A “boiled” is a very tasty cooking method, which boils root vegetables such as potatoes, kumara (sweet potato) and squash or marrow (kamo kamo) with vegetables such as watercress, spinach or cabbage, in a meat broth. . Meatballs, also known as “doughboys,” often accompany the meal to soak up the goodness of the soup.

In this recipe I have used pork bones. This recipe is equally successful with any variation of the above vegetables and works with most cuts of red meat, including pickled pork or corned beef. This is probably, best of all, a very profitable meal for the budget cooks among us. It also serves as a very good way to feed a group of acquaintances or party goers.

The broth itself is a meal, and thus this recipe has become a New Zealand favorite after a drinking session.

Give it a try, when prepared as shown, it’s sure to satisfy the hungry and skeptical. For converts, she’s sure to rival, if not surpass, the way Mom used to.

Ingredients: for six
1kg pork bones (alternatively 1 pork loin or 1kg corned beef brisket or similar)
2 tablespoons of sea salt
6 potatoes
3 kumara (sweet potato)
6 pieces of pumpkin (leave the skin and remove the seeds)
2 bunches of watercress or puha (alternatively, 1/2 cabbage, bok choy or beets coarsely chopped)

Dough Boys:
a cup of flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup of water

How to prepare:
Place the pork bones in a large pot and fill with water (fill to within an inch above the meat) add the salt. (no salt required if using salted meat) Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour making sure to check that the water level remains above the meat. Once the hour is up, be sure to skim the fat off the surface of the water if necessary, place the watercress (it should be halved) in the pot and simmer for another 20 minutes, then add the potatoes, gourd and kumara. Make sure the tubers are cut roughly the same size to ensure even cooking. Keep the pot on high heat and boil for 15 minutes before adding the masa kids and complete cooking for another 20 minutes.

Masseur preparation:
Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl, add water, and mix until you have a sticky dough mixture. Pour the mixture over the tubers.

Serve from the pot in large soup bowls with bread and butter. Enjoy…

If cabbage or silver beetroot is used instead of watercress or puha, cook the meat for 1 hour 20 minutes, add root vegetables and after 15 minutes add cabbage etc. with the mixers and finish cooking for another 20 minutes.

Leftovers can be reheated later in the pot, reheat but do not bring to a boil, leftovers can also be covered and microwaved to reheat.