt Bar & Restaurant, Howick, Auckland: Pan-fried ‘Peter Rabbit’ wrapped in prosciutto with ‘his old man’s pies’ Mr McGregor’s garden vegetables, braised baby cos, shaved radish and roasted rabbit jus matched with Monteith’s Black Beer.

Oh Deer, What Can the Mash Pea?: The Bluestone Room, 9 Durham Lane, Auckland: Oven roasted wild venison wrapped with leeks, orange, and prosciutto served with a truffle pea mash cake, wild mushrooms, watercress, Galliano orange compote and a blackberry balsamic jus matched with Monteith’s Celtic Red Beer.

This Little Piggy Went to Henderson: The Hangar, Henderson: Braised wild pork with a honey plum glaze, wasabi kumara mash and beer battered pikopiko matched with Monteith’s Pilsner Beer.

Fowl Play: White Restaurant at the Hilton, Auckland: Roasted guinea fowl stuffed with wild boar, wild rice, pistachio and currants on braised cabbage, mushroom pithivier and game stock.

Harry Trotter: Boston Restaurant and Bar, Hamilton: Braised pork belly, reduced pork stock infused with herb and spice with hand rolled poached dumplings and a scattering of forest greens with Monteith’s Radler Bier.

I Spent 24 Hours with a Tender FALLOW: Sepia Restaurant & Bar, Rydges Hotel Christchurch: 24 hour sous vide wild fallow cutlet seasoned with a horopito rub, Monteith's Celtic Red Beer poached tamirillo, moimoi croquette, glazed baby leeks and meat juices matched with Monteith’s Celtic Red Beer.
Boarack Meets Underbelly: The Porch Kitchen and Bar, Waihi Beach: Wild boar rack and slow roasted boar belly on a roast pumpkin, leek and prosciutto ragu, tomato & basil sugo with a tamarillo and piko piko chutney, finished with a watercress, pear, walnut and fennel salad matched with Monteith’s Pilsner Beer.

She's a Bit of a Wild Boar, But a Pheasant Personality: Sahara Restaurant, Paparoa: Crepinette of braised pheasant, wild boar bacon and forest mushrooms, served with creamy kumara and a tamarillo jus matched with Monteith’s Celtic Red Beer.

The most successful dishes are typically a combination of rare ingredients, unusual cooking methods and exciting presentation. Last year’s winner, The Abbey of Auckland, took out the Challenge title with its creative ‘Rudolf the Russian Red Beer’ dish - a lavender crusted venison rack with a taro and green banana filled apple, red currants, goat’s cheese and golden kumara soufflé and maple poached Jerusalem artichokes, carefully matched with Monteith’s Celtic.

This year’s winner stands to win $10,000 in cash and prominent advertising support of their win. The judging process has also been enhanced for 2010 with diner voting dictating the top 20 finalists who will then be assessed by long-term and highly respected Monteith’s Beer and Wild Food Challenge judge, Kerry Tyack, chef Mark Gregory and foodie Allyson Gofton. A cook-off of the final top five entrants will take place in Auckland on Monday 23rd August.

Consumers will again be rewarded for rating participating restaurants with two complimentary Monteith’s which can only redeemed on their next visit to the outlet, encouraging repeat custom. The consumer voting system was introduced last year for the first time and drew a huge number of votes. The system is heavily vetted to prevent manipulation with each voter only allowed to vote once for an outlet.

For more information on restaurants competing either nationwide or within your region, please visit the Monteith’s website - monteiths.co.nz