Where I Ate Last with Tony Astle: The Engine Room

This week Tony Astle ate at The Engine Room, an Auckland restaurant with a focus on seasonal dishes and locally grown produce.

He sampled the Bluff Oysters, the Grass Fed Scotch Steak with Maitre d’hotel butter, Hapuku -the catch of the day- with eggplant, caponata, and saffron aoli, and the twice-baked Cheese Souffle, which was once a signature dish at his own Antoine's. 

The twice-baked cheese souffle from the Engine Room. Photo / Tony Astle

Plus, for desert he tried the Coconut Panacotta, the Chocolate cremino al chocolato, and topped it all off with a selection of cheeses.

"A four tick experience... bordering on five ticks."

 

LISTEN ABOVE

 

Recipe of the Week: French Onion Soup

Photo / Getty

Ingredients

2 tbsp oil 

10 large onions peeled and thinly sliced 

1 tsp sugar 

1 tbsp flour (optional) 

3 litres heated fresh beef stock 

375 ml dry white wine 

Note: This soup is best made at least two days before it is required.

 

Method

1. In a heavy-bottomed pot add the oil, sliced onion and sugar.

2. Over a low heat, slowly cook the onions, stirring frequently.

3. This process will take some time.

4. When the onions are caramelised, but not burnt, sprinkle them with flour.

5. Stir well. Then, add the heated stock and the dry white wine.

6. Bring to the boil. Skim-off any scum that floats to the surface throughout cooking.

7. Reduce heat, simmer for about 40 minutes.

8. Remove from heat, chill, then refrigerate until required.

 

To Serve 

1 Baguette thinly sliced 

Gruyere cheese, grated 

1. Preheat an oven to 180 deg C.

2. Heat the soup, then ladle it into individual ramekins.

3. Top with slices of baguette, liberally sprinkled with enough Gruyere to cover the top (about 3 tbsp per ramekin).

4. Place in oven and bake until golden brown.

 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Finding the hidden gyms at the hospitality scene where I
ate last with Tony Astell on Kerry WOODAM Mornings, and a.

Speaker 2 (00:08):
Very good morning to you, Tony Estell, Good morning, good morning.

Speaker 1 (00:11):
Now this is one of my favorites where you ate last.
The engine Room. It's how long has that been around?

Speaker 2 (00:16):
Well, it was two thousand and six, funnily enough, when
Natala and Carl opened it, and it's been there ever since.
And you know what the thing about the engine Room
and Northcote Point is that it always stays the same.
You know, I walked in there the other day and
I thought, this is almost like Beth and me. Yeah,

(00:36):
you know, we were fifty, but they've been eighteen. Yeah,
but they are there, one on the front, one on
the back, and little Marlow of course, who I think
was nearly born in the kitchen there has been there
ever since and he's the air apparent. But it's a
great restaurant. And you know the thing is little Marlow.
Of course I had to buy some of his he's

(00:58):
suddenly making food. Ten oh and he's done preserved lemons
and the little thing that he had written a little card.
You know, ten percent will go to Women's refuge, so
of course everyone at the table bought one, so it
did quite well. Out of us, I might.

Speaker 1 (01:14):
Say, So he's actually working in the kitchen.

Speaker 2 (01:16):
Well, he's giving his own little entrepreneurial thing, which is fantastic,
but it's so neat that the family is doing it all.
And I mean it's the service is amazing there, Yes
it is. And it's just one of those you know,
like there's so many restaurants now that they all think
they're so clever at playing with things. But you know,
ever since the engine room has opened that it's a bistro,

(01:37):
but it's actually leaning a little bit, even more so
to fine dining with some of the fine dining people.
But it's casual and neat, and I mean we had
an amazing waiter. He just kept us laughing our heads off,
but without being overpowering.

Speaker 1 (01:50):
Yes, it's a gift.

Speaker 2 (01:52):
It is a gift. I think when you walk in there,
you realize I walked in there. I thought, good god,
half my customers are here. It was quite an interesting thing.

Speaker 1 (01:59):
We got the beautiful souflet that that many restaurants are
too scared.

Speaker 2 (02:04):
Well, that's an interesting one because you know that's the
signet Juedish, but that was also my signat Jedici with
that was forty years ago. So I stole it from
the Rue Brothers that gave Roge, so they've stolen it
from somebody, but.

Speaker 1 (02:16):
At all fucker Puppa's back.

Speaker 2 (02:18):
But it was a fantastic dish. Unfortunately, you know, they
also had fresh New Zealand truffles. Now, I was actually
so disappointed in the truffles ate a lot of truffles overseas.
These were so mild and I just didn't they weren't
pungent enough of you know.

Speaker 1 (02:35):
Was that the fault of the chef or they in.

Speaker 2 (02:39):
The truffle is not up to that And I'm probably
going to get rubbish for that, but I'm sorry. It
just was not strong enough. And that's actually and they're
very very expensive, yeah they are. That dish was superb.

Speaker 1 (02:50):
Yep, what else did you have?

Speaker 2 (02:52):
And then of course I had well, Actually, what I
have to mention is the NOOKI that which was buck
Wheaton and mozzarella, and that was so light.

Speaker 1 (03:01):
It was because it's sometimes not it can be really staunchy,
can't I It was.

Speaker 2 (03:05):
I'll tell you what, if you shut your eyes made
it was actually like eating feathers, you know. It was
just absolutely flavor was amazing, Okay, And then of course
I had the which you know, the old carnival that
I am, I had to have. I had to have
the the ox cheek. Yep. Now that ox cheek was
melting the mouth, but you know, because that's one of

(03:27):
my favorite I love those slow and that was done
to perfection. Although once again, you know, people are using
leaf peckle vegetables. You know, I think I said this
last time that I'm not into peckle vegetables, but there
were pickle carrots that were perfect, but I didn't really
think it went the dish.

Speaker 1 (03:42):
Yeah, I kind of like it because it gives that
nice tangy.

Speaker 2 (03:44):
Bite people do. But the canellini beans, it was a
pure was absolutely a mind blast. So it actually worked beautifully.
But then the best dish of the whole night, which
I really I'm not a dessert person, was the the
chocolate so I think it's it was called a crimino

(04:06):
chocky last. So that was an absolute every mouthful you
just wanted to dive and then get you put your
whole feet in and do the whole dn thing.

Speaker 1 (04:14):
And what is it. Is it cream of chocolate?

Speaker 2 (04:16):
Well, well it's aid chocolate, but it's actually got it's
got a Tellian meringue, it's got chocolate. It's got Amati
biscuits that's gone.

Speaker 1 (04:24):
A bit of crunch.

Speaker 2 (04:25):
The unbelievable. It's anyway, you know, I give the Star
of the Tics. I have to give the engine room
for not five, no, no, no, no five You've got
no no, no, no, no, no one's got five. This
is my top though, Amy.

Speaker 1 (04:41):
Yeah, well good like getting a seat at the engine
room to you absolutely have to book because it is
always full.

Speaker 2 (04:46):
And it was packed, yeah, and always well worth going to.
And I think you know they they were they should
have a hat or two.

Speaker 1 (04:52):
Yeah. Absolutely. The French onion soup. I was so pleased
to see this. Most son in law and I went
the whole mad blended, mended extended family went to France.
He and I made French onion soup. It took us
about five days and each person only got about a
carpeach if they were lucky, because it was so rich
and it took you know, like by the time you've

(05:13):
boiled down the bones and absolutely the most important thing, absolutely,
then you'd have to caramelize those own.

Speaker 2 (05:20):
Yes, got a sand. Too many people just boil them up,
throw them and.

Speaker 1 (05:24):
Oh no, we did it. I mean under his eye
was definitely the sushif. My son in law is a
very good cook.

Speaker 2 (05:29):
But if you go online and actually see that photograph
that's actually baked, you know, it's baked in the oven,
in the bowl and it just makes.

Speaker 1 (05:36):
And that's your This is if there is anything that
ails you, I think your French onion soup recipe will
fix it.

Speaker 2 (05:42):
Oh I think more than just ailing you, I think
it just does everything for you. It's just one of
those things you just can't help eating.

Speaker 1 (05:48):
But it's I think I had it at your restaurant.

Speaker 2 (05:51):
It was huge in our restaurant. I mean I used
to give it in France when but you'd go onto
the peasanty type areas and that have huge terreens in
the middle of the table with all the old French. Really,
it was just unbelievable, isn't It got to be done properly, and.

Speaker 1 (06:03):
It's got to be the right cheese. I remember Ranco
being very very strict about the cheese.

Speaker 2 (06:09):
Crabby old cheddar and you've got you've got, well, actually've
got to have a stretchy type thing, but it actually grea.
I think it was a lot of those sort of
cheeses that actually but mozzerrella I think is a bit
too stringy.

Speaker 1 (06:21):
Yeah, that's the one.

Speaker 2 (06:22):
Need the flavor and that little bit of bite, those
stale bread bread things. It's perfect for.

Speaker 1 (06:27):
Absolutely. Do you take us through Another recipe of the
week will be on our website. Do you take us
through the stock making mistakes?

Speaker 2 (06:35):
No? I didn't. You know, if you look, you don't
really have to. You can buy stocks, but you know,
like the Canbel's ones that they're not really real stocks,
but they can if you really look, if you really
want to, you just buy yourself a really good instant stock.
But you're very careful because the saltiness is terrible. But
you don't get that lipsticking together. You know that. You

(06:56):
know that's what we had. But a lot of people,
I mean you can't. You buy bones can take an
awful long time to make its. People can't be bothered
doing that. Get someone else to make your stock for you.
You know, Hey, a new business for us, But I
coult out your old bones.

Speaker 1 (07:14):
Actually the old bones, the old bones dot Co. That's
your me Tony, Lovely to see you as always, and
the recipe will be on our website. I do recommend
if you have got time. We were on holiday so
but it took us three days to make the stock. God,
you used to have it for about a week.

Speaker 2 (07:30):
Didn't you do it? Boil it right down to or
simmer it down to stickiness which was glass beyond and
that if you threw that against the window, it would
just stick there on me. And it's a teaspoon of
just the best heaven.

Speaker 1 (07:43):
Oh that'll be one of my meals. I hope when
I'm dying that one flashes before my together.

Speaker 2 (07:47):
So as well just get into it.

Speaker 1 (07:50):
Lovely to see you. That is Tony still where I ate.
Last engine room gets four takes and we've got the
best French onion soup recipe