Destination Tahiti

Jo Elwin finds her own piece of paradise - and more than enough delicious food to satisfy her - on a bucket-list-shortening trip to the islands of French Polynesia

I couldn't believe my luck that to follow the progress of Canterbury's Burnside High — winners of our National Secondary Schools Culinary Challenge — through the International Challenge, required a trip to Tahiti, which has been on my travel wish list for quite some time with overwater bungalows the guest-stars of my daydreams.

The timing (French school holidays and honeymoon season) meant the overwater bungalow was not to be and, now I have discovered they are merely the garnish on the multi-layered gastronomic delight that is Tahiti, they would be much further down on my list of reasons to visit.

It was more beautiful to enjoy the view out towards the overwater bungalows from the privacy of the swimming pool in my garden bungalow at the Moorea Pearl Resort. Sure, they could jump straight off their deck and take in the wonders of the reef below, but they couldn’t take a skinny dip without providing X-rated entertainment for the guests relaxing around the main pool. That was where I spent a lot of time swimming (avec swimsuit) and eating, which is what this stay in French Polynesia was all about.

From my poolside deck chair I enjoyed the lunches that my daydreams were also made of: Fish four ways (tuna sashimi, poisson cru, tuna tataki and crumbed prawns) one day, an over-sized grilled tuna salad the next. You could very happily stay ensconced at the resort for weeks but there is much to do down the sweeping tree-lined driveway, and along the road that takes you right around the island within an hour at the very, very leisurely local pace.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. First we spent three gorgeous evenings on Tahiti (the main island that makes up the set of islands that is actually officially called French Polynesia), before ferrying 35 minutes to the island of Moorea for a different slice of island life — a more laid-back, Polynesian slice. Many locals and tourists come for day trips and there are two of the most gorgeous nearly deserted public beaches that they head to but you will want to spend at least a couple of nights on this jewel of an island.

Four nights was enough for us to eat our way through the best the island has to offer, to enjoy mountain adventures and exhilarating water activities and completely chill out, but four weeks would not be a struggle.

I absolutely adore the Polynesian/French mash-up that is Tahiti. That I could be cooking with a celebrated French chef while my partner was off on a surf adventure to Teahupo’o, the legendary surf break his daydreams are made of (Teahupo’o is not for beginners or even intermediate-level surfers but the island is full of surf breaks that are). That we could be chowing down at food trucks and meandering through the bars and clubs of downtown Papeete one night and dining on an eight-course degustation at the edge of a lagoon the next. That the people are laid-back, friendly islanders with very strong French roots. That a South Pacific island getaway can also feel so very European.

Stay

Le Meridien

The soaring Polynesian bungalow-style entrance to the Meridien opens on to the tropical gardens with their sandy-bottom lagoon-style swimming pool with white sandy beach, and views across the lagoon beyond, a spectacular start to a stay at this luxury resort. Plant yourself under a palm tree (there are enough for everyone to have their own), hit the sea for some snorkelling or kayaking, or head out on an excursion — the super-efficient front desk will have you sorted in no time. Nothing is too much trouble for the staff at this resort, which feels far from the hustle and bustle of downtown Papeete though it’s only 15km away. Le Meridien is also handy to the airport and an enormous French supermarket that had me reminiscing of a past life in the French Alps.

Moorea Pearl Beach Resort & Spa

Twenty-eight overwater bungalows fan out from an infinity pool that sits atop a white sandy beach in the middle of this serene resort, but I recommend the garden bungalows with private plunge pools. There’s plenty of waterfront activities and you can explore the reef in your own time with a snorkel. There are cheap and cheerful restaurants and cafes nearby, along with a well-stocked supermarket to help balance out the resort prices. But the food here is great, so don’t plan to eat elsewhere too often.

Just 10 minutes from the airport, 15 minutes from the ferry, and five minutes from the golf course.

Ahitea Lodge

Check in to Ahitea for a slice of local life. This family-run guest house is right in the heart of Papeete, a five-minute walk to the market, food trucks and ferries. It’s simple, B & B style accommodation and the prices reflect that. I joined the family and a group of French guests for dinner and enjoyed New Zealand veal that had been slow-cooked for three hours by the patriach. It was a fun and informative meal, even though I was relying on my “supermarket” French and interpretation by the daughter of the family to communicate with the other guests.

Drink

• The freshest, sweetest pineapple juice at Moorea's Opunohu Agricultural College where they are schooling the next generation to farm French Polynesia and the Pacific Islands using very pro-active sustainable, organic farming practices.
• Hinano… when in Tahiti … it is their very drinkable national beer.
  Maitais and pina coladas, everywhere, especially during happy hour at the Moorea Pearl Resort where you will get plates of fresh coconut, olives and peanuts to nibble on.
• Great French and New Zealand wine. So unusual for an island destination.
  Coconut water through a straw, straight from a young, green coconut.

Eat

• At the food trucks (roulottes) at Papeete harbour. Enormous plates of food at very good prices. We recommend a plate of tuna sashimi and raw fish served with salad and a bowl of fries for $1600CFP Francs (NZ$22) from Chez Romy. One plate is more than enough for two to share.
• Baguette, everywhere, with everything.
  Incredible French cheese at incredible prices from supermarkets. Pick up a bottle of Champagne, a baguette and some charcuterie at the same time.
• Fresh, fresh, fresh local fruit, as much as you can, while you can. There is no shortage of it at the resort restaurants and you can buy it, or even just wander through piles of it at the Papeete Market. Take a 4WD excursion up into the dramatic volcanic mountains through fields of breadfruit, avocado, mango, pistachio, pawpaw, fafa, soursop, tapioca, banans, grapefruit, guava, starfruit, limes and acres and acres of pineapple.
  At Le Coco's Moorea, sister restaurant to the highly-regarded Le Coco's Tahiti. This is fine dining with a suitably relaxed, Tahitian vibe. French cuisine is expertly infused with Polynesian flavours and those from other countries: An impeccable bouillabaisse was jammed with fresh local seafood and served with ginger croutons. A slow-cooked lamb knuckle with cumin, date and raisin bulghur wheat. On arrival, cocktails were accompanied by tiny balls of goat's cheese rolled in sesame seeds. Make use of the courtesy shuttle so you can enjoy the well-crafted wine list.
• On the beach at the Sofitel's K Restaurant - it's all romance and French cuisine. Stress about the dress but not the shoes — here you go barefoot in the sandfloored dining room. We enjoyed a romantic seven course wine-paired tasting menu pied de l'eau (feet in the water) on the edge of the lagoon. A duck foie gras in truffle jelly with brioche and white asparagus was one of the best umami hits ever. Scallops with more truffle, red pepper and cucumber coulis were matched with Cloudy Bay 2015 Sauvignon Blanc. The cheese course was selected by French cheese ambassador Olivier Poulard and it all added up to the most romantic, sensory dining experience.

Poisson cru

Raw fish with coconut milk is served everywhere in Tahiti and I ensured I ate it plenty of it — skilfully made and elegantly spilling out of a half coconut poolside at the Moorea Pearl, mixed with red cabbage as part of the ahima’a feast at the Tiki Village, and prepared on the beach for a picnic lunch on a motu (an islet) in the lagoon after swimming with sharks and stingrays, (an excursion not to be missed).

It was all prepared the same way — rinsing the fish in salty water (traditionally seawater but for hygienic purposes they add salt to drinking water these days) gives it lots of flavour and only a small amount of coconut milk is added for flavour and to stop the fish from "cooking".

The Tahitians use a lot of locally-caught tuna but conscientious fish consumers in New Zealand should use whatever the catch of the day happens to be.

650g very fresh fish, cut into 2cm-ish cubes
Juice of 2 lemons or limes
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 spring onions, chopped
1 cup coconut milk

1. Rinse the fish in well-salted water for a few minutes then drain.
2. Mix the fish with the lemon juice and place in the fridge for 5 minutes.
3. Mix in the rest of the ingredients, season with salt and pepper if necessary and chill for 30 minutes before serving.

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Tahitian chicken and spinach

This is based on Tahiti’s coconut fafa chicken. Fafa is a taro with more tender leaves, also known as Polynesian spinach. These leaves need to be boiled in salt water for quite sometime before using to avoid irritation on the tongue. I enjoyed something similar as part of a traditional ahima’a (Tahiti’s version of a hangi) at the Tiki Village, Moorea. I have used spinach, and added kumara which helps thicken the sauce. You can thicken with a cornflour slurry instead if you wish.

Serves 2-4

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
5cm piece ginger, grated
1 medium kumara, chopped into 1.5cm cubes
2 Tbsp coconut oil
450g skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1 cup chicken stock
800g (approx) spinach, including stalks, washed and chopped
1 cup coconut cream (don't shake the can so you can use as much of the thicker cream that settles on the top as possible)

1. Stir-fry onion, garlic, ginger and kumara in oil over a medium-low heat until onion is translucent.
2. Turn up heat, add chicken and stir-fry until brown.
3. Turn heat back down and add chicken stock and spinach. Simmer, stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
4. Add coconut cream, season with salt and pepper and cook a couple of minutes until hot.
5. Serve with chopped tomatoes mixed with a little lemon juice and French bread to mop up the delicious juices.

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Tomato gazpacho with crab salad

I spent a pleasant morning in Sebastien Philizot’s kitchen at Le Meridien Tahiti, making gazpacho for lunch, talking food and learning a kitchen tip or two from this executive chef who has been at the hotel for 11 years.

Sebastien had been judging the International Secondary Schools Culinary Challenge the previous day — how he finds the time to run weekly cooking classes in between the management of 25 chefs in the kitchens at Le Meridien Tahiti and Bora Bora I do not know, but he does it well, with a French accent and lots of charisma. He is generous with his knowledge of cooking and the local food scene. I was heading out to the food trucks that evening and Sebastien set me right. “You like tuna? You like raw fish? Go only to the blue truck and only get one plate to share otherwise it’s too much food.” He was spot on.

Sebastien matched the gazpacho with a crisp Saint Clair sauvignon blanc, proudly announcing “from Nouvelle Zelande”. This is my adapted version of his recipe.

Serves 4

3 cups chopped tomatoes
1 stick celery, chopped
½ shallot, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
2 basil leaves
200ml tomato juice
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp smoked paprika
Pinch white pepper
Pinch sugar
3 Tbsp olive oil

1. Blend the tomatoes, celery, shallot, garlic, cucumber, basil leaves and tomato juice then push it through a sieve to get a smooth soup, discarding the pulp.
2. Mix in the salt, smoked paprika and a pinch of white pepper and sugar, adjusting quantities to taste.
3. Stir through the olive oil and chill.

Crab salad

450g crab meat (picked to remove any cartilage and shell)
1 stick celery, finely chopped
1 big tomato, seeds removed, finely chopped
2 tsp finely chopped shallot
Zest of 1 lemon
½ green apple, peeled and finely chopped
2 Tbsp finely chopped coriander
¼ tsp smoked paprika
⅓ cup mayonnaise

Mix all ingredients together and season with salt and white pepper.

To serve, use a cookie cutter to place a circle of crab salad in the centre of each bowl and spoon in the gazpacho around it. Garnish with coriander and celery leaves and serve with large croutons — French bread sliced on the diagonal, brushed with a mix of olive oil, garlic, smoked paprika and salt and grilled.

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Two of Sebastien’s favourite ingredients

Like many French chefs, Le Meridien’s Sebastien Philzot loves his pimente de espelette, or ground espelette chillies. I haven’t found it in New Zealand and am using hot smoked paprika as an alternative (or you could use cayenne or chilli sauce). He also uses a lot of kaffir lime (the French call it combava) — the fruit rather than the leaves. Sebastien stores kaffir limes in the freezer, grating a little into dishes as required. He used grated kaffir zest rather than lemon zest in his crab salad.