Hangi

Yesterday Tim Wraight had his 50th birthday Hangi at his place. Hangi is the Pacific underground oven, where you heat up big rocks on fire, at the same time dig a hole in the ground, at the same time prepare meats veggies, wrap them in leaves or tin foils and arrange them in metal baskets.

When the rocks are burning hot, you put those in the bottom of the hole, then some leaves, (banana leaves if you have them because they have antiseptic, I think, qualities) then your basket of food, then layers or leaves or cloths, then cover with earth again, and wait for a few hours. Then they remove the top soil very gently carefully and the baskets out.

I'm not sure how they know when the food is cooked, but when we arrived, they were unearthing the hangi. We've only ever been to tourist hangi where things are done "correctly", but this being a private hangi, not everything was done textbook, but don't worry Tim and mates would have made sure they were absolutely clean and safe. Food tasted wonderful, they always do, and unexpectedly I had my Thanksgiving stuffing fix! (No gravy but plenty of potatoes, too.)

Instead of playing the stereo loudly, a new band Silverbeat, of which both Tim and Kath are members, played inside Sealevel Studio presumably all night long. Great ending to a wonderful day.

Tim Wraight on NDP previously: here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. Tim and partner Claudia are going to Switzerland early next year for Tim to work on a big commission on a Swiss farm.