Where I Ate Last with Tony Astle: Leek and Potato Soup

Chef Tony Astle from Parnell’s iconic Antoine’s restaurant joins Kerre Woodham to dive into his the good and the bad of dining experiences both around New Zealand and internationally. 

He digs into the service, the decor, and of course, the food, inspiring listeners to give new dining experiences a try. 

Also on offer is the Recipe of the Week, and this week he’s serving up Leek and Potato Soup. 

 

Ingredients: 

2 large leeks, finely sliced 

3 large onions, roughly chopped 

3 large agria potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced 

1.5 litres chicken or vegetable stock (may be instant, but beware of saltiness) 

1tsp white pepper 

150 grams butter 

  

Method: 

1. Cut the leeks in half lengthways (wash and finely slice) 

2. Roughly chop the onions 

3. Thinly slice the potatoes 

4. In a large pot, melt the butter. Add the onions, leeks and potatoes (plus white pepper) 

5. Slowly cook (sweat, don't brown) for approximately 5 minutes, stirring constantly. 

6. Add the hot stock. Stir and bring to a boil, then simmer for 25 minutes. 

7. Cool slightly, then blend until smooth in a food processor (or stick blender), depending on the texture required (you may strain or not). 

8. When reheating, add cream to taste. 

9. The soup may be frozen after blending. 

10. Instead of leeks, you may like to replace with carrots or pumpkin. 

 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Finding the hidden gyms in the hospitality scene where I
ate last with Tony Astell on Kerry Woodham Mornings, and
the legendary Tony Astell joins me in the studio. Now
you're gonna have to speak into the micro scenes. Must
have been a while since you've done it, Tony.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
Yes, last time was late and that's how long ago?

Speaker 1 (00:17):
Oh, that's a very long time ago. So where I
ate last, Chief Tony Estel from the iconic Antoines restaurant
irip and forms audiences of as good and bad dining
experiences locally around New Zealand and internationally. So what have
you been doing since the doors closed for the final time.

Speaker 2 (00:35):
After their passed. Of course, it was all a little
bit done. It was all a little bit difficult, but
then I think you were such a team. I just
have to get on. And we used to travel every
year anyway, so I've got some very good friends that
I travel with and I do a lot of blogs.
So anyway, we did forty forty Michelin Star restaurants in
the last two years.

Speaker 1 (00:55):
Wow.

Speaker 2 (00:56):
And then I went to India for six weeks as
well with some of some close friends. So I've just
been traveling around eating really for the last two years.
But you know, the restaurant situation is so dire at
the moment, and especially in New Zealand, things are really difficult.
So I thought, what I quite like to do is
just go and help people. Like it will be for instance,

(01:16):
like if the restaurant's really bad, I just won't even
talk about it, but it's good, but could I could
help it, you know, by suggesting. That's the sort of
reviewing I want to do. That's good, you know, So
it's going to be positive rather than negative because the
industry at the moments and dire straits and we really
do need they need help, and there's a lot of
people really suffering there at the moment, cost of living

(01:38):
and all that sort of thing. But also every week
I'll put a little recipe on so that, you know,
so like we used to, Yeah, people can do it.
But I've done some absolutely amazing restaurants, like some of
the ones, like especially in Denmark, which was unbelievable. They've
got so many Michelin star restaurants there. And we went
to one which called Journey, and he was an ex

(02:00):
biky and quite amazing. He's now just got his third start,
so it was quite exciting. And then we went to Geranium,
which is a course dinner fifty fifty five oh and it's.

Speaker 1 (02:12):
I suppose it would only be fifty mouthfuls, not fifteen plate.

Speaker 2 (02:16):
Pretty small, but it was theater more than restaurant. And
that's a two star Michel and they've just spent fifty
million on the refit but that's we're talking like fifteen
hundred New Zealand dollars per head for food only. Wow,
and unbelievable. That was huge theat Was it worth it?

Speaker 1 (02:33):
Well? I was?

Speaker 2 (02:34):
I actually didn't. Well, it was interesting because it was
all quite sort of vegetarianism sort of, but that was fine.
However it was it was just theater, but unbelievable six
months to get in, but it was an experience.

Speaker 1 (02:50):
That's what I always used to think when I was
matre Ding. Before we'd open the doors, I'd always say,
curtain up, because that's exactly what it feels like, doesn't it.
It's like you're putting on a show. You're welcoming people.
I mean people can cook at home, Yep. They want
something a bit more when they come out, don't they.

Speaker 2 (03:06):
They sure do. I mean you know, I've had a
little bit of a reputation. People used to ask for
the chef's bar room because that's where they got all
the bad language, and you know where I would abuse people,
apparently abuse people. Actually, my book comes out in October,
so well, fabulous Bateman's are Bateman's actually done it and
it's I'm not allowed to tell you what the what
the title is yet, but it hasn't got one recipe

(03:28):
and so you can imagine what it's like. Forty chapters
of interesting things.

Speaker 1 (03:32):
Oh, that will be fun. So that would be such fun.

Speaker 2 (03:35):
I mean, there's you know way I got you. That's
why what I wanted to do this reviewing thing, because
I mean we got good and bad reviews, you know,
and sometimes you need help rather than just destructiveness. And
some of the reviewers in New Zealand are destructive or
they just think they're too good.

Speaker 1 (03:52):
Thing.

Speaker 2 (03:52):
I was just told recently, you know you're not you're
not qualified to be a food review. Well, I think
after sixty five years, I've probably got a you know,
I started in ninety sixty five.

Speaker 1 (04:01):
And also some of the other great chefs that you've
nurtured and mentored over the years, have gone on to
do their own great things.

Speaker 2 (04:07):
Yeah, I mean it looks at some wonderful ones here
and overseas. It actually did work for Bes and myself,
you know, I mean we were there fifty years, so
I think I'm allowed.

Speaker 1 (04:14):
To act absolutely when it comes to what's wrong with
New Zealand some of New Zealand's restaurants, is that the
lack of staff that's really crippling them.

Speaker 2 (04:27):
Well, I'm also at the university as an honorary mentor
and I'm trying to well, I'm really wanting to do
is front of house to get because that is a
huge problem in New Zealand. You know, you go to
a restaurant, I tell you, I nearly give people a
hiding sometimes when they look at you and say use guys, okay,
and I mean all that sort of stuff. But in
consecutive governments have all said that waiting is not a profession.

(04:51):
Now that's rubbish because and people don't like they're not
great service. I mean, some restaurants are amazing, but on
the whole, the service is pretty rubbish. It's got a
bad reputation. So I really would like the young kids
that like at the aut and so many of them
fantastic that I will go and actually they're in the kitchen,
but I will take them out front front of house

(05:12):
and teach them how to do stuff because I've done
a few dinner parties there. You know, and your feelings
that you're going to get pulled things pulled down your back.
But it's all they need is some help and guidance.

Speaker 1 (05:22):
And we were talking about tipping the other day on
the show, and a lot of people feel resentful about
tipping when they don't feel that they've been looked after.
Whereas if you feel that people know who you are,
they know what you like, then you'll keep going back
there and you'll you'll you strike up a report. But
you I think it's going to be two ways. Anybody
was rude to me when they came in.

Speaker 2 (05:44):
I mean, you know, some customs are revolting. Look, I
can assure you you know, they are revolting people and
they need a good smack around the lug. I reckon, but.

Speaker 1 (05:52):
Totally can still. I don't think we can do that anymore.

Speaker 2 (05:54):
You just don't know. I did a lot of that,
of course, and I also banned people from a restaurant.

Speaker 1 (05:59):
I did a little better banning. And I also poured
hot coffee when it went in sensitive places. Anyway, you've
got a recipe. It's a goodness that went quickly. You've
got a recipe for us on the website. What is it?

Speaker 2 (06:11):
Well, it's actually it's a leak and potato soup. But
what I'm trying to do is actually do things that
people can afford, because you know, you can make the
soup but will only cost you about fifteen dollars probably
and it will serve about twenty servings so and you
can freeze it and you can freeze it. I've written
all that on the recipe. Excellent, it'll be.

Speaker 1 (06:29):
Good, lovely. What I ate last with Tony est Or
leak and potato soup on our website newstalk, saidb dot
co dot ms. What a great way to beg in
the weekend. It's so good to see you looking so well,
you look amazing.

Speaker 2 (06:39):
So neat to be here. Lovely, really