Open House Food Service October 2014 Issue

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OCTOBER 2014

Breakfast hits refresh Menus freshen up for summer Inside the Australian Made Campaign

Artisan to go Tip Top Foodservice’s new Speedibake range

A fresh new look for A quality product the chux brand has been around for over 40 years... It continues to deliver on its key promise of being strong, hygienic, reusable and of course reliable.

CONTENTS

14 24

Regulars 04 Editor’s note 06 News 10 In season 11 10 things

Smelliest foods 12 Origins

The French fry 13 Q&A

Judith Kennedy, Six Nations

Wine Challenge 32 Regional snapshot

Tamar Valley, Tasmania

Features

Tip Top Foodservice has relaunched its popular Speedibake range, catering to the growing consumer demand for rustic style breads while servicing the food industry’s need for convenience.

08 Cover story

Tip Top Foodservice’s Speedibake range 14 Sustainability

Sealord’s certification wins

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SEPTEMBER 2014

16 Breakfast

A new twist on a staple 20 Australian made

Home-grown heroes 22 Knives

New blades on the block

Online training options Smart phone-friendly design Secrets of successful start ups OH0914.indd 1

24 Summer menus

Letting the produce shine 28 Christmas

All they want for Christmas 30 Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat

Golden girls win this year’s competition

34 Cooking the books

Premium slice

Tip Top Foodservice expands frozen bread range 27/08/2014 2:45 pm

To ensure you never miss out there are now more ways to enjoy Open House.

As well as the monthly magazine, Open House is also available as a free iPad app, which is packed with exclusive extras. The Open House app is available at the iTunes app store.

Subscribe to the OH iPad app

36 Products 38 Profile

Dan Hong, Merivale 39 Australian Culinary Federation news

ON THE COVER

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www.openhousemagazine.net

www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, October 2014 3

EDITOR’S WORD

Doing it by the book Published in Australia by Creative Head Media Pty Ltd

I

have a confession to make: I am an addict.

On an all too regular basis I find myself craving a fix, finding myself drawn to my local dealer, cash in hand, convincing myself that just one “won’t hurt”. What started as an innocent pleasure has turned into a habit which is threatening to take over, if not my life, then at the very least my kitchen and living room bookshelves.

Suite 202, 80-84 Chandos Street, St Leonards 2065 P.O. Box 189, St Leonards 1590 Website: www.openhousemagazine.net ACN 147 436 280 ISSN 0312-5998

Yes, that’s right: I am addicted to collecting cookbooks. Most of which I’ve never cooked from. But that’s not the point. The best cookbooks not only inspire, but open up whole new worlds of experience, from exotic faraway lands to behind-the-scenes glimpses of the world’s best kitchens to the inner workings of the minds of great chefs.

PUBLISHER Alexandra Yeomans

Fortunately I have the opportunity to preview a lot of cookbooks as part of my job here at Open House, especially at this time of the year when book publishers sent out review copies of their pre-Christmas releases. They may not come gift wrapped but there’s nothing better than receiving a delivery of new books to lose myself in.

JOURNALIST Sheridan Randall

I’ve been banned from bringing any more books home with me (at least until I give some away to make space) but for the record, my pick of this year’s Australian releases are Organum by Peter Gilmore (Murdoch Books, $100), Dessert Divas by Christine Manfield (Lantern, $79.99), Sepia: the cuisine of Martin Benn by Martin Benn (Murdoch Books, $75) and Mr Hong by Dan Hong (Murdoch Books, $49.99; see page 38 to read our interview with Hong).

Go on, buy yourself one; you won’t regret it!

MANAGING EDITOR Ylla Watkins

ACCOUNT MANAGERS Leah Jensen, Lauren Szybiak DESIGN/PRODUCTION MANAGER Bin Zhou PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR Anne Esteban ADMINISTRATION ASSISTANT Kate Wilcox

HEAD OFFICE – SYDNEY Creative Head Media Pty Ltd Suite 202, 80-84 Chandos Street, St Leonards 2065 P.O. Box 189, St Leonards 1590 Tel: (02) 9438 2300 Fax: (02) 9438 5962 Email: enquiries@creativehead.com.au SUBSCRIPTIONS 1 yr $99; 2 yrs $174; 3 yrs $261 (incl. GST and surface mail)

Ylla Watkins Managing editor

Copyright © 2014 Opinions expressed by the contributors in this magazine are not the opinion of Open House Foodservice. Letters to the editor are subject to editing.

THIS MONTH’S TOP STORY Buying Australian made products is the best way of ensuring they are grown and processed to Australian standards. Find out more on page 20.

4 Open House, October 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

Official publication for the Australian Culinary Federation

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INDUSTRY NEWS

New licensing scheme music to the ears of music mediums including radio, television, CDs, smartphones and streaming devices.

R&CA chief executive John Hart said the Licence Scheme simplifies the fees businesses are required to pay in order to play music in their business.

T

he introduction of a simplified licencing scheme by the Australasian Performing Right Association and the Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (APRA AMCOS) will make it easier for restaurants and cafés to meet their music licence obligations, according to industry body Restaurant & Catering Australia (R&CA).

A not-for-profit organisation, APRA AMCOS is responsible for collecting and distributing songwriting royalties to its members through the licensing of public performance, communication and reproduction of their copyrighted musical works.

The Restaurants & Cafés Licence Scheme, which comes into effect from November 1, will see a flat fee of $275 applied for a range

“The nature and range of music mediums is fast evolving, providing businesses with greater flexibility in the way they play music in their establishments,” he said.

“A licensing scheme that reflects this change will make it easier to do business, and shows APRA AMCOS has its finger on the pulse of the hospitality industry.”

Jennifer Gome, director of public performance licensing at APRA AMCOS said, “A technology and device neutral licence scheme that is also administratively simple is something our customers have been wanting for some time. With input from the R&CA we were able to develop a new scheme, which reduces paperwork and takes into account changes to music technology”.

Record numbers turn out for Fine Food Fine Food Australia has celebrated its 30th anniversary with a record-breaking turnout, proving that the show is as relevant as ever as it enters its fourth decade.

The expo, which was held at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, attracted more than 27,000 visitors and exhibitors over its four-day run.

Exhibition manager Minnie Constan said they were “thrilled that Melbourne has welcomed Fine Food Australia back with such enthusiasm”.

“Record numbers has allowed a great deal of business to take place on the show floor, and we’ve been overwhelmed by the positive feedback from exhibitors and visitors alike,” she said.

“Our international exhibitors now account for one third of the show floor, which is a great reflection of the country’s love affair with international food trends. Similarly the great presence of local suppliers is representative of our country’s passion for fresh, local produce, and both aspects of the event are a nod to the ongoing evolution of this show to reflect industry needs and demands.”

Fine Food Australia will return to Sydney in 2015.

The Fat Duck to hold bookings ballot Reservations at Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck in Melbourne, which is set to open at the Crown Complex in Southbank on February 3, 2015, will be available via a ballot, to make the process as fair as possible.

The three Michelin star restaurant, which will temporarily move from its home in Bray in the UK for six months, has already

attracted thousands of enquiries from diners keen to sample the $525 per head “gastronomic journey of history, nostalgia, emotion and memory”.

Ballot entries will be accepted on The Fat Duck website until October 26, with applicants to be randomly selected and notified of the outcome on November 10.

“Australia’s response to the news that The Fat Duck would make Melbourne its home for six months has been absolutely overwhelming,” he said. “I am utterly humbled by the reception.”

Following The Fat Duck’s return home to the UK in September 2015, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will open permanently in the same site. The restaurant will be Blumenthal’s only venue outside of the UK.

6 Open House, October 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

NEWS BRIEFS

Apprentices invited to stand up and be ‘proud’ Apprentice chefs across Australia are invited to put themselves forward for this year’s Fonterra Proud to be a Chef 2015 mentoring program.

As part of the program 32 finalists will be selected to take part in the all-expenses paid program in Melbourne, with one apprentice receiving the major prize of $7500 to spend on an international culinary placement.

Finalists will have the chance to participate in culinary master classes, dine at

award-winning Melbourne restaurants and be mentored by some of Australia’s culinary leaders, including Joe Grbac, head chef and co-owner at Saint Crispin, Zac Nicholson, head chef at Rockpool Bar & Grill, Melbourne, and foodservice expert and global event specialist Peter Wright.

Fonterra Proud to be a Chef coordinator Carolyn Plummer said the Proud to be a Chef team were excited to be offering the program, which has supported over 400 trainee chefs over the past 16 years.

“The program is Fonterra’s opportunity to support future leaders and to recognise and reward the talented trainee chefs who make a vital contribution to our industry and will one day be its leaders,” she said.

Last year’s winner Ashlee Carter from Margaret River, Western Australia, is currently working at Tetsuya’s in Sydney before heading to Spain to gain experience in the Michelin star restaurant El Poblet in Valencia.

Entries close on October 31, 2014.

Hats $1 million, thanks Winning a chef’s hat from the Good Food Guide (GFG) can boost revenue by up to $1 million a year, according to a new analysis by online bookings website Dimmi, with the impact on revenue for Sydney’s hatted restaurants substantially higher than it is for hatted restaurants in Melbourne.

Barangaroo photo by Collins and Turner Architects.

“At Dimmi we see the effect of being a highly regarded restaurant in our own Dimmi Score Rating System,” said Stevan Premutico, founder of dimmi.com.au. “Diners use the prestigious chef hat awards as inspiration

or an affirmation for their next dining experience, but as the figures show ‘the hat effect’ is substantially more significant in Sydney than it is in Melbourne.”

The analysis found that Sydney restaurants that gained a hat in 2014 saw bookings increase by 32 per cent, while Melbourne hatted restaurants experienced a 21 per cent increase in bookings over the same period.

The loss of hats in Sydney and Melbourne proved to influence diners in each state differently with restaurants experiencing a 25 per cent and 1 per cent drop in bookings respectively.

“The results of the latest GFG awards analysis demonstrates that Melbourne diners tend to be more loyal to the restaurants they love and are less inclined to change their dining habits despite a fluctuation in the number of hats,” said Premutico. “In Sydney however, it’s a different story. Diners are more reactive to the awards and follow trends, which means there is a lot more riding on the accumulation or loss of a hat for these restaurants.” OH

Over the moon about Sydney gelato Sydney’s Cow and the Moon café and gelato bar, in Enmore, has trumped competition from all over the world to be awarded the Gelato World Tour title in Rimini, Italy. The family-run café won for their almond affogato flavour gelato, which combines caramelised almonds sourced from Italy with single origin coffee on a Madagascan vanilla base.

Moran’s three-storey venue at Barangaroo Celebrity chef Matt Moran, with business partners Peter Sullivan and Bruce and Anna Solomon, will open a three-story eaterie at the new dining precinct planned for Sydney’s Barangaroo. A casual dining area on the bottom level, a restaurant in the middle and a rooftop garden bar at the top are planned.

Sydney’s Parramatta in sights for Jamie Oliver Jamie’s Trattoria is set to open a second Sydney restaurant in Parramatta’s Church Street Mall. The Pacific Restaurant Group, which holds the franchise for celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s restaurant brand in Australia and New Zealand, plans to spend up to $1.4 million redeveloping the location. It is expected to open early next year.

Best new foodservice product revealed Freedom Foods’ innovative Almond Breeze Barista Milk has taken home the best new foodservice product award, sponsored by Open House magazine, at Fine Food Australia’s New Product Awards, held in Melbourne last month. Lamb Weston’s Ultrahold Fries and Biozone Scientific’s Icezone were runners up.

The Star’s chef shines brightly Jason Alcock, executive sous chef at The Star in Sydney, has been named the Australian Hotels Association (AHA) Chef of the Year in the AHA National Awards for Excellence, announced at Jupiter’s Gold Coast last month. Alcock leads a team of 290 culinary staff members who are responsible for all dining outlets across the property.

www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, October 2014 7

COVER STORY

Artisan to go Tip Top Foodservice has relaunched its popular Speedibake range, catering to the growing consumer demand for rustic style breads while servicing the food industry’s need for convenience.

C

onsumer demand trends for more sophisticated baked products continue to rise, with a 15 per cent increase in consumption of Turkish and ciabatta breads in 2014 as well as continued growth for artisanal flavours such as sourdough and rye.

Tip Top Foodservice, the specialist foodservice bakery division of George Weston Foods, has responded to this demand by relaunching its popular Speedibake range, developed to increase serving flexibility and dramatically reduce baking time.

Brian Esplin, national business manager for Tip Top Foodservice, says that the new Speedibake products are not only in line with rising trends in the industry for artisan breads but are also ideal for busy foodservice businesses across the country.

“With restaurants, cafes, caterers and sandwich shops under time and cost pressures like never before, there is demand for pre-baked breads with reduced preparation times and increased flexibility,” he says.

For more information visit www.tiptop-foodservice.com.au

“Importantly for local foodservice businesses, the relaunched Speedibake range decreases preparation time over traditional par-baked breads by more than 50 per cent

8 Open House, October 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

on average, which will help deliver food quicker to customers.”

The Speedibake range was developed with convenience for foodservice business in mind, as each product can be thawed and served immediately or flash-baked for only minutes to achieve a just-baked aroma. The range is also economical as it can be stored safely in the freezer for up to 12 months and used in accordance with actual customer demand.

The Speedibake range consists of two styles of bread – Rustic and Classic – in line with emerging trends in the industry for artisan style breads as well as convenient everyday solutions.

Included in the range are dinner rolls available in white, brown, multigrain, slider and Kaiser options, as well as rustic sourdough, rye, Turkish and ciabatta.

Lunch roll offerings include baguettes and sandwich subs in white, brown and multigrain as well as panini, sourdough, Turkish and ciabatta rolls or gourmet hamburger buns. Finally, a range of batards, French sticks, Vienna and cob loaves are available for sharing along with rustic stonebaked sourdoughs, Turkish pide, ciabatta and Pane di Casa loaves. OH

A curated box of new products delivered straight to your door Keeping up with new products is an important part of any foodservice professional’s job, but for busy chefs and purchasing managers it’s not always possible to free up time to meet with each and every salesperson who rings up for an appointment.

The Open House Sample Box is the new way of making sure you stay up to speed with the best new and innovative products available, without eating into your day.

Australia’s first product sampling service for the foodservice industry, the Open House Sample Box delivers a collection of new products, ranging from raw ingredients to time-saving prepared products, hot and cold beverages, kitchen utensils and serving ware, as well as exclusive special offers from suppliers, to your door.

0 2 $ OX 1B

With a new box delivered quarterly, the Open House Sample Box is available as a one-off delivery, available for $20, or as an annual subscription (four boxes), available for $75.

5 7 $

S

4

E BOX

For more information or to sign up the Open House Sample Box, email kate@creativehead.com.au

IN SEASON

Mangoes N

ative to Southeast Asia, mangoes are an intrinsic part of an Australian summer, whether peeled and eaten fresh from the tree, incorporated into crowd-pleasing desserts, pureed into tropical cocktails or sliced into refreshing, Asian-inspired salads.

While this year’s mango season has been a little slow to kick off, thanks to cooler than usual weather in the Northern Territory, picking has now started in earnest, with volume set to build over the next few weeks, according to Treena Welch, marketing manager of the Australian Mango Industry Association.

“Peak mango season will take place in November, December and into January, and there will be fruit available right through until the end of March,” she says.

“It looks like it’s going to be a really solid

season, which is very encouraging, and the fruit quality also looks very good. People are really focusing on picking fruit at the right maturity, so I think it’s going to be a really great summer for indulging in mangoes.”

Welch suggests choosing mangoes that look “fresh, with no wrinkly skin”, have a little bit of colour and an aroma.

“Some varieties have a very subtle aroma

October

and others have a very strong and distinctive aroma,” she says. “It depends on what you’re looking for.”

If mangoes are not quite ripe when you buy them, store at room temperature (between 18-22˚C) until they ripen. Once ripe, mangoes can be stored in the refrigerator for several days. Mangoes won’t ripen further once they are placed in the fridge. OH

November

• Asian greens

• Papaw

• Spring onions

• Asian greens

• Papaya

• Youngberries

• Asparagus

• Papaya

• Strawberries

• Asparagus

• Passionfruit

• Zucchini

• Avocados

• Passionfruit

• Tangelos

• Avocados

• Peas

• Zucchini flowers

• Banana

• Peas

• Valencia oranges

• Banana

• Pineapples

• Beetroot

• Pineapples

• Watercress

• Blueberries

• Potatoes

• Blueberries

• Pomelo

• Zucchini

• Celeriac

• Broad beans

• Potatoes

• Cherries

• Shallots (green onions)

• Chillies

• Silverbeet

• Chillies

• Cucumber

• Spinach

• Cucumber

• Garlic

• Globe artichokes

• Globe artichokes

• Grapefruit

• Grapefruit

• Green beans

• Green beans

• Loquats

• Lettuce

• Mangoes

• Mangoes

• Melons

• Melons

• Mulberries

• Mushrooms

• Papaw

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• Silverbeet • Spinach • Spring onions • Sweetcorn • Tomatoes • Valencia oranges • Watercress

TOP 10

10 smelliest foods Aroma plays an integral part in how we enjoy food, heightening anticipation and whetting the appetite, but some of the world’s stinkiest foods are also some of the most sought after, discovers Ylla Watkins.

1 Natto These fermented soybeans are a muchloved Japanese speciality that is commonly served with rice, noodles, miso soup and sushi.

Boasting a pungent aroma that is often compared with smelly socks, many people also have problems with the gooey stringy texture.

3 Durian This Southeast Asian fruit is both prized for its nutty, custardy taste and reviled for its noxious decayed onion aroma, which has seen it banned from public transport in many countries. Food writer Richard Sterling described it as "pigshit, turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock".

Connoisseurs say the flavour is worth holding your nose for.

5 Stinky tofu

7 Lutefisk

A popular street food throughout China, as well as parts of Southeast Asia, stinky tofu is tofu that has been fermented in a mixture of fermented milk, meat, vegetables and sometimes seafood, until it takes on its distinctive rotten odour.

This highly odourous Scandanavian fish dish is made by reconstituting dried cod in lye (an alkaline liquid used to cure many foods), soaking it in water and then baking or boiling the fish down to a gelatinous mash. It is recommended that sterling silver should never be used in the cooking, serving or eating of lutefisk, as it will destroy the silver.

6 Limburger cheese

2 Surströmming When the Swedish want a treat they reach for a can of Surströmming, herrings fermented in brine. Even after packing bacteria continues to ripen the fish, producing a variety of gasses that can often cause the can to bulge from the pressure, and several airlines have banned it as an explosive safety hazard.

The smell is so strong that it is recommended that you open the can outside.

4 Kusaya Similar to the Swedish Surströmming, Kusaya is Japanese fish that has been soaked in salted brine, then dried in the sun. The main difference is that the brine is re-used repeatedly, with the best kusaya using brine that has been in the family for generations.

It often comes pregrilled as it is deemed too smelly to grill inside.

There are a number of contenders for the title of “smelliest cheese”, but a special mention goes to Limburger, which gets its distinctive foot odour aroma from the same bacteria that causes human body odour.

Other special mentions go to Vieux-Boulogne, which is said to smell like rot, and Époisses de Bourgogne, which has been banned on French public transport.

9 Hundred-yearold-egg

Known by a number of names including century egg and thousand-year-old egg, these blackishgreen delicacies smell strongly of sulphur and ammonia. While urban mythology says century eggs were once prepared by soaking eggs in horse urine, the process actually calls for a chicken, duck or quail egg to be encased in a paste of clay, salt, lime, ash and tea water, before being covered in rice hulls and packed away for three years.

10 Fish sauce

8 Hakarl This Icelandic delicacy is made by burying shark meat in gravel for months and letting it rot. Once dug up and hung to dry for several months, it smells strongly of ammonia, similar to that in some cleaning products. Most first-timers will gag on the taste. Chef Anthony Bourdain described hákarl as "the single worst, most disgusting and terrible tasting thing" he has ever eaten.

One of the few truly smelly foods to make it into the mainstream, fish sauce has found it's way into many Australian kitchens thanks to the popularity of Southeast Asian cuisine.

It is made by salting small fish such as anchovies, weighting and slowly pressing them to release the salty, fishy liquid and allowing them to ferment for up to a year. OH

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ORIGINS

some genius tried frying one.

Whether this culinary pioneer was French or Belgian remains a widely debated topic. The first place in Paris to start selling fries was by the Pont Neuf bridge, where street hawkers began selling them just before the French Revolution in 1789, with thick-cut fries in France still known as pommes de terre Pont Neuf. Belgians claim that fries were in fact invented in Namur, in the south of their country.

The English took them to heart, with the first chips fried in the UK on the site of Oldham’s Tommyfield Market in 1860, where they were sold alongside battered fish, and soon became a staple for the working masses.

The French fry Named after the French, claimed by the Belgians, loved by the Brits and commercialised by the Yanks, the humble fry has conquered the world, writes Sheridan Randall.

T

he French fry – or chip as it is known in the UK – is perhaps the most widely eaten and most taken for granted food in the world. Easy to prepare (cut into batons and fry until crispy) and easy to consume (sprinkle with salt and eat with your fingers) – what more could you want from a snack?

Yet this staple of modern cooking took a long time to make an appearance, and its origins are still hotly debated, with both the French and Belgians laying claim to its invention. Essentially just a potato that is cooked twice, first blanched in boiling water and then fried in oil (twice for extra crunch), it took thousands of years, multiple wars and many journeys across the world before someone came up with the idea.

The potato was first cultivated by the Andean Incas in the highlands of South America as early as 750 BC. The Spanish

conquered the Incan empire in the 16th century and brought the potato back to Spain with them. The war between Spain and England saw Englishman Sir Francis Drake score a few of the unusual tubers in one of his maritime forays, which he subsequently planted on his estate in Ireland, where they grew particularly well.

He tried to convince Queen Elizabeth I to eat them, but didn’t think of frying them, so it was up to the Irish to use them a food staple. The potato arrived in Germany in 1588, where it was used to feed animals and prisoners of war, which led to Frenchman Antoine August Parmentier using his marketing skills to sell the potato to the French aristocracy on his return home.

Soon, potatoes were being planted all over France and Europe. It is at this point, somewhere around the late 1700s, that

12 Open House, October 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

US president Thomas Jefferson is believed to have served them in the “French style” at the White House in 1802, but it wasn’t until US troops were sent to fight in Europe in the early 20th century that the French fry took hold on the American culinary imagination.

The McDonald brothers opened their first restaurant in Des Plaines, Iowa, putting fries on the menu along with their burgers. As fast food took off across the US and Europe, so did the science behind the fry, with fast food chain McDonald’s spending a huge amount of time and money perfecting the frying process to produce the perfect fry time after time.

The right potato, the right curing time, the temperature of the oil and how long they were cooked was figured out with scientific rigour, culminating in the fast food giant now serving millions of fries every day.

Today, French fries account for more than a quarter of all potatoes sold in the US market. They are found everywhere, served in paper, buckets or on fine china.

Served every which way from standalone to an accompaniment to the finest meat and seafood. And served with a variety of condiments – the Brits crave theirs salted and with vinegar, the Yanks can’t go past ketchup, while the Dutch top theirs with mayonnaise. Fries may have only been around for 200 odd years, but their grip on our collective culinary imagination is unlikely to ease anytime soon. OH

Q&A

Six of the best Judith Kennedy, president of the Six Nations Wine Challenge, held this month, talks to Sheridan Randall about unearthing hidden gems from smaller wine producers and how the competition aids the international wine trade.

Q: The competition promotes New World wines – is that description still used to judge the quality of wines in today’s marketplace?

class can add to the country’s total score.

For instance Australia won the Malbec trophy but Argentina won the Malbec class; New Zealand won the Sauvignon Blanc class but South Africa won the trophy.

A: In the industry it is but if you ask the general consumer they would go ‘what?’

Q: What are the judges looking for in a wine?

Q: Can you tell us the motivation behind the Six Nations Wine Challenge?

A: It started as a tri-nations challenge (in 2003), then five nations and last year we added the US to make it six. The idea was to increase trade between the nations.

When we first started there were no South African wines in Australia and there were no Australian wines in South Africa. We were approached by rugby player Tian Strauss who came to me and said he wanted to start importing South African wines into Australia. The Australian Association of Boutique Wine Makers had been running the awards for many years so we had the infrastructure and I thought let’s put these three together (Australia, New Zealand and South Africa). Within a couple of years the Australian and South African wines were being sold. With Argentina, Chile and the US we had the involvement of the consulate generals and ambassadors and their reason for supporting us is to increase trade between the nations. Austrade also supports us for the same reason.

Q: It is an invitation only event – what criteria is used to invite the winemakers?

A: This competition is unique globally in

The Wine of Show award was shared jointly by South Africa’s Silverthorn Blanc de Blancs 2011 and New Zealand’s Dog Point Pinot Noir 2012. New Zealand won Nation of Show calculated via the overall aggregate scores.

A: I think they are very conscious of what the other judges might have entered. It involves a lot of guess work and they are not always right. All the judging is done blind. They have 40 or 50 wines in front of them and all they have is a number and the variety; they don’t have any other information. I often ask them if they recognise their wines in the line-up and they look at me as if I am crazy and say “no”. It’s interesting to look at the scores because often they judge another countries wines higher than their own because they don’t know which is which. that there is no other show of any note where the wines are invited to come in. The judges (one from each country) select the wines because they are a great representative of that class in that country. For example this year (Australian judge) Huon Hooke didn’t invite any Sauvignon Blanc because he asked himself “can we win a trophy with ours?”.

He looked at New Zealand and probably assumed, incorrectly this year, that “no I am not going to do that, we shall put in some extra Malbecs and Cabernets”. Within the 17 classes the judges can enter a maximum of 12 wines into any one class but there is no minimum. Australia entered three Malbecs, while Argentina had 12. With Chardonnay and Shiraz everybody had 12. There are certain varietals where everyone will put in the maximum because the judges want to win the trophy.

Q: The Kiwis won as a country – what makes them such a standout performer?

A: It was just that judge Bob Campbell happened to invite some absolute corkers. The scoring is an aggregate system, so all wines within the

Q: Were there any surprises this year?

A: We have never had a joint winner before.

You have all the trophy wines lined up (blind) in glasses ready to be judged again.

And the judges then sit down and score each one to 16 and usually there is just one that stands out as the best made wine (for its varietal) out of the line-up. Having two was unusual. There are always some surprises, for instance this year Australia winning the Malbec and Chile winning the Riesling.

You’ve got six judges from six nations all putting in their effort, so you are not going to get the expected result every time.

Q: How important are competitions like this for the smaller producer?

A: This competition brings a whole new awareness to many of these wines when many of them would never be exposed otherwise.

Competition between winemakers is just as important as in any industry; to be able to compare their own wine against their peers is enormously important. The interesting thing is that you have great wines like Henschke and Penfolds’ Bin numbers not winning trophies because all the wines are high class. OH

www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, October 2014 13

SUSTAINABILITY

Three of a kind With the certification of three new fish species, Sealord is now Australasia’s largest certified sustainable seafood provider, writes Ylla Watkins.

F

ollowing independent accreditation of two more deepwater fish species and aquaculture farms in Tasmania and Queensland, Sealord now offers the largest range of certified sustainable seafood to the Australian and New Zealand markets.

The company last month announced that its Sealord King Reef Barramundi farm in Northern Queensland has been awarded Best Aquaculture Practise (BAP) certification from the Global Aquaculture Alliance. It is the first barramundi farm in the world to achieve the certification.

Best Aquaculture Practice is an international certification program based on standards developed by the Global Aquaculture Alliance for the entire

aquaculture supply chain, including farms, hatcheries, processing plants and feed mills.

To achieve the Best Aquaculture Practice accreditation, all aspects of Sealord’s operations were assessed including its environmental responsibility, community relations, employee safety, food safety, animal health and the care of wildlife, to ensure it is a world-class organisation.

Sealord’s wild-caught New Zealand hake and ling were also recently certified as sustainable by global not-for-profit organisation, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).

The two species join New Zealand hoki, albacore and Southern blue whiting as species that measure up against the MSC’s

14 Open House, October 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

strict standards. Only 9 per cent of the world’s wild harvest fish have currently been certified through MSC. According to Sealord general manager consumer, Jason Plato, the company decided to go down the path of seeking accreditation for the three species because of its mantra of always making sure they act in a sustainable way.

“It’s all very well and good us saying that, but having a third party accreditor come in and verify that is an important step,” he says.

“Robust assessment by independent experts using the latest science is a credible way to demonstrate to Sealord customers and consumers around the world that they are

buying the very best.”

With stringent government standards already in place in New Zealand, and previous experience going through the MSC certification process, Plato says the company was already mostly up to speed in the areas which were assessed.

“The Marine Stewardship Council process is very detailed and time-consuming but basically there is a whole list of different criteria like environmental impact, management of the fishery and the nature of the biomass, which they look at and mark you on,” he says. “You need to achieve a certain score to be accredited.”

MSC manager Australia and New Zealand, Patrick Caleo, has congratulated Sealord on achieving certification for its hake and ling, saying the newly certified species provide greater choice for retailers and consumers.

“The MSC program has credible standards for sustainable fishing and seafood which aims to increase the availability of certified sustainable seafood,” he says. “It is great news for retailers and seafood lovers with both New Zealand ling and New Zealand hake being awarded the certification.

“The Best Aquaculture Practice certification

also has a pretty extensive list of criteria and things you need to do to achieve accreditation,” Plato adds, “It depends on where you’re farming but the two main potential problems with aquaculture are interaction with other species, bird life for example – how do you stop birds eating the fish? And also water treatment. If you bring your water in from a river for example, you need to make sure that when the water is discarded it’s as clean as when it comes into the pond.”

Following on from the certification of the three species, Plato says there are also a “number of other species in pre-assessment”.

to know that it is coming from reliable, sustainable sources.

“We see that reflected in our customer base. A lot of the demand comes from the supermarket chains because they have the most interaction with consumers, but from the foodservice side, distributors want to make sure they are acting in a sustainable way. And I think there are more diners asking questions about sustainability now.” OH

People’s choice

“They’ll go through our assessment first to see how they are currently rating and what things are required to improve that rating,” he says.

Sealord’s general manager consumer, Jason Plato, says ling is a popular choice in Australia, with Sealord and joint venture partner Westfleet supplying more than 330 tonnes of fresh fish to the local market each year.

Sealord’s hake, ling and barramundi are available from Woolworths supermarkets and specialty fish shops, as well as to restaurants.

“Australians love ling,” says Plato. “It’s an interesting pink-skinned fish with firm white flesh that is great for many different cooking methods.

“The interest in sustainable seafood is being driven by consumers,” says Plato.

“Consumers are a lot more aware of the issues these days. They want to know where their fish is coming from and they want

“The MSC certification reinforces what most retailers and a growing number of consumers know, that New Zealand fish is sustainably caught and our fisheries are in good shape.”

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BREAKFAST

Florentine-style baked eggs at The Restaurant Pendolino.

New spin on old faves Good Food Month kicked off this month with cafes and restaurants in Sydney and Melbourne putting their spin on breakfast staples, discovers Sheridan Randall.

A

ustralia’s growing appetite for breakfast is one factor in the annualised 3.2 per cent growth in café revenue over the last five years, according to figures by IBISWorld.

That appetite is fuelled by a love of something to go with their coffee, with that something more often than not some form of cereal or porridge, eggs and bacon.

Cafés across Sydney (in October) and Melbourne (in November) are offering $20 breakfast specials including a coffee as part of Good Food Month’s Breakfast Club. Melbourne cafe The Ormond Provedore is offering two breakfast specials – slow-cooked pork shoulder benedict, apple cider hollandaise, chia loaf and radish, and roast pumpkin, quinoa and leek hash, dukkah fried eggs and grana padano.

The Ormond Provedore’s owner, Julie Godfrey, has been churning out breakfasts as a chef for 25 years “so you always try and ramp things up and do things a little bit different” despite the fact that “customers like to stay with what they know”.

“The pumpkin quinoa has been running all winter and it’s been a very popular dish,” she says.

“We wanted an alternative to a hash type dish, not utilising a potato. We wanted something a bit healthier, so we just played around with those flavours and came up with that.”

Quinoa, kale and granola are just some of the healthy sounding ingredients popping up on many breakfast menus, with The Ormond Provedore having just run a kale and Persian fetta scrambled eggs with

16 Open House, October 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

grilled tomatoes special.

“We are all about healthy eating ourselves and look out for what we eat so it’s paramount that what we make is healthy,” she says.

The richer pork shoulder dish came about after the cafe made an extra batch of slow cooked pork for its ever popular pulled pork and fennel slaw brioche roll.

“Apple and pork go well together, and we have an egg benedict that sells really well, so we thought let’s just make it a little more interesting and use the pork shoulder,” she says. “It’s always been popular as a special as the pork is so delicious.”

To find out more about what’s hot in breakfast, Open House spoke with other venues taking part in Good Food Month’s Breakfast Club. OH

The Devon Café in Sydney’s Surry Hills “We like using different types of meat, so the ox tongue is a great product. It’s a bit edgy and isn’t the usual bacon for breakfast. We get the whole ox tongue and braise it in chicken stock. Just low and slow until it melts in your mouth. Then we press it in the fridge and take off the skin and portion into steaks. Right now we pair it with really fresh spring vegetables tossed in a bit of coffee miso butter and serve it with grilled sourdough and eggs cooked at 63°C. It’s going very well; people love the dish. We also do a miso grilled king salmon served with smoked dill croquet and radish salad. We make a blini, cure salmon and slice it really finely and then serve with two poached eggs, blood orange hollandaise, broccoli and salmon roe. It’s like a pimped up version of eggs benedict.”

Head chef, Zachary Tan

it h w r e w e k s t Frui an i r u g i L d n yoghurt a nchy farro honey, cru d almonds. and candie

Ox tongue, chargrille sourdough, broad bea d peas and Swiss browns, mushrooms in coffeen miso butter with soft eg g.

The Restaurant Pendolino in Sydney’s CBD “We didn’t think there are too many places you can go to in the CBD where you can have breakfast that isn’t just a straight out café apart from a 5-star hotel. I think that there is a lot of business that is done over breakfast. We have some people coming every day just to eat the fruit skewer. The Florentine-baked eggs is more of an ode to Escoffier than it is to Florence. Really it’s us having a bit of fun with classic European cooking and it’s a really beautiful dish.”

Owner, Nino Zoccali

For more breakfast ideas see the Open House iPad app.

• AVAILABLE NOW THROUGH YOUR FOOD SERVICE PROVIDER • 18 Open House, October 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

*Based on the average fibre content per 100g of the top 20 muesli (Aztec data). ŽRegistered trade marks. Kellogg (Aust.) Pty. Ltd. authorised user. Š2014 Kellogg Company.

AUSTRALIAN MADE

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1 Angus Borthwick from Borthwick Food Group accepts his award at Fine Food Australia. 2, 3 Australian producers certified by the Australian Made Campaign.

Watch the video in the Open House iPad app.

3

Home-grown heroes Buying Australian made products is the best way of ensuring they are grown and processed to Australian standards, writes Ylla Watkins.

T

he success of the Australian Made, Australian Grown (AMAG) country-oforigin certification program, administered by the not-for-profit Australian Made Campaign, is prompting other countries to revisit their own branding schemes.

Australian Made Campaign chief executive, Ian Harrison, recently travelled to Ireland to share details about the program with Ireland’s business community, speaking

alongside Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny.

The trip follows on from a visit to Australia

by Canadian ministers earlier this year to learn more about how to create a successful national logo for locally made and grown products. Several other countries including New Zealand and South Africa have also come to Australia for advice.

With 2000 Australian businesses currently registered to use the distinctive green and

Call for mandatory county-of-origin labelling In July, the Australian Made Campaign renewed its call for mandatory country-of-origin labelling across all food products, after Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) revealed that country-of-origin labelling would not be extended to unpackaged foods not already covered by the standard, including game meats, poultry other than chicken, eggs and cheese.

“It’s quite ridiculous you’re required to put country-of-origin labelling on that some products, and others you’re not,” says Australian Made Campaign spokesperson Ben Lazzaro. “Consumers want a simple, easy to understand labelling system and we think the best way to do that is to centre it around our logo.

“The Australian made logo provides assurance to consumers that what they’re buying is genuinely Australian.”

20 Open House, October 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

gold kangaroo logo on more than 15,000 products sold around the world, it’s little wonder that other countries are hoping to learn from the program’s success.

According to Roy Morgan Research, 98 per cent of Australians recognise the logo, and 88 per cent trust it to identify locally made and grown goods. Additional research by YSC Online suggests that products carrying the logo in export markets were more likely to increase sales than those which did not.

“For many small businesses, particularly those involved in export, the logo is their strongest brand in the marketplace,” says Harrison.

“The same can be said for State, Territory and local government branding activities overseas – when the AMAG logo is used as a hierarchical branding platform, it establishes the national identity of the ‘sub-brands’.”

The AMAG logo is the only registered country-of-origin certification trade mark for Australian products and produce. The logo gives Australian growers, processors and manufacturers a way of clearly identifying

that their products are Australian, while helping consumers make informed shopping decisions. It can only be used on products that have been certified by the Australian Made Campaign as being “Australian Made”, “Australian Grown”, a “Product of Australia”, “Australian Seafood” or “Australian” (for export products). A product directory on the Australian Made Campaign website, www.australianmade.com.au, allows consumers to search for specific companies and products.

The company signed up its 2000th business in June, with Harrison saying at the time that they are thrilled to “break through the 2000 barrier”.

“This represents growth of over 150 per cent in the past decade,” he says.

“The Australian Made Campaign is a collective effort to brand genuine Aussie products in Australia and markets all over the world – the more businesses involved, the stronger the impact.

“This milestone carries an important message – being Aussie is good for business.”

The reach of the Australian Made Campaign is expected to continue to grow, having recently launched in South Australia, where it has partnered with the state’s chamber of commerce and industry, Business SA. While Australian products may sometimes be more expensive than imported alternatives, Ben Lazzaro, Australian Made Campaign’s marketing and communications manager, says that there are several key benefits to buying products bearing the Australian Made logo which outweigh the cost.

“Particularly for food products you can be sure they are grown in our clean, green environment,” he says.

“When food is grown and processed outside of Australia we can’t have the same confidence that it is being grown in conditions that we

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would find suitable. And we can’t be sure that products are made to Australia’s high standards.

“We often take it for granted but we have fantastic high standards for manufacturing in Australia and some of the best working conditions in the world. Those come at a price.”

Recent announcements regarding the closures of manufacturing plants around Australia highlight another potential downside of choosing cheaper imports over Australian made goods.

Aussie burgers win Australian Made award

“You might pay a little bit more extra for your Australian made jam, but you’re keeping someone employed,” he says.

The turnaround of Victorian business SPC Ardmona, which last year was on the brink of collapse following what it called a “perfect storm” of economic factors, including the high Australian dollar, the dumping of cheap imported fruit and vegetable products into Australia, and high tariffs in export markets, is an example of what can be achieved when people choose to support Australian companies.

“It’s a shame it had to get to the point it did for Australians to rally around but sometimes people just need to be reminded how important buying Australian is,” says Lazzaro.

While much of the discussion around the Australian Made Campaign centres on consumers’ shopping habits, Lazzaro points out that businesses including restaurants and cafes have a role to play as well.

Take stock of where the fresh produce and manufactured products you use are produced, talk to suppliers about stocking Australian alternatives if they don’t already, and buy produce that is both in season and locally grown where possible.

“Different business will require different items, but we want to put the word out that this is something they can actively participate in as well,” he says. OH

The Borthwick Food Group’s cocktail Angus burger kit won the Australian Made Award at this year’s Fine Food Australia, held in Melbourne last month.

The cocktail burger kit is made in Victoria using Australian, all-natural ingredients with no preservatives and additives, with 100 per cent pure Angus beef, a brioche bun and tomato relish.

The individual elements of the kit are also available separately for foodservice.

Australian Made Campaign chief executive, Ian Harrison, welcomed Borthwick Food Group onboard the campaign and congratulated the team on their win.

The prize includes a free licence to use the Australian Made logo, paid in full for one year.

“We are very excited to have won the Australian Made Award for best new product,” said Borthwick Food Group managing director, Angus Borthwick. “We are so proud to bring to the market a quality product that is locally made using no preservatives and additives. Borthwick Food Group has always stood for quality in every way.”

Runners up for the award were Eurostore, for Neha’s Indian Inspired ice cream range, and Daylesford and Hepburn Springs Co for its organic tonic water.

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www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, October 2014 21

KNIVES

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Living on the edge Chefs come in all shapes and sizes and so do the knives they need for work, but one thing unites them, a search for value, writes Sheridan Randall.

C

ooking trends come and go and along with them the need for different styles of kitchen knife, but whatever the type of knife you generally get what you pay for.

“Cheap stainless steel blades don’t keep their edge and blunt really easily,” says Katherine Kennedy, director at WGA (Wollongong General Agency) foodservice equipment. Dexter Russell, Shun, Furi, Global, Mundial, Zanger Icel and Victorinox are all stocked by WGA, with the Swiss brand Victorinox often the knife of choice for those starting out, according to Kennedy.

“The young chefs start off with the Victorinox cooks knife,” she says. “That seems to be the one that’s been the most popular to get trained on at TAFE. There

are people who stick with them throughout their whole career as they absolutely love them.

“I’ve also had some of the old school guys who have been butchers and they will stick to a particular brand as it is a tool of the trade, and they often use Victorinox knives as they come through the ranks.”

However, peer pressure also plays its part in the choice of knives for many chefs starting out in their career.

“Where they work influences what type of knife they will buy,” she says.

“Some kids come in and go for an expensive Shun or Global knife even if the fit in their hand is not great because their head chef is using one. I think it is primarily that they see what’s in

22 Open House, October 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

their kitchen and they tend to be influenced by their peers.

“We are quite honest with people and say it really comes down to comfort and budget.

All the knives we sell are for professionals, and therefore it does come down to price rather keeping up with the Joneses.”

VGM International stocks two brands, Dexter Russell, from the US, and Savannah, from Japan.

“Dexter Russell is a well-known, global brand which has been supplying professional cutlery since 1818 to the foodservice and meat processing industry and because they have been around so long, I think there is an ingrained confidence that people have in the quality of the brand,” says Graeme Brouggy, food service manager VGM International.

“In addition, Dexter Russell also invests a lot in new technology and developments within their product ranges. They have a huge range of product which helps make Dexter more of a one-stop shop for all knife requirements.

Our bestselling Dexter Chef’s knife is an eight inch Sanisafe chef’s knife, which is a very versatile size for many prep-tasks because of its hygienic design, stain-free, high-carbon steel blades and slip resistant handles.”

Value is always a criteria for any new knife acquisition, but chefs will pay for the extra quality.

“I think professional chefs are willing to pay a little more for a recognisable brand and the quality assurance that comes with that,” he says. “These knives are their tools of the trade which are being used all day long

4

5

1 Wüsthof Crème Ikon knife. 2 Dexter Russell santuko knife. 3 Dexter Russell SaniSafe fillet knife. 4 Wüsthof 17cm Classic Ikon Santoku Knife. 5 Wüsthof 17cm Classic Santoku Knife.

3

so it’s often worth paying for the quality. Dexter offers great value for money, and with the right care these knives can last a long time – even with a lot of resharpening.”

The history of a knife brand also adds to its appeal, with Dexter Russell’s almost two century evolution striking a chord with many of its consumers. Another brand with a long history is Wüsthof Knives, from Germany, which is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year.

“People have known Wüsthof for years,” says Samantha Yeomans, from Milners Brand Marketing, which stocks Wüsthof.

Wüsthof’s history hasn’t stopped it innovating, with the company recently introducing its new precision edge technology manufacturing process.

“Hand sharpened knives can have cutting edge irregularities whereas this technology overcomes these irregularities resulting in

a smoother and sharper cutting edge for the knife,” she says.

“Basically because it [the manufacturing] is robotically controlled it is more exact, and makes the knife 20 per cent sharper than before. They stay sharper for longer and hold their cutting performance for twice as long with this new technology.”

With Asian cuisine influencing Aussie menus there has been a rise in the number of chefs looking to buy more Asian-style knives, according to Yoemans, with Japanese style santoku and yanagiba knives and cleavers becoming popular.

At the end of the day though, many chefs just want a versatile multi-purpose knife that will see them through countless services without any fuss.

“We have a classic range which is our most popular and features a full bolster that means the blade is centrally balanced,” she says. OH

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www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, October 2014 23

SUMMER MENUS

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2

Share the love It’s going to be a long hot summer and what better way to celebrate than with share-plates, Mediterranean and Asian influences and lots of fresh produce, writes Sheridan Randall.

“P

roduce is the first thing I look at when coming up with a menu – what’s in season,” says Ben Fitton, head chef at Sydney’s Café del Mar. “I talk to all the suppliers to see if there is anything new and exciting and interesting.

From there it’s just a question of balance and shuffling things around on the menu.”

With flavours inspired by the Mediterranean, Fitton has included dishes such as slow cooked young pasture fed, South Australian lamb shoulder, Blackmores wagyu beef bresaola with potato skordalia and risotto with fresh asparagus, pea tendrils and tarragon.

“The Blackmores wagyu bresaola is probably the dish I like the most at the moment,” he says.

“Traditionally skordalia is a Greek nut puree but we make it with potato instead. It’s like a garlicky, lemon mashed potato but it’s really light and fluffy because we emulsify it like a mayonnaise. I put the bresaola on the plate with a nice dollop of skordalia and then I poach an egg and put in into the middle with crisp onions and parmesan with some truffle oil and then fold it all up, and then the waiter takes it to the table and cuts it all up and the flavours just amazing.”

Fitton is not afraid of a little prep time – the lamb shoulder is marinated for two days in chermoula before being slow cooked for eight hours, while the twice cooked quail, pigs trotter, celeriac cream and celeriac

24 Open House, October 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

remoulade is a three-day process.

“I cook the pig trotters for 10 hours and then completely debone them and form them into a long log and put them in the fridge overnight,” he says.

“I debone the quails, put the trotter in them and wrap them in muslin before braising them in master stock and letting that sit overnight like a sausage. On the day of service I plunge it in a water bath at about 90°C until the trotter goes soft on the inside and then finish it in the deep fryer so it is crispy on the outside.

“I love those three-day sort of dishes; it keeps us on our toes.

As long as you are ahead and are prepared it’s not a problem.”

The suckling pig with roasted

fennel is also proving a hit with diners.

“I do it with calvados apples,” he says. “It is served with sauted cavolo nero (Tuscan cabbage), lots of garlic and Chinese cabbage. I cook the pig for about six hours at 110°C and then completely debone it. It’s cooked on the inside but the skin goes almost glassy. For service I chuck it in the oven at 240°C and the skin just crisps up and it’s quite amazing, tender and succulent.”

Sydney bistro and wine bar Ash St. Cellar has released its spring/summer menu under the guidance of new head chef Zac Ahrens, with plenty of shareplate options.

“Herbs with everything is my motto,” he says. Bursting with

3

1 Drift’s smoked pork short ribs.

2 Café del Mar. 3 Café del Mar’s crumbed surf clams. 4 Café del Mar’s “Hiramara” kingfish ceviche.

4

fresh Mediterranean flavours, the menu offers plenty of mix and match options such as ceviche of kingfish with avocado, baked goat’s cheese with figs and grilled squid skordalia.

“I have a big sour pallet, a lot of acid, lemon and vinegars,” he says. “It’s such a small kitchen to make stock – it’s too hard – so we have to do with what

we have. Vinaigrettes are just beautiful. I love the freshness and the herbs – parsley, tarragon, coriander, dill, chives, a wide range.”

Describing kingfish as “sexy”, the kitchen gets a whole fish delivered every day.

“It’s a beautiful delicate fish, and great raw,” he says. “There’s lime in there, a lot of citrus,

oranges both the zest and the flesh, it’s important to use the whole fruit, some jalapenos for a good kick, which goes great with a nice Riesling. We serve it with smashed avocado with lime, coriander and parsley and Lebanese bread, which I deep fry and serve with fennel seed, coriander seed and black pepper (see recipe on page 27).”

www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, October 2014 25

Another fish to appear on the menu is the oft underappreciated sardine.

“I’m a big fan of sardines and have been for many years,” he says. “I feel like they are on the comeback. They are a Mediterranean-style sardine, meaty, oily and salty but almost sweet. They are very delicate and a great looking fish.”

The sardines are butterflied and chargrilled before being served with a fresh caper, anchovy, lemon and parsley salsa and served on a chargrilled crispy Sonoma baguette which is drizzled with garlic and chilli oil. It’s not all fish however, with grilled spitchcock, lamb cutlets, roast duck and duck liver pate also featuring on the menu.

“The duck liver pate is probably not the healthiest dish on the menu but it’s delicious,” says Ahrens. “We marinate free range duck livers in port and brandy, and a special spice component (cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and black pepper) which gives a really nice depth to the livers.

We cook them in duck fat, and emulsify in cold butter. That gets topped with a currant relish. We soak the currants in Earl Grey tea, which has a savoury aspect to it, and put them in red currant jelly with the zest of lemons and oranges and then cook that down for about an hour and then it gets served with a traditional cornichon and a toasted sourdough baguette.

“It’s about having 20 things on the menu and everything is equally beautiful. People are liking it which is great.”

Further north, Rydges Tradewinds Cairns’ newly transformed waterfront restaurant and bar, Drift on the Esplanade, is packing lots of fresh produce into its new menu under executive chef Geoff Cole.

“The Asian fusion theme is big in Cairns coming into summer,” he says. The menu’s spicy chicken wings, smoked pork spare ribs 26 Open House, October 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

2

1

and sticky pork salad all weave Asian flavours into the mix.

“Basically I hold pretty closely to the theory of farm-to-plate and have quite a lot of individual small farmers who deliver directly to me. The same with the seafood. I have specific trawlers and fishermen that we use up in the Cape (York). We use a lot of locally caught barramundi and it’s got to be wild caught which for me is the most superb fish you’ll ever have.”

With the freshness of the produce, Cole says he simply wants to highlight its potential.

“The barramundi is pan fried,” he says. “I put a little bit of oil in the bottom with a bit of butter so that it gets a burnt flavour.

The fish goes down with a light season and gets turned over and finished in the oven with a little bit of white wine and that’s it.

That little bit of burnt butter gives it that nutty flavour, the wine keeps it moist and gives it that zing and tartness, and it is finished in fennel braised in little orange juice. It literally sells itself.”

Another favourite with diners are its smoky chicken wings (see recipe in the Open House iPad app), with the kitchen barely able to keep up with demand.

“The smoky chicken wings are a four day process,” he says. “I got the idea from Japan where they have these little restaurants in the north called tebasaki where all they do are chicken wings.

They are so damn good, I just put a Western spin on it.”

The sticky pork belly salad also makes use of the tebasaki method.

“The pork belly is braised in a high concentrate of apple juice and chillies for four and half hours, then we dice it and finished in a deep fryer, before being put through an almost identical sauce as the tebasaki chicken so that it caramalises on it, which creates this beautiful sweet flavour with a really big crunch. So you have the sweet freshness coming from the ginger and chilli and apple in the salad and then you have the pork – it’s a beautiful balanced dish.” OH

Ceviche of kingfish, avocado, jalapenos, cucumber, lime, Lebanese bread 90g thinly sliced kingfish per person Ceviche mix 1 lime, zested and segmented 1 orange, segmented 1 eschallot, finely diced 1 jalapenos, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon chives, thinly sliced 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon of sugar syrup (100ml water, 100g white sugar) ½ tablespoon dill Pinch of pink sea salt

100ml water and 100g white sugar to the boil. Leave to cool. Add to the ceviche mix when cooled.

To make the smashed avocado, mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and mash with hands or a fork.

Tear Lebanese bread in half then half again. Deep fry at 160oC until golden brown. Season with spices as soon as the bread

is taken from the fryer.

To plate, mix 90g sliced kingfish with 1 heaped tablespoon of ceviche mix.

Smear smashed avocado on plate, top with kingfish mixture and drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil. Place golden Lebanese bread on side.

Recipe courtesy of Zac Ahrens at Ash St. Cellar.

Smashed avocado

3 1 Ash St. Cellar head chef Zac Ahrens.

2 Café del Mar’s slow cooked lamb shoulder. 3 Drift’s sticky pork belly.

2 ripe avocados 1 tablespoon roughly chopped flat leaf parsley 1 lime, zested and juiced 1 tablespoon roughly chopped coriander Pink sea salt to season Fried Lebanese bread Lebanese bread Ground coriander seed Ground fennel Black pepper To make the ceviche mix, add all ingredients (except the sugar syrup) in a bowl. Place to one side.

To make the sugar syrup, bring

See more recipes in the Open House iPad app.

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www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, October 2014 27 15/04/14 2:24 PM

CHRISTMAS MENUS

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Photos by Fresh Catering.

1, 2 Festive spreads from Fresh Catering.

1

All they want...

With the silly season just around the corner now’s the time to finalise your plans for capturing your share of the lucrative Christmas market, writes Ylla Watkins.

T

he lead up to Christmas and into the New Year is one of the busiest times of the year for many restaurants and caterers, but with so much competition from other operators during the so-called “silly season” it’s important to make your business stand out from the crowd. This may be as simple as adding a special Christmas menu or catering package for corporate and social groups who want to let their hair down.

The good news is that indulgent doesn’t have to equal traditional; chances are your clientele aren’t going to want turkey with all the trimmings, especially if it’s 30 degrees outside.

Think fresh, exciting and seasonal, with a few options for customers who want to “treat themselves” such as freshly shucked oysters, shaved truffle over dishes, or festive cocktails.

Peter McCloskey, managing director of Sydney-based Fresh Catering, agrees that the traditional sit-down “roast turkey, Christmas pudding-type lunch” is becoming less and less popular, with corporate groups in particular opting for stand-up cocktail-type celebrations.

While they might add a Christmas element, such as homemade Christmas pies or Christmas cake ice-cream, mostly “it’s

about what’s in fashion, food stations, the excitement of food cooked in front of people”.

“Cocktail events tend to be a minimum of four hours, so the thing we worry about most is RSA [responsible service of alcohol],” he says. “We want people to enjoy themselves but we don’t want people to have risk around being drunk, and all the issues that brings during and after an event.

“The main thing is catering in such a way that ensures people have enough to eat throughout the evening. We quite often suggest a ‘hunger buster’ late at night; around 11 o’clock, we’ll go around with mini hot dogs or mini gourmet pizzas, so that people have something in their stomachs.”

German-born Ingo Meissner, executive chef of The Grain Store in Melbourne, says that while the idea of Christmas evokes memories of home cooking and time spent with family and friends, “traditional European dishes don’t really go with our climate”.

“Our festive dishes are created for minus five degrees,” he says. “Roast goose with red cabbage and beautiful potato dumplings is a Christmas dish from home, but at 35 degrees, that’s definitely not the type of dish I would recommend for here.

28 Open House, October 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

“When it’s warm you don’t want to eat heavy food. I would go for something lighter, fresher and more exciting for customers, focussing on seasonal produce. Lots of seafood. We also find that everyone enjoys a good pork dish, and that’s a regular on our menu.”

The restaurant also offers a Christmas meal package in the weeks leading up to Christmas when they have larger groups celebrating the end of the year coming through.

Whatever the style of event you’re catering for, good service goes a long way to ensuring groups have a great time, so be sure to roster on enough staff both front- and back-ofhouse. Pay attention to drinks service, and keep the water flowing to ensure guests don’t over-indulge on your watch.

Once you have your Christmas plans in place, don’t forget to spread the word by posting details and photos on your website and social media feeds, and printing signage and menus well in advance. A little bit of preparation goes a long way to ensuring your Christmas trading period is very merry indeed. OH For more tips see the Open House iPad app.

When quality and consistency matter, look no further than the iconic Western Star range to deliver a star performance in the kitchen each and every time.

Visit fonterrafoodservices.com.au for further information and recipe ideas.

EVENT REPORT

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Watch the video in the Open House iPad app.

Golden girls win Nestlé competition Having attracted a record breaking number of entries from young chefs, the announcement of this year’s Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Award winners was one of this year’s hot ticket events, writes Ylla Watkins.

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ara Bain and Rachel Male from Queensland South have won this year’s Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Award, competing against seven other teams from around the country in the National Final cook-off, held at the William Angliss Institute in Melbourne in September.

The announcement was made at a gala dinner at Studio 3 at the

Crown Entertainment Complex, with judges saying the standard of competitors was higher than ever.

During the final cook-off, teams had four hours to create a threecourse meal, which was judged against World Association of Chefs Societies criteria by a professional judging panel that included Neil Abrahams, president of the Australian

30 Open House, October 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

Culinary Federation, Martin Kobald, honorary life president of the South African Chefs Association, and Bethany Finger, 2003 Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat winner.

The pair, who work together at the Brisbane Club, impressed the judges with their menu, winning gold medals for all three courses: low temperature poached scallop,

pan fried parfait, ginger pickled radish and mushroom, avocado, mandarin mousseline and sorrel puree; sous vide and rosemary perfumed lamb loin, potato puree and croquette with cherry vinaigrette, onion petals, vichy carrot and spring vegetables and thyme jus; and raspberry pudding and jelly, coconut puree, toasted oats and brown sugar, with panacotta, lemongrass sorbet and

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1 Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat winners Tara Bain and Rachel Male with their trophy. 2 The finalists of the Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat. 3 The chefs’ winning entrée. 4 Dessert.

5 Main course.

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meet other chefs from across the country and pit our skill level against our peers has been incredible,” said Bain. “We’ve learnt a lot and taken so much from the experience itself.”

Nestlé Professional, said the company is very proud of the Golden Chef’s Hat Award, now in its 49th year, and the role it has played in developing the careers of thousands of young chefs.

Both winners say that the best part of winning, along with the “awesome” prize, is the opportunity to learn and network that it has presented.

Males agrees: “Getting to watch, network and be mentored by some of the best chefs in the world will be a massive career changer and will definitely motivate and inspire me to be a better chef.”

“Having the opportunity to

Ross Ingram, head of sales at

“As we approach our 50th anniversary in 2015 the outstanding entry levels achieved this year are a testament to the fact that we’re still offering young chefs a relevant opportunity to develop their skills and broaden their culinary horizons.” OH

espresso meringue.

As part of their prize Bain and Male will travel to Lyon, France, in 2015 to attend the Bocuse D’or World Final, widely acknowledged to be the most rigorous and prestigious culinary competition in the world.

www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, October 2014 31

REGIONAL SNAPSHOT

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2 1 Fresh produce from the Tamar Valley.

2 Tamar Valley’s wine country. 3 Josef Chromy’s vineyards.

Tamar Valley Tasmania is a wine lover's and foodie's paradise and nowhere is that more apparent than the Tamar Valley in the north of the state, writes Sheridan Randall.

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ome to some of the world’s best sparkling wines and considered one of Australia's premier cool-climate wine regions, Launceston’s Tamar Valley is also well known for its beer, with Boag's Brewery producing fine ales for over a century. The region is also rich in culinary treats from truffle hunting and picking fresh strawberries to boutique dairy farms and farmers markets.

It is berry season soon, with Hillwood Berry Farm Tasmania offering pick your own strawberries, raspberries, loganberries, blackberries and currants from November through to April. Millers Orchard has cherries, apricots, nectarines, peaches, plums, apples, pears and a large selection of local gourmet products all available from their shed in Hillwood.

Dairy lovers are spoilt for choice with plenty of small dairy farms ready to be discovered.

The family owned Meander Valley Dairy specialises in the production of premium cream and dairy products all produced using traditional methods perfected by the family over three generations. Ashgrove Cheese produces award winning dairy products including fresh milk, cheese, cream, butter and ice-cream. You can also take a peek through the viewing window, where you will get a behind the scenes look at how they make their cheese, combining traditional techniques with modern methods.

The Real Beef farm raises organically raised, grass fed, dry aged Angus Beef that is hung, dry aged and butchered before being sold at Launceston Harvest Markets.

32 Open House, October 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

During the colder months, you can go truffle hunting at Tamar Valley Truffles, one of Australia’s leading producers of the black perigord winter truffle.

“Well, it’s Tassie,” says Matthew Adams, executive chef at Josef Chromy Wines.

“Beautiful, rolling hills of vineyards make their way out of Launceston.”

When not behind the stove at the restaurant, Adams and his partner run a goat dairy, milking 55 goats to supply local cheese and yoghurt producer Westhaven Dairy.

“I would say the Tamar Valley still has a lot of untapped potential for small scale,” he says. “Being only a short drive out of Launceston makes it easily accessible to tourists and locals alike.”

VIEW FROM THE KITCHEN

DIARY DATES Effervescence 2014 October 31 to November 1, 2014

Matthew Adams, executive chef at Josef Chromy Wines

A celebration of the world class sparkling wines from Tasmania, the inaugural event is being held on the grounds of Josef Chromy Wines, near Launceston. Expect public tastings and masterclasses supported by Tasmania's best seafood and artisan food producers. www.effervescencetasmania.com

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How much of the menu is locally sourced: We definitely source all our major proteins and a lot of our fruit and veg locally. We are slowly getting our own little garden together on-site. We have a lot of herbs already but are slowly adding to that with heirloom radishes, chillies, berries, chamomile, succulents and more. We have plans to use the vine cuttings from the vineyard for smoking and utilising other by-products from the vineyards, reinforcing our vineyard restaurant ethos.

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Favourite local ingredient: Goats milk of course! We find the astringency balances rich and sweet and also gives life and lift.

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Favourite farmers market: Harvest Market in Launceston is very good. It seems to capture most of the good local producers. There is also a great little market just out of Launceston in the town of Perth at Phoenix and the Wolf, formerly Ut Si cafe. It’s a little renovated church doing some amazing things with their woodfired oven.

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representing the environment outside those big windows. Another route we are heading down is ancient grains and flours, not just as gluten free substitutes but because they’re damn good and have more depth of flavour than their younger refined and bleached cousins.

Tasmanian Beerfest November 14-15, 2014

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Who are your culinary heroes: Both my grandmothers; Andrew McConnell’s food and restaurants are always awesome; Sean Keating (former executive chef at Josef Chromy Wines); any artisan producers busting their gut and putting blood sweat tears and passion into their products – Nick Haddow from Bruny Island Cheese Company, Hans Stutz and Esther Haeusermann from Tongola Goat Products Farm, Clare Jackson at Yorktown Organics are just a few. All these people started with an idea and a whole lot of passion, which I find very admirable. And of course anyone that I can work with on the line on a busy day and just do the dance!

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Best kitchen advice you have been given: Breathe... and push on! OH

Breweries large and small from across Tasmania, the mainland and overseas put their best brews on show on Hobart’s waterfront. Meet the brewers and get tips on beer tasting, while sampling excellent craft ciders and local Tasmanian produce. www.tasmanianbeerfest.com.au

Margaret River Gourmet Escape November 21-23, 2014

Ingredients you couldn’t live without: Olive oil, lemon and salt.

Guilty food pleasure at home: At the moment, hot English mustard or any type of stupidly hot chilli sauce that can ruin your dinner in one drop.

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What’s your culinary philosophy: We like to write the menu loosely to be able to deal with any product being available or even just changing at our whim. We want to make sure we're doing vineyard food and

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The annual Margaret River Gourmet Escape attracts top global culinary stars with its mix of cooking demonstrations, premium wine tastings, master classes, Q&A sessions, panel discussions. www.gourmetescape.com.au

www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, October 2014 33

COOKING THE BOOKS

Perfectly balanced With a passion for spice, Martin Boetz’s interpretation of Thai cuisine has led to his Longrain restaurants in Melbourne and Sydney winning fans from around the globe.

Here, he shares one of his favourite recipes.

Dry red curry of kingfish

Red curry paste Make: 1½ cups

Serves: 2

1 red onion, chopped

60ml rendered pork fat or coconut oil or canola oil

5 garlic cloves, peeled

2 tablespoons red curry paste (see recipe)

4 coriander roots, scraped and cleaned

1 tablespoon lesser galangal (krachai)

4cm piece fresh galangal, finely sliced

3 kaffir lime leaves, torn

1 lemongrass stem, white part only, finely sliced

1 long red chilli, seeded and sliced 1 tablespoon shaved palm sugar (jaggery)

1 teaspoon dried shrimp, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes, drained

2½ tablespoons fish sauce

50g smoked trout

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 tablespoon shrimp paste, roasted

2½ tablespoons chicken stock

10 dried long red chillies, seeded and soaked in warm water for 20 minutes, drained

1 x 200g kingfish fillet or other firm white fish, cut into 4 equal pieces

1 tablespoon sea salt

1 stick fresh green peppercorns (optional)

1 tablespoon white peppercorns, ground

2 snake beans, cut into 2.5cm lengths 1 apple eggplant, cut into wedges

Pound the onion, garlic, coriander roots and galangal in a mortar and pestle to a uniform paste. Transfer to a food processor.

20g holy basil leaves 150ml canola oil

Add the lemongrass, dried shrimp, smoked trout, shrimp paste, chillies and salt to the mortar and pound to a uniform paste. Add to the food processor. Blend to a smooth paste, then mix through the ground pepper.

1 kaffir lime leaf, julienned, to garnish Heat the pork fat or oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the curry paste and cook, stirring continuously until it smells fragrant, for about 2-3 minutes.

Add the lesser galangal, lime leaves, chilli, palm sugar, fish sauce, oyster sauce and chicken stock and cook, stirring continuously, for about 4-5 minutes. Be careful not to scorch the paste; if it is too hot, lower the heat and add a little more stock, and stir regularly. Check the seasoning – you want a hot, salty and sweet taste – and adjust if necessary.

Add the fish and peppercorns, if using, stir and cook for 3-4 minutes. Carefully stir in the beans, eggplant and half the basil and cook for about 8 minutes, until the fish is cooked. Remove from the heat.

Heat the canola oil in a wok over a high

Store in an airtight container. The paste keeps for 4-6 days in the refrigerator. It also freezes well.

If you cannot find or prepare rendered pork fat, use coconut or canola oil instead. The pork fat gives the paste depth of flavour.

Try it with and without and see what you think – pork fat wasn’t my preferred choice until I tasted it without.

heat and fry the remaining basil for 30 seconds, stirring continuously to fry the leaves evenly. Drain on absorbent paper.

Spoon the curry onto a serving dish and garnish with the fried basil and lime leaf.

Serve with steamed jasmine rice.

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Recipe from New Thai Food by Martin Boetz (Hardie Grant Books, $39.95)

What’s on shelf this month?

Movida Solera

Scandinavian Baking

Sepia: the cuisine of Martin Benn

by Frank Camorra & Richard Cornish Lantern, $59.99

by Trine Hahnemann Quadrille, $49.95

Murdoch Books, $75

Food is an intrinsic part of the travel experience and never more so than in this book detailing chef Frank Camorra’s journey through his family’s home region of Andalusia in Southern Spain. Not only does Camorra share the recipes he uncovers, from flamenco stew from Malaga to gypsy donuts from Sevill, but also reviews of the restaurants and bars in each region. Guaranteed to make you start planning your next holiday.

While most famous for their Danish pastries, Scandinavians are crazy about baking, turning out everything from mouth-watering layer cakes and choux pastry confections to rye breads with gusto.

Midsummer and Christmas festivities are built around baking, and in Denmark you may be invited to a “cake table” party where guests are expected to try all of the 20 or more cakes served. Here baking guru Trine Hahnemann shares her favourite recipes.

Sepia is one of Sydney’s most acclaimed restaurants and its chef, Martin Benn, one of Australia’s most renowned. Based around four degustation menus, this stunning book highlights the technical mastery and beauty of Benn’s food, sitting just as comfortably on a coffee table as in the kitchen. The book also goes behind-the-scenes of the restaurant, sharing stories from its inception to its day-to-day running. OH

NEW PRO SERIES - BUILT FOR COMMERCIAL KITCHENS Celebrating 200 years of knife production, Wüsthof is proud to introduce the new PRO series; designed specifically for commercial use.

Manufactured to the highest standard, the razor sharp high carbon stainless steel blades and ergonomic soft poly handles are perfect for the demanding everyday needs of the commercial kitchen. Like all Wüsthof knives, the PRO series is made in Germany and is NSF certified.

For more information or for stockists call 1800 099 266.

TRUE LIFETIME WARRANTY | FREE LIFETIME KNIFE SHARPENING SERVICE 1800 099 012 | WWW.WUSTHOF.COM.AU

www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, October 2014 35

PRODUCTS

Couverture chocolates

Keep it cool

Nestlé Professional’s chocolate range will now appear under the Nestlé Docello name with revamped packaging. Four new couverture varieties have also been unveiled, which include: two dark chocolate products – Ultima 70% and Royal, plus milk and white chocolate products – Gold and Arctic. All of the couverture products will be available in 5kg packs of 2 x 2.5kg bags. The entire range will come in kibble form, with the exception of Arctic which is available as buttons. ● www.docello.nestleprofessional.com.au

Ozmist has launched their new range of Italian designed and manufactured outdoor air conditioners, the Fresco, Aurora and Atmosphera. The Aurora and Fresco are perfect for small to medium outdoor areas, while the Atmosphera is great for bars, restaurants, cafes, pubs, and hotels. These outdoor cooling solutions decrease the temperature considerably, keep mosquitoes away and neutralize odours and dust. All Ozmist systems are designed and manufactured for easy installation, are cost effective, and require minimal maintenance. ● www.ozmist.com.au

Purely sparkling

Clean ice

Purezza Sparkling Water Systems use the latest technology and superior filtration to produce premium sparkling or still water on tap, on-site at the venue. The systems dispense ice-cold sparkling water at a fraction of the cost of bottled sparkling water, and are supplied with bespoke re-usable bottles. Purezza systems come in various capacity models to suit various venues such as restaurants, bars, conference and function centres and cafes. ● www.purezza.com.au

Biozone Scientific has developed a chemical-free ice machine sanitation system for foodservice businesses. Icezone is designed to keep ice machines and beverage dispensers clean, which can be very difficult to keep hygienic, especially in environments such as hotels, bars and restaurants. Icezone works by preventing slime, mould, bacteria, viruses, and yeast from growing inside the surfaces of ice machines. They are easy to install and are HACCP certified. ● www.icezone.com.au

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Truffle infusion

Round up

Olsson’s Truffle Salt is made with high quality Australian sea salt flakes combined with finely shaved fresh (not freeze-dried) Australian grown black perigord truffles. The earthy character of the truffle infuses every single flake to create a subtler flavour than truffle oil. Olsson’s Truffle Salt also provides a more affordable way of utilising and prolonging the flavours of black perigord truffles.

It is available in 50g glass containers, as well as 250g and 500g glass jars for foodservices. ● www.olssons.com.au

Conga Foods has launched their 100 per cent Australian-owned and produced extra virgin olive oil, Squeaky Gate. The new range is available in three different extra virgin olive oils: The Unsung Hero, a subtle and delicate oil, ideal for seafood and summer salads; The All Rounder, a classic and fruity oil, great with pastas and white meats; and The Life & Soul, an oil which is big on flavour. The entire range is available in 750ml bottles, with the All Rounder also available in a 4 litre tin. ● www.squeakygate.com.au

Crisp and flavoursome

Ultra hold

McLaren Vale Beer Company has introduced Vale Cider into its lineup. The brew is a cloudy, traditional-style cider made in collaboration with McLaren Vale’s Chapel Hill Winery, and uses a combination of locally grown apples to create a crisp yet full flavour. Vale Cider is available on tap in South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria, and will be available nationally throughout the coming months in kegs, which are great for hotels, restaurants and bars. ● www.mvbeer.com

Lamb Weston has introduced new UltraHold Fries. Made with just the right potato, cut, batter, and cooking process, they retain their crunchy, crispy texture for up to 30 minutes after cooking, unlike standard fries, which stay crisp for less than 10 minutes. With UltraHold Fries, foodservice and home-delivery operators can reduce waste and increase customer satisfaction, by ensuring fries will stay hot and crispy for longer. The fries are offered as regular cut (with or without the skin) and shoestring fries, all available in 6 x 2kg packs. ● www.lambweston.com OH

www.openhousemagazine.net Open House, October 2014 37

PROFILE

Chef on a mission Award-winning chef Dan Hong from Hospitality group Merivale has become known for his talent for opening ahead-of-the-pack restaurants the public can’t get enough of, writes Ylla Watkins.

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estaurant & Catering Australia’s 2014 Young Achiever of the Year Dan Hong has achieved a lot in his 31 years. Stints in the kitchen of some of Australia’s most prestigious restaurants including Tetsuya’s, Marque, Longrain and Lotus, as well as a stage in Michelin-starred WD-50 in New York, has led him to his current role – executive chef at Merivale’s Mr Wong, Ms G's, Papi Chulo and El Loco. With so much on his plate, you’d be forgiven for thinking he’d be too busy to tackle any new projects, but no, there’s more (as they say in the infomercials): the chef has just launched his first book, Mr Hong.

Part memoir, part cookbook, Mr Hong is as much an exploration of Hong’s career so far, as it is of the fresh, delicious, no-fuss dishes he champions in his restaurants.

they pulled out to open Bodega. That job was a real eye-opener for me.”

A year later the chef won the Josephine Pignolet Best Young Chef Award at the 2008 SMH Good Food Guide Awards. His prize was the opportunity to stage with leading proponent of molecular gastronomy Wylie Dufresne of WD-50 in New York.

“Working at Bentley at the time, that was what we were into – using new techniques, creating new textures and flavours through the use of chemicals, cooking sous vide. I learnt a lot while I was there but it’s funny, if you look at what I’m doing now, it’s nothing to do with what I did there.”

See the recipe in the Open House iPad app.

“It was just the right time to do it,” he says.

“I’d always wanted to do a book about everything – my story up until this point – but I didn’t get the right offer until Mr Hong came along.

“I hope that readers find the story of how I got to this point interesting, and I hope that people take away from it that my whole style is about eating delicious food, not being too serious about anything, and just having a good time.”

Hong credits his mother, who owned Vietnamese restaurants in Sydney’s Cabramatta and Newtown, for pushing him towards a career in the kitchen. A poor student, she suggested he start a cooking course after completing his higher school certificate, later finding him an apprenticeship with Martin Boetz at Longrain. It wasn’t an obvious career choice, says Hong.

“I’ve always loved food,” he says. “But I only developed my passion for cooking after I started working as an apprentice with guys like Martin Boetz and Thomas Johns [Pello] and Mark Best [Marque].

“At the time Longrain had only been open less than a year. It was one of the busiest restaurants in Sydney at the time, really popular.

Working there really shaped my skills, and also helped develop my palate. That Thai palate is one of the most complex in the world – trying to get that balance of sweet, salty and so on. It formed the basis of my palate from then on.”

Hong went on to spend time at Pello, Marque, Moog and Tetsuya’s, picking up skills and contacts, before getting his first big break, the role of sous chef at Bentley Restaurant & Bar. “I got the Sous chef job by default,” he admits. “Elvis [Abrahanowicz] and Ben [Milgate] were going to be the sous chefs but at the last minute 38 Open House, October 2014 www.openhousemagazine.net

Returning to Sydney, Hong was approached to try out for the role of head chef at Lotus in Potts Point. It was the start of his now seven-year relationship with Merivale.

Since joining Merivale Hong has gone on to open Asian fusion restaurant Ms G, American barbecue-style joint Papi Chulo, Mexican cantina El Loco (Surry Hills and Sydney CBD) and 250-seat Chinese restaurant Mr Wong.

“I loved my time at Lotus,” he says. “I miss running a brigade of four chefs. You go to work, try to nurture these few chefs under you, build really close relationships, do maybe 50-100 covers a night. It’s great.

Now I’m in charge of five kitchens. At Mr Wong alone there are 40 chefs on the roster.”

A proud father-figure to all of his culinary offspring, Hong says Ms G is his favourite.

“That’s my baby,” he says. “It was the first restaurant that defines my personality. From the food to the music, to the whole ambience of the place, it really describes me.”

Asked if there is another restaurant on the horizon, Hong says “you never know”. “[Merivale chief executive] Justin is really spontaneous with his ideas,” he says. “He could call me tomorrow and say I want you do this. I never say no to anything; I always want to hear it, and then work out if I can do it.” OH

Recipe and image from Mr Hong by Dan Hong (Murdoch Books, $49.99)

AUSTRALIAN CULINARY FEDERATION NEWS

Young chefs a priority I

n last month’s article I touched on the Australian Culinary Federation’s (ACF) commitment to the chefs of our future and the development of the Australian Young Chefs Club. I am forever asked the question, what is the ACF doing about our skills shortage, training and further education with young chefs? The short answer is a lot.

Sociaties (WACS) Young Chefs’ Development Committee along with Andy Cuthbert, Alan Orreal and Jodi-Ann Pearton. This formed the group known as the Young Chefs Development Team (YCDT). Since then Lyman has worked on many programs with the YCDT including the Young Chefs’ Forum in Korea in 2012.

For many years the Queensland, ACT and South Australia Chapters have been running secondary school mentoring programs and competitions, and more recently Queensland introduced its Junior Secondary Schools program which this year had well over 200 participants.

In September of 2012, the entire WACS Young Chefs’ Development Team met with former ACF president Peter Wright and then ACF VIC president Steve McFarlane to discuss strategies for forming an Australian Young Chefs’ Club. In November, the Australian Young Chefs’ Club Facebook page was launched and Lyman facilitated the formation of the first Australian Young Chefs’ Club in Victoria.

Western Australian has managed the National Youth Team since 2004, giving opportunities for many young chefs under the age of 25 a chance to compete and develop their skills on an international platform.

In Victoria in 2009, ACF member Dale Lyman was asked to assist Alan Orreal and Dr Billy Gallagher with preparations for a Young Chefs’ Forum in Chile in 2010.

Shortly after the Forum, Lyman was appointed to the World Association of Chefs

I am happy to announce that at our National Meeting held last weekend, all State Presidents agreed to form a Young Chefs’ Club as a sub-committee of their state.

So, as you see, the Australian Culinary Federation is working very hard to encourage people into our industry by identifying a passion while at school, then following it up

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Neil Abrahams Australian Culinary Federation (ACF)

with support across the country and even across the world. However, to the non-member I say if you wish to benefit from the ACF and the work it does then become a member. With strength in numbers we can do more. OH

ON THE MOVE Martin Heierling has been appointed group culinary director at the Urban Purveyor Group, overseeing food and beverage across all venues within the group. Most recently executive chef and culinary director for Starr Restaurants Group, Heierling brings with him a wealth of international experience.

Chef Mark Best (pictured) has opened a second Pei Modern in Sydney at the Four Seasons Hotel. Best will be joined

by Matt Germanchis as head chef, and during the opening period Ainslie Lubbock as maitre d', before she returns to Melbourne.

Cicada Lodge in the Northern Territory has announced the appointment of Dean Julian as chef de cuisine. Julian joins the Cicada Lodge team following similar positions at Wildman Wilderness Lodge, Wahoo Bar Restaurant and Fishing lodge, and Breakas Beach Resort in Vanuatu.

ParkRoyal Darling Harbour in Sydney has appointed Matthew Hunt as restaurant manager of Abode Bistro & Bar. Prior to his role at Abode, Hunt held the position of assistant manager at Saké Restaurant and Bar.

Tradewinds Hotel in Fremantle, WA, has welcomed Bradley Backhouse as their new executive chef. Backhouse has cooked extensively in South East Asia, and in Australian restaurants including Sails On Lavender Bay, Sugar Room and Terrace Restaurant.

Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort and Spa has appointed Andrew Wright as director of food and beverage. Wright brings with him over 30 years of hospitality experience, within hotel groups including Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, the Intercontinental Hotel Group and Stamford Hotels and Resorts.

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