Café on Kohi is somewhat of a waterfront institution. Although well known for its prime sunny beachfront location and excellent brunch fare, on this occasion we found ourselves venturing down to sample some of the more adventurous options that grace the menu.
Pigs trotters on toast is not a dish you might find on many café menus, however after hearing of this dish's wide spread fame we were most intrigued to try it.
Chef Marc Kinvig has been at the helm of Café on Kohi for 19 months, previously working for a Michelin-star restaurant in London and more recently, the iconic Icebergs restaurant in Sydney.
Of the dish, Marc says that it falls into his ‘unmentionable cuisine’ section on the menu. “It comes down to trying to use everything; using the things people feel like they can’t talk about, things that they’re repulsed by without understanding. Any chef in the world can make a nice fillet steak with some mushroom sauce, but to take something that people are freaked out by, it’s a great challenge, and something I enjoy doing.”
There are other interesting items on Marc's menu too: lambs brains, beef heart (his play on steak on eggs), and spiced chicken livers with garlic and rosemary. However it's the pigs’ trotters that have developed somewhat of a cult following. A labour of love, the trotters are cooked for five hours in vegetable stock with bay leaves and peppercorns until they fall off the bone. The meat is removed from the bone and then passed through a sieve, then combined with lemon zest and black truffle salt, resulting in a pork meat jelly. Once set it is thinly sliced onto a baguette and melted under the grill. The dish is served with parsley and wild rocket, a bacon vinaigrette made using Mas Portell Merlot Vinegar, sliced Pancetta and olive oil.
But it’s the addition of black truffle salt to the dish that Marc credits for adding that extra special touch. “Black truffle salt adds an almost meat like intensity to the dish, it’s a little more earthy than regular salt, and I also find it a little ironic that the pig finds the truffles and then we use the truffles back on the pigs – it’s a comical play.”
We suggest you try these on your next Tamaki Drive jaunt – you won’t be disappointed.
Café on Kohi
2/237 Tamaki Drive
Kohimarama
Auckland
Giuliano Tartufi black truffle salt, Mas Portell vinegars and Serrano Ham are available from Sabato.