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Welcome to the tenth country of the 195 Country Cooking Challenge - where I cook a popular dish from all 195 countries around the world! If you missed the previous countries, you can check those out on my blog as well as my YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok (That Country Cook). Along the journey, I will be sharing these recipes with you plus some interesting facts about each country. My goal is to teach you a bit about each country while you eat or cook their cuisine! Today, I will be cooking a popular dish of New Zealand!
The National Dish of New Zealand
New Zealand does not have one specific National Dish, but it does have many that could be considered that title. Today, I'll be cooking one of these dishes...MEAT PIE!
Pies have been a staple for centuries, originally being sold by street vendors as a convenient fast food. The British brought their tradition of eating pies to New Zealand and the first mention of the dish was in an 1863 newspaper ad.
New Zealand has since made the meat pie their own by adding various ingredients. One specific ingredient is marmite, which is a thick, dark, spread made from yeast extract, salt, and vegetable and spice extracts.
Meat pies generally have pastry for the top and bottom and are filled with some kind of minced or ground meat, carrots, onions, and spices.
You can definitely make this dish at home, and below I'll go through a step-by-step guide of how to make it! If you would like a more streamlined approach, you can find the full recipe here.
Facts About New Zealand
What is it about this country that makes it so unique?
New Zealand is an island nation in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It is made up of two large main islands and over 700 smaller islands, some of which are hundreds of miles from the main ones.
The land was first inhabited between 1280 and 1350 by Polynesians. In 1642, the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman became the first European to sight and record New Zealand. In 1769 the British explorer Captain James Cook became the first European to set foot on and map New Zealand.
In 1840, representatives of the United Kingdom and Māori chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi which paved the way for Britain's declaration of sovereignty later that year and the establishment of the Crown Colony of New Zealand in 1841. This led to many conflicts and alienation of Māori land.
New Zealand gained full independence in 1947.
Fun Fact: More penguin species are found in New Zealand than in any other country, with 13 of the world's 18 penguin species.
The flag of New Zealand is red, white, and blue. The blue represents the sky and sea. The Union Jack in the top left corner of the flag represents New Zealand's history as a British colony and dominion. The four red stars with white borders on the right half of the flag represent the Southern Cross constellation, which is only visible in the Southern Hemisphere.
New Zealand is 103,483 square miles of land. The most common job in the country is either construction or a sales assistant (the data was unclear).
New Zealand has three official languages: English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language.
Cooking a Popular Dish of New Zealand
Ingredients:
2 Ready-to-Bake Pie Crusts
8 slices Colby Jack cheese
1 pound ground beef
1 yellow onion
4 garlic cloves
3 large carrots
2 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
pinch of dried basil
pinch of marjoram
pinch of dried parsley
pinch of dried sage
pinch of dried rosemary
pinch of dried oregano
pinch of dried thyme
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 egg
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Steps:
Step 1:
Prepare vegetables. Peel and dice onion. Wash, peel, and cut carrots (cut them in half longways then slice half moons). Peel and mince garlic.
Step 2:
Heat olive oil in a frying pan with tall sides over medium heat. Add carrots and cook for 3 minutes. Add onions and cook for 3 minutes or until golden brown. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds then add ground beef. Top with salt and pepper to your taste and cook until completely browned, chopping beef into small pieces while its cooking.
Step 3:
Add tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, basil, marjoram, parsley, sage, rosemary, oregano, thyme, and beef stock. Stir to combine and simmer for 20 minutes. This will be your pie filling.
Step 4:
Make a cornstarch slurry. Add cornstarch to a bowl. Slowly add drops of water until all the cornstarch has dissolved. Add slurry to the pie filling after the 20 minutes are up. Mix to combine. Cook for 2-3 more minutes. This should thicken the sauce quite a bit.
Step 5:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 6:
Lay pie crust in pie pan. Make sure to press it completely against the bottom and sides to fill the space. Pour the pie filling in.. Top with the cheese slices and cover with the remaining pie crust. Seal the edges of the pie by bunching them up and pinching them together. I then use a fork to create a pretty design around the edge (see picture below). Use the same fork to make some holes in the top of the pie.
Step 7:
Make egg wash. Whisk the egg with 1 teaspoon of water and brush it to cover the top of the pie.
Step 8:
Bake 40 minutes or until the pie crust is golden brown and cooked through.
Step 9:
Serve immediately and store leftovers in the fridge for 4 days.
Which country should I do next?
Follow @thatcountrycook on Instagram to see a video of me making this recipe!
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