Q&A with Glenys Woollard - Food

If you have a food question email Glenys at glenyswoollard@clear.net.nz

IS IT OKAY TO USE NEW ZEALAND SPINACH (TETRAGONIA TETRAGONIOIDES) IN SALADS?

Perhaps, but use only the very youngest and most tender leaves, and then sparingly. New Zealand spinach is usually blanched or cooked first, because it has high levels of oxalic acid and tastes acidic if eaten raw. But once cooked it becomes mild and delicious, very like ordinary spinach, although it is not related. New Zealand spinach is native to this country and Australia and thrives in warm weather. The more you pick, the more it produces.

WHAT CAN I DO WITH LEFTOVER CHICKEN FAT?

Try it for roasting, frying, or as a butter substitute in scones, but make a small batch first to check if you like the flavour. Raw chicken fat needs to be rendered - that is, melted down - first. In Jewish cuisine it is known as schmaltz. Like beef dripping and lard, it is a saturated fat so use sparingly. Bird-lovers can melt it, mix it with seed then set it in small containers to put out for feathered friends.