Josh Emett is a chivalrous man.
Every morning the renowned chef and co-founder of the Go To Collection restaurant group, which includes Rata, Madam Woo and Hawker & Roll, makes his wife a coffee. Their go-to brew is a steaming hot flat white, made using Nespresso’s Arpeggio capsule.
But Emett's appreciation of coffee extends far beyond what he pours into his and Helen's mugs every morning.
As Nespresso's New Zealand Culinary Ambassador, Emett has spent the past five years discovering new and innovative ways to show Kiwis the complexities of coffee through food. "It brings a layer of complexity to a dish, but also a robust and earthy flavour," he says of cooking with coffee.
Emett will demonstrate his expertise in cooking with coffees from across the globe, when he hosts a five-course degustation experience in Auckland next month. Every dish will be inspired by the arrival of Nespresso’s Master Origins Collection, made from beans ranging from the mountains of Sumatra to the highland vales of Nicaragua.
“It’s going to be an evening of storytelling,” Emett says. “We plan to take Kiwis on a journey.”
The unique flavours of specific regions will be celebrated. “Each dish has been inspired by the [collection’s] five distinct coffees, one of which is a delicious wood-smoked spiced duck, that represents the aromatic profile of Master Origin India.”
Expect non-traditional use of coffee in Emett’s extensive menu, including using coffee granules in spice rubs to enhance coffee’s powerful wood and spiced notes.
Each dish will be matched with either wine or coffee, as recommended by Nespresso Coffee Ambassador Mitch Monaghan, who will also share the reasons behind why these coffee-growing regions were chosen for the Master Origin range.
And while Emett hasn’t visited any of the Master Origin countries, he has witnessed first-hand Nespresso’s commitment to sustainability when he visited a sustainable Brazilian coffee farm in 2014.
“Sustainability and the environment is important to Nespresso, they’ve been committed to improving standards for the industry for more than 30 years.”
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.Inspired by the unique flavour profiles of the countries he’s visited, Emett spends much of his time overseas “tasting dishes and trying to think about new flavours and new ideas, how they would react in New Zealand environments and where I can source similar ingredients.”
On a recent trip to Singapore, Emett spent a lot of time eating and thinking about recipes for Madam Woo and Hawker & Roll.
“In a month’s time I’m off again, this time heading to Texas and Mexico. And we’ve already planned where we are going to go and eat.”
• Josh Emett presents The Coffee Origins Degustation Dinner in partnership with Nespresso, September 20, 6pm at The Orange Coronation Hall, 149/147 Newton Rd, Eden Terrace. Tickets $120 each, which includes a five-course meal, espresso martini on arrival, coffee and wine matches, plus special gift. To book visit Eventfinda.co.nz.
