How To Make a Hangi

There is no other food preparation process anywhere on earth quite like a Hangi. A Hangi is the traditional New Zealand method of cooking food underground. The method came from the early indigenous settlers and is still utilized in these modern times because of the distinct taste it gives to the food. The methods utilized and the work involved in putting down a Hangi remain very modeled on customary methods. The complete operation can almost take an entire day to finish. Most people who have tasted Hangi cuisine can testify to the total uniqueness of the flavoring it gives to the food. Hangi food is steamed underground. You got that right, the meal is seriously buried in the ground as a part of the steaming process. Each and every international traveler to New Zealand ought to endeavour to find and try out a Hangi first hand. You can't truly say that you've been to New Zealand if you haven't eaten a Hangi. This informative article briefly explains exactly how a Hangi is prepared in the customary way.This will provide you with a much better understanding regarding what is actually involved and just how much work goes into organizing and making a Hangi.The first step is to locate some distinctive volcanic rocks to use as a source of heat to be able to cook the food. River rocks, sand stones along with several other sedimentary varieties of rocks are not going to perform the job simply because they won't heat up to a high temperature and if you try to raise the temperature of them they could explode, causing serious injuries to anyone close by. Selecting the correct class of rocks for this job is positively crucial to the successful outcome of ANY Hangi. Once you've successfully located these rocks, you will have to heat them to a very high temperature within an open fire. The timber used will alter the flavor of the Hangi for good or bad. In New Zealand there are a couple of special types of wood which are ideal for this task mainly because they supply a unique smoky flavor. Caution: Using treated or brushed timber will probably severely taint your Hangi food and may also lead to sickness if consumed. Your Hangi pit should be dug before lighting the fire or whilst it is burning. Whilst digging the hole make sure that you take into account the dimensions of your basket as well as a little bit of additional room for extra padding.The Hangi basket could be loaded anytime before the fire is finished with meats, veges and from time to time even seafood and pudding. The particular engineering of the Hangi basket is not as important as the size and shape of the basket in terms of cooking it right through. The floor of the basket is generally covered and the foodstuff must be stacked in a specific way for the best possible cooking.When the fire has carried out it's job the rocks should be transfered into the pit. It is incredibly essential that this particular phase is performed as efficiently as possible on the grounds that the longer the rocks are out of the fire, the more energy they are going to lose. It takes place near a hot fire and is the most important stage. The packed basket ought to be placed upon the hot rocks immediately after the exchange has taken place.As soon as the basket is in place it should speedily be enveloped with several layers of damp cloth.The type of material utilized and the quantity of cloth utilized here is really important, as is also the depth and placement of these coverings around the basket and stones.Once the basket has been enveloped it's time to pick up those shovels once more and bury the entire thing completely until it's closed tightly underground.Finally, wait about for a few hours and dig up the Hangi and 'Hey Presto', you've just cooked your very own Hangi!Hangi food is typically offered as a public smorgasboard. The meal is spread out on a table and folks generally help themselves as they please. Wonderful Hangi side dishes include things like fried bread and / or rewena bread.This description isn't meant to be a full guide by any means. In order to cook your own Hangi there's a great deal more specific information you need to have with regards to your related equipment, planning and timing. If any one of these factors is incorrect your Hangi could very well turn out to be a complete failure. For you to avoid having to order fish and chips it would certainly be wise to search for more thorough material if you are unfamiliar with the intricacies of the activity.