25th December 2018 – Christmas time Maori Hangi at a friend’s place out in Mount Roskill.

Moving some of the food into vessels for carrying

Heating the cooking stones

Putting out the fire and clearing the ashes

Moving the hot cooking stones aside

Opening up the pit and placing the cooking stones evenly within the pit

Food to be cooked, washed down initially in a wheelbarrow

Food to be cooked.

Laying over Tea towels and Placing the food into the pit.

Laying over Tea towels and Placing the food into the pit.

Covering up the pit

Covering up the pit

Covering up the pit

Covering up the pit

Covering up the pit with soil

4 hours later… Uncovering the pit.

Uncovering the pit

Preparing to move the food into the house

Got in before I could. Eating pork directly off the stone (which I hear is the yummiest)

Time for the feast.

Steps (As far as I’ve been able to recall how it goes… Don’t take this as gospel!)

Preparation and pre-heating the stones.

• Prepare a pit by digging a hole of about 1 metre by 1 metre.
• Place the stones (which will be used to cook the foot) even laid out in the middle in the pit.
• Place wood (to be used as fuel) over the stones. – Make sure the wood you place over the stones is not treated, glue, or otherwise has other chemicals that could contaminate the stones. Bearing in mind that food will be contacting the stones directly.
• Light the fire and keep adding wood (fuel) to the fire.

Cooking the Hangi

• About about two hours. Remove the ashes around the stones. Place the stones to the side
• Once the pit is clear, layout the stones evenly across the pit.
• Place the meat over the stones.
• Then place the Vegetables over the meat (Was in a wire basket), cover over with tea towels
• Then place sacks over the top (To provide some insulation)
• Seal with soil. Wait 4 hours

Uncovering the Hangi

• After four hours.
• Gradually shift as much loose soil gently away, revealing the sacks. Remove the loose soil past the sacks as well  to minimize the chance that any dirt will drop on to the food.
• Very Carefully lift the sacks away one at a time, ensuring that no soil falls into the hangi pit, soiling the food.
• Once uncovered. Food can be carefully lifted away and served.