A smatter of platters

PHOTOGRAPHY

BY

ANNA BRIGGS

STYLED BY SHALEE FITZSIMMONS

Sharing is caring and one thing that’s sure to give you the warm fuzzies is sharing good grub with good friends. Food platters are creative crowd-pleasers, and they can be made in advance, so you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time with your mates. We asked three platter pros to give us their top spreads to enjoy with company. All ingredients are available locally. Try Moore Wilson's or Commonsense Organics.

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The build-abagel platter

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The happy planet platter

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The sweet tooth platter

Al’s bagels

1. Mix dough ingredients until no dry spots are left. Let rest for 20min.

2. Knead by hand for 10–15min until smooth and elastic. You could, in theory, do this in a stand mixer with a dough hook, but this dough is super low hydration and my mixer’s warranty has expired so I will not be joining you.

3. Transfer the dough to a straightsided vessel or a measuring jug to ensure you can gauge when it has doubled in size. The timing will depend on the temperature of the dough and your kitchen. For greater control over fermentation you can let the dough rise for 15–20mins at room temperature, then whack it in the fridge to cool and continue rising slowly.

8. Rest for 15min. Line a baking tray with non-stick paper.

9. Poke a hole in the middle of each ball using your thumb and forefinger and stretch the hole out evenly by running the circle around your fingers.

10. Evenly space the bagels on the tray, cover with a damp tea towel (or plastic wrap if you hate the environment), and let prove in fridge overnight (8–12hrs).

Dough: 450g flour

3.5g instant yeast

8g flaky salt

265g water at 24°C

1 tbsp malt syrup

Poaching liquid:

2L water

2tbsp malt syrup

1tbsp baking soda

1tbsp flaky salt

4. Once it is doubled in size, transfer dough from container to bench and press down firmly to remove the built-up gas.

5. Divide into 80g portions.

6. To pre-shape, gather and fold edges into the middle then pinch the seam in between your thumb and forefinger.

7. Place on a smooth surface, seam side down. With your palm facing down and fingers lightly cupping the ball, roll it around until it is somewhat tight and uniform.

11. The next day combine poaching liquid ingredients in a large pot and bring to a gentle simmer, skimming off foam as it appears. Be careful not to boil too vigorously, as the sugar and soda will bubble over easily and make a hot mess which is both hard to clean and generally upsetting.

12. Preheat oven to 220°C with a rack in the middle while you poach!

13. Poach bagels in the liquid for 30sec each side, then remove with a slotted spoon or whatever, drain and place on a wire rack.

14. Sprinkle with anything you please: poppy, sesame, caraway, garlic, anything at all. I really don’t care and it’s none of my business.

15. Bake those suckers for 18min or until golden brown.

Al Green became interested in food by accident, when he woke up one day in 2018 to find he co-owned a sandwich shop. He has been picking up techniques and experimenting with ingredients ever since. The owner of Good Boy is on a disgraceful breadmaking journey and can often be found yelling adult-only words at under-risen, overcooked loaves in his home kitchen.

The build-abagel platter

Is there a hole in your life? Fill it with friends and bagels. Bring your pals together to build their own, and to pile on toppings to their hearts’ content. For this platter Al has balanced salty, tangy, and sweet flavours to create the perfect filling. It’s what’s inside that counts.

Dairy-free mozzarella alternative slices crackers

Fresh rosemary

Paleo seed crackers

Think it’s hard to be vegan?

Tess Eden shows that this simply isn’t the case. She’s been sharing plant-based recipes and advice on switching to a vegan lifestyle via her Instagram @eden.vegan since 2017, in which time she’s veganised everything from ramen to chocolate cheesecakes.

The happy planet platter

Cheese boards are perfect for lovers and haters of cooking alike. While they’re speedy to prepare, they always look styley, especially with a glass of vino. Cheese is one of the most frequently mentioned foods that new vegans say they miss eating, so Tess wants to show that a plant-based diet doesn’t mean giving up all life’s simple pleasures.

Trypairing

with a Palliser

Sweet and salty popcorn

Milk chocolate brownies

Recipe available online at capitalmag.co.nz

Red grapes

Home-made marshmallows

Recipe available online at capitalmag.co.nz

Salty pretzels

Lee was owneroperator of Lashings, a specialist brownie bar café and smallbatch bakery. She honed her skills as a pastry chef in London, working in five-star hotels, fine dining, and Michelin-starred restaurants before moving to Wellington in 2016.

The sweet tooth platter

One-up the Easter Bunny with this chock-a-block sweet spread. An expert in creating grazing tables, Jackie has combined rich chocolate delights with fresh seasonal fruit (for a little thrown-in healthiness), making this dessert platter great for a long weekend garden party, or to nibble on after an Easter roast.

BOWL OF BROOKLANDS & BROOKLANDS PARK

NEW PLYMOUTH, TARANAKI