11 minute read
HAUTE DINING
BY CHARLENE PETERS
HauteDINING
DINING THIGH DEEP DOWN UNDER
Oysters and bubbles in exotic Tasmania
Wading up to my thighs in Tasmania’s Great Oyster Bay, I approached a dining table as it was assembled and set with white linens. Our small group was prepared for a dining experience designed to be enjoyed standing up. The dress code: Fly ’n Dry rubber waders, the kind fishermen wear. The scene was like an artist’s brushstroke, with the blue of the bay and the murky, cloud-covered sky interrupted only by a few sunbleached driftwood branches washed ashore on the marsh’s tawny palette of golds and reds.
This unique tasting takes place at the Freycinet Marine Farm, owned and operated by Julia and Giles Fisher. The Fishers hope to educate the general public about marine and wetlands ecology and offer this bay-to-table experience exclusively to guests of Saffire Freycinet. It’s one of the only spots in the world where you can walk straight into a pristine saltwater bay to taste Pacific oysters harvested that minute.
The theme on this crisp afternoon aimed to replicate the type of repast once considered a status symbol by the upper class during the Greek and Roman empires (8th BCE-5th AD). Guests tossed down two delicacies simultaneously and in generous amounts: oysters and wine.
At first, I thought my attention on this island state of Australia would be focused on the cleanest air and water in the world. I already knew its cleansing winds drift from the Andes Mountains without passing over a single land mass until it reaches Tasmania. When our small group of diners stood expectantly in the bay where the oysters are farmed and where we received a lesson on how to shuck the oysters, my focus shifted. Captivated by this immersive dining experience, I wasn’t alone. Soon, the harmonious sounds of happy, rubber-clad people slurping bivalves and washing them down with a local, elegant wine filled the air. These firm, pillowy, briny oysters were paired with the most eloquent Tassie sparkling, Lake Barrington Alexandra Vintage Sparkling Wine, which I hadn’t known existed. The combination of tastes, setting, and company made this “full immersion” meal a memory for a lifetime.
Saffire Freycinet Resort
Freshly shucked Tasmanian oysters
HauteDINING
NAKED TRUTH OF OYSTERS
It all began with Aphrodite, the famed Greek goddess of beauty, love, and desire, who was often depicted as arising fully grown from within an oyster shell. Rumors of how this briny and flavorful mollusk acts as an aphrodisiac might be true.
Ample science backs that claim. Oysters are chock full of zinc, almost 75 milligrams in three ounces, which provides a possible lift in libido (especially in men). Eating oysters is great for weight loss efforts, thanks to the protein that fills you up. They also boast omega-3 fatty acids, lots of vitamin B12, and copper. And they may reduce the risk of heart disease in people with type 2 diabetes, as they can also help control blood sugar levels.
Last, but not least, oysters are a boon for the oceans’ ecosystem, filtering out pollutants in the water, which provides a cleaner habitat for other species, like mussels and clams.
SPARKLING WINES OF TASMANIA
The remarkable combination of intensity and delicacy in Tasmania’s sparkling wines is attributable to its far southern latitude and cool climate. Take the case of the above-mentioned Lake Barrington Alexandra Vintage Sparkling Wine. Crafted from noble grape varieties sourced from exceptional cold climate vineyards on the island and produced in the méthode traditionnelle, this wine presents the kind of power and vibrancy you’d expect from any world class sparkling wine with seldom-achieved texture and complexity. The aromas and flavors represent Tasmanian Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes and present a toasty, brioche-like expression underpinned by tight, linear notes of Granny Smith apple, melon, and citrus flavors.
It’s no surprise Tassie sparkling wines now compete head-on with the champagnes of France. One label took the first place spot for sparkling in the world last year, as published in Decanter magazine: House of Arras 2004 E.J. Carr Late Disgorged. This vintage may soon be available for sale in the US. (If you can’t wait, it’s available shipped from the UK for about $150.)
SAFFIRE FREYCINET
Perhaps no other food and wine experience is as custom-designed for guests as the dining-in-the-bay option booked exclusively through Saffire Freycinet. The resort, a slice of luxury set in the coastal bushland of Freycinet National Park, is a few hours’ drive from Tasmania’s capital city, Hobart. Hobart is best known for its history as a former penal colony. In the early 1800s, Great Britain banished its most hardened criminals and reprobates to far away Hobart.
But I digress.
Saffire Freycinet is perched on the banks of a bay that hugs a 400-million-year-old peninsula. The architecturally astounding luxury resort was built in the shape of a manta ray. Its lobby—a kaleidoscope of materials from wood to glass to leather to locally-mined pink granite—offers awe-inspiring views of the Hazards Mountains, also the source of the pink granite. A short hike leads to picturesque Coles Bay and Wineglass Bay. Adjacent to the resort is a Tasmanian Devil rehabilitation facility, worth a visit if only to hear the cartoonish sounds of the devils and to learn that their preferred source of food is roadkill—a free and indigenous highway cleanup crew!
When it was time for my return to Hobart, a stop for an al fresco lunch at Freycinet Marine Farm had me swooning over an ambrosial plate of baked oysters topped with melty Brie cheese and smoked salmon. I asked for the recipe and was rewarded. Shuck, yeah!
Charlene slurps an oyster in the bay
Oysters with Smoked Salmon and Brie Serves 3
INGREDIENTS • 9 ounces best quality smoked salmon • 9 oysters, shucked, in the shell • 3 ounces Brie • 1 scallion, chopped fine • 1 Himalayan salt brick if available, or 1 pound rock salt INSTRUCTIONS
Create a bed of rock salt on a rimmed metal baking pan.
Nestle each oyster into the salt and top each with a thin wedge of Brie. Bake in a 400° Fahrenheit oven for about 8 minutes or until the cheese starts to bubble and the very edge of the oyster begins to peel away from the shell.
Remove from the oven. At that point, carefully place one ounce of smoked salmon atop the melted cheese, layer with one more paper-thin wedge of Brie, and sprinkle the scallions on top. Serve immediately.
BY STEPH KEAY HauteCUISINE
Black truffles
A MUSHROOMING SUCCESS
How one local company transformed a 20-pound case of unwanted truffles into a booming cooking class empire
SITTING IN FRONT OF $20,000 WORTH OF FRESH TRUFFLES, FRENCH Laundry alums Jason and Sarah McKinney were at a loss. The mammoth shipment of the famously earthy spheres of flavor had just landed in San Francisco the same day the shelter-in-place order was announced, and the high hopes they had for their fledgling company—which they founded to supply restaurants with the finest fungi—were looking dire. With only a small window of time to utilize the truffles (likely less than a week), the McKinneys had to find a way to use all 20 pounds of the precious cargo. Then, the phone rang.
A prized delicacy, truffles have long been a mainstay on the finest menus across the world—including The French Laundry, the famous, triple-Michelinstarred restaurant where the McKinneys first met. Along with chef Tyler Vorce, the McKinneys developed an incredible passion for the ingredient, elevating dishes at the famed Napa eatery with the fungus’ distinct, earthy flavor and incredible complexity. Together, they sought to launch Truffle Shuffle, a direct-from-the-source importer of truffles they hoped would serve restaurants across Northern California. Similar to highlighting food producers such as butchers and farmers, the three truffle aficionados aimed to bring more awareness to truffle hunters and deepen the appreciation for these exceptional morsels of umami.
When the pandemic hit, it seemed as though the timing couldn’t have been worse—but in hindsight, it was a blessing in disguise. When Jason picked up the phone, he answered a call from a private San Francisco social club asking him to host a virtual cooking class for its members. Despite having no professional background in teaching, the Truffle Shuffle founders embarked on developing a program to lead home cooks through the preparation of a restaurant-quality dish utilizing fresh truffles, including
Truffle Shuffle's signature brown butter truffle honey Truffle risotto with fresh black truffle from Tarrega, Spain
Truffle Shuffle's signature truffle salt Sushi class featuring Ikura and 49er rolls ingredients delivered in meal kits directly to their doorsteps. Chefs Jason and Tyler based their method of teaching on how they had advanced their own lengthy careers—namely, shadowing master chefs in the kitchens of some of the best restaurants across America. The classes gave home cooks an opportunity to not only interact with the chefs and ask questions in real time, but also to learn all of the incredible knowledge Jason and Tyler had spent years accumulating and to pick up techniques they could continue to use in the future.
The first class was a massive success, and Truffle Shuffle knew it had a hit on its hands. In less than a year, the company expanded from a 6-person team working out of the McKinneys’ apartment to a 50-person team operating out of its new headquarters in Oakland. More than 100,000 home cooks have participated in Truffle Shuffle’s classes to date, which have run the gamut from paella and lamb chops to sushi rolling and pasta making to wine dinners created in collaboration with major Napa Valley vintners. They’ve enlisted local talent, such as Executive Chef Jackson Yu from Michelin-starred Omakase in San Francisco and featured special guest appearances from actress Teri Hatcher, NFL Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, and performers from the hit musical Hamilton.
Truffle Shuffle plans to continue bringing in celebrity guest judges— thanks to big connections from new investors—and has even landed appearances on The Kelly Clarkson Show and Shark Tank to showcase their company as the future of cooking. Jason believes that live streaming will persist as a platform for connecting the community
HauteCUISINE
Truffle Shuffle has hosted a number of fresh pasta making classes—from fettuccine to pillowy gnocchi even after the pandemic and sees Truffle Shuffle as an innovative package combining exceptional food, education, and entertainment— an all-in-one experience that can be shared with kitchens nationwide.
At the root of Truffle Shuffle’s mission is honesty and integrity in all their offerings. Aside from a love for truffles, the founders were spurred by their desire to go directly to the source in order to find the highest-quality products—consciously sourced by longtime truffle hunters and their skillfully trained dogs in the Umbrian countryside. “It’s our mission to personally source the best-in-class truffles and create the finest truffle products in the world,” says Sarah, who handles the beverage program, public relations, and social media for the company.
Meanwhile, Jason handles marketing and project planning, and Tyler writes the recipes. Truffle Shuffle has also hired a roster of staff members who were furloughed as a result of COVID-19 in a show of support for restaurant workers. “Everything is done in-house,” Sarah says. “I’m extremely proud of our team of hospitality workers who have gone above and beyond to educate themselves in this virtual realm.”
Truffle Shuffle is also heavily invested in giving back to the broader community. When it first began offering its virtual classes, the company donated a meal to a frontline healthcare worker for every meal kit it sold. Now, it donates a meal to anyone in the community in need, and the company has been working on creating a partnership with Alameda Food Bank. It’s a cause that’s important to them, especially because Jason experienced food insecurity as a child.
Even though their team is busy hosting multiple classes and shipping out hundreds of orders a week—when they’re not appearing on television, that is—they remain committed to looking for new ways to give back. The company donates a portion of its profits to 1% for the Planet from all sales of its small-batch products, which include brown butter truffle honey made in partnership with Marshall’s Farm. Jason and Tyler visited the Napa farm nearly a dozen times to convince its fourth-generation beekeeper to allow them to use his honey, knowing it was the same pure, unfiltered, and hand-bottled honey Thomas Keller insisted on using in all his restaurants. It’s this kind of dedication and commitment that has led to the company’s expansion from underground truffle suppliers to a mainstream company paving the future of “edutainment” and making a difference in the world—one truffle at a time.
The Chiacchiarini family's truffle dog
Truffle hunting in the village of Pettino The Chiacchiarini family hosts truffle hunts on their farm, Wild Foods Italy
The forests of the mountain village are rich with prized Umbrian truffles
Truffle Shuffle's signature truffle salt features natural sea salt from a Balinese family farm, carefully blended with French black truffle
