hangi
Next Dish: Sopa de Caracol
Hangi is a traditional New Zealand Māori method of cooking food using heated rocks buried in a pit oven. It is still used for large gatherings on special occasions to prepare a communal meal. Typical foods cooked in a Hangi include chicken, pork, mutton, and various vegetables. The process involves slow-cooking for several hours, resulting in tender, smoky-flavored food.
Recipe
Ingredients:
2 large potatoes
2 large kumara (sweet potatoes)
1 butternut squash
1 large cabbage
1 whole chicken
2 pork chops
2 lamb chops
2 pieces of mutton
2 pieces of fish (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Banana leaves or aluminum foil
Instructions:
Prepare a pit in the ground, about 1 meter deep and 1 meter wide.
Layer the bottom of the pit with firewood and stones suitable for heating (like volcanic rocks if available).
Light the fire and let it burn until the stones are red hot. This may take a few hours.
While the fire is burning, prepare your food. Season the meats with salt and pepper.
Wrap each piece of meat, fish (if using), and vegetables individually in banana leaves or aluminum foil.
Once the stones are red hot, remove the embers from the pit, leaving only the hot stones.
Wet some sacks or large pieces of cloth and place them over the stones.
Layer the wrapped food on top of the sacks or cloth, starting with the meat at the bottom, then the vegetables.
Cover the food with more wet sacks or cloth, then cover everything with soil to trap the heat inside the pit.
Cook for approximately 3-4 hours.
After the food is cooked, carefully remove the soil and take out the food.
Unwrap the food and serve hot. Enjoy your traditional Maori Hangi!