A Midwinter Feast
For the longest night of the year.
Late June brings us the winter solstice — the longest night of the year. This is also when we celebrate Matariki in New Zealand. Twinkling in the winter sky just before dawn, Matariki (the Pleiades or Seven Sisters) signals the Māori New Year. The appearance of Matariki heralds a time of remembrance, joy, and peace, and is an opportunity to come together and celebrate.
Throughout humanity’s history, cultures all over the globe have acknowledged this moment, an auspicious date to come together to enjoy a winter feast. Long nights are especially well-suited for reflection and community — with this in mind, we’re sharing some delicious ideas for your Matariki table, inspired by the flavours and ingredients of Aotearoa.
It’s hard to beat a good fritter, a Kiwi classic, and beloved for good reason. We love these tasty Spicy Kūmara, Cashew & Coriander Fritters, which are so economical to make and taste so good. If you’re entertaining, you can make these ahead of time and reheat in a hot oven before you serve.
As a special treat, Carol’s Whitebait Fritters are hard to beat. This recipe is lovely and light, and without any egg yolk, you can really taste the whitebait.
This easy Smoked Salmon Paté is another go-to when we’re entertaining, as it takes just a couple of minutes to whip up. Annabel's mother used to make a smoked fish dip very much like this one, and it’s still a favourite of ours when we need a special dip in a hurry. We like it nice and tangy, but you can use less lemon juice if you prefer.
For your main course, you might like to make some Crusty Flatbread with Annabel’s foolproof recipe. This wonderfully supple focaccia dough makes enough for two large loaves, so you can cook half now and pop the rest in the fridge or freezer for another day (if you’re feeding a crowd, make two loaves). Serve this alongside a big pot of Mussels with Coconut & Chilli and you’ve got yourself a fabulous feast (with minimal effort). You can easily scale this recipe up as needed.
If you want to pull out all the stops, we suggest you also make this irresistibly good Pulled Pork with Ginger & Star Anise. Marinating the pork in Asian flavours takes it to the next level. We like to serve this with fresh rolls, and bowls of shredded carrot, cucumber, and spring onions, plus crispy shallots and/or coriander sprigs as garnishes so people can assemble their rolls as desired.
For dessert, allow yourself to be enticed by our Ultimate Pumpkin Pie. This is hands-down the best pumpkin pie we've ever eaten. If you prefer, you can use a regular pastry base, but we like the crunch of a biscuit crumb crust. We've added candied nuts and a cinnamon honey cream to make it extra special, but these are optional.
Our Basque Burnt Cheesecake is another strong contender for a sweet treat. This is one of those knock-your-socks-off, utterly delicious desserts. It keeps well, so you can make it ahead for a dinner party or special occasion when you want to impress.
For our Paid Subscribers, we suggest you make our Slow-Braised Lamb with Lentils, Yoghurt & Onions and a Kūmara Salad with Spiced Maple Dressing from dispatch #62. Our One-Pot Chicken & Rice Pilaf would also be fab. If you’d like more ideas, remember you can always visit our Index to see all the recipes we have shared for our weekly paid newsletter, What to Cook Tonight <3
Lastly, long weekends are the perfect opportunity to do some cozy baking, to be enjoyed at home or out in nature.
Our Spinach & Feta Pinwheel Scones are wonderfully economical to make, super easy, and taste delicious. Plus, they are loaded with greens to make you feel virtuous. You can use frozen spinach here, too — just make sure you defrost and squeeze out any excess moisture before using.
For something sweet, we suggest our yummy Banana Bran Muffins — an ideal use for slightly overripe bananas, plus frozen blueberries for antioxidant goodness. This Peanut Crunch Slice is another family favourite. You can change up this recipe by swapping out the peanuts for walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts.
If you have some extra time on your hands, why not stock your pantry with a big batch of Honey & Olive Oil Muesli to tide you over the next few weeks. It’s so much more economical than buying storebought, plus it’s not too sweet and healthy enough to eat every day.
That is all from us for now! Wishing you all a joyful long weekend, filled with delicious food, comfort, and laughter.
With love,
Annabel & Rose xxx
Happy Matariki. A lovely selection of recipes to keep me busy over the long weekend.
I’m loving the updates on your new home in France Annabel. You must have unlimited energy to tackle such a massive enterprise.