We chat to Tantalus Estate Head Chef Tino Passano about their beef eye fillet recipe featuring in My Gourmet Bag.
Set amongst the vines in the heart of Onetangi Valley on Waiheke Island, Tantalus Estate Restaurants, Vineyards and Winery offer guests a variety of dining areas, as well as garden spaces to relax and indulge. Their menu emphasises and celebrates produce seasonality with a commitment to highlighting the source of ingredients.
Each dish will surprise you with textural delights featuring product from their kitchen gardens, fruit trees, apiary, wildflowers and native wetlands. The menu offers refined, tantalising dishes with bold flavours – the combination of food and wine, alongside sweeping views of the vineyard and valley, create an enchanting and unforgettable visit.
We caught up with Tantalus Estate’s Head Chef, Tino Passano, about their Seared Beef Eye Fillet with Ricotta Gnudi & Asparagus Emulsion featuring in My Gourmet Bag.
What is the inspiration for the dish?
“Summer of 2019 was exceptionally dry, so the product availability and quality were hugely affected. Our asparagus supply was so up and down that I considered scrapping the idea of using them. I then realised, why not try and use them in a different way. That’s where the burnt asparagus emulsion came into play and we ended up creating this amazing beef dish around it.”
What is your food philosophy?
Great food brings people together and creates great memories.
And your cooking style?
I follow a modern style of cooking with a dash of complexity and always with a few childhood memories. I love barbecues so smoking, charring and curing are all on the list.
