Keeping to my love of mushrooms, I have now made this one-pot-wonder mushroom risotto three times and as a sign of success, my man has licked the plate clean each time. With the Junior Masterchef craze about to take off this weekend, Coles has certainly lifted its game in providing shoppers with an excellent variety of mushrooms from the stringy enochi to the crunchy oyster variety to the standard button. Risotto is known to be a bit difficult to cook in terms of getting the balance right with having the right amount of stock, the constant stirring motion and keeping the rice moist and not too al dente and with this quick recipe I can definitely confirm that it makes risotto-making a breeze. Using a heap of whatever combination of mushrooms you desire, brown them in some butter and place into a bowl. With some more butter add 1 chopped brown onion and 2 cloves of crushed garlic to the mushroom pot and stir until soft before adding 2 cups of alborio rice and a dash of dry white wine. Stir briefly before adding 3 cups of hot chicken stock and return the browned mushrooms. Cover the pot tightly with foil and place into a preheated oven at 180 degrees celsius. Bake for 25 mins and just before serving, stir through some chopped chives and a handful of freshly grated parmesan. Season with pepper and you will have guaranteed deliciousness!
first feed at Fergburger
I’m not really a fan of Jetstar or any low-frill airline for that matter. Yes, I get the whole bargain-basement-methodology when there are offers like $207 fares enticing you to be your own Hawaii 5-0 but when I travel I am partial to a bit of luxury and the very minimum I expect is a personal inflight entertainment screen, a seat where there is a gap between by knees and the next seat and a free cookie to keep my sugar levels spritely. Unfortunately on a recent leg from Sydney to Queenstown, I ate my words and boarded a Pacific Blue flight and after 3 hours of flight time, a patient wait for my red suitcase and an even longer wait to collect the keys to the hire car; I was, you could say more than chomping at the bit for some sustenance and given the absence of cookie, I was definitely in need of more than a couple of crumbs.
First stop – Fergburger.
One thing that Masterchef has done quite successfully after two record-breaking seasons is to build the celebrity-esque reputations of many a restaurant around. Our tastebuds are searching for signature dishes, savouring speciality flavours and giving their chefs Hollywood Boulevard status. Move over Quay and put your snow egg snowball to the side so you can make enough room on the plate and in the stomach for a Fergburger because the likes of a Little Lamby, Big Al or a Cockadoodle Oink are certainly not for the faint-hearted.
Go to Shotover Street, follow the beanie/ear-muff/puffa jacket crowd and cram inside to get in line for a super-heart stopper. The burgers are massive in taste and size, prices range between NZ $10-16.50 and the funny thing is – at the end, the only thought on your mind is when will you be back for more?
Fergburger @ 42 Shotover Street, Queenstown 9300 New Zealand
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