Five minutes with Yael Shochat from Ima Cuisine

By MiNDFOOD

Five minutes with Yael Shochat from Ima Cuisine
We sit down with Ima Cuisine's chef-owner Yael Shochat to find out her must-try Auckland eateries, what kitchen item she can't live without and her tips for making the perfect roast potatoes. 

What are your 3 favourite dishes to make at home?

“My default meals at home are simple- a great pasta sauce, a good roast chicken with crispy potatoes a good curry.”

What are your 5 favourite restaurants in New Zealand?

“It’s hard to keep to five I’ve narrowed it down to eight! We go to our favourite Dominion Road joints Sha Xian Snack and Jade Town on a regular basis.

“Then there is Totoya in Albany, a Korean I adore and I wish my family agreed to cross the bridge for it more often.

“I can’t wait to go to Beijing Duck in Panmure and Bunga Raya in New Lynn, and I love Han in Parnell.

Apero and Coco’s Cantina on K Road are delicious and great company, and another of my favourites is Cazador.”

Tips for making the perfect roast chicken with potatoes…

“For the potatoes, par boil drain add a generous amount of olive oil butter and flaky salt shake the pot to roughen the potatoes and cover them in an oily buttery mash, it makes it crispy!”

What are your favourite ingredients to cook with and what do you love about them?

“Coming from the Middle East I love summer fruit and vegetables. Tomatoes, eggplants, courgette, capsicum, loads of garlic and I love fruit!”

“I love to use dark plums peached apricots but really there isn’t a fruit I don’t like.”

The kitchen item you couldn’t live without?

“A good sharp knife is a good start.”

A recipe you’d like to share?

This recipe for goulash soup is a great meal when the weather gets cold.

READ MORE: Five minutes with Luke from Wise Boys.

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