Waikato roots bring TV chef to Fieldays

TV chef Nici Wickes has returned to her Waikato roots to demonstrate inspiring international dishes.

The world-renowned chef and host of the World Kitchen TV show is doing three demonstrations a day in the Placemakers Kiwi’s Best marquee on O road near the ANZ arch.  She kicked off her first demo with a Spanish tortilla, and caramelised banana, custard and meringue puddings.

The recipes sound intimidating, but Nici Wickes assures her audience that her meals are simple enough for anyone to make.

She will make a different meal for each demo, and challenges her audience to cook one or both of the dishes, within the next 24 hours.

Even when her gas stops working and her element won’t stay on, Nici keeps smiling, and attempts to flip her frittata-style tortilla.

“I love presenting to a live audience,” she says. “I might look cool and calm but there’s a million things going on inside.”

Nici says her recipes are very forgiving and suitable for men as well.

“It’s quite easy, quite meaty, I wouldn’t know how to cook a cupcake.”

It is her first time at Fieldays, but Nici’s a Waikato girl and says she got a little tear in her eye as she came down the hill.

“It’s a real privilege to be at the real heartland,” she says, “This is honestly my favourite place.”

She loves to use New Zealand produce, and encourages people to do the same. She uses food from the other stalls in the Kiwi’s Best marquee in all her demonstrations.