The Freeport with Cleaver & Co chef Brooke Moore. Photo / Supplied
The Freeport with Cleaver & Co chef Brooke Moore. Photo / Supplied
Simplicity. That is the secret to New Zealand’s best toastie, according to Tauranga chef Brooke Moore.
The 20-year-old’s toasted sandwich has been named the top toastie in the Great NZ Toastie Takeover 2023.
Her toastie - titled Surf, Turf & Smoke, Monsieur! - featured pickle-brined pastrami lamb, smoked prawns, mellow, mozzarella and smoked cheddar sauce squished between locally-made miso tahini sourdough from Tauranga’s Breadhead bakery and served with smoked aioli and pickle juice gel.
Now in its sixth year, the competition had 185 eateries across the country battle it out for the toastie title, with 150,000 toasted sandwiches consumed by the end of the event.
Entering for her first time Moore, from Mount Maunganui’s Freeport with Cleaver & Co, was the competition’s first female winner taking home bragging rights for the North Island for the second time.
“It was just amazing news, especially as it is the first year that I have participated in it,” she said. “I put a lot of work into that toastie and I just wanted it to be perfect. I am such a perfectionist.”
Moore said her toastie’s name Surf, Turf & Smoke Monsieur! was a play on her favourite - the French ham and cheese sandwich croque monsieur.
The Freeport with Cleaver & Co's winning toastie: The Surf, Turf & Smoke, Monsieur! Photo / Supplied
She said the surf ‘n’ turf element was based on Mount Maunganui, with the surf being the beach and its seafood and the turf being the Mount and its sheep.
Moore said it took her many tries to perfect the sandwich, with her initial idea being to incorporate the prawns into a prawn cake.
“I had my mind set on a prawn cake but realised I needed to think simpler and so I just smoked the prawns instead,” she said.
“I think people can get too complicated with ingredients and they forget what the true essence of a toastie is. You should be able to pick the toastie up with your hands and enjoy it. It should be a little messy, it should be comforting.”
A standout to the judges was the lamb pastrami. “I brined the lamb in the McClure’s Sweet & Spicy Pickles juice for 10 days. We usually just throw the brine away but I had the idea to use it.”
Moore said she had had a long history with food, creating her first honey cake recipe when she was aged 9 and working in hospitality from 14.
“I went from baking to working with barbecue meats. It was quite a change but it taught me to be attentive to detail, which helped a lot with creating the toastie.”
Competition judge Joe McClure, from Detroit-based McClure’s Pickles, said in a statement the “exceptional toastie left me wanting more”.
“The brilliance of Moore’s toastie lies in its great use of ingredients and the innovative concept of surf and turf within a region that truly exemplifies both.
“Each bite was a harmonious blend of flavours, with the succulent surf and turf elements perfectly complementing each other. It was a delightful culinary journey that showcased the creativity and skill of chef Moore.”
The bread. Making sure your vehicle for your toastie is strong enough to hold up to the fillings and that it complements it without it being overpowering. I like a sourdough - toasts really nicely.
The cheese. You want it melty but you don’t want it to overpower the main flavour. I like a mozzarella - it’s mellow and melty and it doesn’t overpower.
Balance. You need to balance the flavours. Too much cheese and not enough acidity will be too rich. I balanced the cheese with the pickles and the pickled pastrami.
Crispness. You want to bite into your toastie and hear it crunch. You want to use a fat on the outside of your bread to toast slowly. You don’t want to burn your bread but have it still soggy. Take your time with the toasting.
Simplicity. Toasties are comforting and they are a little messy. Don’t lose sight of that. They need to be picked up with your hands so you can’t have too many ingredients overcomplicating the toastie.
Mix together prawns, oil and a good pinch of salt in a tray. Smoke at 70C for 1-1:30 hrs, or until deliciously smokey! If you don’t have access to a smoker, use a smoke gun to infuse the prawns and the oil with smoke before cooking. If you don’t have a smoke gun, just cook the prawns at 70C in the oven until cooked.
Lamb Pastrami
Whisk together pickle brine and curing salt in the McClures pail. Lower your lamb, Place a weight and a lid on top and hold in the brine for 8-10 days. Remove lamb from the brine, pat dry, coat with sweet mustard and cover with lamb rub. Smoke at 86C for 2-3hrs, then wrap with BBQ paper and foil and cook for an extra 5-6hrs at 115-120C, until the internal temp reaches 95C (if you don’t have access to a smoker, use a smoke gun to infuse the meat with smoke, leave for a few hours, then continue with the same cooking procedure in an oven.) Slice when cool.
Heat milk, cream and bay leaves in a pot. Melt butter in a separate pot, add onions and garlic and cook until translucent. Add all dry ingredients to the pot and cook to form a roux. Slowly pour in the hot milk and cream, whisking to ensure a smooth sauce. Cook until thickened. Add the cheese and continue to cook until the cheese has melted. Remove from heat.
Smoked Aioli
Whisk ingredients together, add salt to taste.
Pickle Juice gel
Bring pickle juice and sugar to a boil, add agar and boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat, pour into a tray and cool until solid. Blend to a gel in a high-speed blender, adding pickle brine as needed.
Brush two slices of Breadhead Miso Tahini Sourdough with brisket fat. Place 2-3 slices mozzarella on the bottom slice, spread with cheese sauce, cover with 8-12 smoked prawns, followed by 4-5 slices smoked lamb pastrami, then pickles to cover. Spread the top slice with more cheese sauce. Toast until golden and crisp. ‘Surf’ with smoked aioli, pickle juice gel, and crispy potatoes (or ‘spuds’ as we affectionately call them).
