There's no other cooking process anyplace on the planet quite like a Hangi. In it's most basic form a Hangi is the subterranean approach of cooking food utilized by the indigenous people of New Zealand. The technique came from the early indigenous settlers and is still utilized nowadays mainly because of the incomparable flavor it gives to the food. The methods applied and the process necessary in putting down a Hangi are still very much modeled on customary techniques. The entire task can literally take a whole day to finish.
Most people who have tasted Hangi food will certainly testify to the absolute uniqueness of the flavor it gives to the food. Essentially a subterranean activity, the meal is cooked thoroughly underground. Absolutely yes, you did read that properly. The food IS buried in your backyard where it slowly cooks away for many hours until eventually ready.
Each and every international traveler to New Zealand must try to locate and try out a Hangi first hand. You can't truly say that you've been to New Zealand if you haven't eaten a Hangi.
The next few paragraphs summarize the basic Hangi technique from beginning to end.
This will provide you with a better idea regarding what is really involved in addition to how much energy goes into planning and making a
Hangi.
The first step is to locate several unique volcanic rocks to use as a form of heat that will steam the food. Standard rocks will not generally show good results due to the fact they will shatter and split in the course of the heating treatment. It goes without saying that this is one of the most important factors of the Hangi as without a consistently good energy source below your meal, it's not likely to be a success.
When you've successfully located these stones, you will have to heat them to a extremely high temperature using an open fire. The timber used can easily alter the taste of the Hangi for better or worse. In New Zealand there are one or two special types of fire wood which are most suitable for this job as they supply a special smoky flavor. On the other hand, treated timber or synthetics in the wood could make you sick or perhaps poison your hangi.
The Hangi pit really should be dug ahead of lighting the fire or possibly when it is burning. While digging the pit make sure that you bear in mind the specifications of your basket plus a little extra room for extra padding.
The next stage involves filling your Hangi basket with a mixture of uncooked, but thoroughly defrosted, meats, veggies, stuffing and 1-2 steamed puddings. The construction of the Hangi basket is not as important as the sizing and design of the basket in terms of cooking it right through. The bottom of the basket is usually covered and the foodstuff must be stacked in a certain way to ensure the best possible cooking.
The fifth phase is to shift the incredibly hot rocks into the pit. This particular task will involve speed and skill. It goes without saying that this step is crucial to making a completely cooked Hangi. The packed basket ought to be placed on the sizzling rocks the moment the transfer has taken place.
As soon as the basket is in place it should quickly be covered with multiple layers of damp cloth.
The type of cloth used and the quantity of cloth used here is pretty important, as is also the depth and positioning of these coverings over the basket and rocks.
As soon as the basket has been sealed it's time to pick up those spades again and bury the entire thing completely until it's sealed tightly underground.
Now that all of the hard work is completed it's time to settle-back and wait, have a beer or two and after two or three hours dig it up and with a little luck if you've done the whole thing correctly it should be cooked.
Hangi food is more often than not dished up as a public buffet. The food is laid out on the dining room table and everyone normally help themselves as they want. Fantastic Hangi side dishes normally include fried bread and / or rewena bread.
This description is not intended to be a thorough guide by any means. If you want to put together your own Hangi there is certainly so much more specific information you need with regards to your tools, planning and timing. If any one of these factors is incorrect your Hangi can potentially end up being a complete failure. To avoid having to get fish and chips it would certainly be best to seek out more in depth information and facts if you're unfamiliar with the intricacies of the task.
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About this article author: Neville Pettersson is the producer of the Official NZ
Hangi Guide.This guidebook is the only resource that completely describes the entire Hangi process from beginning to end incorporating all of the hints, techniques as well as foundation knowledge necessary so that you can create a succesful Hangi. The package encompasses the complete written manual, photographs, specific information and facts and video clip footage.