Leading up to The Foodshow, I was very lucky to be given the opportunity to interview Simon Gault. Halfway through the phone conversation, Simon asked “are you in a bar?”. Woops. I could only laugh and say that I’d eat some Spanish cuisine on behalf of him. We chatted about healthy eating, the New Zealand food scene and I had a little nosey about his food at home. Here’s a snippet of our chat:
What does a typical day look like for you?
Since I’m no longer in the restaurant (Euro), every day is different. For example, I’ve just come back from judging a world cooking competition in Sri Lanka.
Would you change anything on the New Zealand food scene?
I think it’s going really well. People are bringing in new cuisine to try. We are lucky to be exposed to different and exciting produce. So I really wouldn’t change anything.
What would be in your fridge if I raided it now?
There’s frozen soup, which is thawing. Fermented soybean – natto, homemade sauerkraut, haloumi cheese, Japanese plum, my brand of stock. And there’s top secret products that I’m testing.
If there was a potluck dinner tomorrow, what winter dish would you bring?
It depends on the people. But I’d make chicken thigh with a slightly spicy chorizo sauce. Slow cook it with the chorizo sauce. I’d make bread mash on the side, with salt, mascapone, cheese, olives. The chicken would have lots of sauce so it’s a real hearty meal and served with a dollop of the bread sauce.
Simon’s tips for losing weight, or being healthy in general:
- Make it sustainable. It has to taste great for your eating habits to have longevity. Your food must have something to look forward to.
- Sugar is the devil. (I groaned audibly at this point). If you have a sweet tooth, you don’t have to say goodbye to sweet things. Find substitutes as sweeteners. For example, dates are great. If you’re a chocolate lover, there is raw chocolate.
- Prepare to experiment!
Thanks Simon for taking the time to chat to me. You can catch Simon at The Food show or join one of Simon’s 5% Magic cooking classes in Takanini.
