SIPS BITES AND

What’s brewing, cooking and happening...

New Kids

Scotch Bonnet Caribbean Beach Grill and Rum Bar offers mouth watering flame grilled jerk chicken and views across to Mooloolaba Beach

Live DJs every Sunday, 2-6pm.

Early mornings are now easier for the Backstreet Cafe team with the views from their new location on the Mooloolaba

Esplanade

The newest plant-based cafe, Cultivate & Co in Eumundi has house-made treats and brews from Eumundi Coffee Co

The Good Place is growing with endED Espresso Bar in Buddina (see page 16) and the 100% Gluten Free Riverside by The Good Place on Noosa’s famed Gympie Terrace

Slide Coffee

Roasters from Coolum have opened Slide Coffee House in Bulcock Street Caloundra and brewed a Coffee

Sour Ale beer in collaboration with Range Brewing

Find it at Peregian Beach Hotel

New owners at Corbin’s Kitchen And Wine Bar on Duporth Ave will continue to serve modern Asian cuisine with fine wines and frosty beers. The famed Beer Cha with 3 Beers + 9 courses of food for $60 remains. Yay!

We’re getting excited for the opening of The Shed at Palmwoods which promises an enhanced food offering and bar!

CK Coffee Bar & Wholefoods have opened in Maroochydore Homemaker Centre, and will also supply fresh food for the newly-opened Gallery Cafe at the Sunshine Coast Art & Framing Gallery in Minyama.

CHOC JOB

Montville’s artisan chocolate makers Chocolate Country are looking for a Sales Assistant so if you want a job with calorific and terrific benefits, apply now!

FRESHLY BAKED

Devotees of Ten Acres artisanal bakery will find them at Fairhill Nursery, Ninderry Botanist and Baker is open Wed to Sun, 8am-4pm. Jamie and Melody’s breads and pastries paired with Padre Coffee -pre-order or get there early.

CRO-COOL

Keep warm with mouth-watering cronuts from Jimmy’s Catering and keep an eye out for monthly pop-up specials and Sunday lunch once a month!

FACELIFT

The Kings Beach Tavern has reopened its doors with this landmark 1957 pub sporting a new-look bistro and outdoor dining area with a fresh menu showcasing local produce and classic pub-fare.

B’DAY BREWS

The inspiring Harrison Hedges from Whatcha Brewing in Maroochydore’s Big Top is brewing up ideas to celebrate the 1st birthday!

Pop in to see what’s brewing and meet Harrison on our “Everyone Has a Story” podcast!

Growing

Grounded at Woombye is growing with a Cafe Market Room, new Friday night menu with live music; as well as a little sister, Grounded at Montville

Piggyback

Get set for an exciting new venture out of Palmwoods from popular restaurateur Tony Kelly, riding the wave of success of Rice Boi and Giddy Geisha. Watch this space - or listen to the interview with Tony on our “Everyone Has a Story” podcast!

Tastier Tours

Soak in the sunshine on Sunshine & Sons’ expanded tasting lawn tempting you to linger longer over bespoke cocktails from their delicious range and find out about the special edition labels in collaboration with the likes of Paul Kelly and Raelene Boyle. Keep an eye on social media for a special World Gin Day event, 12 June; and discover what they do with Silver Tongue Foods’ range of gourmet pickled foods and preserves.

A NEW GIN!

Never one to rest on his laurels, Dimi of Diablo Co has created a Mediterranean- flavoured gin paying homage to his homeland. Discover it at the Diablo Oasis Bar behind the Big Pineapple, name the gin and win! See Page 42 for more and you can also meet Dimi on our “Everyone Has a Story” podcast!

DON’T MISS!

Hello Sunshine Magazine wine lunches are nearly SOLD OUT! Torbreck Wines at Market Bistro on 23 June (see page 32); and Coast to Coast with Ghostrock Wines at Peregian Beach Hotel on 25 June (see page 21). Book now!

FESTIVAL FUN!

Noosa Eat & Drink Festival, is nearly here! From 10-13 June, don’t miss Noosa’s annual ode to delicious eats, drinks and entertainment in stunning locations. Book a Chef’s Table Masterclass now! noosaeatdrink.com.au

Duck Rillettes With Pickled Baby Cucumber

SERVES 10-12 AS A SNACK

Rillettes is a specialty of central Francea kind of pâte version of confit originally created as a method of preservation. Pork, goose, chicken, and game birds including duck can be used to make rillettes, and sometimes even fish such as tuna and salmon.

The meat is generally cooked very slowly in its own fat, and that same fat becomes an important part of the final texture of the paste.

Traditionally served with pickles like cornichons and caperberries, these lightly pickled baby cucumbers are a fresh alternative.

Ingredients:

• 1 size 18 – 20 duck, deboned and roughly diced; or 4 duck marylands, deboned and diced

• 1 brown onion, peeled and finely sliced

• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

• Juice and zest of 1 orange

• 1/2 cup white wine

• 30 ml Grand Marnier or Cointreau (optional)

• 200 gm duck fat

• 1/2 tsp picked thyme

• 2 bay leaves

• Salt and pepper

• 250 gm baby cucumbers, sliced

• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar

• 1/2 cup water

• 20gm castor sugar

• 1 tbs salt

• 1 baguette

• 50 gm rocket

Method:

• Put duck, onion, garlic, juice and zest, wine, duck fat, thyme and bay leaves into a small heavy based saucepan.

• Simmer on a very low heat for 2 –2.5 hrs, or until the duck pieces are very soft.

• Pour off some of the fat and break up the duck mixture with a hard whisk or a fork until smooth, pouring back a little of the fat to achieve a thick paste. Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper, spoon into ramekins and cool.

• Whisk together the vinegar, water, sugar and salt and pour over the cucumbers. Allow to sit for 2 – 3 hours or overnight before serving.

• Serve the rillettes with the drained pickled cucumbers and plenty of crusty baguette or sourdough.

Duck And Mandarin Salad With Honey And Chilli Dressing

Cooking a duck breast to perfection is a skill that only comes from experience and developing a good understanding of exactly how it should feel when you give the finished product a squeeze.

Good heat control is important so the skin is extra crispy and enough of the fat has rendered out of it before you turn it over to finish it on the other side.

Once you do perfect it, don’t over complicate what you serve it with, just let it be the star of the show.

Ingredients:

• 2 duck breasts

• 2 mandarins, peeled and sliced into circles

• 1/2 cup coriander leaves

• 1/2 cup mint leaves

• 1 golden shallot, finely sliced

• 1 long red chilli, julienned

• 1 stick celery, finely sliced

• 2 tbs honey

• 1 tbs rice vinegar

• 1 tbs soy sauce

• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes

Method:

• Dry and season the duck breasts and fry skin side down in a heavy based frypan over a medium heat until the fat has rendered out and the skin becomes crisp and golden.

• Turn the breasts and fry for another 3 – 4 minutes. Allow to cool down in the pan and rest for 5 minutes.

PAPPARDELLE WITH TOMATO BRAISED DUCK, FENNEL AND OLIVES

SERVES 4

Pappardelle is a long ribbon pasta a lot like a wide fettucine, most commonly served with some form of braised meat sauce. This combination of the richness of duck, the acidity of tomatoes, the sweetness of fennel and briny black olives is a perfect balance and one of my all-time favourite ragus.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbs olive oil

• 1 onion, sliced

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds

• 2 bay leaves

• 2 tbs tomato paste

• 500gm roma tomatoes, diced

• 500ml chicken stock

• Pinch saffron

• Salt and pepper

• 4 duck marylands

• 500 gm pappardelle pasta

• 2 small fennel bulbs, cut into wedges

• 1/2 cup pitted black olives

• 75 gm grated parmesan

Method:

• In a medium saucepan, fry the onion, garlic, fennel seeds and bay leaves in the olive oil for 2 – 3 minutes.

• Add the tomato paste and stir over the heat for another 30 seconds.

• Add the diced tomatoes and chicken stock and season with salt and pepper. Simmer gently for 15 minutes.

• Trim any excess fat from the duck marylands and fry them skin side down in a heavy based frypan over a medium heat until they are well coloured. Turn and fry on the other side for a few minutes, then transfer to a casserole dish or deep oven proof tray.

• Whisk together the honey, vinegar, soy sauce and chilli.

• Finely slice the duck breasts and mix with the mandarin, herbs, shallot, chilli, celery and half of the dressing.

• Divide evenly between four plates and drizzle with the remaining dressing.

• Pour over the tomato sauce, add the olives and cover with a tight-fitting lid or a double layer of foil.

• Bake for 2 hours at 150°C.

• Remove the duck from the sauce and allow to cool. Skim off any excess fat from the top of the braising liquid with a spoon.

• Once cool, roughly break up the duck off the bones and add back to the sauce.

• Lightly oil the fennel, season with salt, and spread in a single layer on a tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 15 –20 minutes at 180°C or until softened and slightly caramelised.

• Cook the pappardelle in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. (there are lots of different types of pappardelle that take different amounts of time to cook, so check the packet for instructions).

• Gently warm the duck sauce, and when the pasta is cooked, drain it and toss it through the sauce with the fennel.

• Serve straight from the casserole dish with freshly-grated parmesan and crusty bread.