Māori boil-up

Rinse 1.5 kg of meaty pork bones, place them in a large pot and cover with 2200 ml of water. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam, add 1.5 tsp salt, cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for 60 minutes.

Peel 500 g potatoes and 500 g kumara, cut into large chunks and add to the pot after the first hour of cooking. Continue simmering for another 45 minutes, until the meat is tender and the vegetables are almost done.

For the doughboys, mix 180 g wheat flour, 1 tsp baking powder and the remaining 0.5 tsp salt. Pour in 150 ml water, knead into a soft dough without overworking it, and shape into 10–12 walnut-sized balls.

15 minutes before the cooking time is up, add 400 g shredded cabbage and 100 g rinsed and roughly chopped watercress.

After 5 minutes, drop the doughboys onto the surface of the broth, cover the pot and cook for another 10 minutes without lifting the lid, so the dumplings steam through and become light and fluffy.

Check for doneness: the meat should fall easily off the bones, the potatoes and kumara should be easily pierced, and the doughboys should be dry inside. Remove the pot from the heat and let it stand covered for 5 minutes.

Divide the meat, vegetables, greens and doughboys among deep bowls, ladle over the hot broth and serve immediately.