International super-star chef Gordon Ramsay spent a bit of time in Aotearoa recently in an effort to discover the secrets of Māori cuisine. Earlier in the month, Gordon gave his own twist on scrambled eggs by chucking a bit of Kiwi paua in there, but now he's taking on the classic, Hāngi.
For those who aren't familiar, Hāngi is a traditional cooking method that can most simply be described as a natural oven in the ground. A deep pit is dug, then a fire is built inside said pit that has rocks, stones, and sometimes pieces of steel placed throughout the wood.
The fire is lit, which heats up the stones, and once the fire has burned down the remainder of the wood and embers is removed, leaving scorching hot rocks in the bottom of the pit. The food is then placed on top of the rocks in baskets, before being buried in the ground to complete the oven building process.
Uncle Gordon gave this legendary process a go, digging and all, with the accompaniment of Kiwi chef Monique Fiso.
Check out the video up top, and skip through to 12:20 to see him start the Hāngi.
