FRENCH FAVOURITES - Peta Mathias

AWW | entertaining
The ingredients
for Brouffado.
Slow-cooked and
sumptuous, this beef
stew will win over
the most fervent
anchovy hater (for
recipe, see page 116).
112 | AWW JULY 2007
MENU
PISTOU SOUP
BEEF STEW WITH ANCHOVIES AND CAPERS (BROUFFADO)
SLOW-ROASTED TOMATOES
STRAWBERRIES IN PASTIS AND PEPPER
BRANDADE DE MORUE – SALT COD PURÉE
COURGETTE FLOWERS STUFFED WITH FISH MOUSSE
GOAT CHEESE & FIG CAKE
Peta Mathias’
FRENCH FAVOURITES
Colourful chef Peta Mathias is mixing business with pleasure at her cooking
school in the south of France, where mouth-watering local dishes are de rigueur.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY HENRI COMTE/INTERNATIONAL RESCUE WORDS BY JENNY FORSYTH
WW JULY 2007 | 113

IT’S HARD NOT TO FEEL JUST
a little bit hungry around Peta Mathias.
All this talk of slow-cooked brouffado,
pélardon goat cheese, pastis and pepper
strawberries, stuffed courgette flowers …
And it’s not just the food that’s
mouthwatering. As Peta Mathias
rhapsodises about Uzès, the medieval
French town where she spends most of
the New Zealand winter, she sums up
a dreamy life of heaving marketplaces,
wine-soaked afternoons and a
neighbourhood populated with an
“adorable” butcher, “charming and
good-looking” cooking assistants and
even a snail farmer who looks like
Angelina Jolie.
Now Peta has made it her business to
spend half her time here, soaking up the
sunny good life in the Languedoc-
Roussillon region of southern France.
“I’m a bit of a gypsy at heart and the
best thing for someone like me is to get
a job that obliges you to move,” says Peta,
who has started up a cooking school in
this delightful town.
Peta, who is also in the process of
filming A Taste of Home, a series about
New Zealand immigrants’ favourite foods,
is taking four week-long classes this year
at the farmhouse of her New Zealand
friends and business partners David
Horsmann and Celia Lindsell.
“I lived in France for 10 years and
I’ve been coming back every year since
1995,” says Peta. “I’d been thinking
about starting up a school in Burgundy
because I used to live there but then
I started visiting the Uzès area and
I thought: ‘Why not come here?’
“I was introduced to David and his
wife Celia at a party and I was banging
on about this cooking school. “He said:
‘Come and look at our house.’
“So far it’s working well. I live there
while I’m teaching – there are not enough
rooms for all the students to be there, too,
so they stay in a nearby hôtel de charme –
and the Horsmans get on with their
sculpting work.
“I have to admit that I was emotionally
exhausted at the end of the very first class
I took. You have to be ‘on’ and behaving
all the time and, sometimes, while others
are enjoying themselves out by the pool,
I’m spending my time worrying.
“It’s just so stressful being the only one
to remember every single ingredient and
knowing the buck stops with you. But I do
like everything about my job. It’s really
very pleasant, enjoyable work.”
After one last dash around the market,
Peta greets her guests with a tantalising
menu of pistou soup, brouffado served
with slow-roasted tomatoes and pasta,
cheese and a simple dish of strawberries
and cherries with pastis and pepper.
“The stew I welcome them with is
fantastic. It’s called brouffado. It used to
be made from bull meat but I make it from
beef. It’s slow-cooked with anchovies,
vinegar, olive oil and capers. It’s unusual
but all of the acidity is cooked off.
“People who hate anchovies love this
dish – although the anchovies have to be
really good quality. People who’ve never
eaten them like that can’t believe it.”
That first dinner is a chance to get to
know her students and gauge what they
want from their gourmet week.
“You know, it’s not necessarily rich
people who come,” says Peta.
“It’s often professional hard-working
people who come and they’re sometimes
knackered. Everyone has in their head
what they think it is going to be. Some
people don’t want to work or cook, other
people are really coming there to learn
about southern French cooking.
“Last year there was a woman who
didn’t want to cook at all – she just
wanted a holiday.”
The week includes a visit to a goat
farm – the one where all the goats
have names, a vineyard and Angelina
Jolie’s snail farm.
There’s also a day trip to the Camargue
– the marshy area famed for its red rice,
flamingos and the cowboys Peta has set
her cap at. “There are lots of horses and
cowboys and gypsies … it’s very sexy,”
she says in a conspiratorial whisper.
“They’re everywhere. But I haven’t
had an affair with one yet.
“Actually they’re a bit macho.
“It would appeal to me intellectually to
have an affair with a cowboy. It’s just
such a great idea – a cook from New
Zealand having an affair with a cowboy.
“I think I’m actually just trying to
annoy my mother because it would be
so unsuitable – and that would be the
reason to do it!
“But then of course you’d have to put
up with the stuff that’s not so glamorous,
because basically you’d be falling in love
with a farmer. I’m the girl who should be
falling in love with a winemaker, but I fall
for the cowboys.”
Actually, Peta confesses, she’s not
particularly keen to find any partner –
she’s too happy on her own.
“At this stage in my life I can’t imagine
having one. The person in my life would
really have to add to my life or I would
have to live a similar life,” says Peta, who
was widowed in 1993.
“I’ve thought about it and I realise
you’re driven to have mates when you’re
young but you’re a lot less driven as you
get older.
“Your hormonal make-up changes.
What you need as a young person or as a
40-year-old changes with time. Having a
partner now isn’t a priority … but I have
lots of fun.
“Of course, you should keep your
options open …”
Right now, she’s focusing on enjoying
her French lifestyle – and hopefully
passing on that love of French cooking.
“The thing that makes me confident about
this cooking school is I know everybody
I deal with. I know where every piece of
meat comes from. I know they’re not
going to let me down.
“It makes a huge difference because
I’ve guided gastronomic tours before and,
with my school, there’s no way you can go
to a restaurant that’s not good or have an
experience that’s not top-notch.
“It’s people like me who come in from
the outside who keep the cuisine alive.
Most people here don’t have time for the
old, time-consuming recipes. They eat a
lot of fish recipes and they love salt cod –
brandade. It’s a bit of a carry-on to make –
but it’s sooo good.
“Then, of course, there are the stuffed
courgette flowers. For one of our meals
together we ate them and one of my
favourite dessert dishes – a fresh goat
cheese and fig cake. Delicious.
“You’d think I’d get sick of the dishes
that I teach others to make, but I never do.
And every class is different. We finished
my latest one with a final meal of tellines
[tiny shellfish], duck confit and cherry
clafoutis. We invited extra people and
musicians because it was Celia’s birthday
and partied until 2am. There was a storm
but we just put on shawls and stayed out
on the terrace. When you have wonderful
nights like that it’s hard to believe that
what I’m doing is actually work.”
BRANDADE DE
MORUE – SALT
COD PURÉE
For recipe, see
page 119.
Peta explains the art
of zucchini-stuffing to
her students. Opposite:
Market-fresh products,
sunshine and an idyllic
farmhouse setting make
school fun for Peta.
114 | AWW JULY 2007 AWW JULY 2007 | 115

PISTOU SOUP
SERVES 6. PREPARATION 25 MINS (PLUS
SOAKING TIME). COOKING 1 HOUR 25 MINS.
Use a good-quality bottled pesto or make
your own: process 1 cup fresh basil leaves,
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, 1 clove
garlic, 2 tablespoons grated parmesan and
¼ cup olive oil until smooth.
200g dried white beans
1.5 litres (6 cups) water
bouquet garni
1 large brown onion (200g), chopped
2 medium waxy potatoes (400g), diced
into 1cm pieces
2 medium carrots (240g), diced into
1cm pieces
1 small leek (200g), trimmed, washed,
chopped
3 large zucchini (450g), diced into
1cm pieces
125g baby green beans, trimmed
3 medium tomatoes (450g), peeled,
chopped
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
200g shelled peas
½ cup (125ml) pesto
shaved parmesan cheese, to serve
1 Soak beans in cold water overnight;
drain. Place beans in a large saucepan;
cover with water. Bring to the boil; reduce
heat. Simmer for 30 minutes. Drain.
2. Return beans to pan with water,
bouquet garni and all the vegetables,
except the peas; bring to the boil. Reduce
heat; simmer for 30 minutes.
116 | AWW JULY 2007
3 Add peas; simmer for about 15 minutes
or until beans and vegetables are tender.
Discard bouquet garni; season soup with
salt and pepper. Serve soup topped with
pesto and shaved parmesan.
COOK’S NOTE: A bouguet garni is herb
mixture for flavouring soups and stews. Tie
together bay leaves and sprigs of herbs,
such as thyme, parsley and marjoram, with
kitchen string.
BEEF STEW WITH ANCHOVIES
AND CAPERS (BROUFFADO)
SERVES 6. PREPARATION 20 MINS
(PLUS MARINATING TIME). COOKING
3 HOURS 20 MINS.
1.5kg piece beef chuck steak, cut
into 6 thick slices
5cm strip orange rind
2 bay leaves
6 cloves
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
¹/ ³ cup (80ml) red wine vinegar
¼ cup (60ml) olive oil
1 large brown onion (200g), sliced
½ cup (125ml) beef stock
½ cup (125ml) dry red wine
2 tablespoons baby capers
12 cornichons (small gherkins)
6 anchovy fillets
¹/ ³ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
ANCHOVY PASTE
6 anchovy fillets
¼ cup (60ml) milk
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 Place beef in a large dish; add rind,
bay leaf, spices and half of the garlic.
Pour over vinegar and half of the oil.
Cover; refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.
Drain; reserve marinade.
2 Preheat the oven to 150°C (130°C
fan-forced).
3 Heat rest of oil in large flameproof
casserole; cook drained beef, in batches,
until browned all over. Cook onion and
remaining garlic in same dish until
browned lightly. Return beef to pan with
stock, wine, capers and marinade. Cover
tightly; cook in the oven for 3 hours or
until beef is tender.
4 ANCHOVY PASTE: Meanwhile,
soak anchovies in milk for 5 minutes;
drain. Using a mortar and pestle, pound
anchovies to a paste with garlic and oil.
5 Remove beef from braising liquid;
cover to keep warm. Bring liquid
to a boil over moderate heat.
Simmer for 5 minutes or until reduced
by half; stir in anchovy paste. Serve
beef topped with cornichons and
anchovy fillets. Drizzle with sauce
and sprinkle with parsley.
COOK’S NOTE: Any beef good for stewing,
such as shoulder or gravy beef, can be
used in this recipe.
Opposite:
Nearly ready
– Peta prepares
to discard the
bouquet garni
from the
Pistou Soup.
COURGETTE FLOWERS
STUFFED WITH
FISH MOUSSE
For recipe, see page 120.
WW JULY 2007 | 117

BEEF STEW WITH
ANCHOVIES AND
CAPERS (BROUFFADO)
For recipe, see page 116.
SLOW-ROASTED TOMATOES
SERVES 8-10. PREPARATION 15 MINS.
COOKING 2 HOURS 30 MINS.
olive oil spray
2kg roma tomatoes
2 teaspoons sea salt flakes
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
extra virgin olive oil
1 Preheat oven to 150°C (130°C
fan forced). Lightly grease three oven
trays with oil spray.
2 Wash tomatoes; cut in half lengthways.
Cut cores from tomatoes and place,
cut-side up, onto trays. Sprinkle with salt,
pepper and sugar. Lightly spray with oil.
3 Roast about 2½ hours or until tomatoes
are semi-dried and browned lightly. Place
tomatoes in sterilised jars; completely
cover with olive oil. Store in a cool, dry
place for up to 2 months.
STRAWBERRIES IN PASTIS
AND PEPPER
SERVES 6. PREPARATION 10 MINS
(PLUS SOAKING TIME).
300g strawberries
300g cherries
2 tablespoons pastis
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 Wash strawberries and cherries,
leaving stems on.
2 Place fruit in a serving bowl. Add
liqueur and pepper; toss gently to
combine. Stand for 30 minutes; serve
with whipped cream, if desired.
COOK’S NOTE: Pernod or any aniseed
flavoured liqueur can be used.
BRANDADE DE MORUE
– SALT COD PURÉE
SERVES 8 AS A STARTER. PREPARATION
20 MINS (PLUS SOAKING TIME). COOKING
25 MINS.
Brandade originally comes from Nîmes in the
south of France. Purists say it shouldn’t have
potatoes or garlic in it, but this has become
the common method over the years because
people further north found the strong salt
cod and olive oil too powerful a punch to
swallow. In the old days, bargees used to
tow the cod under water to desalt it (so it
got to taste of the filthy canal – yum). Salt
cod is available from gourmet delis.
500g boneless fillet of salt cod
few sprigs of thyme
1 bay leaf
300g floury potatoes, peeled
¾ cup (80ml) milk
½ cup (125ml) extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped finely
2-3 teaspoons lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper
pinch ground nutmeg
GARLIC CROUTONS
1 French bread stick (baguette)
¼ cup (60ml) olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 Place the cod in a large bowl; cover
with water. Refrigerate, covered, for
24 hours, changing water every few
hours. Drain.
2 Bring a large saucepan of water to
a boil. Add drained cod, thyme and bay
leaf. Reduce heat; simmer for 10 minutes.
Drain; cool for 5 minutes. Flake cod,
discarding any bones and skin.
3 Meanwhile, cook potatoes in a large
saucepan of boiling salted water about 10
minutes or until tender. Drain; push
through a ricer or sieve.
4 Bring milk to the boil in a small
SLOW-ROASTED
TOMATOES
STRAWBERRIES
IN PASTIS
AND PEPPER
saucepan. Remove from heat. Heat oil in
a medium saucepan; add the flaked fish
and garlic. Beat with a wooden spoon,
over medium heat, until shredded
finely. Gradually beat in potatoes and hot
milk until mixture is almost smooth (you
may need to add more oil and milk to
obtain an emulsified purée). Season to
taste with juice, pepper and nutmeg.
Cover to keep warm.
5 GARLIC CROUTONS: Slice bread thickly;
brush slices with oil and sprinkle with
garlic. Toast under a preheated grill until
browned both sides. Serve brandade in a
warm bowl; drizzle with a little olive oil.
Serve with garlic croutons.
118 | AWW MAY 2007 AWW JULY 2007 | 119

PISTOU SOUP
For recipe, see page 116.
COURGETTE FLOWERS STUFFED
WITH FISH MOUSSE
MAKES 16. PREPARATION 30 MINS.
COOKING 10 MINS.
2 slices white bread, crusts removed
2 tablespoons milk
250g firm white fish fillets, chopped
½ cup (125ml) cream
2 teaspoons aniseed flavoured liqueur
½ teaspoon sea salt
MOROCCAN
freshly SHREDDED ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon SALAD ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
16 tiny zucchini with flowers attached
grated parmesan cheese, to serve
1. Place bread and milk in a small bowl;
stand until milk is absorbed.
2. Process fish, cream, liqueur, salt,
pepper, nutmeg, cheese and bread until
smooth.
3. Remove and discard stamens from
zucchini flowers. Fill each flower with
a heaped tablespoon of fish mixture;
twist petal tops to enclose filling.
4. Arrange zucchini with flowers in
a large bamboo steamer over a saucepan
of boiling water. Cook for about 10
minutes or until cooked through. Serve
with grated parmesan.
COOK’S NOTE: Liqueur can be replaced
with lemon juice.
GOAT CHEESE & FIG CAKE
SERVES 8. PREPARATION 15 MINS.
COOKING 50 MINS.
2 tablespoons caster sugar
8 small figs, halved crossways
1½ cups (225g) plain flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
175g butter, softened
¾ cup (165g) caster sugar, extra
200g soft goat’s cheese
3 eggs
2 tablespoons apricot jam, warmed, sieved
1 Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan
forced). Grease a 24cm cake pan with
butter. Line base with buttered baking
120 | AWW JULY 2007
GOAT CHEESE
& FIG CAKE
paper. Sprinkle the paper with the sugar;
arrange the figs, cut-side down, on top.
2 Sift the flour and baking powder
together into a small bowl. Beat the
butter, extra sugar and goat cheese in
a small bowl with an electric mixer until
light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at
a time. Transfer mixture to a large bowl;
fold in flour mixture.
3 Spread mixture evenly over the figs;
bake for about 50 minutes or until firm to
Peta and the students
toast the Zucchini
Flowers at the
farmhouse.
touch. Stand cake in pan for 10 minutes
before turning out onto a serving plate.
4 Brush the top of the cake with warm
jam; serve with whipped cream, if
desired. Cake is best served warm.
COOK’S NOTE: Make sure the
baking paper is well buttered so that
the figs caramelise. The cake pan can
be sprinkled with brown sugar instead
of caster, if desired.
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