Savour New Caledonia at Bracu

SAVOUR NEW CALEDONIA AT BRACU

Bracu Restaurant Simunovich Olive Estate is home to a unique restaurant, Bracu, which takes its name from the Adriatic island of Brac, the place where the Simunovich olive growing tradition began. Bracu is a dining destination that ignites the senses, captivates the palate and replenishes the soul.

For all of October, you can sample celebrated Bracu chef Peter Thornley’s stunning New Caledonia lunch menu from Wednesday to Saturday – $38 per person including a glass of delicious Perrier Jouët champagne. Reservations essential, telephone (09) 236 1030 or book online at www.bracu.co.nz. Scroll down to see the menu and wine list.

Win a Trip for Two to Noumea and dinner at Peter Thornley’s favourite restaurant in New Caledonia, “1881”. Trip for two from Auckland to Noumea return, plus accommodation for three nights in Noumea, and dinner to the value of $NZ250. Entry forms in the Sunday Star-Times on Sunday 30 September, and at Bracu.

Savour New Caledonia is part of the New Caledonia New Zealand Season 2007, proudly supported by the Government and Provinces of New Caledonia, and France through the Fonds Pacifique.

Listen to Peter:
On Monday 15 October when he shares a New Caledonian recipe with Maggie Barry on Radio NZ National's Nine to Noon programme;
And on Friday 26 October when he talks with Jim Mora during Fresh Fast Food on Radio NZ National's Afternoons programme.

Read Peter's diary of his time in New Caledonia:

NEW CALEDONIA TRIP by Peter Thornley

The thought of travelling to New Caledonia is pretty much like Christmas, you don’t know if you’re going to get the bright red racing bike which you really covet or two pairs of the usual underpants from the olds and hankies from Gran.

I have to say that the bright red racing bike came in pelotons of them every day along Baie des Citrons, but there were a few hankies along the way too. But this is only to be expected in a country you have never been to before or in my case until you get the local low down on what’s happening.

But let’s start at the beginning. I have to find a restaurant for the prize winners to dine in; eat in as many restaurants as I can; see what is happening with local food; and get a general feel for the country.

To arrive in New Caledonia is to arrive in a small patch of France a few thousand miles away from the France that I am used to. As the days go by I can understand why France maintains a foothold in the South Pacific. Lush tropics mixed with French culture makes it a holiday all year round.

SATURDAY

Three hours flying time from Auckland. I arrive at 11am. Customs and Ag is an easy flick through the aisle. Grab your Citroen rental, fire it up, making sure you get in the left side of the car. As I found out it can be a tad embarrassing with all the locals looking on when you are trying to drive off in the passenger seat!!

Nouméa is 40 minutes away, or 1 hour if you do not take the paege (toll road).

I turned off at Paita, as I have a complete aversion to paege, and the best way to see a country is by the small roads winding through local villages. Follow signposts to Dumbéa with a beautiful view of Mont Dore on your left (and its Cantons). From Dumbéa follow the road into Nouméa, taking the coast road to the magnificent, brand new La Promenade hotel at Anse Vata on Promenade R-Laroque. Check in was simple and uncomplicated; every room has a view over the bay.

Housekeeping had to be done. That is my style of housekeeping of course. Wine in fridge, check the pots and pans, make sure the ice tray is full (for the gin), and shirts hung up. It is always a good idea to carry out these basic housekeeping essentials, as you never quite know what you are going to find on your adventures!! Oh yeah, I always travel with pepper mill, Maldon salt and my trusty truffle knife – good for cutting baguettes, opening oysters, dealing to the occasional live crab, and all manner of other things.

Saturday lunchtime in the France of the South Pacific, what do you do – eat! So it was a walk round to the Baie des Citrons. And judging by the number of people dining in the baie, it is definitely a hang out for the locals for Saturday lunch. So many different restaurants and styles to choose from. L’Astrolabe had a table, just in the shade, with a perfect view over the bay. The menus are available in English and French, but always insist on the French, after all you are in New Caledonia. Never feel embarrassed to give it a go as the locals will always appreciate you trying.

Huite (oysters) from Dumbéa, fresh grilled sardines, a bottle of fumé blanc and the best ever crème brûlée you will ever eat. It had everything a crème brûlée should, deathly silky, rich, full of vanilla from the island of Lifou, with one of those crisp caramel tops that when you crack with a spoon, sounds like a stock whip. Jean-Pierre, the maitre’d, dances across the floor during a busy service like a consummate professional, totally unflappable.

After lunch it was a much slower walk back to La Promenade, to get changed and to head for the first swim at the beach. You kind of have to understand the temperature is around 30 degrees, so cooling off is one of the little pleasures of being in Nouméa. As you walk past L’Etrance on the way back from the beach, call in for an aperitif or une café.

Tourist info is on the Promenade de Roger-Laroque on the beach and very helpful.

Dinner at Zanzibar, 53 Rue J Jaures, Centre Ville in the Latin Quarter was a mixed affair, bit of a hanky, but a stunning view over the city from a very narrow balcony with time to gather your thoughts and plan the next day’s adventures. The food was simple and uncomplicated.

Don’t expect wine by the glass. This is a country where wine is by the carafe, ½ bottle or bottle.

SUNDAY

Markets

The markets are a must do. Even if you don’t have a penchant for buying ingredients and cooking in the apartment. Having the experience to meet the people that farm, fish, grow and harvest the food is a pleasure. To be able to buy fresh lettuce, beautifully ripe tomatoes and melons, prawns still alive caught that morning, fresh crab, and a raft of tropical fruit, is all you need to create a sensational dinner in your apartment. Mandatory to stand at the bar, dunk your croissant in your café au lait and slurp alongside the farmers and shoppers. The markets are open from 6am every day except the third Monday of each month. Why wouldn’t you buy fresh, even if just for the banter of the stall holders.

The markets of New Caledonia are an overload for the senses. You stumble from stall holder, to stall holder believing that the next one will be better to the one prior. First rule of good shopping is to scout out all of the stall holders, and then go back to the beginning and do your purchasing, of the best mango, and crispest lettuce, and freshest crab.

You have bought ingredients for fresh juice each morning, melon, paw paw, limes and pineapple to start each day, and limes for the gin when the sun gets long in the sky, along with saucisson and baguette.

Wine shop at Baie de L’Orphelinat. There are a lot of wine shops around as you could well imagine but this one would have to be one of the best. All the great French vintages of wine and culinary delicacies from foie gras to Pretus, truffles to a cheeky Sancere. Well worth a gander; check out the Magnums.

Drive to La Foa and on to Sarraméa some 125km from Nouméa to visit the Jumelles (twins). Need to make a booking 24 hours in advance. All food gathered from the bush around them. Or visit the Hippodrome Henri Milliard which is a stone’s throw from La Promenade Hotel. Season runs June to September What a cool thing to do, go to the races and listen to them call the race in French, whilst drinking champagne. A thought – is it more fun to lose your money in francs or NZ dollars? I expect it is easier to lose drinking champagne and in francs.

Pick fraise (strawberries) and fraise de bois (wild strawberries) in Paita. The smell and taste remind me of scent of a beautiful woman just as you are nuzzling her neck and the temptation is too much, you have to have a bite. Get your jam here for your morning baguette, sorbet fraise et un petit café to pick you up for the rest of the day.

Drink at MV Lounge nightclub with Bernard Biancucci, situated under Cote Sud 22 Rue J Garnier, Baie des Citrons. It could only happen here, a golden Labrador, Egar, stretched out on the floor listening to rock music. As Bernard says, Sunday night is the dogs’ night. Bernard’s recommendation for dinner is 1881 on lle Nou Nouville.

Dinner in the apartment. Local farmed prawns bought alive and kicking in the market that morning. Kill prawns by putting in the freezer, retrieve ice, make large gin and tonic, squeeze fresh lime and sit and wait for the prawns to go to sleep, make a salad, have another gin then thaw out the prawns. No excuse really but the sunset was worth it.

MONDAY

One of the best boulangerie is on Rue de l’Anse Vata. Closed on Mondays. Brick oven, cooked on stone, huge variety of bread. Across the road on the next corner is a fabulous supermarket, Super U, where you can even buy 1981 Chateau Petruse, as well as local cheese, camembert, brie and fromage frais from Sarraméa, and charcuterie.

Drive to 1881 on the Ile Nou Nouville, Ave James Cook. No signage, but follow the coast around until you come to the old Penal Colony, take Rue Kataoui down to the water. You can see the tented pontoon from the road, off the historical building that was built in 1881, which was the chief prison warden’s residence – hence the name. Local low down from three different people are telling me that the 1881 is a place I must dine at. I could tell from the moment I arrived that I was in for a special treat. The tables are swathed in heavy white linen, starched white napkins folded without a crease, the glassware tall and elegant, the cutlery heavy and weighty. I was compelled to order a glass of champagne.

Was this to be my red racing bike? From the moment I opened the menu and read the descriptions I knew there had to be a class act in the kitchen. Maite our maitre’d, whom I was to learn latter on had been there for nine years, was amazing. But anyway, the food. The first course of Plat de Fruit de Mare. Perfect crab, oysters from Dumbea, poached prawns, and lobster, all on ice with all the tools required – picks, shovels, pillars, crab crackers, all to remove the succulent flesh from their shells. Next came foie gras, and a good sized lobe of it, grilled scallops sitting like three jewels dripping in red wine reduction atop what can only be described as pure indulgence, pan fried foie gras with a hint of quatre spice, warm and melting and with each sip of wine my mind was swimming, there can be nothing in this world as good as perfectly cooked food. My dining companion had a roulade of foie gras, buttery toasted brioche, and chestnut puree with succulent sweet smoky duck ham.

For main course, a roasted fillet of Mahi Mahi on Salsify Etuvee (known by vegetable gardeners in NZ as oyster plant) with soft roasted pork belly. The mahi mahi had been seasoned with the lightest touch of white pepper, not black, had been allowed to kiss the fry pan, not even caress, just touch on each side and then to bathe in the warmth of the kitchen. The pork I detected may be done as I do at Bracu, braise it slowly in milk then roast it, and here is the trick, you must do this without losing the now milky almost satin like texture of the meat.

This was the cooking of a Chef with passion and understanding for what nature gives the kitchen. Also at the table a local Magret du Canard with apple and black pepper tart and Paita raspberry duck jus.The apple, golden, was heavily caramelized yet still retaining the sharpness, a perfect marriage for the rich duck, but the the raspberry duck jus with fresh raspberries pressed into the sauce at the moment of saucing the plate brought the sauce and duck to life. A fresh and alive sauce is a thing to behold. After being a saucier for many years in Europe you can really appreciate the effort involved. All washed down with a half bottle of St Emillion Grand Cru 2001. By now I was asking some serious questions. Who is the Chef in the kitchen, what is the history of the restaurant? So to make sure, after all this is looking like the restaurant for our prize winners, we order dessert. Seriously good Chocolate Fondant with a Raspberry Sorbet true to its flavour, sharp and sweet. A lime sorbet with chunks of confit lime glistening like emeralds in a bath of pink gin and champagne.

Surprise, surprise, the chef, Olivier Polizzi was head chef for Alain Ducasse in Monte Carlo for three years. He has worked alongside the legendary godfather of French cuisine Paul Bocuse, and the guest book at 1881 reveals a great number of other 3 Michelin stars that have dined here as well, including George Blanc.

I bid my farewell to Maite knowing that the people who get to dine here are in for a real treat.

Next, a swim in Anse Kuendu, only five minutes on the other side of the island from 1881. Don’t stop where the main tourist beach is. Like the paege, not my cup of tea. Keep going straight, driving through potholes along the dirt track to the very end, walk down the track to your own private beach, strip off, lie in the sun with your belly in the air and cool off in the water.

Sunset on Val Plaisance, access from Promenade Rue Laque, drive to the top, with amazing views of Nouméa, and the lower reaches of New Caledonia.

Visit Les 3 Brasseures (the three brewers) which is a boutique micro brewery which goes to show there is more happening on the island than just French food. I recommend the bier blonde.

Pizza at Bellagio outside under a tented awarning in the Baie des Citrons with a nice bottle of Sancerre at 9:30pm. Bellagio is full. Most people start arriving for dinner at 7:30pm and you find most top end restaurants won’t open their door until this time. The service is fast attentive, and relaxed and fun. A little light rain on the tented roof adds to the atmosphere.

TUESDAY

The last day

Creperie Bretonne on 5 Rue A Berlioz had been recommended by Monica. It had to be tried. It was as good as she had described with all manner of crepes, sweet, savoury, with a myriad fillings and toppings.

Blintz, set in Port Plaisance overlooking the marina with plenty of dining outside was a new offering to the discerning dinners of Nouméa, open only 10 weeks. It was in for a quick wine and one course, an assiette gourmandaise. Still very new with staff a little lost and service shaky but when it comes together this will be a great hang out for wine and food with a great view over the yachts. Lots of flash wheels in the car park.

Cote Sud upstairs from MV was the last stop of the evening. This was like walking back into a restaurant in the middle of Paris, very formal, table cloths to the floor, the waiters buff in the middle of the room, lamps on each table… that was until waiter came over to take the drinks order and she was bare foot.

I engaged in conversation to find out she was a marine biologist and was killing time here until she started her new marine job in a few weeks, however she was fun and on all other accounts very professional.

The menu was the size of the Auckland Herald, gold and full of promise, with dish descriptions to get the palette salivating. The bread arrived as small dainty rolls with a good crust and a warm crumb.

An amuse followed a pork, coriander and lemongrass pot sticker dumpling with a brush stroke of Soya caramel on the plate.

My lobster came wrapped in salt cod and mint bandade encased in crisp spring roll wrapper, scallop puree with gelatin linguine and julienne of vegetables formed into a ring and pan-fried on each end until crisp. An intense lobster reduction pulled the dish together nicely.

Dessert was simply called berries berries and berries, all the berries from Paita – white currents, red currents, raspberries, strawberries served on vanilla parfait brûlée in a veil of tarragon jelly.

This was my last meal; I somehow don’t think it will be my last visit.

It is 3 hours flying from Auckland, our closest neighbour, experience the French heritage, je ne c’est quois, cosmopolitan lifestyle, whether it’s grilled sardines at Astrolabe, 1881 or Bretonne for a crepe, the market and fresh berries in Paita. I think I am going to buy a bright red bike for Christmas and take up cycling, maybe in NC.

Other restaurants to check out:

360 Degrees, Ramada Hotel – fine dining

Hippocampe at the le Meridian – fine dining

Mr. Boeuf – great steak and pomme frite

Marmite et Tire-Bouchon

Ecailler Bleu Bar – wine and degustation cheese

La Coupole – fine dining

 

BRACU MENU

Inspired by the people and food of New Caledonia as part of the New Caledonia New Zealand Season 2007
$38.00 per person

Hand Crafted Bread baked daily
simunovich olive estate extra virgin olive oil
freshly churned unsalted butter

Pan Roasted King Cole Duck
caramelised mango, ginger sable crumble, robusta jus
or
Grilled Marlin
confit aubergine, roasted bush tomato, fennel & basil, turmeric & lemon dressing
or
Aromatic Langoustines
cooked in a paper hand bag with Lifou vanilla & sauternes buttered nage

Salade Marche

Lime Crème Fraîche Parfait
coconut tuile, strawberry sorbet, wild hibiscus flower syrup

Organic Coffee & Infusions
guava financier

Wines:

Château Belingard Bergerac Blanc 2006
Sauvignon/Semillon
$55.00 (bottle) $11.00 (glass)

Cave Lugny Macon-Lugny ‘Les Charmes’ 2006
Chardonnay
$65.00 (bottle) $13.00 (glass)

Domaine du Baumard ‘La Caleche’ 2004
Chenin Blanc
$55.00 (bottle) $11.00 (glass)

Château La Ragotière ‘Vieilles Vignes’
Muscadet
$62.00 (bottle) $12.00 (glass)

Château Mourgues du Grès ‘Rosé’ 2006
Syrah/Grenache
$58.00 (bottle) $12.00 (glass)

Château Carbonneau Sainte Foy de Bordeaux 2005
Merlot/Cabernet
$54.00 (bottle) $11.00 (glass)

Domaine Lafond Côtes du Rhône 2006
Grenache/Syrah
$58.00 (bottle) $12.00 (glass)

Domaine des Grands Bois Côtes du Rhône 2004
Syrah
$60.00 (bottle) $12.00 (glass)

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