- 1 year ago
The Food Truck NZ - S03E07 - Middle East Feast
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00Chef Michael van der Elzen is taking to the streets of New Zealand for a tiki tour of
00:07taste buds.
00:08His goal, to transform some of the world's most popular fat-filled dishes into healthy
00:13gourmet truck food.
00:14I really don't know where to start.
00:19This time on the food truck, Michael attempts to reshape Middle Eastern food.
00:24I want to make my falafel look kind of like a little rugby ball.
00:28But he's playing with fire this time.
00:32I think I can make a better one, and I can make a healthier one, but not deep fried.
00:36I don't know about that.
00:39Can Michael make Middle Eastern fare healthier and tastier and still hit the spot?
00:44Find out on the food truck.
00:53We know it is the first choice of partying Kiwis everywhere, but there's a lot more to
00:58Middle Eastern fast food than foil-wrapped kebabs at 2am on a Friday night.
01:03The food of the Arab countries is among the world's most ancient.
01:06An exotic blend of herbs, hummus, and spiced meats.
01:10There aren't many cuisines that have stood the test of time like Middle Eastern.
01:15It's a great balance of whole foods, chickpeas, couscous, and fresh herbs.
01:20But in New Zealand, kebabs tend to dominate.
01:22Don't get me wrong, I love a kebab as much as the next guy.
01:27But I think it's time for the Kiwi kebab to get a reboot.
01:31In just a few days, Michael will be heading the streets of the capital to tempt Wellington
01:35revelers with his own healthy take on kebabs.
01:38But to have any chance of subduing the marauding mobs, he first needs to go on a pilgrimage.
01:46Michael's road to Damascus leads him to the mall, not for window shopping, but for kebab
01:51sampling.
01:52This is your kebab, sir.
01:53Right.
01:54Thank you very much.
01:55That's tremendous value.
01:56It's only $10.
01:57There's a load of cheese in there.
01:58There's probably a little bit too much meat in there.
01:59There's a lot of sauces in there.
02:00Huge weight.
02:01And this is lunch.
02:02But it's not all humble kebabs.
02:03Fancy Pants Middle Eastern is on the market, too, like this shawarma.
02:04Fatimaz does more of a fusion take on your Turkish bread, because you've got your spiced
02:05lamb in here, but it's got a garlic aioli with it.
02:06It's kind of like eating a burger.
02:07It's really tasty, but it seems to be a little bit more expensive.
02:08It's a little bit more expensive, but it seems to be a little bit more expensive.
02:09It's a little bit more expensive, but it seems to be a little bit more expensive.
02:10It's a little bit more expensive, but it seems to be a little bit more expensive.
02:11But one kebab and a single shawarma is no PhD in Middle Eastern food, so Michael is
02:37leaving town in search of enlightenment and brotherly love.
02:41And he has to go all the way to Wellington to find it, at Kebab Brothers.
02:45Iraqi-born George Jawagus has been making kebabs for 25 years, and Kebab Brothers is
02:51one of the busiest kebab shops in the capital.
02:53Good evening, sir.
02:54How are you?
02:55Michael, pleasure to meet you.
02:56Nice to meet you.
02:57You too.
02:58First things first, who, or what, is Donna Kebab?
03:00I always thought Donna Kebab was just lamb.
03:03No.
03:04Like the word Donna, it means a spin.
03:06This is a Donna, and when it spins, it means a Donna Kebab.
03:10It's time to feed Donna some chicken.
03:12Great.
03:13Let's get this puppy on a stick.
03:15Hold on, Michael.
03:16This puppy needs pampering.
03:18Anyone can make a kebab, but it's all to do with the secrets, how you marinate it.
03:23Lemons are chopped, blended with tomato paste, and homemade yogurt.
03:26With the yogurt, no matter how much you cook it, it's always tender.
03:30We're going to come to the herbs and spices.
03:32Eat your heart out, Colonel Sanders.
03:34Our herbs and spices are a triumph of colour, flavour, and zest.
03:38Black pepper.
03:39Chili flake.
03:40Okay.
03:41Turmeric.
03:42Cumin.
03:43Okay.
03:44This is mint.
03:45Beauty.
03:46Dried oregano.
03:47And never forget the salt.
03:48Okay.
03:49The last thing we're going to put in there is the oil.
03:50As much as you like.
03:51Don't be shy.
03:52And now you're going to blitz it.
03:53There we go.
03:54Look at that colour, man.
03:55Beautiful.
03:56That's it.
03:57A few hours marinating is enough, but hang on, there's one ingredient unique to Middle
04:01Eastern food, and you can't just rustle it up from the pantry.
04:05Quite often you see a lot of halal.
04:07Yeah.
04:08Now what is halal?
04:09Halal, it's to do with the Islamic tradition.
04:12You have to drain all the blood, and when you kill it, you have to say, bismillah.
04:17Bismillah means in the name of God, bless this food.
04:21That's all about that.
04:22And how long will this take to cook before you can start slicing?
04:25You can cut this and cook it in a matter of hour and a half.
04:30It's healthy, it's even holy.
04:32So why do kebabs have such a bad reputation?
04:35So many people think that they're unhealthy, you know, get a dirty kebab at the end of
04:38the night.
04:39Yeah.
04:40Just tell me one thing that it's not healthy about.
04:42Well, eating a kebab after 15 pints of lager for one.
04:46That is absolutely delightful.
04:48It is delightful.
04:50That's why the hungry punters are already gathering outside the door.
04:55But Michael's lesson is not over yet.
04:57Introducing the chickpeas' greatest achievement, the falafel.
05:02Can we use anything instead of chickpeas for the falafel?
05:04Yes.
05:05You go to Egypt, they make falafel out of fava beans.
05:07What about broad beans?
05:08Aricot beans?
05:09No, man.
05:10Black beans?
05:11No.
05:12No.
05:13Baked beans?
05:14Fava beans, chickpeas only.
05:15Chickpeas it is, along with garlic, red onion, spring onion, parsley, coriander, turmeric,
05:20cumin.
05:21And then, at the last, the baking powder.
05:22This lightens it.
05:23Oh, yeah.
05:24The mixture is ready for the deep fryer, unless your name is Michael van der Elzen.
05:28Could you pan fry this?
05:30Not really.
05:31Always deep fry is the best.
05:32Bake it in the oven?
05:33Look, I mean, it's a healthy stuff.
05:34You're deep frying in canola oil.
05:37What do you think?
05:38This is a great falafel.
05:39Yep.
05:40But you know what?
05:41What?
05:42I think I can make a better one.
05:43Yes?
05:44And I can make a healthier one by not deep frying it.
05:46I don't know about that.
05:47And I think I can make a better kebab.
05:49OK.
05:50It's got to be a challenge then.
05:51It will be.
05:52Me and my food truck are going to you and your wonderful kebab shop.
05:55The game is afoot.
05:57Michael may be confident about his food, but to have any chance of competing with the Brotherhood,
06:02he needs to learn how to deliver a kebab.
06:04Fast.
06:06All hail the kebab king, Mario.
06:09So, Mario, you are the kebab king.
06:11Yes, I am.
06:12No one can even roll them fast as I can.
06:14Show me.
06:15So you put the lettuce.
06:16Yes.
06:17Carrot.
06:18Yes.
06:19Sauces.
06:20I think this is the bad part of kebabs, because a lot of these sauces have quite a bit of sugar in them.
06:22I think I've got to come up with something better than the sauces.
06:25Yeah, well, I would love to see that.
06:26OK.
06:27It's time to roll.
06:28You fold the end first so it doesn't go all over them.
06:31Oh, because they're all dry.
06:34Then fold these two sides.
06:36Get the foil like that.
06:37Two hands.
06:38Squeeze first of all.
06:39Tighter?
06:40Yeah, tighter.
06:41Then go.
06:42And seal the bottom.
06:44Just like that.
06:45Hopefully, Michael's a fast learner, because a group of hungry Wellingtonians is about to break down the door.
06:50We've got some customers.
06:52And they're dressed to kill.
06:53What can I get you?
06:54What I've learned today is that kebabs are actually really healthy.
06:57Here you go, young sir.
06:59But you know what?
07:00I think I can beat them at their own game.
07:02Sauces.
07:03Margin of error.
07:04So I'm going to bring the truck down, park it outside the shop, and take them on.
07:08I do not think that Michael can beat me.
07:11Yeah, I might go down in a ball of flames, but I've got to try it.
07:16Oh, that looks beautiful.
07:23Chef Michael van der Elzen has issued a fatwa on the falafel.
07:27I think I can make a better one, and I can make a healthier one by not deep frying them.
07:31I don't know about that.
07:32Flying in the face of thousands of years of tradition, Michael is reinventing Middle Eastern food.
07:38And the Wellington waterfront is the latest stop on his harge of hunger busting.
07:42I have to prove that I can make falafels healthier.
07:45So I want to make falafels that is not deep fried, that's baked in the oven.
07:49And I want to try and load other ingredients in there, but still have a falafel that tastes great.
07:54Michael is not only refusing to deep fry his falafels, he's making them without the essential ingredient.
08:00Infidel!
08:01You know, George said that I couldn't make falafel without chickpeas, but I'm going to.
08:06So first up, I'm going to use a green kidney bean.
08:09Now I've got some cooked quinoa, some fresh garlic, which I'll just crush up.
08:13Fresh spring onions, grated carrot.
08:15It all sounds perfectly above board, but these falafels do have a seedy underbelly.
08:20I've roasted some sesame seed, coriander seed, and cumin seeds.
08:25Without chickpeas, Michael adds an egg white to bind, along with a splash of olive oil.
08:30Okay, so I just want to fry these up and just hit it with a light.
08:33Hello, hello my little falafel.
08:35You look like a falafel.
08:37Oh, you break up, not like a falafel.
08:40Delicate, but delicious.
08:42These are really tasty.
08:44Michael's next effort is barely recognisable as a falafel.
08:47This one's going to be really kooky, really out there.
08:50Cooked canned soybeans combined with garlic and strained pumpkin.
08:54It's going to give it heaps of colour and just great flavour.
08:57Half a red onion, some curly parsley, coriander, more colour, more flavour.
09:02Slice of wholemeal bread.
09:03This is just going to be my binder. It's going to hold it all together.
09:06Then we've got some ground cumin, some pepper, ground cinnamon.
09:09Then we've got some tahini paste, which is sesame seed paste.
09:12At least that's something from the Middle East.
09:14Then finally, just to lighten these up while they're actually baking in the oven,
09:17I'm going to add a little bit of baking powder.
09:19For this falafel, Michael is going with a subtle sporting theme.
09:23I want to make my falafel look kind of like a little rugby ball.
09:26It'll be nice and cute.
09:28Kiwis might call it a rugby ball, but in the industry, this is known as a quenelle.
09:32A quenelle, sir? Oh, yes. Oh, that's a beautiful quenelle.
09:38Great flavour, and I'm excited about these because I baked them in the oven.
09:41So there was no oil involved in these whatsoever.
09:45Zero. Zip. Zilch. Not even in the mix.
09:49Pretty cool.
09:50Never mind the cool factor, what about the hot, as in chilli?
09:54So what I want to make now is a really fast, healthy, simple chilli sauce.
09:59One hot one, one mild one.
10:01The mild sauce consists of supermarket chillies,
10:04but for Michael's hot sauce, he's using more power.
10:07So this is a habanero.
10:08This is the hottest commercially grown chilli in New Zealand.
10:10So I'm going to blend this one, seeds and all.
10:13I want this sauce to be for the chilli champions.
10:16I want to be a chilli champion.
10:18To this, I want to add some sherry vinegar, ground allspice,
10:22then finally our tomato juice.
10:26Standby for liftoff in T minus 3, 2, 1.
10:31Not actually that hot.
10:33That's pretty disappointing.
10:35So Michael immediately goes in search of more oomph.
10:38These chillies are so nuclear, countries like Iran aren't allowed them.
10:42But Michael has access to weapons-grade chilli.
10:45You can just smell the fire coming out of this. It's awesome.
10:48I'm using three of the hottest commercially grown chillies in New Zealand in one sauce.
10:53It's going to be hot.
11:00Liftoff.
11:02Quite hot.
11:04The good people of Wellington have no idea what they're in for.
11:07God help them.
11:09Hello, ladies. Have we tried a few falafels in our time?
11:11We have.
11:12I have to warn you about this chilli sauce, though.
11:14OK, we're warned.
11:17Ooh, all in there. All at once.
11:19Oh, my God. You have faith.
11:21It's fiery.
11:23Your eyes are watering a little bit.
11:25It's quite hot.
11:27It's really nice. There is a bit of heat there, but I'd eat that.
11:30Thankfully, Michael's chilli is not so hot,
11:32people can't taste his pan-fried bean and quinoa falafel.
11:35It's good. I love quinoa.
11:37Yeah, that's good. It's pretty flavoursome.
11:39It tastes real, like, organic.
11:41It's good. Not too dry.
11:43No, this is good.
11:45I think with any of the kebabs around town
11:47is when you've got to layer on too much sauce,
11:49cos, you know, the falafel's dry.
11:51Next up, soya bean and pumpkin, oven-baked.
11:54I'd probably prefer that one, actually, flavour-wise.
11:56Yeah? Yeah, the pumpkin's quite good.
11:58It's a winner. Do you like that one better?
12:00It's good, man. I'd buy it.
12:02I particularly like the baked one.
12:04Perfect, cos I like that one as well.
12:06And this seems to hold its form better.
12:08That's it. That's it.
12:10I've got a falafel that works. That pumpkin one is awesome.
12:12It's moist, I can bake it in the oven, there's no oil.
12:14Yes, I've got to work on some of my sauces,
12:16I've got to introduce some meats,
12:18but the thing that worries me the most is speed.
12:20I have to work on my speed.
12:22It's of the essence, because on game day,
12:24Michael will be competing
12:26with one of the slickest kebab operations in the capital.
12:28But first, he has to plug a big gap in his menu.
12:32Today I want to make some meat options
12:34to go with my beautiful falafel.
12:36So I'm going to take my fish and I'm going to pair it
12:38with a Middle Eastern spice called sumac,
12:40cinnamon and nutmeg,
12:42and I'm going to add that to roasted cumin,
12:44coriander, fennel seeds and caraway seeds.
12:46And then toss the monkfish through that,
12:48marinate it, ready to go.
12:50I think I have to offer a chicken kebab.
12:52Yeah, otherwise I'm just going to,
12:54I'm going to get into trouble with the punters tomorrow.
12:56I'm going to take some unsweetened yoghurt,
12:58mix that with some dried red capsicum,
13:00some garlic, some turmeric and some white pepper.
13:02Mix that all together. Look at that colour.
13:04The colour's awesome.
13:06Added some chicken that I brought at the local halal butcher.
13:08Combine it, let it rest for an hour,
13:10ready to go.
13:12Michael has also whipped up a homemade hummus,
13:14garlic yoghurt sauce and tabbouleh.
13:16He's also offering a generous suite
13:18of salad options.
13:20Cods and rocket leaves, beefsteak tomatoes,
13:22tricoloured carrots, radishes,
13:24my bean sprout mixture, beetroot and pomegranate
13:26and some beautiful sari.
13:28With one major exception.
13:30Please take note,
13:32no cheese whatsoever.
13:34But how quickly can he put all of this together
13:36under pressure?
13:38That goes in. A little bit of hummus.
13:40Lovely, lovely. That goes on.
13:42Garlic yoghurt. Oh yes. Chilli sauce.
13:44It's delicious chilli sauce.
13:46Load up the tabbouleh.
13:48Fish goes on.
13:52Now we roll.
13:54Boom!
13:56One minute and four left on the clock.
13:58So this took three minutes.
14:00These wraps do worry me though.
14:02You look at the top of this wrap.
14:04It's actually starting to crack out already.
14:06I can make a kebab in three minutes.
14:08That's awesome. That's a pretty wicked
14:10tasting kebab. But the thing is tomorrow
14:12there's going to be masses of queues of people.
14:14There's going to be people wanting multiple orders.
14:16Tomorrow is going to be a whole new beast
14:18all together. You might need to find
14:20another wrapper.
14:26Chef Michael van der Elzen
14:28has declared jihad on middle of the road
14:30Middle Eastern. And he's playing
14:32with fire.
14:34Now he's come to Courtney Place
14:36to take on the capital's
14:38kebab kings in a head to head.
14:40Me and my food truck are going to you and your
14:42wonderful kebab shop.
14:44It's Friday night and thousands of merry
14:46or soon to be merry revellers
14:48are working up their appetites in the bars
14:50and clubs of downtown Wellington.
14:52It's really cool in one way
14:54but also really scary in another.
14:58Look at all these people.
15:00With these crowds speed will be critical
15:02so Michael has streamlined his menu
15:04and his pricing.
15:06Three choices of wrap, one price fits all.
15:08Turmeric yogurt marinated
15:10chicken, ten bucks.
15:12Pumpkin soybean quinoa falafel,
15:14ten bucks. Sumac spice
15:16mung fish, ten bucks. Which makes it
15:18really quick for me because it's all
15:20multiples of ten. Easy, fast
15:22change.
15:24And provided his new spinach wraps
15:26do the trick, it should be full steam
15:28ahead. According to the packer
15:30they won't crack or split.
15:32We're under starters orders.
15:34But is this a sprint or a marathon?
15:36Who can sell the most kebabs in one hour?
15:38Bring it on Michael.
15:40It's a sprint and we're off.
15:42One chicken and one mung fish.
15:44Veg please.
15:46One mung fish.
15:48Immediately Michael is under the pump.
15:50I've just got to be as fast as I possibly can.
15:52The baying crowd is not only hungry
15:54they've just watched New Zealand
15:56lose the cricket.
15:58I've already started. There's lots of charts
16:00out there. There's massive crowds.
16:02And they're coming at him from all
16:04angles. I'm not doing drive through sorry.
16:06Don't worry. Okay. Awesome.
16:10Oh I forgot your filling.
16:12That would help. That wasn't a good start was it?
16:14I forgot the ladies filling.
16:16This is where it's going to get messy.
16:18Here's your chicken. Thank you.
16:20Michael's going as fast as one man
16:22can but his highly customisable
16:24menu is now working against him.
16:26Salary.
16:28Cucumber.
16:30Alfalfa sprouts.
16:32At this pace
16:34Michael stands no chance of churning
16:36through his customers so he
16:38decides to make a subtle change to his system
16:40and hopes no one will notice.
16:42Here you go. Do enjoy.
16:44I'm not even going to ask them what they want in it.
16:46I'm going to give them what I think they will like.
16:48Fortunately
16:50what Michael thinks they will like
16:52appears to be bang on.
16:54All the ingredients are in there.
16:56It's all rolled into one really
16:58nice package.
17:00I love the spinach wrap. That's a really nice touch as well.
17:02I think it's fantastic. Well done.
17:04Best kebab ever.
17:06For my first ever fish kebab.
17:08It takes the cake. It's so good.
17:10The chicken's cooked beautifully.
17:12It's really nice.
17:14Give me a bite. Yeah.
17:16This is just so fresh and just
17:20yeah
17:22Sorry.
17:24Back in the truck Michael has
17:26inadvertently added BBQ wraps
17:28to his menu.
17:30Smokey in the air. You burnt the bread.
17:32They won't be the first.
17:34Meanwhile
17:36inside Kebab Brothers the pace
17:38is glacial.
17:40But experienced
17:42owners George and Mario are quite
17:44content to bide their time.
17:46Don't forget that we get busy after
17:4812. It goes crazy after 12.
17:50In the truck
17:52Michael's streamlined service is almost
17:54keeping up with demand.
17:56So far I am actually getting through
17:58a lot. It's just trying to keep up with the
18:00massive crowd. The queue for the truck
18:02is so long the people at the back
18:04are now closer to Kebab Brothers than the
18:06truck. I need to like push some
18:08more people into Kebab Brothers.
18:10Even this game up a little bit.
18:12George from Kebab Brothers is so confident
18:14he's even willing to aid the enemy.
18:16Michael how's it going man?
18:18I'm right thank you. But if you need a hand
18:20just let me know. No problem. I'm the expert.
18:22Right. Great.
18:24Half an hour into
18:26the challenge there's no doubt Michael
18:28has more customers. But does he still
18:30have the capacity to meet demand?
18:32By the look of the crowds
18:34they're just getting bigger.
18:36But keeping up is only half the battle
18:38because Michael seems to have grossly overestimated
18:40the popularity of it's falafels.
18:42I've got heaps of falafels left.
18:44Heaps.
18:46Everybody's ordering my falafels. You know what the falafels
18:48are great.
18:50Whereas the chicken is flying out
18:52the door. With what I've got on
18:54the grill and this that's it. We've run out of chicken.
18:56I thought I came here
18:58with more food than what I would need.
19:00I didn't even have half of what
19:02I needed. Hey people we've
19:04run out of chicken I'm sorry.
19:08As Michael runs out of chook
19:10the Kebab Brothers begin to cook.
19:12Picking up the slack with the greatest of ease.
19:14No matter what you do
19:16we're still going to kick your ass man.
19:18Look at Kebab Brothers.
19:20We are the champions man.
19:22We're always busy so
19:24I don't think it's going to affect us.
19:26Thanks George. Bye.
19:28But if George's
19:30taunts inspire Michael to one last
19:32push it's already too late.
19:34I have sold
19:36out of chicken. Chicken went first.
19:38Monkfish went next and now
19:40I've just sold my last falafel.
19:42There you go. Thank you.
19:44Bye bye. Take care. Enjoy.
19:46It's a sell out
19:48but is it enough?
19:50Boys, boys, boys. Michael.
19:52How are we? Good on you man.
19:54Good on you.
19:56What was the challenge? One hour.
19:58How many did you sell? 61.
20:00We only did
20:0243 but
20:04now it's still young. We get busy.
20:06We're still going to beat you by a long shot mate.
20:08I'm happy to leave them to you at that time.
20:10The numbers
20:12tell the story and 61
20:14satisfied Wellingtonians can't
20:16be wrong. I've been waiting
20:1840 minutes to get these. It's just
20:20worth the wait eh? It's a little bit smaller
20:22than usual kebab but the fact is that
20:24it's just so delicious
20:26and it's really filling. I'd definitely pay $10
20:28for this anywhere else.
20:30I really like the falafel itself.
20:32It's got a lot of strong flavour.
20:34A lot of good texture.
20:36I really like the beetroot. Unfortunately
20:38it kind of spilled all over me
20:40and on my shoes but that's okay
20:42because you've got to have a good kebab
20:44after a good night on the drinks.
20:46Bloody brilliant. Thanks Michael.
20:50Like a true gentleman
20:52Michael has saved one kebab for his
20:54opponents.
20:56It's yummy bro. Very nice.
20:58You know it tastes absolutely beautiful.
21:00He did an absolutely great job.
21:02This kebab was absolutely
21:04sensational. A lot of veggies.
21:06Healthy. It's a beautiful kebab.
21:08But what about arguably
21:10Michael's greatest achievement?
21:12The chickpea-less baked falafel.
21:14It's really amazing to make falafel without
21:16deep frying and it tastes good.
21:18It's healthy but
21:20again for me I would
21:22go back to my falafel you know.
21:24Yep. Local loyalties
21:26are hard to shift.
21:28The best falafels are from here.
21:30If you want falafels you come
21:32to Kebab Bros.
21:34In Wellington.
21:36Kebab Wellington.
21:38That was absolutely intense.
21:40I've lost my voice. I've set a
21:42challenge to sell the most kebabs
21:44in one hour and I did that and
21:46on top of that I am so proud
21:48because those kebabs that I served
21:50were just awesome. They were healthy.
21:52They were flavoursome. They were at a good price
21:54and for once the food truck
21:56sold out
21:58and I'm done in two hours.
22:04Next time
22:06Who made this? Me.
22:08You? How do you know how to do this?
22:10I don't.
22:12Michael gives Polynesians everywhere
22:14a fright by messing with island food.
22:16If I cook this can I put some vegetables into it?
22:18Don't put any veggies in it.
22:20No veggies? No!
22:22It kind of tastes a bit off.
22:24I'm starting to form a love-hate relationship with Taro.
22:26If I was in the islands I would have
22:28just chucked this in the rubbish.
22:30That's next time on the Food Truck.
Be the first to comment