Morondava is a town on Madagascar’s west coast. It’s the gateway to the Avenue of the Baobabs, where massive baobab trees tower over the landscape. Nearby, Kirindy Forest is home to lemurs and carnivorous, catlike fossas.

Now time for a dessert 😜

HOKEY POKEY ICE CREAM
Kiwis prefer Hokey Pokey ice cream (that’s caramelised honeycomb) over pretty much anything. If there’s only one ice cream flavour you’re going to try in New Zealand, make it Hokey Pokey!

Recipe:

INGREDIENTS

Honeycomb:

4 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp golden syrup

1 tsp baking soda

Ice-cream:

4 egg yolks

1 cup caster sugar

500ml cream (35-38 per cent fat)

Makes 2 litres.

METHOD

Hokey pokey

Line a flat baking tray with non-stick baking paper.

Place sugar and golden syrup in a large pot over a low heat and stir constantly until the mixture comes to the boil. (A pot with a wide base will help prevent the liquid bubbling up over the edge.)

Simmer for five minutes over a very gentle heat, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn't burn. Remove the pot from the heat and add the baking soda, quickly stirring until the mixture froths. Immediately pour the mixture onto the lined tray and cool. Once the hokey pokey has cooled, break into rough chunks.

Ice-cream

Beat sugar and egg yolks in a bowl with an electric mixer until pale and creamy.

In another bowl, whip cream until soft peaks form. Gently fold sugar and egg yolk mix into the cream then stir through chunks of hokey pokey. Pour into a two-litre plastic container with a tight fitting lid and freeze overnight or until firm.

Leftover hokey pokey can be added to ice-cream, biscuits and cakes or dipped into melted chocolate, for a homemade crunchie.

Enjoy 🙌

CRAYFISH, also known as lobster, is a Kiwi favourite mostly because it something many fishermen and divers pride on catching themselves. Known to cost NZ$80 for a full crayfish, it’s not exactly the most affordable food, but it’s definitely worth a try when the opportunity presents itself! Then you’ll understand why Kiwis go cray for crayfish!

Crayfish Mornay recipe: (2 serves)

Ingredients
Mornay Sauce:

28 gms butter
2 tbsp flour
1¼ - 2 C (280 - 425 ml) boiling milk
80 gms grated cheddar cheese
½ tsp salt
1 lge boiled crayfish, approx 700 - 800 gms (save the shell)
25 gms butter
100 ml Rosso Vermouth or medium sherry
grated cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Method
Mornay Sauce:

Melt butter in a saucepan then add flour. Cook slowly together for two minutes then remove from heat.

Using a whisk, beat in half the milk. When the base is smooth whisk in the rest of the milk until the sauce coats the back of the spoon.

Place back on heat and continue stirring until it boils then simmer for a minute or two. Add the cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

To cook crayfish, drown in cold water (weigh down with heavy object).

Bring a large pot of water to the boil, adding a lot of salt. Add crayfish to the pot, bring back to the boil and boil for eight minutes. Remove from heat and drop the crayfish into iced water.

Cut the crayfish in half lengthways. Remove meat and yellow “mustard”. Cut into bite-size chunks.

Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed sauté pan over a medium heat then add crayfish and mustard. Cook, tossing for about 30 seconds. Add vermouth and toss again.

Add warm mornay sauce (approx ½ C per ½ crayfish). Mix the sauce with crayfish and bring to simmering point.

Divide mixture between the shells. Top with cheese and bake at 180ºC until cheese is golden brown then serve (you can place crays under grill).

Traditional Maori HANGI! Must try.
This involves meat and vegetables slow-cooked in an underground oven. Although it was a common cooking method for thousands of years in New Zealand, today a hangi is saved for more special occasions (mainly because it takes all day to prepare!) Prepare to be overfed but extremely satisfied at hangi meals as part of Maori cultural experiences.

Ingredients
*Per Serving (slow cooker should hold 2-3 Hangi packages):

1 Chicken Thigh or Drumstick
1 Pork Strip or Chop (or Lamb Chop)
1 ball of stuffing (ripped up bread, mixed herbs, salt, pepper, chopped onion and 1 egg all mixed together in a ball)
Potatoes, kumura, carrots and pumpkin
Cabbage leaves
Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Place meat, vegetables and stuffing on a cabbage leaf and season with salt and pepper, then wrap up in the leaf and then wrap in tin foil securely. Handy tip: many preparing this dish recommend using a double layer of tin foil to avoid leakage.

2. Place 6-8 small rolled up balls of tin foil in the bottom of the slow cooker and pour in water to just cover the balls.

3. Place packages of meat and vegetables on top of tin foil balls.

Hope you will enjoy it 😃

Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, sits near the North Island’s southernmost point on the Cook Strait. A compact city, it encompasses a waterfront promenade, sandy beaches, a working harbour and colourful timber houses on surrounding hills. From Lambton Quay, the iconic red Wellington cable car heads to the Wellington Botanic Gardens. Great place and nice people. Make sure you visit that city because it's so worth it!!!