Leanne Moore discovers what pro chef Al Brown’s kitchen looks like and how he entertains at home.
“This kitchen is perfect for this space,” says Al Brown as he chops fresh fennel for lunch. Full disclosure: Viva has asked Al to share one of his favourite lunch recipes with us
“It was like this when I moved in,” Al says of the apartment’s well-considered kitchen layout. Sarah-Kate Dineen, a friend from Wānaka who’s visiting, opens a bottle of red from her vineyard, Maude, to share with our meal. Al lives alone and hasn’t entertained much since moving in recently — apart from having his daughters, aged 21 and 23, over for weekly dinners. He’s renting the space from friends living in Los Angeles.
“The Viking oven is a little overkill for the space. It has some serious horsepower for scrambled eggs,” he laughs. “I like the way the bench looks out on to the main room, so I can join in with the conversation and be part of what’s going on while I cook,” says the chef, cookbook writer and TV host who has a new book out, Eat Up NZ: The Bach Edition.
A vintage dining table and chairs take centre stage in the living room. His surroundings at home are similar to the laidback decor of his restaurants Depot and Federal Deli — casual and comfortable. It’s a vibe his customers enjoy — the mix of front-of-house informality and serious cooking action in the kitchen.
After several decades building up multiple brands under the umbrella of Al Brown’s General Store, he has all the trappings that success can bring — the beautiful apartment within walking distance of work, and an isolated waterfront property in Northland that he’s bought to escape to whenever he can.
Al on carving out a career as a celebrity chef and entrepreneur
“I gained my culinary degree in Vermont, North America. I went travelling overseas in the 80s and discovered the States had an interesting food scene going on. I knew that’s where I wanted to train. Fine dining was the pinnacle of being a chef in those days, so that is what I pursued when I got back to New Zealand. I set up Logan Brown in 1996 with Steve Logan and that restaurant had — and still has — a very special place in this country. While I enjoyed my decade or more there, I always felt the formality was slightly cloying for my personality. Opening Depot and the Federal Deli (in Auckland) gave me the opportunity to explore informality.
“Funnily enough, it is just as hard to have an informal restaurant as it is a fine dining restaurant. If you don’t nail it, it makes you look lazy, as if you don’t care. Ironically, to make an informal gaff feel relaxed and congenial there’s always a hell of a lot going on behind the scenes.”
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Advertise with NZME.Al’s unique approach to interior design
“I guess I’m just a one-trick pony, as the apartment has a similar vibe to my bach — and even the restaurants and Best Ugly Bagels. They are all very informal spaces. I consistently wave the “informal” flag. I believe we nail informality in Aotearoa better than any other country in the world. To me, interiors are all about authenticity and making people feel comfortable as quickly as possible. This place is filled with things I love. I have always been a collector, nothing very expensive, just pieces that reinforce that feeling of nostalgia, memories and the past.”
The drive that pushes Al to achieve
“I am a bit of a perfectionist, which has helped with the success I’ve enjoyed. From the outside, my success looks shiny and wonderful, and I do feel proud of lots of the things that I have achieved, with help from many others. But there is a darker side and I’ve been working on that with a therapist, weekly for more than six years. The truth is, it has come at quite a cost. Perfection is a fallacy, it’s like chasing ghosts and it’s exhausting. The time and energy wasted on trying to get every detail in your life in some sort of order of correctness is futile and pointless. So while there has been success in my life, there is a fair amount of sadness and shame that has come with it, not just career-wise but, more importantly, on a personal level.
“I have been a perfectionist most of my adult life and I believe it stems from my adoption at birth. It comes from a place of feeling rejected and unwanted, first by my birth mother (though I understand this was not her intention) then being adopted into a family devoid of love and connection. From a relatively early age, I didn’t feel like I was good enough. So I have spent my life trying to prove otherwise. I thought that if I did everything well, I’d be validated and this would prove I was lovable. Through years of therapy, and reading a huge amount of material, I now understand where it comes from and I am far more aware of it. I’m resigned to a certain amount of it being with me forever. I am happy to be open about my struggles and how I’ve been putting in the mahi (work) to get a handle on it. I’d describe it as a work in progress.”
Being a leader, not a follower
“I don’t believe I’m a particularly good leader. I’m not good at any sort of conflict. I like to be part of the team and add my creative skillset to the mix.
“My biggest life lesson is to surround yourself with a bunch of like-minded people who bring their unique skills to the game. Working with my team inspires me. I always think it’s an absolute honour to have people work for and with you. Some of my staff may think this is funny coming from me, but I do believe in the importance of listening. And, as Brene Brown says, “stay curious”. Both those things are harder than you might think.
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Advertise with NZME.“I have had, and continue to have, mentors personally and for the businesses. I think it’s invaluable getting advice from people who have an objective perspective. Fresh ideas, new angles, giving your business a bit of a warrant of fitness every now and then, that’s important.”
Taking the rough with the smooth
“I have had my fair share of setbacks. Most people only see the good things, but there have been plenty of soul-searching moments and failure along the way. I am a bit of a dog with a bone, so quitting something only comes when all other options and opportunities have been exhausted. You learn a lot more from failure than you do when you win. The same goes for the learnings that come from the hard times, compared to good times.
“I have learnt a great deal from collaborations and business ventures that have turned sour. I think it mainly comes from not doing your due diligence and entering projects with people who do not have values aligned with your own. It’s important for both parties to be completely transparent from the start.
“I have had some amazing partnerships, and a few that were disastrous. In the end, the fit just wasn’t right. Karen Walker once wrote in an article, something like: ‘If I wouldn’t feel comfortable inviting them to my home for dinner, I wouldn’t want to be going into business with them.’ That’s always stuck with me.”
It’s the journey not the destination
“Covid has a long tail for most in hospitality. We are heading in the right direction, and keeping positive is important.
“I’m not one of those people who are currently bagging New Zealand and jumping ship to live overseas. I simply adore Aotearoa and feel very fortunate to call it my home. While times are tough right now, that is how life plays out. You have to take the good with the bad, and I loathe the derogatory rhetoric that is prominent right now. I believe in being part of the solution, not just pointing out the problems. I get excited about working with talented people. Being part of a team is much more fun than running a solo operation.”
Rest, relaxation and recharging
“My main self-care strategy is going for a long walk first thing. My circuit takes 1hour 20 minutes, so it’s a good 7-8km. It sets me up for the day and makes me feel like I’ve achieved something already. I get up to my bach as much as possible to recharge and reconnect with nature.
“It’s kind of yin/yang, while I love the energy of living in the city… sirens, screams in the night, and pre-dawn trash trucks, I balance that with the peace and quiet up there. I like taking care of my land. I’m an active relaxer, but if I find a good book, I can go deep on that when time permits. Another activity I enjoy is fishing in my e-canoe, just off the coast near my bach.”
Taking it easy while cooking for a crowd
“Holidays at the bach revolve around breakfast, lunch and dinner. I still enjoy cooking and sometimes we have lots of folk staying. Entertaining to me is all about being somewhat organised, but it really is about being generous with everything.
“I’m a big chutney and relish fiend, so having a bunch of flavour notes like that makes things easier. I love cooking over charcoal and hardwood. It’s pretty simple stuff, usually one protein, then a bunch of delicious salads. I do love a great platter with drinks and some sort of raw fresh fish to start. We eat well when we’re up there.”
Al’s Kitchen Essentials
A range of knives
I have collected a bunch of knives over the years. I mainly use three — a large(ish) chef’s knife for chopping, a mid-size for much of the work, then a paring knife for the fiddly stuff and all the peeling. There are some great New Zealand-made knives out there. While a little more expensive, they are beautiful as well as functional. Check out Champion Knives by Hayden Scott, in Auckland, and Lorimer Knives by Peter Lorimer, who’s in Central Otago.
Cast iron cooking pots and pans
I’m a massive cast iron fan. It’s the original non-stick. Like a good knife, they last forever, retain the heat and just get better with age. Check out our New Zealand-made forged pans by the Ironclad Pan Co. They rock.
A microplane, the most underrated piece of equipment
The juice of citrus is always good, but sometimes I think we forget how great the outer skin is, with all the oil in it. It kind of turns up the volume of the juice you are using.
Well-considered kitchen design
I’m a big believer that with kitchens it is all about ergonomics and how the space should work with you, not against you. Lots of thought needs to go into that when you’re designing a kitchen.
Al’s Roasted Fennel & Red Onion Bruschetta With White Anchovies
Makes 6 large bruschetta or 12 small
Ingredients
1 sourdough loaf
Al Brown’s Lemon & Fennel Olive Oil or regular olive oil
2-3 fennel bulbs
2-3 red onions (small to medium)
Flaky sea salt and fresh black pepper
24 white anchovies
1 lemon
Method
1. Pre-heat oven to 180C.
2. Slice the sourdough into either large or small sized bruschetta. Brush with olive oil on both sides.
3. Place on baking tray, cook in the oven. Check after 5 minutes. Once golden, remove.
4. Cut fennel off the stalks, but keep the fronds. Cut bulbs into 6 to 8 wedges. Place in a bowl.
5. Peel and cut red onion into wedges a similar size to the fennel. Add these to the bowl of fennel.
6. Liberally douse the fennel and red onion wedges with olive oil and season with flaky sea salt and fresh black pepper. Mix through, then pour onto a preheated oven tray.
7. Roast the fennel and red onion for around 30 minutes, until nicely caramelised and dark on the edges.
8. Remove and place back in the bowl. Zest the lemon, add to bowl, and squeeze the lemon juice into the bowl. Pick a bunch of the fine fennel fronds and add those. Add another glug or two of olive oil, mix through.
9. To plate, divide the roasted fennel and red onion on to the toasted bruschetta, then top with white anchovies.
10. Serve and enjoy.
