[Euro-tropical music] [Walter] New Caledonia is an exciting blend of French and Kanak native traditions.

Referred to as the Paris of the Pacific, hidden 800 miles off the coast of Australia lies this incredible mix of Melanesian and European food.

[Walter Speaking French] Thrilling experiences, and breathtaking landscapes.

Today I will learn the traditional methods of the indigenous dish, Bougna Spectacular.

And discover more modern dishes that capture the French and regional influences such as yellowfin tuna tataki, mango salad with pincer prawns, and a grilled vegetable pie.

All this for A Taste of History.

[Narrator] This program is made possible by Pasture-raised Australian beef and lamb, adding variety into your weekly meals or a unique touch for your next celebration.

Widely available at your local market.

For recipes and more, we're at aussiebeefandlamb.com [Music] [Narrator]When British explorer James Cook first set eyes on this island in 1774, he gave it the name New Caledonia because its stunning mountainous terrain reminded him of his native Scotland.

However, thousands of years before European arrival, the Indigenous Kanak people occupied the various regions of this majestic Melanesian island nation.

Unlike other subregions of Oceania, like Micronesia and Polynesia, the topographical diversity of New Caledonia led to the creation of dozens of distinct indigenous languages.

Each indistinguishable from the next, ranging from the mountainous highlands to the sprawling coastlines.

For the Kanak people their ancestors are their protectors and they worship, respect and represent them in the many carvings and totems that adorn the various traditional huts that dot the country.

[Ominous Music] Under the order of Napoleon the third, France took formal control of New Caledonia in 1854, naming Nouméa as its capital city.

In the ensuing decades, over 20,000 French prisoners were transported to the island and contracted to work the newly discovered nickel mines.

For the Kanak people.

decades of slavery, relocation and economic exclusion sparked a series of uprisings throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries that were subsequently squashed by colonial authorities.

Since the 1940s, New Caledonia remains a French overseas territory, with the Kanak people representing 40% of its population.

Their culture is still infused in everyday life on the island, and at the Tjibaou Cultural Center this towering tribute to native architectural design provides visitors with a path into the heart of Kanak tradition.

[Walter] I'm stopping in at the cultural center to meet Deborah Knassil, a Kanak native who is carrying on the tradition of her ancestors by preparing the ancient dish of Bougna.

This distinctive earthen oven cooking, common throughout all of Oceania, starts with heating the rocks that will be used to cook a variety of hearty ingredients.

[Deborah speaking French] [Walter speaking French] And to do it like they used to do for thousands and thousands of years, you make a fire first.

It takes about an hour to get the stones really hot.

Those are lava stones that later maintains the heat.

There's nothing modern in here so they use that piece later to tie it all up.

Right now he's doing it, he's blanching that a little bit over the heat because if he doesn't blanch it, he couldn't fold it.

In the States, you can buy a banana leafs already in the freezer section and just take them home.

They're already pre-blanched so they're foldable like so many people do.

Some people do tamales in banana leaf and many other foods.

But this is the way to do it, otherwise, they would break on you.

The recipe will not work without the inner-leaf of the banana tree.

[Deborah speaking french] [Walter] In the core of the leaf you have the liquid, or, call it the "jus."

So, she said in French "sa dans le gout" meaning "it gives the flavor."

That is your flavor package.

Her son, her son in law, they're helping.

But this particular step she does exclusively because she doesn't trust the helpers even with this leaf.

Very, very tender, very soft.

Deborah, just explained to me how important it is right now to build up the fire, because it's got to heat up, it's got to burn up, the stones got to be really hot.

So the next step is she is going to prepare the food that later goes on the fire.

[cracking sounds] Okay!

[Deborah] Bon appétit.

[Walter] Wow, it doesn't get better than that!

Unbelievable.

[Scraping sounds] [Walter speaking French] [Music] [Deborah] Voila [Walter] She made a crown, if you will, from the palm that holds it all together.

So basically this is the bottom and you have dry coco around.

[Deborah speaking French] [Walter] And then she put a banana leaf that she blanched before inside.

[Deborah speaking French] [Walter] You need three leaves, three big leaves.

Now comes the inner last leaf that has the "jus" in there.

[Deborah speaking French] [Walter] That's the "last leaf."

This, I've never seen before.

She's cleaning the yams.

[Walter speaking French] [Deborah] No!

[Walter] No?

[Walter] I asked Deborah for a taste, but she turned me down [Deborah speaking French] [Walter] Don't taste it raw but obviously taste it when it's cooked, which I will.

And there's a lot, a lot of variations of this root.

The purple one is the most flavorful, [Tropical Music] [Walter] He is cleaning the sweet potato and she's opening the banana.

[Deborah singing] [Walter] You put the green onions down first.

[Deborah speaking French] [Walter] And then she puts in the special root and she penetrates the root so that she can break off a slice.

There we go.

Very, very old fashioned way of doing that, take a look.

And she's got another slice in there.

Now, she put the chicken in there.

And more green onions on top.

And now comes the potato and then the banana on top.

[Walter speaking French] [Walter] Any protein you want to use, you can use.

The flavors when it's cooked very slowly will penetrate each other layer of ingredients.

[Speaking in French] [Walter] So, green onions is very important because it gives a lot of flavor to the dish.

She puts salt on it.

And now she's making the coconut milk.

Just dry coconut, you grate it, and then you soak it in water.

She put it in a strainer, pour it on top.

And obviously the coconut milk is very important because otherwise it would be, to dry since there's not a lot of moisture in there.

Now comes the big challenge that is to close the whole thing so it doesn't break open.

[Speaking in French] [Walter] Then the other leaves they're not as delicate they're just to protect it.

When the stem is too long, he just cuts the stem so that it will be a nice package.

[Walter speaking French] [Deborah speaking French] [Walter] It takes a certain technique and expertise to tie that package because if you're not a professional like her, it can break open over the fire.

So much for your lunch.

[Laughing] [Tropical music] [Walter] This is unbelievable how the wood burned down and heated up the rocks.

Fantastic.

[Speaking French] [Walter] And the other two are just two roots that they wrapped up and just cook it at the same time.

Stone cooking.

Unbelievable.

Now the tongs that she has here are from the cocao tree.

Look at that, how creative.

Basically, it's a family affair.

When you have a wedding or a family get together, so then everybody helps adding the stones to it, I feel like a part of the family, so I'm going to help out as well.

There's one more important step coming to that, and it's where they close up the entire firepit.

And he's put a little water on there.

It's like a seagrass.

Oh, the flavor that comes out of that short time that we had it in there is absolutely spectacular.

He covers it so that the the heat stays in it and steams all the stuff together.

So now it's going to get all covered completely.

What a day for a chef.

I've been cooking for 60 years.

All over the world.

I have never, ever, ever experienced something like this.

Spectacular.

So Deborah told me that is not an exact science of how long it's going to cook.

But she estimates it'll be done within an hour's time.

[Music] [Tropical Music] [Deborah] Extraordinaire.

[Walter] A dream come true for a chef to see you doing that, look how gorgeous it looks right in front of us, and more so, the flavors that come out of that.

It's so much detail, that went in there so many layers of getting it all together.

so that every layer has a purpose.

There is a little banana leaf Oh, look at it, look, Look at it.

Oh, yeah.

Oh, oh.

[Deborah] Viola!

La bougna.

[Walter] Oh, beautiful.

I wanted to try that because earlier Deborah told me not to eat it raw.

Wow!

What a spectacular flavor.

But really, I have my eyes set on one of those chicken pieces.

Oh, so delicious.

So much flavor.

It's unbelievable.

[Walter speaking French] Delicious!

[Deborah] Merci!

[Walter] It's a family event, and everybody helped together so everybody is going to come here and get some of that food.

Okay, I got a banana.

Wow.

The flavor profile of this dish is unbelievable.

[Kanak man] It's good.

[Walter] Very good, huh?

Hey, how are you?

For me, personally, it's a fantastic moment.

You know, we dwell in history, but never as far as we're going back today to the history right here in New Caledonia.

[Music] [Drink pouring] [Walter] So I heard people talking about this very unique drink called Kava.

So I found this hidden away place.

Where they make it and sell it and hopefully I get to try it, but not too much!

[Laughing] [Music] [Speaking in French] [Speaking in French] [Walter] Oh no!

No no no.

[Bartender] Look.

[Walter laughing] Oh, okay!

[Walter speaking in French] [Bartender] Give me five!

[Walter] There's some power to it though!

I feel good already.

[Music] [Narrator] Kava is believed to promote peace and happiness in your mind, body and soul.

While some machinery has improved, the traditional method of preparing, the ceremonial drink has remained largely unchanged in the Pacific Islands for over 3000 years.

The main ingredient is the root system of the Kava plant, which contains medicinal and relaxing properties.

These roots are mixed with water and washed several times.

They are then passed through a grinder to break down the fibers.

Cold water is added to the pulp and a large blender is used to continue breaking down the roots.

This agitation and hydration helps emulsify the root particles into a liquid.

Any remaining bark is removed through the filtering process where the liquid is pressed in a cloth to separate the impurities and retain the medicinal properties for the drink.

[Music] [Walter] So the owner told me that you have to drink it in one swoop so like a shot.

It would be bad luck if you sip on it.

Oh.

It actually tastes very unique, but very good.

It's not an offensive drink it's just a different flavor profile that you're not used to it If you don't live in the South Pacific.

It feels kind of almost like a little menthol, but I know it's not menthol in there.

It's kind of numbs your throat a little bit, but in a good way.

She told me that people come here because after a couple of those you feel very relaxed.

The stress of the day is gone and you just get a good feeling.

I might have a few more of those because I really feel the effects.

It relaxes me already.

The good flavor profile in there, I mean, I can see people get hooked on that.

[Music] [Walter] While indigenous culture remains omnipresent in New Caledonia today, equally as strong is the influence of the French, especially in the capital city of Noumea.

Here you will find classic French cafes, restaurants, and of course pâtisseries, where the baked goods are made with the same precision that you would find in Paris.

For somebody that's worked in Paris many, many years ago.

Coming here, you can find all that.

It's beautiful, it's buttery, and look at this beautiful baguette.

It tastes spectacular.

It's really hard to believe that they can produce this quality right here, especially for a baker with a lot of high humidity that you got here, It's not easy to produce that.

But obviously they have been very successful.

It's a gorgeous island, very friendly people tremendous variety of baked goods, The foods they serve throughout, the romantic environment that you have here.

I can now fully understand why they call it Paris of the Pacific.

[Relaxing tropical music] [Baptiste] Welcome, chef.

Welcome to New Caledonia.

We say "Bienvenue sur le caillou!"

[Walter] It's a pleasure to be working with you in your gorgeous resort.

[Baptiste] Welcome to Le Méridien Nouméa.

It's a beautiful place.

[Walter] My first time here.

[Baptiste] Yes?

[Walter] Yeah, I don't know nothing.

You gotta help me out.

[Laughing] [Baptiste] Yes.

So today I prepared three recipes.

[Walter] Your native cuisine of France together with some of the tradition of the island.

[Baptiste] Yes.

This is a tuna.

And I take a marinade.

Olive oil, mint, lemon.

[Walter] Beautiful cooked.

It is a yellowfin right?

[Baptiste] It is a yellow.

[Walter] And I think Chef, there is one piece left for me.

[Baptiste] Okay.

[Laughing] [Walter] That's what I'm here for.

Why do you think I'm so skinny?

Oh, the marinade, it's beautiful.

Fantastic.

[Baptiste] Thank you.

Harissa - raspberry and Piment.

[Walter] Harissa is a condiment used heavily in North Africa, and the chef has mixed Raspberry under it so I got to actually try it myself.

Oh, what a great combination.

I would have never thought of that.

[Baptiste] I like sweet and salt you know?

With the sugar of a raspberry it's very sweet.

No?

Pickles of cucumber Okay.

This is a vinegar with cinnamon and mix the salad of papaya.

[Walter] Got you.

- Okay [Walter] You made the papaya in a beautiful, fine julienne.

Lime, ginger, Okay.

[Baptiste] I put just a little on top.

onion, Okay.

Pickles.

I like vinegar, you know.

[Walter] Sure.

Aritist at work.

Very beautiful.

[Baptiste] Mint.

[Walter] Fresh Mint.

[Baptiste] Yes fresh mint.

Just a little bit.

Croutons.

[Walter] And then the sesame goes on top, beautiful.

It's the same marinate that the loin was marinated in.

[Baptiste] You have a tuna.

[Walter] Gorgeous.

Wow.

Wow.

The combination.

[Baptiste] Right?

[Walter] What's not to like?

[laughs] You really are an example of bringing the French cuisine in here and then adapting to what's available.

[Baptiste] Thank you very much.

[Relaxing tropical music] [Baptiste] I prepare a fresh salad mango with feta and shrimp.

I would assume you got inspired coming here to the island that has a lot of mango growing and it's in season right now.

[Baptiste] Yes.

It starts in December.

[Walter] So in a nice hot pan, right?

[Baptiste] Yes.

[Walter] So we get just a nice sear on it.

Got you.

So those shrimp right from the ocean behind us.

[Baptiste] Yes, of course.

I use a lot of Piment d'Espelette you know, [sizzling] [Walter] Very beautiful.

Just get a nice little color to it.

[Baptiste] Yeah.

[Walter] Just put the shrimp aside a little bit until you get the rest of the salad together.

[Baptiste] After, take a fresh mango.

[Walter] Very beautiful.

It's mango season!

Beautiful.

[Baptiste] Feta.

[Walter] Feta, yeah.

[Baptiste] I use the coriander Salt.

[Walter] Just the zest of the lime.

[Baptiste] Here's some juice.

I use a little of vinegar.

Olive oil.

Makes a salad.

[Walter] Looks delicious because of the sweetness of the mango together with the tartness of the of the feta cheese.

That's a nice combination.

You know, Chef, where we're from it's winter now.

Here you grow papaya and mangoes Gosh, this is such a good flavor coming out of there.

It's just a little bit of vinegar and olive oil.

Little bit of salt.

[Baptiste] Yes, it's fresh and simple.

Take the shrimp.

[Walter] it's a beautiful presentation, I tell you that.

Little bit of olive oil on top for the flavor.

[Baptiste] You have a salad!

[Walter] Beautiful.

Fantastic recipe.

The flavors just bursts in your throat.

The beauty of the mango, the feta cheese, Chef I got to test your shrimp as well.

Oh, that's beautiful.

Just, I mean I almost can taste the ocean that's how fresh they are.

You can tell.

And I love the way that you just cook it very plain little olive oil, little bit of seasoning done.

No additional calories in there, a little bit of oil the rest is beautiful.

[Tropical music] [Baptiste] For this recipe I prepare a vegetable pizzelle.

[Walter] It's almost like a hashbrown, if you will.

[Baptiste] Yes.

[Walter] And this is actually very easy to make at home.

All you need is a grater, and put it on a nonstick pan and cook it on both sides until golden brown.

[Baptiste] Onion with honey and balsamic vinegar.

[Walter] Most people refer to as a confit as well.

[Baptiste] Yes.

[Walter] Eggplant.

And you're using zucchini.

- Zucchini [Walter] You cut it on a mandolin?

[Baptiste] Yes.

[Walter] So fine, very nice.

Also, when you do this presentation, it gives you the height that you're looking for, you know?

[Baptiste] Yes.

[Walter] Beautiful presentation.

I like that, very nice.

Those are woodfired peppers that you take the dark skin off and give you a very distinctive flavor, too by the way.

You can't imitate it, it's excellent.

[Baptiste] This is the tomato confit.

[Walter] The concept is great because you have some that are cooked [Baptiste] Yes.

[Walter] or marinated or made into confit, and some are fresh like the radishes.

I got it.

[Baptiste] After I put the radish I put the fresh tomatoes on, and after I put onion, pickles, [Walter] Look out, beautiful it looks.

You are an artist!

[Baptiste] Basil.

[Walter] That's beautiful chef.

[Baptiste] I use celery.

[Walter] Celery on top, yeah.

[Baptiste] Just a little.

[Walter] Little seasoning on top.

[Baptiste] And just, olive oil.

[Walter] Beautiful plate.

Beautiful plate, Chef.

Let me see the flavor I get.

[Walter] Oh, so simple but so refreshing and beautiful.

I mean, the potatoes on the bottom is too natural.

I would eat it any day of the week.

It beautiful.

[Baptiste] Thank you.

[Walter] Who would have thought that I find the classical French cuisine in the Pacific.

I mean seriously, they're flavorful, they're beautiful.

They have simplicity, but just I mean, I don't know what else to say, but Merci beaucoup.

[Baptiste] Thank you.

[Walter] All this for A Taste of History.

This program is made possible by Pasture-raised Australian beef and lamb, adding variety into your weekly meals or a unique touch for your next celebration.

Widely available at your local market.

For recipes and more, we're at aussiebeefandlamb.com Viewers can find DVD's and cookbooks at atasteofhistory.org including the all new A Taste of History cookbook, complete with step by step instructions of recipes seen on the show.

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