Dine like a king, pay like a pauper

Savouring delicious world cuisine with friends is good fun, writes Faye McGunnigle. 

In November six of us had a Moroccan dining experience.

We began with some delicious hors d'oeuvres - kaffe de poisson with a tangy lemon dip and some spicy little chicken nibbles. We had a kizon nahtonk (carrot and orange soup) served with Moroccan krsa brea, a fish tagine, grilled chicken with preserved lemon, a date and walnut salad dressed with aromatic orange blossom sauce and a zucchini and mushroom risotto.

Conversation flowed freely as did the wine, for we six are old, old friends. Some spirited discussions and laughter-provoking anecdotes and memories were shared. We could have gone to a restaurant and paid a fortune for such a feast, but we were at home with friends and I doubt the meal cost us more than $20 per head.

We dine like this every two months. This month it was a Mexican meal with pork burritos, chicken with a chocolate chilli sauce, fava bean and tomato salad, rice with coconut cream and a simple - rich - torte.

It came about by accident, this dining group of ours. Thirty-odd years ago we were all young, poor, trying to buy homes and raise families. There was little spare money for eating out and the occasional trip to the Coffee Pot in New Regent St, or the local "greasy spoon" was as much as we could manage. We were working people with commitments and not much time. But we were, with one or two exceptions, keen cooks. One of us wanted to celebrate an occasion, but hadn't the time or resources to do it justice. "Why don't we each bring something for the meal" was suggested. "What? Like a pot luck dinner?" "Oh, nothing quite as hit- and-miss as that. We could have a theme."

And so it was born. We started with eight, but sadly, due to a death and a departure, we are now six; two New Zealanders, two Scots, a Canadian and an Englishman.

Together we have travelled the culinary world and explored the cuisine of most countries. We have celebrated mid-summer, spring fever, autumn and winter. We have eaten our way through Latin America, Russia, China, India, Italy, Provence and other regions of France, travelled through Middle Europe and the Balkans, wandered Wales and Ireland, flitted through English shires, tramped the Scottish Highlands, discovered America and Canada, accessed Asia, touched on the West Indies, explored Africa and sauntered through Scandinavia.

We have learned much of these countries and their cuisine, all without leaving home. We cooked Meals Mother Made, Maori dishes, and Australian fare. So far we have not touched Bangladesh or Rwanda but, no doubt, they are coming.

Our meals have not always taken place in our homes. Mid-winter is a perfect time to escape to a different part of the countryside for a weekend. Burkes Pass was one venue. The snow was falling outside but a huge fire in a massive stone fireplace soon had us shedding layers of clothing.

We also discovered that copious quantities of Canadian baked beans might well be good for your heart, but they also have a noisy and embarrassing effect on the inner workings.

An eerily quiet day at Arthurs Pass, a strange day in which no birds sang, culminated in a severe and frightening earthquake.

Other escapes to Kaikoura, Akaroa and Wainui have been enjoyable but blessedly uneventful.

We were together for a millennium dinner on December 31, 1999.

The next dinner party is something we look forward to and plan for. We take it in turns to choose the theme, provide the venue and the main course. Other courses follow in sequence. The creator of the fabulous Moroccan main from November did dessert this time and we all move along a step.

We have had some monumental mistakes, of course. There was the night when every single dish apart from the dessert was based on asparagus, and there is always the person who forgets the course he or she is supposed to be doing and brings along the wrong one. Those mix-ups were rare and mainly happened early on when life was a busy whirl of work and family commitments. Now we are all, except one, retired and our families have left home. Our fine dining dates are shining spots in an otherwise fairly humdrum calendar.

We haven't quite the appetites we had back in our younger days, when it was common to cook two choices per course "just in case there wasn't enough", and definitely, the days of 13 bottles of wine, plus sherries and liqueurs are gone. Now no more than three or four bottles go into the recycling bins.

Our dinner party idea has been adopted by the next generation. I hope they have as much fun as we have had and that they too are still appreciating good food and fine dining 30 years on.

It has been quite a journey.

Faye McGunnigle's Mexican chicken

The chocolate chilli sauce is a delicious finishing touch. The amount of chilli powder might seem excessive, but don't be tempted to reduce the measurement - the dish will be bland. 1 large chicken

3 cloves peeled garlic

1 large peeled onion

2 halved and de-seeded green peppers

2 slices of toast

1/2 cup almonds

1 can tomatoes

2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp ground coriander

salt and pepper to taste

1 Tbsp chilli powder

30g dark chocolate

Garnish: toasted sesame seeds and fresh coriander

Place large chicken into salted water and simmer for one hour.

Remove (reserve 1 1/2 cups of the stock), and brown in a pan with a little hot oil..

Transfer chicken to a large casserole.

Into a blender place all other ingredients except the chocolate and whiz to combine then add some reserved stock and blend to a smooth puree.

Heat a little oil in a pan, cook sauce for about five minutes, add remaining reserved stock and chocolate.

Stir until chocolate melts. Spoon over chicken until it is well coated, cover and and cook, at 200 degrees Celsius for 40 minutes. Garnish with one to two teaspoons of toasted sesame seeds and some fresh coriander.

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