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SMA18854

UNRIVALLED TRIPLE-FAN FREESTANDING COOKER IN CHOICE OF 8 COLOURS

smeg.com.au

BRINGING THE RICH FLAVOURS OF THE ITALIAN COAST INTO YOUR HOME

ECLIPSE THE WORLD’S FIRST DISCOVERY YACHT

TM

Lobby Lounge

Discover the British Isles 11 Day Cruise

Dublin > Bergen

Scenic Eclipse is where 6-star luxury meets discovery.

Travel to the site of many important historic and cultural events of the past several centuries, as you cruise the windswept British Isles.

while our range of Scenic Freechoice activities include opportunities to try the famous local whiskey on the Isle of Islay, or discover the region’s remarkable wildlife by Zodiac or kayak.

From Dublin, journey across the Irish Sea to the unique selfgoverned Isle of Man, and wind your way along the windswept western isles of Scotland before exploring the country’s north, rich in Viking history.

Inspired by the sleek contours of a sailing yacht and designed to glide through ocean currents with ease, Scenic Eclipse will take you to far-flung places surrounded by luxury.

With Scenic Enrich, enjoy a delightful high tea with the Lord and Lady of Dunleath at Ballywater Castle outside Belfast;

With 114 spacious suites – each with a private verandah – as well as a Spa Sanctuary, indoor and outdoor pools, this is a truly world-class, 6-star experience.

Book now to secure your Verandah Suite from $13,495*pp

138 128 SCENIC.COM.AU/ECLIPSE or visit SCENIC.COM.AU/AGENTS for your nearest Scenic agent

2018

Scenic Eclipse

Deluxe Verandah Suite

Bergen Lerwick Norway

Stornoway

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Scotland

Inner Hebrides Isle of Islay

Kirkwall

Tobermory Iona Spa Sanctuary

Belfast Ireland

Dublin

Isle of Man * Conditions apply. Prices are based on per person, twin share in AUD, are strictly limited until sold out. Prices include taxes and charges. International flights are not included. For new bookings only, not available in conjunction with any other offer. First non-refundable deposit due within 7 days of booking. Pricing based on 101B250519 in a Cat A Suite correct as of 06/03/18. First non-refundable deposit due within 7 days of booking - Earlybird Fare 25% of cruise fare and Full Fare 10% of cruise fare. For full terms and conditions visit scenic.com.au/ terms. ABN 85 002 715 602. SNMA267.

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S O M E T I M E S O N LY A CAPPUCCINO WIL L DO The new Latissima One. For the love of quality cofee moments.

EXPERIENCE THE CREAMY SENSATION of Castello® Double Cream Brie

Matured from the centre for a mild taste and soft, creamy texture castellocheese.com

Four dishes

What we’re eating Gourmet Traveller stafers share their favourite plates of the moment.

GRILLED BEEF RIB WITH CHIMICHURRI, Barrio You can take the boy out of Argentina, but you can’t take away his love of large meats. Or at least that’s the message you get when you order the beef from chef Francisco Smoje: a hunk of grilled rib, served sliced on the bone, carpeted with a chunky chimichurri and scorched onions. Barrio, 1 Porter St, Byron Bay, NSW. PAT NOURSE, MANAGING EDITOR

APRICOT AND PEACH FROZEN SLICE, Bert’s Bar & Brasserie We’re big fans of inadvertent “snaccessorising” – when a dish perfectly matches an outfit or interior.

And if there was ever a match for the glamour of the newly opened Bert’s, this grown-up Splice dessert – layers of tangy vanilla yoghurt with peach and apricot gelato and a playful whip of scorched marshmallow – would be it. Bert’s, 2 Kalinya St, Newport, NSW, (02) 9114 7350. MAGGIE SCARDIFIELD,

OX TONGUE AND CHILLI PRAWNS, Gertrude Street Enoteca Brigitte Hafner and James Broadway from Gertrude Street Enoteca have introduced a list of hibachi-grilled snacks. Garlic, lemon and chilli king prawns are a crowd pleaser, but the ox tongue wins out for the balance of smoke, salt and char and for the vibrant green, vibrant tasting salsa verde that accompanies it. Gertrude Street Enoteca, 229 Gertrude St, Fitzroy. (03) 9415 8262. MICHAEL HARDEN, VICTORIA EDITOR 18

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

WILD SOCKEYE SALMON NIGIRI, Sushi Village Ski-resort eateries aren’t known for seafood, but with the ocean less than an hour from Whistler, Sushi Village is an exception.

Vivid red wild-caught sockeye salmon makes for eye-catching nigiri, all the better with a Sake Margarita. Sushi Village, 11/4340 Sundial Cres, Whistler, BC, Canada, +1 604 932 3330.

DAVID MATTHEWS, DEPUTY CHIEF SUBEDITOR

PHOTOGRAPHY JAMES BROADWAY (OX TONGUE)

NEWS EDITOR

APRIL

NEWS Edited by HELEN ANDERSON & MAGGIE SCARDIFIELD

Stepping it up Chocolate like you’ve never seen it before, the Gold Coast has a new darling and a visit to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.

Clockwise from left: Complements chocolates in Cookies & Cream, Mango, Salted Caramel and Strawberry.

p

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A penthouse suite at The Darling Gold Coast. Right: freestanding bath with a view. Below right: one of 57 suites.

Gold Coast’s new darling In time for the Games, a new luxe hotel opens for athletes and aesthetes.

Athletes aren’t the only ones with performance anxiety in the run-up to the Gold Coast’s Commonwealth Games this month. It’s also been a race against the clock for The Star Entertainment Group to complete The Darling Gold Coast, a luxe 57-suite hotel in a 17-storey tower on Broadbeach Island, in time for the Games.

The oval building, designed

by Steelman Partners, of Las Vegas, is shaped, aptly, like a stack of giant surfboards, or

perhaps a massive superyacht.

“We knew the designers would create something beautiful, but this really embraces the Gold Coast,” says Geoff Hogg, The Star Entertainment Group managing director for Queensland. “Even the shape of the hotel reflects the setting.”

The Darling has a rooftop pool, bar and restaurant, and roomy suites and penthouses ranging in size from 78 to 328 square metres. Bathrooms

BEAUTY SLEEP Window shade down, face mask on.

Emerge from a long-haul flight or extended daybed nap with intensively moisturised skin. SK-II Overnight Miracle Mask, six single-use capsules for $154, from Myer and David Jones.

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feature freestanding tubs and skincare products by Lalique, butler service is on tap and the penthouse deluxe suites have the choice of a billiards, media or exercise room.

Feeling lucky? A bridge connects The Darling to The Star Grand casino.

The rooftop restaurant, Nineteen at The Star, is a joint project for local entrepreneur Billy Cross and restaurateur Simon Gloftis, who owns popular Greek eatery

Hellenika at Nobby Beach.

Despite its name, the 110-seat restaurant is on the 17th level, not the 19th; the numerals four and 13 are inauspicious in Chinese culture so there are no lift buttons for these levels or for 14. Updated daily menus will include the likes of Royal Miyagi oysters, toothfish and wagyu. The Darling Gold Coast, Broadbeach Island, Qld, (07) 5592 8100, thestargoldcoast.com.au FIONA DONNELLY

From bean to bar All this chocolate calls for digestivi. But who’d have thought it would come from Mexico?

Henri Vallet’s Amargo-Vallet ($81 for 750ml) is a bittersweet liqueur bottled in Hidalgo, north of Mexico City. Angostura bark and macerated cloves, cherries and spices give it a subtle dark chocolate and cherry cola flavour. spiritsoffrance.com.au

News

MEET YOUR MAKER

Complements chocolates These inventive modular sweets seamlessly pair food and design.

PHOTOGRAPHY RODNEY MACUJA (AMARGO-VALLET AND SK-II)

If you’re a client of Sydney design agency Universal Favourite, there’s no chance of receiving a branded fridge magnet or a novelty mug when the season for end-of-year thank-you gifts arrives. Dari Israelstam, the agency’s owner and creative director, says his team tackle presents with the creativity and focus they would any other brief. “We always want to craft something out-of-thebox, that reflects how we work,” he says.

There have been custom scents, edible infographics and personalised board games, for example, and in 2016, Complements chocolates were launched. The Tetris-like chocolates, originally created using 3D printing, are handmade in collaboration with Sydney’s Bakedown Cakery. Featuring Belgian couverture, and in flavours such as lychee and coconut, black sesame, and blackberry, the pair-and-share treats have attracted praise around the world for their design and originality. Now, Universal Favourite is sharing the love and has released a limited-edition run of 500 boxes.

How did the idea for Complements chocolates come about, Dari?

Our end-of-year gifts have developed cult status among our clients, and each year we aim to be more inventive than the last.

We really wanted to do something with chocolate and 3D printing, and liked the idea of combining new technologies with

tactile and human experiences. They've hit a real sweet spot because they combine two things people love: chocolate and design.

Why the stepped shape?

The shapes complementing each other and fitting together are reminiscent of how we saw our relationship with our clients. After exploring a range of diferent interlocking designs, we chose a clean, modular staircase, which when combined with another flavour, creates a bite-sized cube.

How did you decide on the flavours?

We wanted to make sure that we didn’t just nail the aesthetic side of things. Yes, they are beautiful little refined pieces of art, but at the end of the day, they end up in your mouth. We went through many rounds of experimenting, tasting and refining the flavours and always opted for the subtle and natural choice over more vibrant artificial ingredients.

What makes a gift special?

Thoughtfulness. The best gift is one that shows the person you’ve really thought about them, gives them new experiences or challenges them to learn something new.

Complements chocolates, $85 for a box of 12, with free shipping globally, (02) 9357 4401, complements.com.au ABOVE, FROM LEFT: Strawberry with Cookies & Cream, Coconut & Lychee with Salted Caramel, Pistachio with Raspberry, Lavender with Blackberry, Single Origin Dark with Matcha.

MAD WORLD Ever wondered what it means to be a chef, or what the future of food looks like?

MAD has. The not-for-profit organisation, founded in Copenhagen by Noma chef René Redzepi, wants to inspire self-reflection and change in the global food community. What began in 2011 as a two-day symposium now includes MAD Mondays, a private salon series where key figures from the food world come together to tackle the tough questions. With the help of Kylie Kwong, the first MAD Mondays in Sydney are happening at Carriageworks (16 April, 16 July). Keep an eye on GT online for a wrap. madfeed.co

The Gucci Décor collection is finally on its way to Australia. Start saving – these hypnotic metal trays, a little more art piece than everyday, cost from $790. The entire homewares collection arrives online and in stores in May. gucci.com

Australian chef Curtis Stone has overhauled his Los Angeles restaurant, Maude, swapping the focus of his monthly tasting menus from single ingredients to wine regions of the world. January through March was Rioja, and next up, from 1 April, is Burgundy. Time for coq au vin and beef bourguignon. mauderestaurant.com

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RESTAURANT NEWS

Lobby restaurant at NoMad Los Angeles.

Right: Lobby’s signature bee pollen and sea salt ice-cream sandwich. Below right: Neil Perry.

a 90-seat Mexican restaurant and late-night Patrón tequila bar at Sydney’s Circular Quay.

Culinary director Neil Perry has enlisted Pamela Valdes Pardo, a chef from Veracruz, to keep things authentic. Her menu includes handmade tortillas, aguachile and enchiladas, plus tostadas topped with the likes of seared tuna and mango-chilli salsa and chicken with Oaxacan cheese and sour cream. Food is served until 2am, and there’s a $100 Millionaire’s Margarita made table-side with Patrón Gran Burdeos Extra Añejo tequila.

LOS ANGELES A NoMad hotel has opened on the West Coast: NoMad Los Angeles, the second property after the New York flagship. There are 241 rooms within the historic Bank of Italy building in Downtown, with a rooftop pool and multiple dining options. Daniel Humm and Will Guidara, of New York’s Eleven Madison Park, are behind the entire food and drink ofering, with help from executive chef Chris Flint (Eleven Madison Park, NoMad NY). There’s The Cofee Bar, modelled after a 300-year-old café in Venice, a library that transforms into a cocktail bar, and an all-day lobby restaurant (Lobby) serving Italian-leaning dishes such as chicken Milanese, king crab tagliatelle and smoked eggplant lasagnette. The hotel is also doing an LA version of NoMad’s signature ice-cream sandwich,

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this time with bee pollen and sea salt. The Mezzanine restaurant is the more formal dining option; at dinner it’s black cod with red kale, pears and horseradish, say, or roast chicken for two with black trule.

The property is owned by Sydell Group, most recently behind The Ned hotel, which opened in London in January.

Eleven Bridge chef Phil Wood is onto the second, Laura, a more intimate, finer-dining option.

Guests have a choice of four, five or six set courses at lunch and dinner. Highlights include Flinders mussels with seaweed butter, dehydrated tomatoes and polenta, and John Dory with pickled chardonnay leaves from the estate. There are also more than 600 wines on ofer.

MORNINGTON PENINSULA After launching Pt Leo Estate’s first restaurant on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, former

SYDNEY Bar Patrón by Rockpool is the latest from Rockpool Dining Group,

PERTH Grossi Florentino chef Guy Grossi opens Garum this month, his first restaurant outside Melbourne. The Roman osteria is the flagship diner of The Westin Perth (opening 27 April) and will work to a tight brief of gutsy Roman dishes such as saltimbocca with gnocchi alla Romana, suckling lamb, braised oxtail, and moretum, a garlicky cheese and herb spread served with bread.

The wine list, meanwhile, will home in on the Lazio region.

Roasted, crushed hazelnuts from Piedmont make up almost 60 per cent of this Nocciole d’Elite chocolate and hazelnut spread. Pour it over bomboloni, or dip a spoon when cravings set in. $19.95 for 250gm. gourmetlife.com.au

News

PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES (LONDON), BENOIT LINERO & SYDELL GROUP (NOMAD LOS ANGELES), VINCENT LONG (NEIL PERRY) & RODNEY MACUJA (NOCCIOLE D’ELITE AND DR MARTY’S CRUMPETS). STYLING AIMEE JONES (DR MARTY’S CRUMPETS). ALL PROPS STYLIST’S OWN

MILKY WAYS Precious stone or chocolate egg?

It’s hard to tell, looking at Bibelot’s collection of marbled chocolate eggs for Easter. Each one is handpainted and filled with hot cross bun comfit – a mixture of fruit and nuts coated in Valrhona chocolate. $30 per 185gm egg. bibelot.com.au Dr Marty’s Crumpets with honey and butter.

PRODUCERS

Big Ben, London.

Dr Marty’s Crumpets It’s time for toasting: butter, honey or Nutella at the ready.

WHO Dr Marty’s Crumpets won’t cure your arthritis or clear up your cough, but they're healing in a comfort-carb way. Martin Beck is a chef by way of MoVida who fell into the crumpet business in 2013 while looking for a change. He now supplies wholemeal and original crumpets to about 80 Melbourne cafés and restaurants including Tivoli Road Bakery and Spring Street Grocer.

WHAT Using a simple mix of Laucke organic flour from South Australia (a tip-of from Tivoli Road Bakery’s Michael James), yeast, Mount Zero’s olive oil and pink lake salt, baking powder, raw sugar and water, Beck and his team of six (including his wife, Selma) hand-ladle 1000 crumpets a day onto flat-top grills, six days a week. The result is a small-batch crumpet that’s tall and sturdy but still soft, pocked with plenty of yeasted bubbles that await melted butter. Using a machine to dollop out the batter would help Beck scale up

production, but he’s convinced this would compromise his product’s light, airy consistency. “They’d just lose all their texture and body,” he says.

WHY “People love them because we use really nice flour, but they’re also very neutral,” says Beck. “They’re a great vessel for eating more of your favourite topping.”

At markets he serves them toasted with peanut butter, jam, Vegemite or cultured butter, but many venues present them as a savoury option; MoVida has been known to serve mini bar-snack versions with Manchego custard and shavings of fresh black trule.

WHERE Dr Marty’s Crumpets are stocked at cafés, restaurants and grocery stores across Melbourne, about $10 for six.

See website for stockists. drmartyscrumpets.com.au SOPHIE MCCOMAS

So-long haul With input from researchers at the University of Sydney, Qantas has introduced new menus and cabin routines to minimise jet lag on its 17-hour flights between Perth and London, launched on its new 787-900 Dreamliners last month.

Dishes are lighter – think greens and grains – and designed to maximise sleep (a bespoke tea blend, no chilli for dinner).

Cabin lights and meal times reflect the destination’s time zone, while lower flying altitudes and higher cabin humidity are expected to also help. qantas.com.au

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News

World view

Lalibela, Ethiopia TOM PARKER, PHOTOGRAPHER

“The Church of Saint George is the magnificent centrepiece of the Lalibela monolithic rock-hewn churches, built in the late 12th century by King Gebre Mesqel Lalibela in Ethiopia’s north.

“Remarkably, the church is carved from a single piece of volcanic rock. The cross at ground level is actually the roof; the entrance is 30 metres below and part of a maze of underground tunnels. It’s one of 11 rock-hewn churches carved in two clusters – an attempt by the king to build his own version of Jerusalem.

“This shot was taken on a Sunday morning, immediately after a service attended by scores of Christian pilgrims. It was a real privilege to be at this most holy of sites.”

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News

Greece is the word

Myconian Avaton resort above Elia Beach, Mykonos.

After a decade in crisis, the Greek economy is showing signs of recovery, and it’s largely driven by tourism. In the lead-up to the European summer, Qatar Airways has added direct flights from its Doha hub to Thessaloniki (Athens is already on its route map) and, on 30 May, the carrier launches flights to the styleseekers’ isle of Mykonos. That will be neatly timed with the opening of Myconian Avaton, a resort inspired by traditional Cycladic architecture and set above a private section of sandy beach on the island’s southern shore. Some of its 85 rooms, suites and two- to four-bedroom villas have private pools and hot tubs. qatarairways.com, designhotels.com

Farm visits, oyster tastings and long lunches celebrating the ingenuity of Kangaroo Island producers are planned at this year’s KI Food Safari at Southern Ocean Lodge. Lodge chef Asher Blackford and guest chefs, led by Maggie Beer, will draw on the island’s bounty and local expertise during seven days of KI immersion, from 28 July. southernoceanlodge.com.au

THREE OF THE BEST

Cruise control

Seabourn Ovation Seabourn Cruise Line promised “ultra luxury” when it launched its 600-passenger Seabourn Encore in late 2016, and it repeats the brief with twin sister ship Seabourn Ovation, which débuts in May. Both ships are designed by prolific hospitality designer Adam D Tihany, with the look and feel of a luxury yacht in curvaceous lines, and the liberal use of mahogany, chrome and leather. High-profile partnerships include a restaurant and bar by three-starred chef Thomas Keller and a spa and “mindful living” program by Dr Andrew Weil. seabourn.com

The A and The B The first river cruise company dedicated to travellers aged 21 to 45 sets sail this month. U by Uniworld, a new brand by the well-established Uniworld line, has renovated two 120-passenger ships, renaming them The A and The B (above). Design features include rooftop lounges with DJs, spas and communal dining tables. Onboard classes run from yoga to cocktail mixing, while on shore there’s cycling, kayaking and even river rafting. Five- and eight-day itineraries on the Seine, Rhine, Main and Danube rivers include overnight stops and longer stays in major cities. ubyuniworld.com

When the tasting for this month’s Five of a Kind (see p47) rolled around, there were a lot of brownies on the table – from classic school fête styles to gooey squares that leaned more towards tarts and cakes. All agreed: if you’re not ready to commit to a full chunk of chocolatey fun, then Dello Mano’s bite-sized and individually wrapped squares, in fudgy flavours such as Peanut Butter, Espresso Walnut and Ginger and Orange are the business. $41.80 for a box of nine. dellomano.com.au

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Scenic Eclipse All eyes are on the submarine and two helicopters on the long-anticipated Scenic Eclipse, a 228-passenger ice-class expedition ship billed rather diminutively as a “discovery yacht”. The less novel onboard features sound just as impressive. The size of the suites, for example, ranges from 32 to 233 square metres, the latter a two-bedroom penthouse bigger than a tennis court. And the line-up of 10 restaurants is promising – from sushi and sake to an eight-seat chef’s table – as are the eight bars and lounges. Eclipse makes its maiden voyage on 31 August. scenic.com.au

PHOTOGRAPHY RODNEY MACUJA (LA BELLE MIETTE)

Three new ships are loaded with features to suit adventure seekers.

The lounge-dining pavilion, Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, Uganda. Right: mountain gorillas.

Ape expectations Welcome to the jungle – and get set to meet its star residents.

Classic bunnies. Chocolate ducklings.

Handpainted eggs and pale blue boxes of Piper-Heidsieck bonbons, wrapped up with cloth ribbon. During Easter and beyond, these are some of the calling cards of Melbourne pâtisserie La Belle Miette. “Our best-sellers are the Fleur de Sel caramel bonbon and our chocolate-coated passionfruit and gianduja hazelnuts, called dragées,” says owner Maylynn Tsoi. La Belle Miette, which means “beautiful crumb” in French, uses single-origin Belgian and French couvertures and traditional enrobing, panning and moulding techniques. $52.50 for 25 pieces. labellemiette.com.au LAKSHA PRASAD

You never know who’ll drop in at one of Africa’s most remote safari camps. More than half the world’s population of just 800 mountain gorillas live in Uganda, and most of them in the aptly named Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.

Deep inside the national park’s rainforest is Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, with just eight tents and a lounge-dining pavilion. It has recently reopened after extensive refurbishment, adding freestanding baths, polished floors, indigenous prints and even a forest spa.

But it’s still the impromptu visits by gorilla families that attract the most attention.

The thrill of working within gorilla habitat in a national park hasn’t diminished for camp manager Nick Kirya, who has headed Sanctuary Retreats’ Uganda property for three

years. “The privilege of working in a location that brings you into regular and close contact with one of the world’s most impressive and endangered creatures is hard to articulate,” he says. “Typically, gorillas visit the camp about once a month and they head straight to their favourite feeding area – a fruit tree in the communal area. For those guests lucky enough to be in camp at the time, it is a truly magical experience.”

Forest ecology and the complicated etiquette of encountering gorillas is explained by camp guides, who lead hikes with just eight guests a day.

Direct flights between Uganda and Tanzania now allow travellers to combine stays at Sanctuary’s four camps in Tanzania and those in Botswana and Kenya. sanctuaryretreats.com

Chef Guillaume Brahimi is the host with the most at the first Gourmet Institute event of the year on 11 April in Sydney. It’s a lesson in classic French dinner parties, complete with twice-baked Roquefort soufflé. Tickets cost $65. harveynorman.com.au/gourmet-institute

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Objects of desire

Tea time

4

Bring a sense of occasion to the gentle ritual of tea-and-cake, at any time of day.

5

2

3

1

6 10

8 7

1 Teacup and saucer in Steel, $79, from Mud Australia.

2 Cutipol Goa cake server, $85, from Francalia. 3 Laila timber cake stand, $69.95, from Country Road. 4 Basix linen napkin in Floss, $22, from Hale Mercantile Co. 5 Four-cup teapot in Slate, $264, from Mud Australia. 6 Teacup and saucer in Dust, $79, from Mud Australia. 7 Abstract Brushstroke salad plate, $16, from West Elm. 8 Goa black and gold dessert fork, $26, and Moon matt gold dessert fork, $26, from Cutipol at Francalia. 9 Bread plates in Blossom and Dust, $37 each, from Mud Australia. 10 Flocca linen tablecloth in Tempest, $169, Hale Mercantile Co. Stockists p176.

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PHOTOGRAPHY ROB SHAW. STYLING AIMEE JONES

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The Right Temperature for Everything Five Temperature Zones for Perfect Freshness

home.liebherr.com.au

EATING WITH

The musician on veganism, his speakeasy playlist, and addiction to popcorn.

How would you describe your diet? I’m vegan with

pescatarian tendencies. My reason for veganism isn’t to avoid eating meat, though, so if I felt like having a steak, then I’d go and have a great steak. I just haven’t felt like it in the past year.

What’s your favourite type of food? French mountain food.

I love snow, the mountain mentality, the freshness of the air. The truth is I feel more alive on a mountain top than I do on a beach.

Who does it best? La Soucoupe, a restaurant in Méribel in Les

Trois Vallées, in the French Alps. My favourite thing there is the 32

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anchovies. They’re not like those horrible ones you can get on a Caesar salad. These are in olive oil and are quite long and super-thin. They have a beautiful delicate taste. That’s my flavour.

If you could eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

I love popcorn. And really trashy, shitty popcorn, too. There’s this one kettle corn that’s like crack. It’s brutal and I can’t stop, which is why I avoid it.

What was on the dinner table when you were growing up? My parents are

from Nigeria, so we ate a lot of West African food and it was always very, very spicy. It usually consisted of some kind of starchy carbohydrate – perhaps brown rice, cassava or yam – and a tomato-based stew with meat or fish.

There weren’t a lot of vegetables and the ones we did have were cooked to the point where there were no

INTERVIEW MAGGIE SCARDIFIELD. PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES

Seal

Do you enjoy cooking? I joke about this imaginary cooking show I have, Cooking with Seal. It revolves around me essentially cooking the same dish every time and the tagline is “a recipe for disaster”. That should tell you all you need to know.

How I eat

nutrients in them whatsoever. Honestly, when I think of what we used to eat, I’m surprised I’m actually still alive.

Who did the cooking? My dad, and

because I was the eldest I was always helping. I had to clean the cow and goat’s tripe. There’s a real art to it.

I would stand in the kitchen over a hot bowl of water and get all the muck and gunk off it. It did taste nice, don’t get me wrong, but conceptually it’s utterly disgusting.

You’ve travelled around India. How was the food? Once you’ve got past

the dysentery it’s great. Of course, having grown up in England I was very familiar with Indian food. I ate in people’s houses; I ate food from all the street vendors. After a while you stop worrying about getting the runs and you just roll your dice.

Do you enjoy dining out? If I go out

it’s usually to a vegan restaurant.

ABCV in New York is amazing. There are wonderful Indian-style dishes with cashew-based yoghurts, for instance, and it’s all gluten-free. If you took anybody, even a carnivore, and told them they could eat like this every day, everyone would be vegan.

What’s been the most memorable meal of your life?

It was in Venice. When we got there, the chap at the hotel recommended a small, hole-in-the-wall kind of place down the road. I had tagliatelle al salmone: straightforward pasta with a cream of salmon sauce. I don’t even know if there was any cream in it, and I don’t eat gluten any more, but my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

What do you hope to teach your children about food? A healthy

body is a healthy mind. I’d like them to understand that they don’t have to eat what’s put in front of them because, for the most part, what’s on offer in schools and supermarkets is either toxic, ploughed with sugar or genetically modified.

“Honestly, when I think of what we used to eat, I’m surprised I’m actually still alive.”

Do you entertain a lot? I have dinner parties at my house; I call them speakeasies. I don’t do any cooking, but I do the entertaining. There’s a piano, which I think is essential, and I’ve got guitars lying around everywhere, too.

How have your attitudes towards food changed over the years? The older you get

What’s your secret to entertaining? We’re living in a world where we’re constantly

the more true the saying “You are what you eat”. It sounds so clichéd but you really feel the effects of what you put in your body so much more profoundly.

being forced to defend ourselves, to retreat, to become more insular. I think that the key to good entertaining is pretty much my basic philosophy in life: be open and be accessible.

What’s a typical meal when you’re in the recording studio? Vegan pizza. It’s

Your new album is called Standards. What are the standards on the playlist at Seal’s Speakeasy? Hall & Oates’ “She’s Gone”.

made from all the husks that remain after you juice vegetables, the stuff you’d normally throw away. You congeal it, press it together, dry it out, and it forms a crust. And then for toppings, perhaps mozzarella made from cashews or coconuts, cherry tomatoes and basil.

Joni Mitchell albums like Court and Spark, bits of The Hissing of Summer Lawns, and of course Hejira, which I’ve just read means travel in Arabic. We listen to Steely Dan, too, and of course Stevie Wonder. You know what? While we’re talking I’m going to put something on in the background. “Okay Google, play ‘I Was Made to Love Her’ by Stevie Wonder.” You can’t really go wrong with Stevie.

What does your kitchen look like? It’s part of my living room,

so very open plan and very welcoming. My crockery is all from Kit Kemp. She does her own line of Wedgwood china called Mythical Creatures. And there’s always lots of apples, protein powder, vegan pizza and vegan burritos in the fridge. ●

Seal is on tour in Australia in April to celebrate his 10th studio album, Standards. For dates and tickets see tegdainty.com G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

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How I travel

I always overpack. I never use at least half of what’s in my suitcase. The one thing I always pack that I always use is a satin pillowcase – I sound like a crazy old lady from the ’50s, but it really stops your hair getting tufty and your face getting creased.

My first overseas trip was to Bali with two girls from work. I was 19 and incredibly naïve. I don’t think I’d ever seen people that drunk before.

Soon after that I travelled to Bolivia and had my pocket picked by a street kid.

I turned the story into a standup joke that’s still one of my favourites, but I don’t think I’d have the balls to do it now – it was pretty mean and involved me kicking down the kid’s cardboard house. (I didn’t, by the way – it was just a joke.)

My sister is my ideal travel companion.

TRAVELLING WITH

I spend a lot of time flying

Kitty Flanagan The navigationally challenged comedian hits the road with her cat and a crochet hook.

Just back from…

A month at Brunswick Heads.

I took a road trip with my dog and cat. Believe it or not, my cat travels extremely well.

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Next up…

Adelaide, my favourite festival city – and it has zero humidity.

and driving to get to regional theatres and arts centres around Australia, but I love it. Regional audiences are the best. I crochet now to help pass the time (only when I’m flying, obviously, not driving).

I’m constantly astounded

by my appalling sense of direction. I can’t even follow a GPS. I once took three and a half hours to drive from Melbourne to Bendigo with the GPS constantly telling me to “make a U-turn and proceed to the route”. I was so exasperated by the time I arrived that I taped the GPS under a seat and gave it away that night as a lucky door prize.

When I’m travelling for work or with

someone else, I’m never late to the airport.

But if it’s a personal trip and I’m travelling solo, I’m always late. I’ve even missed a few planes, which is about the dumbest, most expensive thing you can do.

She’s easy-going and lets me plan stuff.

We both travel a lot for work so when it comes to holidays we don’t want to struggle with language or terrain or heat. We like swanky city holidays with a nice temperate climate. No trekking or “adventure”. Just good food, a bar nearby that makes a great Margarita and a bit of shopping. Oh, I know – hello princess!

I love Europe. All of it. But Paris is my

favourite because I have a cousin who lives there and speaks “attitude” like a Parisian.

When a waiter tells me not to sit in a certain area, I leap up like a scalded cat and run out of the café. When a waiter tells her not to sit somewhere, she waves her hand, says, “Pfff” – which I think is French for “whatever” – and tells him to get her a coffee. And he does. It’s awesome.

Years of travelling have made me aware of

the power of language. I’ve made several attempts at learning Spanish but came a cropper in the Canary Islands when I wanted to go horseriding. I mangled the word for horses, “caballos”, and asked the concierge instead for “caballeros”. What I announced, with great confidence, was that I wanted to ride some gentlemen. ● Kitty Flanagan’s new book, Bridge Burning and Other Hobbies (Allen & Unwin, pbk $29.99), is out now.

i n k g a ga M che na 4

ALISTAIR WISE, of Hobart’s Sweet Envy, steers us through one of the pastry kitchen’s most essential – and mesmerising – preparations.

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Ganache Henry Pebble apron from Cargo Crew.

Chopping board from The Essential Ingredient.

All other props stylist’s own. Stockists p176.

Masterclass

A

happy union of cream and chocolate, ganache is a staple of the pastry kitchen. Its many applications depend on its consistency, which changes as it cools and sets. “Ganache is a basic building block,” says Alistair Wise, of Hobart’s Sweet Envy. “Once you master it, you can use it in a whole bunch of ways: we whip it and use it in our Brooklyn blackout cake, pipe it onto macarons, use it to make chocolate buttercream for cakes, or use it as a glaze. It makes life pretty easy.”

Room temperature is best for storage, but there are exceptions to every rule. “If it’s 40 degrees, don’t do it,” Wise says. “Making ganache in a place like Cairns makes no sense. You should be sucking a mango.”

What chocolate to use?

Ganache is only as good as the ingredients you use. It can be a delicate beast, so stick to chocolates with fewer ingredients – avoid those containing emulsifiers and the like. Couverture comes in a broad spectrum of flavours and percentages, so experiment with diferent manufacturers to work out what suits your taste. “You have to trust in the brand,” says Wise. “If you want consistent results, find a chocolate you like, then stick with the same process every time.”

2 6 3 Step by step

1 WORDS DAVID MATTHEWS. PHOTOGRAPHY ANDREW FINLAYSON. STYLING LISA FEATHERBY. MERCHANDISING ROSIE MEEHAN

Combine 300ml of pouring cream and 50gm glucose in a small saucepan. Put it on the heat and bring it to just below boiling point.

2

Weigh out the chocolate.

As a rule, Wise uses the same amount of cream and glucose regardless of whether he’s making white, milk, dark or extra-dark ganache and varies the chocolate quantity. For dark (64 per cent cocoa solids) it’s 255gm chocolate (see “Ganache variations” for alternatives). Cut the chocolate into fine pieces; it needs to melt quickly and evenly, so aim for about the size of a five-cent coin and avoid leaving any larger pieces. Transfer chocolate to a heatproof bowl.

3

Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it melt for a few minutes. If you’re making milk or white chocolate ganache it’s often best to melt the chocolate first.

4

Stir the chocolate and cream together with a whisk or a spoon, but be careful not to incorporate air – it’ll make the final ganache spoil more easily.

If it’s not melting entirely, heat the ganache slowly over a saucepan of gently simmering water and stir to melt. Once melted and smooth, this is your base ganache.

5

Ganache will begin to set as it cools, and can be used for diferent applications through the cooling process. Warm, it

can be poured over cakes; left for a day it will set to a point where it can be rolled and then coated in cocoa or melted chocolate to make trules; after about an hour of cooling it can be piped. Whatever you use ganache for, store it at room temperature (ideally in a cool spot) with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface – it’ll keep like this for two days. Avoid

refrigerating ganache – fridges do bad things to chocolate.

6

Another way to use ganache is to whip it. Whipped ganache can be piped or spread as frosting, or served straight-up like a mousse. Pour ganache that’s just warm to the touch into an electric mixer and whisk for 10-15 minutes until aerated.

Have a plan, as it’ll set quickly.

Ganache variations Wise tends to use 64 or 70 per cent chocolate, and, occasionally, 35 per cent milk, or white chocolate. No matter how dark or light the ganache, Wise uses the same amount of cream (300ml) and glucose (50gm) each time; only the quantity of chocolate changes. For a dark ganache (70 per cent, for example) it’s 235gm, while for milk, it’s 500gm. Once you've mastered the basics, there are more advanced ganaches to explore, including ganache made with fruit purée (Wise is a fan of raspberry), and a “frightfully decadent” ultra-rich ganache for tarts and puddings, but they're for another day. ● G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

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Raise the bar Homemade chocolate bars satisfy the cravings, and don’t come from a packet.

W

e are now fully into what you might call “chocolate season”. It starts when the temperature drops just enough to ensure blocks and bars can be hidden away around the house without the fear they’ll melt on a hot day. But if you’re finding yourself sneaking into your stash just a little too often, don’t despair, there is another way: homemade bars that scratch the itch, with all the hallmarks of the best packeted versions – creaminess, crunch, chew, and richness – just without the packet. If at the same time you can use dates for sweetness rather than sugar, swap cream for coconut, and embrace extra-dark chocolate, then all the better.

These recipes are a base – try candying nuts instead of popcorn, or use freeze-dried raspberries in place of flaked coconut. It’s all about making it work for you, without having to worry where you left that last block.

Eat clean

Chocolate, coconut and date slab SERVES 12 // PREP TIME 15 MINS // COOK 2 MINS (PLUS SETTING)

A layer of coconut ganache over this fudgy slab keeps it rich and creamy, but dairy-free, while raw cacoa and dates steer it firmly away from corner-store chocolate bar territory.

650 gm pitted fresh dates, coarsely chopped 110 gm raw cacao powder 1 tbsp rice malt syrup 250 gm coconut oil, softened 45 gm desiccated coconut Toasted coconut flakes, to serve BITTERSWEET COCONUT GANACHE

RECIPES LISA FEATHERBY. PHOTOGRAPHY ANDREW FINLAYSON. STYLING ROSIE MEEHAN. ALL PROPS STYLIST’S OWN

200 gm dark chocolate (85%-90% cocoa solids), finely chopped 400 ml coconut cream 1½ tbsp rice malt syrup

1 Line a 22cm square cake tin with baking paper, allowing paper to overhang edges.

Process ingredients in a food processor until smooth, press firmly into base of tin and refrigerate until semi-firm and chilled (1-2 hours).

2 Meanwhile, for ganache, place chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring coconut cream and syrup to the boil in a saucepan, then pour cream over chocolate and stir until melted. Pour ganache over date mixture, spread evenly with a spatula, then chill until firm (1 hour).

3 Lift slab from tin, scatter with coconut flakes and a little sea salt and cut into 12 squares.

Slab will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for a week.

These recipes are a base – try candying nuts instead of popcorn, or use freeze-dried raspberries instead of flaked coconut.

Caramelised honey and popcorn bars with salted chocolate SERVES 8-10 // PREP TIME 15 MINS // COOK 30 MINS (PLUS SETTING)

A cut-it-yourself bar with crunch from roasted nuts and candied popcorn and with ultra-dark chocolate binding it all together.

80 gm coarsely chopped roasted hazelnuts CANDIED POPCORN

200 gm coconut oil 90 gm popping corn 200 gm honey BITTER CHOCOLATE GLAZE

200 gm bitter dark chocolate (85%-90% cocoa solids), finely chopped 5 gm coconut oil 1 For candied popcorn, preheat oven to 180°C and line a 26cm x 13cm loaf pan with baking paper. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp coconut oil, then the corn, then cover with a lid and cook, shaking pan occasionally, until popping stops (4-8 minutes). Transfer to a tray and cool to room

temperature. Cook honey in a large saucepan over mediumhigh heat, swirling occasionally until caramelised (6-7 minutes).

Add popcorn and remaining coconut oil and stir to coat, then spoon into loaf pan, pressing firmly to compact popcorn into an even layer. Refrigerate until firm (20-30 minutes).

2 For chocolate glaze, melt chocolate and oil in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Pour glaze over the popcorn so the chocolate runs into any gaps, then scatter with hazelnuts and return to refrigerator to set (1-2 hours). Cut into slices to serve (this is easiest with a serrated knife). Bars will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 days. ● G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

39

CROSS purposes Fragrant with spices and loaded with symbolism, Easter’s hot cross bun has served pagans and Christians, royalty and the poor, writes ALECIA SIMMONDS.

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y next-door neighbour Al – a peerless amateur baker – was vexed when I told him I was researching the history of hot cross buns. Flicking through the photos on his phone he showed me a close-up of a 12-pack of chocolate-chip buns with icing crosses. “Oh, I know,” I nodded. “I’m not a fan of the sugary ‘not cross bun’ either.”

“A travesty!” he replied. “But look closer – it gets worse.”

I squinted into his phone and the cause of his outrage appeared in tiny typed print: “Expiry date: 3 January 2018”.

What is it that sparks our moral indignation each year when supermarkets dare to play with the recipes of our beloved Easter treats and deliver them to us in untimely fashion? Many of us are happy to eat berries in winter or root vegetables in summer. But a hot cross bun studded with chocolate and Belgian toffee, or infused with orange peel or mocha, then served out of season has us photographing the evidence like investigators at a crime scene.

The sanctity of hot cross buns, it seems, is bound up in our childhood memories: the innocent goddess of the hunt and the moon.

Even as a child I appreciated their scent of yeasty, raisin-studded buns Some of the sacred “cakes” were significance – the capacity for bread to warming in the oven, redolent of marked with the image of deer or ox connect palates across centuries. And butter, allspice and the languor of horns, and others a cross, signifying they came with a rhyme that sounded Easter holidays. Hot cross buns would the four quarters of the moon. Indeed, positively Dickensian: “Hot cross buns. arrive in our kitchen a week or two if you were to go to Pompeii today you Hot cross buns. One a penny, two a before Easter and vanish immediately could see the remains of such buns in penny. Hot cross buns.” You could after. They appeared like mysterious an ancient bakehouse. Herodotus tells almost see the stout women perched relics of a sepia-tinted past when us that at the time they were left in on the sides of rickety wagons hollering profits would cede to ritual; when sanctuaries built at crossroads for down rain-licked, cobblestoned streets. the market would give way to magic. fugitives and hunters.

It came as some surprise, then, to The Bible records that in 587BC discover that this staple of any six-yearold’s song book went back further than Jeremiah denounced Hebrew women for neglecting their Christian the 19th century. Like Molly father and continuing to Malone’s cry of “Cockles “The buns and mussels, alive, alive-oh” worship Diana, offering up were now in the Irish song, the piece “cakes to the moon, the queen of the shining sky”. can be dated to the rhyming made in the Of course, the early cries of 18th-century street secrecy of the vendors who could be Christian church didn’t home and the credited with the first form have time for such pagan mythology idolatry and marshalled the of advertising jingle. But the buns into the service of origins of hot cross buns go again grew.” back even further.

God. Hot cross buns became In fact, it would not be commemorations of Good Friday, and across Christendom the grandiose to say the vast history of cross came to represent the crucifixion Western civilisation, the rise and fall and the spices symbolised those used of deities and dynasties, could be told to embalm Jesus at his burial. within the honey-hued glaze of this The bun had been blessed. small, spiced bread.

In the late 16th century Queen The Saxons, we are told, ate buns Elizabeth forbade the sale of hot cross marked with crosses in honour of Eostre, buns at any time other than burials, goddess of spring or light, who gave her Good Friday and Christmas, perhaps name to Easter. Antiquarians cite similar because they were considered to be so practices among the Druids, Phoenicians, holy. If you were caught baking them ➤ Greeks and Romans in honour of Diana, G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

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Hot cross buns MAKES 9 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 20 MINS (PLUS PROVING)

Using vegetable oil in place of butter gives these buns a softer crumb and helps them keep longer. Some may think adding chocolate to hot cross buns is a travesty, but we’ve included the variation for non-purists.

500 1 50 1 ½ ½ 350 2 50 30

gm plain flour tsp (about 1 sachet) dried yeast gm brown sugar tsp cinnamon tsp allspice nutmeg, finely grated ml lukewarm milk tbsp vegetable oil gm currants gm mixed peel Softened butter, to serve FLOUR PASTE

40 gm plain flour GLAZE

55 gm (¼ cup) caster sugar 1 Combine flour, yeast, sugar, spices and a large pinch of salt in a large bowl. Add milk and vegetable oil and mix to a smooth dough (it will be a little sticky). Mix in the currants and mixed peel, place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover bowl with a damp tea towel and leave to prove until doubled in size (1½-2 hours; see note).

2 Preheat oven to 190°C and line a 22cm-square cake tin with baking paper. Knock back dough and, with lightly floured hands, divide it into 9 even pieces. Roll each under your

hand in a circular motion until smooth and round (you may need to dust them lightly with a little flour to prevent sticking), then arrange evenly in the tin and leave to prove until doubled in size (30 minutes).

3 For flour paste, mix flour and 50ml water to a thick paste that will hold its shape when piped – add a little more flour or water if necessary.

Transfer to a small plastic bag, snip of a corner and pipe crosses on the buns. Bake until golden and cooked through (20-22 minutes). Cool in tin for 10 minutes, then turn out and cool on a wire rack.

4 For glaze, mix sugar with 50ml boiling water in a bowl, stirring until dissolved. While buns are still hot, brush with glaze, then leave to cool until just warm or room temperature.

Serve with butter. Hot cross buns will keep for 2 days in an airtight container.

Note To serve the buns in the morning, prepare the dough the night before and prove it overnight in the fridge. In the morning, roll the dough into balls and prove them again before baking.

Chocolate hot cross buns For chocolate hot cross buns, replace 40gm flour with an equal amount of Dutch-process cocoa powder, and in place of the fruit, add 70gm coarsely chopped dark chocolate (65%-70% cocoa solids), kneading half through the dough and scattering the remainder on top.

For the flour paste to make the cross, substitute a quarter of the flour with cocoa powder. ●

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PREVIOUS PAGE: MUKUMONO PLATE FROM KOSKELA. ALL OTHER PROPS STYLIST’S OWN. STOCKISTS P176

outside this time, you were forced to give all your buns to the poor.

The buns were now made in the secrecy of the home and the mythology again grew around them as they were invested with magical powers. If hung from the rafters on Good Friday, for instance, they would resist decay, it was thought, and people would nibble on them throughout the year for their supposed restorative powers. The buns would rid the house of bad spirits, protect it from fire and safeguard ships against shipwreck. In Ireland people would share hot cross buns with their best friends on Good Friday, reciting the lines “Half for you and half for me, between us two, good luck shall be” to guarantee their friendship for the coming year.

While the bun itself has scudded across epochs from paganism to Christianity, our modern recipe is attributed to a 14th-century monk at the Cathedral of St Albans, who first mixed the yeast with cinnamon and delivered his baked treats to the poor. And I weep when I imagine what this monk would say were he to wander into a supermarket today. Yes, like my neighbour, I’m a purist when it comes to the bun. This is partly out of reverence for a past that is accessible to us through food, and also because I’m not ready to cede all our sacred rituals to the new gods of consumption and profit. In fact, this Easter I’ll be hanging a spiced hot cross bun from the rafters and praying it keeps the evil mocha-orange-peel spirits at bay.

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L

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a d sse i u t iq

Toronto was like a perfect snowy winter day, minus the frostbite.

There are days when my body craves the chilli hot chocolate at Steven ter Horst in Adelaide, and I fear I’d overdose on Campfire hot chocolate at Mork in Melbourne if I lived there. I’ve had hot chocolates in 55 countries and written about more than 450 of them, and my search for the ultimate hot chocolate continues. But my favourite is still my abuela’s, the one that started it all. There’s nothing quite like it anywhere.

Hot Chocolate

GISELLE WEYBRECHT has soug world’s best hot chocolate at 450 venues in 55 countries. This is her story.

PHOTOGRAPHY ROB SHAW. STYLING AIMEE JONES. CUP AND SAUCER FROM MUD AUSTRALIA. TEASPOON FROM FRANCALIA. STOCKISTS P176

I

remember every detail of my abuela’s hot chocolate. The way she made it with fresh ginger, using local dark chocolate, and served it in a particular blue mug. The memory of sitting there in the Dominican Republic, the breeze coming off the sea, surrounded by the voices of the strong women in my family, is something I will cherish forever.

From those beginnings, hot chocolate has grown to be something of a fascination for me, and over the past five years I’ve been seeking out the best hot chocolate and keeping a diary of my travels online at ultimatehotchocolate.com.

Why hot chocolate? Each has a story to tell about the origin of the chocolate used and who the maker was. At Soma in Toronto or CacaoDada in Seoul you can taste single-origin hot chocolates while watching them craft chocolate from bean to bar. You can sprinkle in spices or herbs depending on your mood and location, liquorice in Helsinki, rosewater with camel milk in Dubai or cardamom in London.

In Columbia it’s served with a piece of oozy cheese; in New York, a homemade marshmallow. I’ve had hot chocolate with

cream infused with lavender in France, and even topped with cotton candy.

These drinks give me a chance to delve into the culture of the cities and cafés I’m visiting, to discover local approaches and flavour profiles, learning more about the people who make them. I discovered champurrado, a prehistoric hot chocolate, after speaking with a young man who promised to take me to “the best tamales in Mexico City”. The tamales at his family’s restaurant were good, but the champurrado was even better. He showed me how to make it, with chocolate from Oaxaca, corn masa, cinnamon and, most importantly, time. Make it slowly, never in a rush – the same way you should enjoy it.

But above all what I love about hot chocolate is the experience it provides when it all comes together in one perfect package. The hot chocolate on the 103rd floor of the Ritz-Carlton in Hong Kong made me feel like I was in Paris at Christmas and the one at Café de Flor in Paris made me feel like I was in love. The dangerously boozy one I had in Paraty in Brazil turned me into a singer while the lavender white hot chocolate at Fika in

This is the base recipe I use every day.

A good hot chocolate starts with good chocolate. I prefer 72% but you can go darker or even use milk or white chocolate.

My favourite is Guittard, from a familyowned company in the US, which I can’t get here. In Australia I’ve been using Callebaut and Valrhona, but would rather find something local.

In terms of ready-made powders I’m a fan of Grounded Pleasures from Ballarat.

Mork makes a nice dark cocoa, and Monsieur Trufe in Melbourne does a little hot chocolate kit with chocolate chips.

I also melt down bars from Bahen and Co (a WA bean-to-bar company) but that makes for expensive hot chocolate.

I also add herbs and spices. A handful of fresh mint leaves, cardamom, grated ginger or even thyme are some of my favourites. For even more flavour, steep the herbs or spices in the milk in the fridge overnight. I use about a teaspoon of dried spice, or a small handful of fresh herbs.

I like to add a tablespoon of cocoa to this recipe below to make the drink creamier. If you’re using a really good chocolate, though, just let the chocolate shine on its own.

50 gm dark chocolate for every 250ml full-cream milk 1 Put all the ingredients in a small saucepan and warm them slowly over low-to-medium heat to 80°C. Don’t let the mixture boil.

2 If you’ve added any spices you may want to put your hot chocolate through a sieve to filter them out.

3 Use a whisk to froth up your hot chocolate when it’s done. Top with boozy whipped cream for an extra treat. ● G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

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FIVE OF A KIND

Brownies Not too dense, not too crumbly, the best brownies deliver moreish texture and a powerful chocolate hit. Here are ive to savour.

1 LORRAINE’S PÂTISSERIE The brownie at Lorraine’s Pâtisserie in Sydney is a crowd-pleaser. Made with both dark and milk chocolate, it’s a lighter and more subtly flavoured batch than most. And if your favourite part of a brownie is the thin flaky layer on top, this one does the same on the bottom.

Another square? $6.50 per piece. merivale.com.au

2 PHILLIPPA’S With a recipe perfected over 24 years, the Belgian Chocolate Brownie by Phillippa’s is a classic. Made with Callebaut chocolate, walnuts and Dutch cocoa, it’s dense, and a treat to serve warm. Just add a scoop of ice-cream. $17-$21 for 360gm. phillippas.com.au

5 WORDS MAGGIE SCARDIFELD. PHOTOGRAPHY ANDREW FINLAYSON. STYLING ROSIE MEEHAN

THE LOST LOAF Made in Adelaide, Emma Shearer’s plum and quandong brownie teleports you straight to an Australian school fête.

Taken right to the edge in the oven (hello char, crunch and chew) with tart caramelised fruit on top and whole chunks of melting chocolate in the middle, it’s a textural dream. $4.50 per piece. 0432 866 717

3 BLACK STAR PASTRY

4 MONSIEUR TRUFFE A limited-edition bean-to-bar brownie: now we’ve seen it all.

Melbourne’s Monsieur Trufe puts as much thought into its rustic-style brownies as it does its single-origin blocks. Think 68 per cent Bolivian chocolate for a crumbly base, and 78 per cent chocolate chips. $4.50 per piece. monsieurtruffechocolate.com

Are we picking favourites? Never.

But if we were, this guy, teaming dark Valrhona chocolate and macadamia nuts, has the textural variation, structural integrity and powerful chocolate hit a brownie needs. It’s rich and something to be savoured. Over and over again. $5.50 per piece. blackstarpastry.com.au

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

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For new bookings only and are not combinable. Fly Free included offer is based on an airline of Scenic’s choice. Airfares must be booked through Scenic. From price include $300pp Early Payment Discount where full payment is due by 31 May 2018. Price based on STC061119.1 in a category E suite (no balcony). Price correct as of 05/03/18. See Europe 2019 Pre-Release brochure for full terms and conditions or visit scenic.com.au/terms. ABN 85 002 715 602.

SNMA281.

The explainer

Kaya

WORDS, RECIPE AND STYLING EMMA KNOWLES. PHOTOGRAPHY BEN DEARNLEY. ALL PROPS STYLIST’S OWN

A staple in Singaporean and Malaysian cofee shops, this coconut spread lends an extra dimension to sweet breakfasts and desserts.

WHAT IS IT? Kaya is very sweet coconut custard made with coconut milk and sugar, thickened with egg and often flavoured with pandan leaf. It’s popular throughout South-East Asia, particularly in Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and parts of Indonesia. There are two main types: Hainanese kaya made with caramelised or brown sugar, which has a rich caramel colour, and Nyonya kaya, tinted green by the pandan that flavours it. In addition, the recipe varies from house to house – some use duck eggs, others chicken; some are thick and spreadable while others have a thinner consistency. Considering the ingredients, it’s no surprise that the word translates to “rich” in Malay. The best versions are beautifully smooth and so thick you can stand a spoon up in them.

WHY DO WE CARE? If you’ve ever had kaya toast – charcoal-grilled bread topped with a generous whack of salted butter and spread thickly with kaya (often served with a strong coffee and soft eggs seasoned with dark soy and pepper) – you’ll know this spread is addictive. If you haven’t, all you need to know is that kaya makes pancakes, crêpes and waffles (or anything you’d drizzle with honey or maple syrup) better than you could ever imagine.

WHERE CAN I GET IT? You can buy commercially produced kaya from select Asian grocery stores, but if you can’t find it, try our home-made version here. It takes a lot of stirring, but trust us, one taste and it will be worth it.

Kaya MAKES ABOUT 500ML

Stir 3 eggs, 2 egg yolks and 150gm caster sugar in a heatproof bowl with a whisk until smooth and runny, then whisk over a saucepan of simmering water until sugar completely dissolves (4-5 minutes). Whisk in 300ml coconut cream to combine, then add 3 pandan leaves, knotted together. Stir continuously until mixture is the consistency of lemon curd (25-30 minutes), then remove from heat (discard the pandan). Cook another 50gm caster sugar in a small saucepan over high heat until caramelised (2-3 minutes), remove from heat, carefully whisk in 1 tbsp butter and a pinch of salt, then whisk into coconut mixture. Place the bowl back over simmering water and stir continuously until slightly thickened (4-5 minutes), remove from heat and whisk occasionally until cooled to room temperature.

Pour into sterilised jars, refrigerate to chill completely and seal. Kaya will keep for 3 weeks. ● G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

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Where to eat and what to cook

Browse our recipe collections at gourmettraveller.com.au and sign up to our newsletter for news and inspiration.

Anatomy of a dish

THE SPONGE

Black Forest cake This impressive dessert gâteau never goes out of fashion.

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chwarzwälder kirschtorte doesn’t get its name from the Black Forest itself, but rather from Schwarzwälder kirschwasser or kirsch, the clear cherry brandy made in that region of south-west Germany. It’s typically used to spike the whipped cream and the dark-chocolate sponge that’s stacked in layers, sandwiching the cream and boozy cherries. It all makes for an impressive dessert gâteau, and while there are variations in presentation and ingredients – brandy and cherry juice in lieu of kirsch, for instance, or the addition of chocolate mousse or ganache – cherries, usually sour, chocolate and cream are non-negotiable.

WORDS HARRIET DAVIDSON. PHOTOGRAPHY ANDREW FINLAYSON. STYLING ROSIE MEEHAN. ALL PROPS STYLIST’S OWN

THE TOPPINGS

THE CHERRIES Jarred sour morello cherries are the way to go, especially France’s Griottines – wild morello cherries soaked in a blend of liqueurs, including kirsch. In season, fresh cherries could go in the mix, too, perhaps after soaking them yourself.

Either way, they’re a key element, so aim for quality.

A light dark-chocolate sponge is the key to Black Forest cake, keeping in mind that it needs to be strong enough to hold its shape. The aeration in the sponge comes from cornflour and egg whites, whisked to soft peaks before Dutch cocoa or melted dark chocolate is folded in. Preserved cherries are then studded through the batter once it’s in the tin. For a boozier cake (and to ensure it won’t dry out) brush the layers with kirsch before assembly.

THE CREAM Fresh cream whipped with icing sugar and a healthy splash of kirsch is classic, but pastry chef and GT contributor Catherine Adams suggests using a mix of meringue and cream, finished with a dash of kirsch (of course) instead.

This makes for a richer cake with weightier white layers.

Once the layers are assembled, which can be done in a springform cake tin, it’s topping time. Form curls of dark chocolate by shaving them from a cold block with a vegetable peeler or melt dark chocolate, smear it on a tray, let it cool, then scrape the hard chocolate with a sharp knife. Pile on the rest of that kirschspiked cream, and more cherries never go astray.

Find one

Hayley McKee, of Sticky Fingers Bakery in Melbourne, gives the classic a twist with her Black Forest rosella, layering hibiscus, sour cherries, cream cheese and salted chocolate crumble. Local cake shops, such as Gumnut Pâtisserie in Bowral, are best for traditional takes.

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Root cause The standout performance of radishes in the garden is only the beginning of their appeal, writes PAULETTE WHITNEY.

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he first vegetable I ever grew was a radish. In my childhood garden we already had silverbeet, peas and asparagus. I don’t know why it was decided one spring that I should grow radishes – none of us liked them. It was the ’80s, and our salad repertoire consisted of tinned pineapple and beetroot, a mayonnaisey pasta salad and iceberg lettuce. Spicy things were something exotic to eat as a dare, but in a concrete-bound triangle between the paths to the shed and the compost heap, I sowed my seeds and they grew. I have visions of pretty red baubles, but I can’t remember eating them.

Fast-forward 30 years and I’m hooked. I began in our market garden with Scarlet Globe and French Breakfast. They grew fast, tasted great and sold like hotcakes.

Not one to rest on a winner, I looked further and found a great option for the seed explorer: the mixed packet. The results lived up to expectations, and Easter Egg was irresistible.

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Harvesting root vegetables always feels miraculous. An unpromising patch of soil, covered in green foliage, becomes a different thing entirely when seen from a snail’seye view where you glimpse a little of what’s hiding under the earth.

Radishes grow up as well as down, and push their shoulders proud of the surface. Some, like the savoury, meaty Pink Beauty, are shy and remain demurely covered, but daikon leap from the earth like breaching whales.

When we harvested the first Easter Eggs it was indeed like an Easter egg hunt, every root a different shade of red, pink, white or purple. The contrast of those impossibly bright colours against the brown earth is a delight to behold, and the delight continues as you rinse the clinging soil from the roots. In the best of circumstances, you find yourself seated in a favourite restaurant watching a chef scrape the last of the fine roots from each radish and presenting them to you on a plate with cultured butter and salt.

“Some radishes, like Pink Beauty, are shy and remain demurely covered, but daikon leap from the earth like breaching whales.”

Those nifty chefs manage other miracles, too. Until I began working with chefs I’d never dreamed of cooking a radish. Cut in half to allow contact with the pan, they can be fried quickly in butter and they lose their pepperiness and caramelise a little, taking on a savoury-sweet succulence.

There are radish varieties bred for non-hairy leaves, others for punchy “rat-tailed” pods. Radish flowers are among the tastiest of the edible blooms, and they come in all shades – pink, yellow and white, with fascinating venation in the petals. The stems are juicy and the buds peppery – the entire plant is worthy of culinary attention.

After exploring the salad varieties, I delved into bigger ones.

Traditionally grown as staples for pickles, fermenting or cellaring, winter radishes beg a little more attention. Sure, pretty winter radishes such as Watermelon with its pink heart, or Oriental Green with its lurid chlorophyll-coloured centre are beautiful shaved and dressed as a simple salad, but one of the most delicious radish dishes I’ve tasted was daikon cake given to me with instructions to slice it and fry it until crisp. After dodging hot gobs of flying oil I bit through the crunchy outside to the almost gelatinous interior dotted with chunks of lap cheong – surely an effort to prepare, but wonderful enough to be worthy of labour.

The pinnacle for the hardcore radish explorer is the black-skinned varieties. Fiery and dense, they’re bred for storage and used in winter salads when fresh vegetables are scarce. I’ve eaten black radish roasted in a wood oven, wonderful and succulent after long, slow cooking, and had them grated raw as a horseradish-like condiment.

While doing my research I found there’s a species of radish with seed that makes an excellent substitute for mustard. I now wonder where can I get my hands on some seed. ●

ILLUSTRATIONS DAWN TAN & LAUREN HAIRE (PORTRAIT)

Produce

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This red grape from France’s Loire Valley is particularly popular with sommeliers at the moment, partly because it produces wines in the fashionable medium-bodied, juicy style – with plenty of wild berry, undergrowthy flavour – and partly because some of the most revered natural-wine producers, such as Thierry Puzelat of Clos du Tue-Boeuf, use it.

A couple of years ago, young winemaker Julien Pineau became co-owner of the legendary Clos Roche Blanche vineyard – the site of some of the best pineau d’Aunis vines in the Loire – and now uses those grapes to make a wine called Les Sucettes à l’Aunis, a particularly wild and undergrowthy example. If you like pinot noir or gamay, try pineau d’Aunis.

One of the most exciting current trends in red wine is the interest in little-known grape varieties grown on the Mediterranean islands of Sardinia and Corsica. One variety that does particularly well on the latter island is mammolo. It originated in Tuscany, where it was traditionally valued for its floral perfume and blended with the more robust sangiovese grape to make Chianti.

On Corsica, mammolo is known as sciacarello, which means “crunchy” – and this gives you an idea of

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To p d r o p s o f t h e m o n t h

Opposite, from left: Les Sucettes à l’Aunis, Koerner Mammolo Sciacarello, and Vinkara Öküzgözü.

Another sommelier favourite, trousseau hails from the trendy Jura region of eastern France, where, like pineau d’Aunis in the Loire, it makes wines that are mediumbodied but by no means lacking in juicy berry flavour and bracing acidity. In Portugal, the same grape goes by the name of bastardo (presumably because it can be a bit difficult to grow and ripen fully), and it’s under this name that cuttings made their way to Australia many years ago, where the variety has most often been used to make port, blended with other grapes like touriga.

Recently, a few Australian producers such as Stoney Rise in Tasmania, Lucy Margaux in the Adelaide Hills and Amato Vino in Margaret River

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TIA L F REN

P I N E A U D ’A U N I S

MAMMOLO

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an’t keep up with all the new and obscure grape varieties crowding your favourite bar or indie wine merchant? I’m here to help. Tuck these five names away in your memory bank for the next time you’re scanning the list or browsing the shelves, and you’ll feel like a true wine adventurer.

A native of the Trentino region in northern Italy, teroldego is genetically related to both syrah and lagrein, another grape from Trentino that’s been grown by a few Australian producers for a while now.

Knowing this about teroldego’s past helps give you a good idea of what it’s like in the glass: like lagrein, it makes wine with a beautiful saturated purple colour and grippy tannin, and like syrah it has supple black fruit and sometimes spicy perfume.

If you want to try teroldego from its homeland, look for the wines of Foradori, arguably the outstanding producer of the variety. A handful of local producers also grow and make teroldego, the best being Amato Vino and Blue Poles in Margaret River. It should appeal to people who can’t decide whether they want to drink an elegant cabernet or a cool-climate shiraz.

E P I N OT

Baled by the obscure grape varieties turning up on wine lists everywhere?

MAX ALLEN has you covered.

TEROLDEGO

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Reds on the radar

have started producing very good light-to-mediumbodied dry red wines from the grape on its own, and they’ve labelled their wines trousseau. Again, this variety offers a good alternative for gamay-lovers.

2016 Port Phillip Estate Balnarring Pinot Noir, Mornington Peninsula, $38 This silky, supple wine and its Red Hill sibling (also $38) are amazing value. You’d expect to pay twice as much for wines of this calibre. portphillipestate.com.au

2013 Catherine et Pierre Breton Nuits d’Ivresse, Bourgueil, Loire Valley, $40 Exceptional mediumbodied cabernet franc: crunchy, bright, juicy and nervy – delicious.

Imported by george@ georgemccullough imports.com

Drinks

“Turkey isn’t the only very old wine-producing country with ancient indigenous vines that has attracted the attention of sommeliers.”

the bright, snappy style of wine it produces. One of very few producers of mammolo in Australia, Koerner Wine in the Clare Valley uses the grape to produce a very light-coloured, perfumed red that’s only a step away from a rosé. If you like pale, dry pink wine but want something with a little bit more body and chew, give this a go. ÖKÜZGÖZÜ

Balter XPA, Currumbin, $5 Brilliant balance of new-wave bitter hoppy perfume and old-style refreshing Aussie drinkability. No wonder it was voted number one in this year’s GABS Hottest 100 craft beer poll. balter.com.au

2017 Rieslingfreak No 5 Off-Dry Riesling, Clare Valley, $25 John Hughes is winning awards left, right and centre for his rieslings – such as this scintillating, pristine, refreshing example of the off-dry style with a hint of tingly grape sweetness. rieslingfreak.com

2016 Nocturne Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River, $45 Julian Langworthy has built a reputation as one of Margaret River’s best cabernet makers with wines like this; intensely flavoured, beautifully poised, it’s good now and will also cellar well. nocturnewines.com.au

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PHOTOGRAPHY ROB SHAW (MAIN) & RODNEY MACUJA (TOP DROPS).

STYLING AIMEE JONES. ILLUSTRATION LAUREN HAIRE

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Reds Marble side table from The DEA Store.

O Series pinot noir glass from Riedel. Stockists p176.

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The name of this Turkish variety means “bulls eye”, because the vine is known for producing big fat bunches of very large black grapes. It’s a traditional variety from eastern Anatolia, and is enjoying a surge of popularity along with the growing interest in Turkish wine thanks in part to progressive producers such as Vinkara. Like the other grapes profiled here, öküzgözü produces fashionably medium-bodied red wine with refreshing acidity.

Turkey isn’t the only very old wine-producing country with ancient indigenous vines that has attracted the attention of sommeliers and critics: other red varieties include xinomavro from northern Greece and saperavi from Georgia. Expect to see more of these wines shipped to Australia as this trend grows. Öküzgözü tastes a bit like an earthy, savoury grenache crossed with a fleshy pinot, and is a great match, not surprisingly, for spicy Turkish lamb grilled over charcoal. ●

2015 Bellebonne Vintage Rosé, Tasmania, $65 Nat Fryar was winemaker at Jansz for many years and knows Tasmanian fizz better than most, so it’s absolutely no surprise that the first wine under her own label is gorgeously elegant and refined. bellebonne.wine

Animus Arboretum Gin, Macedon Ranges, $115 Bold, complex, intriguing gin, with layers of aromatics running from the bass notes of bush tomato up to the high notes of citrus. A little stronger than most, too, at 50 per cent ABV. animusdistillery.com G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

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Hit parade Smart operators and chart-topping eats make Harley & Rose good news for West Footscray, writes MICHAEL HARDEN.

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by shiny, crisp-edged house-made focaccia. The dip’s customised with curly parsley and a dusting of dried fermented spicy peppers.

Other good snacks challenge the dip for star attraction.

Ocean trout, cured in sugar, salt and coriander seed and then smoked, arrives robustly flavoured and thrillingly textured under a mustard and Grand Marnier emulsion, with grated horseradish and a liberal scatter of dried dill.

Thick slices of green tomatoes are coated in a tapioca and rice flour batter (the batter recipe borrowed from Lee Ho Fook’s Victor Liong), fried and served with crème fraîche.

There’s Louisiana hot sauce sitting in the caddy on the table. Use it.

Top, from left: manager Mark Williamson and chefs Josh Murphy and Rory Cowcher. Above left: smoked ocean trout with Grand Marnier and horseradish.

Another simple but spot-on tomato dish sees heirloom tomatoes grated to a pulp, seasoned and oiled and then lightly smoked. They’re teamed with stracciatella and garnished with dried purple basil leaves. It manages to be both comforting and refreshing.

The wood-fired pizza oven is put to good use. Plate-sized pies are delivered with just a smattering of char around the edges of a base made from a sourdough starter with a little yeast – more chewy New York-style than Neapolitan.

Toppings include a pipi, onion, cream and thyme combination that’s rich and sweet with an attractive briny finish (the onions are cooked gently with cream and

PHOTOGRAPHY MARCEL AUCAR & KRISTOFFER PAULSEN (PALERMO)

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erhaps it’s the soundtrack.

Richard Clapton’s “Girls on the Avenue”, Stevie Wright’s “Evie”, Midnight Oil’s “Blue Sky Mine”. But there’s also nostalgia with the location.

The sleepy strip of mostly singlestorey shops in West Footscray feels more small-town 1970s than Melbourne suburb-on-the-rise.

Most probably it’s just that Harley & Rose, the first venture by McConnell alumni Josh Murphy and Rory Cowcher, has landed with such confidence that it feels like it’s been here forever, slinging wood-fired pizza, Meatsmith charcuterie and minimal-intervention wine since Skyhooks were in the charts.

The circa-1960s Modernist bank building plays its part. It was a pizza restaurant before Murphy and Cowcher rode into town, bringing Projects of Imagination with them to do the fit-out. It’s quirky now, with blond timber banquettes, acres of beige canvas blinds, safety glass, red neon in the front window and red lighting in the bathrooms, a parquetry floor and a creamy yellow paint job. It has a sort of 1960s suburban bank-clerk chic.

There’s nothing retro about the food. Murphy and Cowcher have pulled together a solid list of approachable, shareable dishes that are trend conscious without being annoyingly on song.

Fans of Fitzroy’s Builders Arms Hotel will be pleased to see the cod-roe dip make a creamy, salty appearance here, accompanied

Melbourne

review

The outdoor seating at Harley & Rose.

Left: tiramisù.

Below: pipi pizza.

AND ALSO…

Palermo

clam juice). The handsome diavola has slices of dry, hot salami, San Marzano tomatoes and smoked scamorza, with slivers of pickled jalapeño adding colour and a faint slow burn. The combination matches well with the crust’s slight vinegary, fermented flavour.

It’s all good drinking food and there are plenty of good things to drink. Another ex-McConnell employee, the cheerful Mark Williamson, is manager here, and in charge of the list. He’s got the modern family-friendly bistro brief just right, both with the booze and the service.

His cellar packs a lot of variety into six pages. It’s Australian-biased with the occasional sortie into

France and Italy. There’s good, well-priced minimal intervention stuff from the likes of SC Pannell, Hochkirch and Ochota Barrels alongside smooth French operators such as Le Fou pinot noir and Christophe et Fils Chablis. The beer list leans local, too, with everything Victorian except a few outliers, including the complex, soured Cleansing Ale from Tasmania’s Two Metres Tall.

The menu has some heft to it, too. Lamb meatballs, fragrant with cumin, pack a little chilli heat that’s tempered with the accompanying risoni, cucumber, mint and yoghurt.

Meanwhile, the H&R version of cacio e pepe, made with spaghetti from local pasta maker Alligator, is rich with egg yolks and a mix of Grana Padano and pecorino. You’d come back for it.

The tiramisù is also hefty. It’s a classic of its kind – not too soggy or boozy, the mix of Strega, dark rum and vanilla Galliano keeping the flavours firmly, safely Italian.

With its seasoned operators and wine and food smarts, Harley & Rose is a sure sign Melbourne’s west is gentrifying. Since it’s unpretentious, hospitable, tasty and well-priced gentrification, surely it’s the kind to get behind. ●

Details

Harley & Rose 572 Barkly St, West Footscray (03) 8320 0325 harleyandrose. net.au Licensed Cards AE MC V EFT Open Tue-Thu 4pm-10pm, Fri-Sun 11.30am-10pm Prices Entrées $9-$15, main courses $19-$37, desserts $5-$16 Vegetarian Five entrées, four main courses Noise Elevated, bustling Wheelchair access Yes Minus The anti-gentrification crowd won’t be pleased Plus Familyfriendly with no dumbing down

LATIN LOVING The San Telmo and Pastuso team are mining South American cuisine again at Palermo, named after the Buenos Aires neighbourhood. Former Stokehouse chef Ollie Gould presides over a parilla grill and an asado fire-pit where lambs and suckling pigs are splayed upright to cook. There’s good beef and seafood from the parilla, too.

The wine list favours malbec, while the space has a palette of leather, marble and brick, and an attractive smoky scent. 401 Little Bourke St, Melbourne, (03) 9002 1600, palermo.melbourne GREEN ZONE Carlton, home to one of Melbourne’s longest-running vegetarian restaurants, Shakahari, now has a vegan and vegetarian pub called Green Man’s Arms. Israeli chef David Raziel’s menu leaps continents, with chilaquiles sharing space with falafel, an artichoke and cauliflower mac and cheese, and gnocchi tossed with red capsicum pesto. There’s kombucha on tap, and a good range of beer and wine that leans local. 418 Lygon St, Carlton, (03) 9347 7419, greenmansarms.com.au FIRE POWER Brigitte Hafner has overhauled the menu at Gertrude Street Enoteca, making use of a wood-fired oven and a hibachi grill. The oven’s fired up each morning and a dish, perhaps chicken and chorizo with sherry and tomatoes, is cooked all day. The coals are then tipped into the hibachi where wagyu short ribs, ox tongue (served with salsa verde) or prawns with garlic and chilli are grilled to order. The vitello tonnato, meanwhile, has survived the change along with other greatest hits. 229 Gertrude St, Fitzroy, (03) 9415 8262, gertrudeenoteca.com

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

57

Perfectly Franklin

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ranklin encapsulates much that’s likeable about Hobart. It’s a celebration of local culture and nature held against a backdrop of industrial surfaces worn to smooth warmth by time and use. It’s the finest diner in the Tasmanian capital, but you’re as likely to be seated next to a bunch of wind-burnt wanderers zipped and toggled tight in The North Face as you are a couple in their Friday-night finery. And perhaps this is fitting. The arrival of a new chef, Analiese Gregory, opens a new chapter for the restaurant.

David Moyle, Franklin’s first chef, said his job involved as much time driving around to track down

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Above, from left: hand-cut tartare of Littlewood lamb with anchovy sauce and horseradish; Analiese Gregory.

produce as it did working in the kitchen. When Gregory was Peter Gilmore’s second-in-command in the kitchen at Quay, their meat supplier would drop things over personally in his Porsche if they needed them in a hurry. If the pace in Tasmania is slower, it doesn’t seem to trouble Gregory. She has said that her time cooking at Bras in Aubrac affected her profoundly, and while Hobart might not be quite so ruggedly windswept as the Massif Central, it’s proving fertile ground nonetheless.

I enjoyed Bar Brosé, Gregory’s last stop in Sydney, but felt like I was waiting for a penny that never dropped. She has been at Franklin since last August, and it’s clear she’s in her element. Maybe that should be elements, plural. She plucks abalone from the icy waters of the D’Entrecasteaux Channel, dives for urchins off Fossil Cove, presses local market gardeners for skirret and medlars, and has mastered the moods of the Scotch oven.

She uses it to coax elegant texture from zucchini, which she sets on whipped ricotta and satsivi,

a Georgian walnut sauce, and showers with lovage and basil.

Garfish emerges from the oven split down the middle, rearing out of a sea of oyster butter scattered with chive flowers. The flavour of the fish gets lost, but it’s cooked with enviable precision.

The scope and style of the room are immediately arresting, but it’s little details – the heated floor, the kangaroo hides thrown over some of the chairs, the copper dispenser for the paper towels in the toilets and perfectly placed flashes of INXS and the Divinyls (circa “Boys in Town”) on the soundtrack – that seal the deal.

Service is in sync with the kitchen, the waiters clearly very much on board with Team Gregory.

Manager Forbes Appleby is a gentle presence on the floor, but his wine list is written with bold strokes. If wine that is local or priced under $70 a bottle is what you want, you’ll be better served by other cellars in Hobart; if your tastes lean natural you’re in for a treat. In any case, the likes of Owen Latta’s “Precarious” oxidised sauvignon blanc blend

PHOTOGRAPHY ADAM GIBSON

With a new chef at the helm, Hobart’s inest diner is having its moment, writes PAT NOURSE.

Hobart review

AND ALSO…

Left: cherry clafoutis with honey-kefir cream. Below: linguine with sea urchin butter and wild fennel.

from western Victoria, and Valentin Morel’s unfiltered, unsulphured chardonnay from the Jura, both poured by the glass, make fine foils for all the butter and cheese.

They’re not allowed to light the fire before 3pm, so the woodroasted Cape Grim beef dressed with walnut and smoked fat, say, or the glazed pork neck with a whey butter sauce only appear at dinner.

This is not to say the lunch menu is a place of desolation and despair. Far from it. Milky swatches of pork loin that Gregory cured herself melt on the tongue, a dusting of horseradish and smoked paprika dissolving into sweet fat. Chicken liver parfait is creamy, paired with yeast crisps, slices of a dense, nutty rye loaf and a cruel few pickled cherries.

An anchovy sauce, much like what you might find in vitello tonnato, brings fitting intensity to hand-cut tartare of Littlewood lamb, framed with peppery leaves and horseradish. Smart.

Hobart’s weather can have you looking for something a bit more warming than charcuterie and raw

sheep. At lunch, the house-made pasta of the day fills that gap: linguine swimming in butter with sea urchin folded through it, perhaps, tuned up with wild fennel.

The one dish Gregory brought with her from Sydney is a tribute to Michel Bras rendered in crisp leaves of potato teamed with salted caramel and a brown butter mousse, while the last cherries are celebrated in a golden clafoutis topped with a honey-kefir cream.

A recent profile in the pages of this magazine questioned whether Tasmania would be the move that saw one of our most promising young chefs realise her potential in the kitchen. More than six months into the job, all the indications are positive. In Franklin, Analiese Gregory has found a fitting stage for her talents, and in Analiese Gregory, Franklin has found one of the most talented chefs of her generation finding her voice. Right now, Franklin is a restaurant in its moment, a place on the up where a diner feels blessed to be part of the dance rather than a mere spectator.

Get amongst it. ●

LOCAL COLOUR The bin-lane is precisely the opposite of the classic corner location, and the ye olde quality of the interiors is technically only barely months old, but there’s no denying that The Duke of Clarence (above) has real old British pub atmosphere, even if a pub like this back in England would be more likely to offer Fosters on tap than the excellent selection of local and British hand-pumped brews. Throw in a serviceable menu of snacks (fish fried in Old Speckled Hen batter; a hefty pie of the day) and you’re there. Laneway 152-156 Clarence St, Sydney

Details

Franklin 30 Argyle St, Hobart, Tas, (03) 6234 3375, franklinhobart. com.au Licensed Open Lunch Fri-Sat 11.30am-2.30pm; dinner Tue-Sat 6pm-10pm Prices Entrées $15-$22, main courses $35-$40, dessert $14 Cards AE MC V EFT Noise Not hushed Wheelchair access Yes Minus A little heavy on the dairy Plus Franklin back in the zone and more user-friendly

THE OFFAL TRUTH Now’s your chance to jump if you haven’t yet had the pleasure of dining at the Banh Xeo Bar pop-up at The Cannery, which is slated to conclude at the end of April. Get in fast for intelligent, often offal-centric takes on the Vietnamese canon from a team whose experience includes time at Ester, Fred’s and St John in London. Banh mi with fried nuggets of pig’s head? Beef tongue and lemongrass banh xeo?

Hello. And it’s BYO to boot. 61-71 Mentmore Ave, Rosebery, HELLO, HARBIN It’s goodbye vin jaune and fancy toasties and hello smoked pork-knuckle bao, Chinese wine sausage and cocktails with lychees in them at the site that was once home to Bar Brosé. It has reopened under new owners as Ginkgo Bar & Dining, and contemporary Chinese, channelling the robust flavours of the north-eastern city of Harbin, is the order of the day. 231a Victoria St, Darlinghurst, (02) 9380 5556

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

59

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A GOURMET TRAVELLER PROMOTION

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PORK DUMPLINGS SERVES 4 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 10 MINS

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20 wonton wrappers (see note) 2 tbsp peanut oil PORK FILLING 200 gm coarsely minced lean pork belly 4 green onions, whites and green ends thinly sliced separately 2 tbsp finely grated ginger 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 45 gm (¾ cup) panko crumbs DIPPING SAUCE 80 ml (⅓ cup) black vinegar 2 cm piece ginger, shredded

1 For pork filling, combine all ingredients in a bowl except white part of green onions. Season to taste with freshly ground white pepper, then mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until required.

2 Working with a wonton wrapper at a time, place a tablespoonful of pork

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filling in the centre of each. Brush edges lightly with water, then fold all four corners to meet at a peak in the centre and press edges to seal.

Place peak-side-up on a lightly floured tray and continue with remaining wrappers and pork filling.

3 Preheat steam oven to 100°C. Heat oil in a large frying pan, add dumplings, peak-side-up (making sure they don’t touch one another) and cook in batches over mediumhigh heat for 2 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a perforated steaming tray lined with baking paper and steam in oven until skins are slightly translucent and filling is cooked through (4-6 minutes).

4 Serve immediately, drizzled with black vinegar and scattered with shredded ginger and reserved sliced green onions.

Note Wonton wrappers are available from most supermarkets and Asian grocers.

APRIL

QUICK MEALS Recipes MAX ADEY Photography BENITO MARTIN Styling EMMA KNOWLES

Pan-fried ocean trout with caulilower, almond and brown butter

68

p

Casarecce with pork sausage, cavolo nero and chilli SERVES 4-6 There’s no beating a warm, comforting bowl of pasta. Classic Italian flavours – pork, fennel, cavolo nero and chilli – do the trick here. Can’t find casarecce? Penne and rigatoni work a treat.

2 tbsp olive oil 4 thick pork and fennel sausages, skins removed, broken into bite-sized pieces 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary 1½ tsp fennel seeds 1½ tsp dried chilli flakes 125 ml (½ cup) dry white wine 125 ml (½ cup) chicken stock 4 cups (firmly packed) roughly torn cavolo nero (about 1 bunch) 500 gm dried casarecce 50 gm finely grated parmesan, plus extra to serve ¼ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

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1 Heat olive oil in a large casserole over high heat, add sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned (4-5 minutes), then remove from pan with a slotted spoon.

Add garlic, rosemary and spices to pan, season to taste, and stir until fragrant (1-2 minutes).

Deglaze with wine and reduce until almost evaporated (1-2 minutes), then return sausage to pan with stock and cavolo nero. Cover with a lid, and cook until cavolo nero is just wilted (2-3 minutes).

2 Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water until al dente (10-11 minutes). Drain, reserving a little pasta water, then toss pasta with sausage sauce, parmesan and parsley, adding pasta water to thin the sauce.

Season to taste and serve topped with extra parmesan.

Mushroom and pine nut brown rice bowl SERVES 4 Pine nuts are a particularly good match with mushrooms – try this with pan-fried pine mushrooms when they come into season, too.

400 gm (2 cups) brown rice 3 tsp sesame oil 30 gm (about 6cm) ginger, finely grated 80 ml (⅓ cup) light soy sauce 80 ml (⅓ cup) grapeseed oil 3 packets (about 150gm each) mixed mushrooms, such as shiitake, shimeji and wood ear, coarsely chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1½ tbsp caster sugar 60 ml (¼ cup) rice wine vinegar 4 eggs 40 gm (¼ cup) pine nuts 1½ tbsp roasted sesame seeds Torn roasted nori, thinly sliced spring onion and gochujang (see note), to serve 1 Cook rice in a large saucepan of salted boiling water until tender (18-20 minutes), drain, add sesame oil and half the ginger and soy and season to taste. Cover and keep warm.

2 Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp grapeseed oil in a large frying

pan over high heat, add mushrooms, sauté until tender (1-2 minutes), then transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Add 1 tbsp grapeseed oil to pan with garlic and remaining ginger, season to taste, and sauté until fragrant (1-2 minutes). Sprinkle in sugar, allow to caramelise (1 minute), then deglaze with vinegar and remaining soy. Stir in mushrooms, season to taste, and return to bowl.

3 Wipe pan clean, then heat remaining grapeseed oil over high heat. Fry eggs until crisp on the bottom and whites are just cooked (1-2 minutes).

4 Meanwhile, coarsely crush pine nuts and sesame seeds with mortar and pestle.

5 Divide rice among bowls, top with mushrooms, pine nut mixture, nori and spring onion and serve with gochujang.

Note Gochujang is available from Asian supermarkets.

Quick meals

Sirloin steak with red wine sauce and kipler chips SERVES 4 For quick potato chips that are crisp rather than soggy, the key is to season the potatoes only after they’re cooked. Salt draws out water, so pre-salting means the potatoes sweat rather than brown. It’s the same idea as deep-frying fries – you don’t salt until after they’re cooked.

Steak Bowl from Jook Ceramics. Mogen cutlery from IKEA. Casarecce Bowl (with pasta) from Batch Ceramics.

Salt & Pepper bowls (stacked) from Myer. Spoon from Quies.

Napkin from Mr. Draper.

Rice bowl Salt & Pepper bowls from Myer. Dish (with gochujang) from Forty-Nine Studio. Mogen teaspoon from IKEA. All other props stylist’s own. Stockists p176.

125 ml (½ cup) vegetable oil, plus extra for drizzling 12 kipfler potatoes, scrubbed and cut into thin wedges 8 golden shallots, skin on 4 200gm sirloin steaks, at room temperature 100 ml port 100 ml red wine 3 thyme sprigs, plus extra thyme leaves to serve 1 garlic clove, bruised 250 ml (1 cup) veal or beef stock 2 tsp red wine vinegar, or to taste Dressed frisée, to serve

1 Preheat oven to 240°C. Divide oil between two metal oven trays and place in the oven to heat for 5 minutes. Divide potatoes between trays and spread shallots around both trays. Roast shallots until softened (10-12 minutes) and potatoes until crisp and golden (18-20 minutes). Let shallots cool slightly, then halve, remove skins and set aside.

2 Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan over high heat, drizzle steaks with a little oil, season to taste, then fry, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked to your liking (4-6 minutes for medium-rare).

Set aside loosely covered with foil to rest. Deglaze pan with port, add wine, thyme sprigs and garlic and reduce by half (3-4 minutes), add stock and shallots and boil until a thin sauce (6-8 minutes). Remove from heat, stir in vinegar and thyme leaves and season to taste. Slice steaks and serve with sauce, chips and frisée. ➤

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

65

Quick meals

Clams with bacon and corn SERVES 4 This is one of those meals where you can put the pot in the middle of the table and just let everyone serve themselves and get a bit messy. A pile of napkins and plenty of toasted sourdough are essential.

30 gm butter 200 gm streaky bacon rashers, cut into 1cm pieces 1 onion, finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 tbsp thyme leaves 2 corn cobs, kernels removed 1 kg clams, cleaned, soaked in salted water for 15 minutes, rinsed well 125 ml (½ cup) dry white wine 60 gm crème fraîche 2 tsp red wine vinegar or to taste Finely grated rind of 1 lemon, plus 2 tsp juice, or to taste 1 cup (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped, plus extra to serve 8 slices sourdough bread, toasted, to serve

66

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

1 Heat butter in a large casserole over high heat, add bacon and stir until lightly browned (3-4 minutes). Transfer to a small bowl with a slotted spoon, then add onion to pan and sauté until translucent (3-4 minutes). Add garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant (1-2 minutes), then return bacon to pan, add corn, clams and wine, cover with a lid and cook, shaking pan occasionally, until clams open (2-3 minutes).

Remove pan from the heat, stir through crème fraîche, vinegar, lemon rind and juice and parsley, season to taste, then top with extra parsley and serve with toasted sourdough.

Shaanxi-style lamb with cumin and celery SERVES 4 Avoid any temptation to use lean lamb mince in this dish, it needs the fat to melt down and become infused with the flavour of the spices to bring everything together.

Lean mince just doesn’t give the same result.

2 tbsp grapeseed oil 600 gm coarsely minced lamb 1 cinnamon quill, broken in half 3 star anise 30 gm ginger (about 6cm), finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 3 spring onions, white part cut into 2cm lengths, green part thinly sliced on the diagonal 1 tsp dried chilli flakes 1 tsp ground cumin 6 small celery stalks, thinly sliced 60 ml (¼ cup) Shaoxing wine 60 ml (¼ cup) soy sauce 1 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar 2 tsp honey Steamed rice, roasted sesame seeds and lemon wedges (optional), to serve 1 Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan or wok over high heat, add lamb, cinnamon and star anise, and cook, stirring occasionally, until lamb is well browned (8-10 minutes).

Remove lamb from pan with a slotted spoon (there should be some lamb fat still in the pan), then add ginger, garlic, white part of spring onion and remaining spices, season to taste and stir-fry until aromatic (1-2 minutes). Add celery, stir-fry for 1 minute, then return lamb to pan with Shaoxing, soy sauce, vinegar and honey and stir until well combined (1 minute).

Season to taste and serve on rice topped with sesame and spring onion greens, and with lemon on the side. ➤

Lamb Small dish (with sesame) from Jook Ceramics. Clams Plate from Kana London. All other props stylist’s own.

Stockists p176.

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

67

Indian spiced yoghurt chicken with cardamom-coconut pilaf SERVES 4-6

Pan-fried ocean trout with caulilower, almonds and brown butter SERVES 4

Play around with diferent spices in the pilaf – cloves and star anise work very nicely, as do fresh curry leaves. This dish reheats well, so consider doubling it to ensure there’ll be leftovers.

Trust your senses with brown butter: once it stops sizzling it’s usually at the right point. A splash of vinegar in the butter, whether it’s sherry or red wine vinegar, adds an extra dimension.

100 gm Greek-style yoghurt, plus extra to serve 4 garlic cloves, finely grated 1 tbsp garam masala 1 kg chicken thighs (about 8), bone in, skin on Toasted shredded coconut, coriander sprigs, pickled chillies and lime wedges, to serve CARDAMOM-COCONUT PILAF

2 tbsp ghee 1 small red onion, finely chopped 12 cardamom pods, bruised 300 gm (1½ cups) basmati rice, rinsed 500 ml (2 cups) chicken stock 100 ml coconut milk Pinch of safron threads, soaked in 20ml of warm water 40 gm (¼ cup) currants 400 gm canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 Preheat oven to 230°C. Combine yoghurt, garlic and garam masala in a large bowl, add chicken and toss to coat.

Season, spread out on large baking tray lined with baking 68

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

paper and roast until browned and juices run clear when a thigh is pierced with a skewer (18-20 minutes).

2 Meanwhile, for cardamomcoconut pilaf, heat ghee in a large saucepan over mediumhigh heat, add onion and cardamom, season to taste and sauté until onion is softened and translucent (4-5 minutes). Add rice and stir to coat, then add chicken stock, coconut milk and soaked safron and water and bring to the boil. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 14-15 minutes. Remove pan from the heat, remove lid and add currants and chickpeas, re-cover and stand for 5 minutes, then fluf with a fork.

3 Divide pilaf among plates, top with chicken, coconut, coriander and chillies and serve with lime and extra yoghurt.

1 1 2 4

100 80 1

Finely grated rind of 1 lemon, segments from 3 lemons, plus lemon wedges to serve golden shallot, thinly sliced cup (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley tbsp capers in vinegar, rinsed ocean trout fillets (about 180gm each), skin on, patted dry Grapeseed oil, for drizzling gm cold salted butter, diced gm slivered almonds tbsp sherry vinegar CAULIFLOWER PURÉE

1 kg cauliflower (1 small), florets roughly chopped 60 ml (¼ cup) milk, warmed 50 gm butter 1 For cauliflower purée, cook cauliflower in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender (8-10 minutes), drain, return to pan with milk and butter, then blend with a hand-held blender until smooth. Season to taste, then cover loosely with foil to keep warm.

2 Meanwhile, combine lemon rind and segments, shallot, parsley and capers in a bowl.

Season to taste and toss to combine just before serving.

3 Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat.

Drizzle trout with grapeseed oil and season to taste, then add to pan skin-side down, top with baking paper, weight with a heavy pan, and fry until skin is crisp (2-3 minutes). Turn over and fry until cooked to medium (1 minute). Remove from pan and rest for 1-2 minutes. Add butter to pan and cook over high heat until foaming and nut brown (1-2 minutes), add almonds, remove pan from heat and stir until golden (30 seconds to 1 minute), then add vinegar, stir to combine and season to taste.

4 Divide cauliflower purée among plates and top with trout, salad and brown butter sauce.

Quick meals

Pudding Bowls from Bison.

Nolan spoon from Country Road. Chicken with pilaf All props stylist’s own. Trout Bowl from Katherine Mahoney. Salt & Pepper bowl (with salad) from Myer. Nolan fork from Country Road. All other props stylist’s own. Stockists p176.

Chocolate-coconut pudding with passionfruit and ice-cream SERVES 4 Decadent and delicious, these individual puddings are best served hot straight from the oven, with plenty of ice-cream and syrup.

Vanilla ice-cream is always classic, but try mixing it up with passionfruit or coconut ice-cream instead.

90 40 60 150 90

gm self-raising flour gm Dutch-process cocoa gm desiccated coconut gm caster sugar gm unsalted butter, melted and cooled a little 125 ml (½ cup) milk 1 egg, beaten 1 tsp vanilla bean paste Finely grated rind of ½ orange, juice of 1, plus extra rind to serve Pulp from about 3 passionfruit Vanilla ice-cream and pure icing sugar, to serve

1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Butter four 250ml shallow ovenproof bowls and place on a baking tray. Sift flour and cocoa into a large bowl and stir in coconut and 110gm caster sugar.

Combine butter, milk, egg and vanilla in a jug, then stir into flour mixture until smooth. Divide batter evenly among bowls, then bake until puddings have risen and a skewer inserted comes out clean (16-18 minutes).

2 Meanwhile, combine orange rind and juice, passionfruit pulp and remaining sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar (1-2 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside to cool briefly. Serve puddings warm topped with vanilla ice-cream, passionfruit syrup, extra rind and a dusting of icing sugar. ●

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

69

4+ (" ) ) &" W I T H H A R V E Y N O R M A N A N D A U S T R A L I A â&#x20AC;&#x2122; S F I N E S T C H E F S

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H A R V E Y N O R M A N . C O M . AU/G O U R M E T- I N S T I T U T E

Get up close and personal with 10 of Australia's most exciting chefs as they share their favourite celebration dishes. It's the biggest party in town, and you're invited.

It's been 10 years since Gourmet Institute started bringing you together with your favourite kitchen talent at Harvey Norman, so what better way to celebrate than with an all-star season of celebratory dishes? Whether it's your fi rst year joining the party or your 10th, you can expect a warm welcome, tasty ideas and new ways to rock your kitchen.

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GUILLAUME BRAHIMI PAUL CARMICHAEL JAMES VILES

CHASE KOJIMA BEN DEVLIN

JOCK ZONFRILLO DUNCAN WELGEMOED

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$ 65

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B O O K YO U R T I C K E T S N OW AT G O U R M E T I N S T I T U T E . P L E E Z PAY. C O M F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N V I S I T H A R V E Y N O R M A N . C O M . AU/G O U R M E T- I N S T I T U T E O R C A L L K A R L A K E M P S O N (0 2 ) 9 2 8 2 8 3 8 6

Would you like your twice-baked cheese soulĂŠ and your nougat glacĂŠ and candied fruit with a side of Gallic charm? Guillaume Brahimi is here for you.

SYDNEY

11 AP R I L

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C L A S S I C F R E N C H D I N N E R PA R T Y W I T H

G U I LL AU M E B R AH I M I , B I S T R O G U I L L AU M E Light the candles, get out the good china and pull the corks on your favourite bottles: it's time to revel in the elegance of French dining with all the trimmings and a minimum of fuss. Guillaume Brahimi has been one of Gourmet Institute's hottest tickets with good reason, sharing the secrets he learned at the top of Paris's restaurant world with unďŹ&#x201A;appable charm and easy wit.

Get ready to dive into his twice-baked Roquefort soulĂŠ, whiting Colbert with maĂŽtre d'hĂ´tel butter and â&#x20AC;&#x201C; brace yourself â&#x20AC;&#x201C; nougat glacĂŠ with candied fruit and hazelnuts.

CHEF Guillaume Brahimi

D E TAI L S

THEME Classic French dinner party

L O C AT I O Nâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; Harvey Norman @ Domayne, 84 Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Riordan St, Alexandria, NSW

DAT E & T I M Eâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; Pre-Event 6.15pm, Event 7pm, Wednesday 11 April

T I C K E T Sâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; $65 each B O O K N OWâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; gourmetinstitute. pleezpay.com

4) % 2 D E TAI L S CHEF Jock Zonfrillo

THEME Native flavour

Jock Zonfrillo led Orana to being named GT's Restaurant of the Year; here his take on thinking global but cooking local gives us fresh takes on roti with jerk sauce and tarte Tatin.

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L O C AT I O Nâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; Harvey Norman, 750 Main North Rd, Gepps Cross, SA

A D EL A I D E

9 MAY

DAT E & T I M Eâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; Event 7pm, Wednesday 9 May T I C K E T Sâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; $65 each B O O K N OWâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; gourmetinstitute. pleezpay.com

Electrolux 600mm 4-Burner Gas on glass Cooktop, $999 (EHG643BA)

N AT I V E F L AVO U R W I T H

J OC K ZO N FRI LLO, ORANA Orana is Australia's top-rated restaurant, and its chef, Jock Zonfrillo, passionately believes that the best ďŹ&#x201A;avours in Australia are Australian ďŹ&#x201A;avours. By incorporating these into our cooking at home, he says, we can affect great change in our markets, our agriculture and our food. Get your taste of the revolution and spice up your next feast at home with Jock's expert advice (and a little bit of Glasgow-accented cheek along the way) with the likes of roti with jerk sauce, ďŹ re-pit ďŹ sh with potato purĂŠe, eucalyptus and leeks, and his take on tarte Tatin.

Japanese aesthetics meet the Aussie love of the outdoors as Chase Kojima packs a picnic with crab and tuna tartare and lamb chops with Vegemite miso sauce.

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4) % 3 D E TAI L S C H E Fâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; Chase Kojima

T H E M Eâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; Japanese picnic

L O C AT I O Nâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; Harvey Norman, B29-45 Bundall Rd, Bundall, Qld

DAT E & T I M Eâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; Pre-Event 6.15pm, Event 7pm, Wednesday 6 June

T I C K E T Sâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; $65 each

B O O K N OWâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; gourmetinstitute. pleezpay.com

JA PA N E S E P I C N I C W I T H

C HAS E KOJ I MA , K I YO M I Chase Kojima is a busy man. If he's not scouring Sydney Fish Market for treasures to serve at the acclaimed sushi counter at Sokyo or oveseeing the city's most popular rice burgers at Gojima, he's bringing the magic to Kiyomi, the Gold Coast's most celebrated Japanese eatery. But he likes to play as much as he likes to work, and he wants to show that Japanese food is as suited to casual alfresco fun times as it is to big-city fine dining. Chase brings local flavour to his picnic with tuna tartare and yuzu soy, his lamb chops with gemite miso sauce, and a Vegemite pickle roll.

MELBOURNE

11 J U LY

Bosch 900mm 'Series 8' Induction Cooktop, $1999 (PIV975DC1E)

Is Rome the ďŹ&#x201A;avour capital of the world? Guy Grossi argues eloquently for the airmative with tuna, bottarga and pickled fennel, and braised oxtail with cime di rapa.

R O M A N H O L I DAY W I T H

G U Y G ROS S I , GROSSI FLORENTINO Embrace the spirit of ferragosto, Italy's favourite holiday festival, by joining Melbourne's favourite Italian chef and throwing together dishes packed with flavour that will please even the most demanding crowd. Guy Grossi draws on the no-holdsbarred style of Rome to present big, bold dishes worthy of the caput mundi: yellowfin tuna with the salty smack of bottarga and the tang of pickled fennel segues into rich, robust braised oxtail, cut with the bite of cime di rapa. And it wouldn't be a Roman holiday without some serious pasta: toasted-wheat tonarelli with pig's cheek and pecorino doesn't disappoint.

CHEF Guy Grossi

D E TAI L S

THEME Roman holiday

L O C AT I O N Harvey Norman Chadstone, 699 Warrigal Rd, Chadstone, Vic

DAT E & T I M E Event 7pm, Wednesday 11 July TICKETS $65 each

B O O K N OW gourmetinstitute. pleezpay.com

Celebrate the power and vibrancy of Africa in an Arabian fish curry, roasted goat's cheese salad, and Duncan's take on beetroot and yoghurt.

A D EL A I D E

2 5 J U LY

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A F R O B E AT W I T H

D U N C A N WELG EM O ED, A F R I CO L A Spicy. Saucy. A little bit salty. And that's just the host.

With his sassy style and party-hearty instincts, Duncan Welgemoed has quickly become one of Adelaide's boldest culinary ambassadors. But he's also a passionate interpreter of the flavours of the continent that he sprang from, working tirelessly to demonstrate the diversity, power and elegance of the flavours of Africa. In what is sure to be a memorable session he traverses the continent, bringing his favourite dishes to the table in an Arabian fish curry, eggplant tunarama, beetroot and yoghurt, and a salad of roasted goat's cheese with pistachio dressing.

4) % 5 D E TAI L S

CHEF Duncan Welgemoed THEME Afrobeat

L O C AT I O N Harvey Norman, 750 Main North Rd, Gepps Cross, SA

DAT E & T I M E Event 7pm, Wednesday 25 July TICKETS $65 each

B O O K N OW gourmetinstitute. pleezpay.com

4) % 6

Take a trip to the Caribbean with Momofuku's Paul Carmichael as he spices up your winter with baked plantains with spicy mussels and more from his native Barbados.

D E TAI L S CHEF Paul Carmichael

THEME Caribbean feast

L O C AT I O N Harvey Norman @ Domayne, 84 O’Riordan St, Alexandria, NSW

DAT E & T I M E Pre-Event 6.15pm, Event 7pm, Wednesday 8 August

T I C K E T S $65 each

SYDNEY

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CARIBBEAN FEAST WITH

PAU L C AR M I C H A EL , MOMOFUKU SEIOBO When Paul Carmichael likes to party, he likes to go big: big food, big flavours and big smiles all around. In his time heading the kitchen at the three-starred Momofuku Seiobo he has made Sydney an unlikely outpost of Caribbean fine-dining, fusing Australian tropical produce with the foodways of his native Barbados. With Paul's fish soup and dumplings, with his baked plantains with spicy mussels and with his conkie – a spiced pumpkin and coconut pudding traditionally steamed in banana leaves – he brings a welcome dose of Caribbean warmth to the middle of the Australian winter. Just add rum.

Surf's up: Ben Devlin captures the sweet-salt essence of the sea in rye-flour pici pasta with Moreton Bay bug and tomato, then follows up with a strawberry gum and mulberry bombe.

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Electrolux 600mm 16-Funct Pyrolytic Steam-Assist Ov $2099 (EVEP61BS

G O L D COA S T

2 2 AU G U S T

4) % 7 D E TAI L S C H E Fâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; Ben Devlin

T H E M Eâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; Seafood celebration

L O C AT I O Nâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; Harvey Norman, B29-45 Bundall Rd, Bundall, Qld

DAT E & T I M Eâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; Pre-Event 6.15pm, Event 7pm, Wednesday 22 August

T I C K E T Sâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; $65 each

B O O K N OWâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; gourmetinstitute. pleezpay.com

S E A F O O D C E L E B R AT I O N W I T H

B EN D E VLI N , PA P E R DA I S Y Water is Ben Devlin's element, and having won the hearts and minds of destination-diners with his spirited cuisine at Paper Daisy, set in the lush surrounds of Halcyon House, mere steps from the sand, he knows how to bring the beach-party vibes, whatever the Occasion. Supercharge your next luau or clam bake (or just bring a touch of the briny blue to the dinner table) with the inventive elegance of rye-flour pici noodles tossed with Moreton Bay bugs and tomato, or showstopping flathead roasted on seaweed with butter and potatoes. A strawberry gum and mulberry bombe brings a sweet finish.

8Ă&#x201D; " D "

SYDNEY

1 9 S E P TE M B E R

Electrolux 800mm 5-Zone FlexiBridge Induction Cooktop, $2199 (EHX8575FHK). Electrolux 900mm Multi-Function Pyrolytic Oven, $3499 (EVEP91658)

Smoked chicken vol-au-vents, duck glazed with wildflower honey and "imperfect" pavlova: welcome to flavour-town, James Viles-style.

S P R I N G E N T E R TA I N I N G W I T H

JAM ES VI LES , B I O TA D I N I N G Celebrate the end of winter and the turn of the season in the tastiest of ways with one of our most sought-after regional cooking talents. With his unique perspective and access to a trove of amazing produce, James Viles has made Bowral a go-to for anyone who loves seeing Australian country dining in a new light. In this idea-packed session he channels the best of Biota, taking duck and transforming it with wildflower honey, making the classic vol-au-vent even more irresistible with the addition of smoked chicken and leek, and providing the perfect finale to dinner with his intriguing "imperfect pavlova."

4) % 8 D E TAI L S

CHEF James Viles THEME Spring entertaining

L O C AT I O N Harvey Norman @ Domayne, 84 Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Riordan St, Alexandria, NSW

DAT E & T I M E Pre-Event 6.15pm, Event 7pm, Wednesday 19 September

TICKETS $65 each B O O K N OW gourmetinstitute. pleezpay.com

0 A * ,

MELBOURNE

17 OC TO B E R

Ben Shewry fuses the comforts of home with restaurant panache, remixing the likes of fridge salad, Vegemite pie and his nan's chocolate cake into memorable showpieces.

H O U S E PA R T Y W I T H

B EN S H E WRY, AT T I C A A powerful mix of ambition and humility, local produce and an international outlook, big ideas and intimate consideration have catapulted Attica from the suburbs of Melbourne to the world stage, making it Australia's greatest champion on the international restaurant scene. Through it all, owner and chef Ben Shewry has kept pushing the boundaries of innovation, but maintained a focus on flavour, whether it's borne out in a lamb pie in Vegemite pastry or his nan's chocolate cake.

CHEF Ben Shewry

D E TAI L S

THEME House party

L O C AT I O N Harvey Norman Chadstone, 699 Warrigal Rd, Chadstone, Vic

AEG 60cm Steampro, Pure Steam, Sous Vide Humidity Sensor Oven, $4999 (BSK892330M). AEG 14cm Warming Drawer, $1199 (KDK911422M)

DAT E & T I M E Event 7pm, Wednesday 17 October TICKETS $65 each

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Wait, did somebody say dumplings? And fisherman's purse dumplings, no less? Dan Hong has you covered, and is making leek and ginger lo mein as well, just for good measure.

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AEG 900mm Induction Cooktop, $3899 (HKP95510XB)

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SYDNEY

14 N OVE M B E R

4) % 1 0 D E TAI L S CHEF Dan Hong

THEME Chinese banquet

CHINESE BANQUET WITH

DAN H O N G , M R WO N G Bust out the lazy susan, fire up the wok and sharpen your chopsticks: Dan Hong is here and the only thing he likes more than cooking Chinese food is eating it. A dedicated student of the table and the founding chef of Sydney's biggest and best modern Cantonese restauant, Mr Wong, Hong has the skills and experience (not to mention the passion) to help you take your Chinese dining to the next level. For this feast he's cooking up fisherman's purse dumplings, steamed fish with blackbean, chilli, garlic and rice wine, and a classic egg noodle, leek, ginger and spring onion lo mein given a contemporary twist with kombu.

L O C AT I O N Harvey Norman @ Domayne, 84 O’Riordan St, Alexandria, NSW DAT E & T I M E Pre-Event 6.15pm, Event 7pm, Wednesday 14 November TICKETS $65 each B O O K N OW gourmetinstitute, pleezpay.com

VISIT HARVEYNORMAN.COM.AU/GOURMET-INSTITUTE FOR MORE DETAILS. PRICES VALID FOR SYDNEY METROPOLITAN AREA. PRICES CAN VARY BETWEEN STATES DUE TO ADDITIONAL FREIGHT COSTS. SEE IN STORE FOR FULL RANGE. HARVEY NORMAN® STORES ARE OPERATED BY INDEPENDENT FRANCHISEES. ENDS 24/10/2018.

Christianshavn Vold lake alongside Noma. Clockwise from right: broth of Faroe Islands sea snails; RenĂŠ Redzepi; commissioned ceramics for Nomaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seafood season; a dining room in the new Noma.

Photography JASON LOUCAS

Noma closed a year ago, and now is reborn, bolder than ever. Chef and co-owner RENÉ REDZEPI takes Gourmet Traveller on an exclusive tour of the new restaurant – and outlines his ambitions for the years to come.

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feel crazy, I feel excited, I feel happy. Of course, I’m nervous.

For the past two months I’ve been waking up several times a night and probably it’s got something to do with the complexity of the project. This is not just a tiny little restaurant shack; it’s a little village that we’re building, which is so difficult the builders have had to invent techniques to make it.

It’s all in – if it doesn’t work out there’s nothing else. But I believe so much in this space. We’re in Christianshavn, away from the city, and situated right on a man-made lake that’s a bird sanctuary, and behind our property there’s a mound that’s part of the old fortification of medieval Copenhagen. With time this will be like one big overgrown garden with trees, plants, fruits, vegetables and these 11 buildings nestled in between. We’re even going to put in a sauna right on the lake. There are three greenhouses.

The smallest will be tropical, and for the Aussies I’m proud to say we’ve ordered two finger limes, so we can have a bit of enu.

There was one concrete building on the property when we got hold of it, which was used to store marine equipment during World War II and was later abandoned. It’s 850 square metres with an 80-metre-long hallway and it’s the main engine room, housing staff rooms, places to grow stuff, places to hang out, places to experiment, an ant farm, tanks for live seafood like a Chinese restaurant, a room for game where we can hang a whole deer.

We’ve built seven new buildings from scratch and these are for guests. It sounds like “wow”, but one is only seven square metres. That’s the waiters’ room. Then there’s a separate entrance building, one for the restaurant, the bathrooms, a lounge building, one for barbecuing and a private dining room. They’re all connected by glass corridors.

The philosophy is to always feel like you’re outdoors – that’s the main spirit here and it was something that came to us after we did our pop-up in Tulum last year.

That was an outdoor restaurant with only the tree canopy above us. We’d planned to have skylights in this new space, but the me ➤

forest season – the only time when meat home from Mexico. Then the question will play a starring role. was how do you build a space that feels The challenge was how to shape like you’re outdoors all the time even something new out of the stuff you’re so though you live in a place where in familiar with. It’s difficult. The octopus all honesty the weather is so shitty seven is the same, so is the squid, so are the months of the year. carrots, and they’re from the same farmer.

Well, we feel we solved that in a pretty Having the focus of the three different profound way. In the kitchen there’s seasons brought a great energy to the a glass roof so the sky is right above us. research and creativity.

From here you can oversee the different We went on a journey, rather like buildings in what we call the village, so it when we went to Australia, and spent takes the cooks to the centre of everything. months travelling around the Nordics.

Everybody has to pass through the kitchen It’s crucial. We shook hands and met yet to go to the bathroom or the restaurant. again some of the divers The old Noma, in a and fishermen and the 250-year-old building where “You never truly foragers and so on. But we the patina and energy arrive at the also went deeper, diving were built in, was also an into the ocean and looking extraordinary place. I cried finish line – at what’s there as opposed when we closed the doors to you’re always to what we thought before that space. It was emotional, either at the when we’d use lobster or but I also believe it was turbot – luxury kind of stuff necessary. That Noma had starting line in a way. We discovered become like a couch, a very or somewhere things in our waters and comfortable couch that was in between.” challenged ourselves to work getting more and more with sea cucumbers, sea difficult to get up from. You stars, jellyfish and such. It’s a basic idea felt good in it, you knew what but it yields so much. For that reason to do, you knew everything, and so at one I feel like we have been able to squeeze out point I’m like, “No way, man. I’m 40 years new things and see fresh opportunities. old. Let’s go, let’s do it again. It’s not time There’s a dish made from these giant for a couch yet. Hopefully never.” sea snails from the Faroe Islands. They Sometimes you need to uproot weigh maybe half a kilo each and we never everything. really figured out how to cook them. Many The past year since we closed our old times I’ve had this slimy thing in my hands restaurant has been all about researching, and thought, “What are we going to do travelling, exploring, connecting with with this?” We tried to cook it like abalone people who we’ve been working with for the way we did in Australia, we looked at the past 14 years, finding new friends, Japanese websites and watched YouTube, challenging our purveyors to do more, but they always have that kind of chew. better, different, and see opportunity with Then four months ago we started devoting the same old, same old. We’ve been in time and energy to it and we found a way my backyard and in my home kitchen to cook it that’s made it one of the most because we weren’t ready here, and delicious items on the menu. It has a it’s the best creative period we’ve ever similar quality to a simmered abalone, but had. We are in new territory. there’s just more flavour and we’re serving Our menu will have three seasons that it simply, sliced thin and tossed with wild we feel really fit our part of the world. plants. You eat it as a salad from this wax In the cold months, we look towards the cup that’s warm so it releases this honeywaters and serve only seafood, then when scent note that’s exactly what the dish we go into the growing season, which needs. I love that serving and even more typically starts in Scandinavia around because it’s not just a theatrical element.

June, we’ll have a vegetable menu and There’s a jellyfish serving as well that everything will change, even the ceramics melts on your tongue. It’s from Danish we serve the food on. Then from early waters and it’s served with seaweed. autumn to January it’s the game and 84

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Noma restaurant manager James Spreadbury, from Adelaide; dining room; queen clam with its roe and blackcurrant wood fudge (bottom left), mahogany clam with preserved gooseberries, blackcurrant and mussel stock (bottom right); Christianshavn Vold lake. Opposite, from top: dining room; plankton cake; a corner of the dining room.

When I talk about it, I don’t really love the idea of it. When we first tested it, we thought it would be this weird-textured, slimy thing that’s hard to swallow, but once you get it in your mouth it holds until the heat of your tongue hits it and then it’s gone and this salty oyster rush hits. I’m very pleased with that one.

INTERVIEW JENI PORTER

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he energy I get from this creative work is paramount to how I live my life. Without that, I don’t know, there’s no way. This industry is way too hard to go to work and not have that rush and sense of discovery, like the sense of achievement when you think, “I’m actually shaping something new here, together and as a team.”

At the moment there are 50 people finalising all the small details. The dining room has huge wooden floorboards and a room divider made from wood that’s more than 200 years old, found in the waters a kilometre away from here. The patina is stunning. Some people would say this is not a fancy room, but I’m in love with it. One of the things that made it so difficult to build is that it’s lined with stacked wood rising five metres high.

There are more than 250,000 screws and the carpenters really struggled to make it.

Everything had to be handmade in this project; it’s more important than being modern. One of the main concepts behind all of it is a sense of rawness – in the

untreated oak chairs and tables and the room itself – which means you’re always looking at the beauty of the materials. This is a craft that we have chosen to do for a living so everything surrounding what’s on the plate should also have that feel to it. The quality of the materials, the quality of the ceramics or other products on the table and the quality of what you’re eating should all fit in with each other.

We have two beams with dried seaweed hanging from them, and we might hang a few other elements. In the test kitchen we salted and air-dried 15 giant squid. They’re kind of pink, white and yellow at the same time. There’s a skull of a walrus with the teeth still attached and we have an octopus that’s dried rock hard. We squished it and curled up the arms and painted it in its own ink. It’s beautiful, like a sculpture.

Decorations like that, which are crafted or handmade with a story that relates to what we’re serving, we might put up somewhere.

But what’s very important is that this restaurant space can never feel decorated – the building is the decoration.

We’re trying to make you feel comfortable and give you an exciting experience that tells you something about a certain place and a certain time. It’s been the premise ever since we started Noma in 2003, but I believe we can achieve this in a fresh and new way. Everything we do is to make guests happy. Honestly, it’s as basic as that. When that moment happens where there’s this explosion of joy and everybody seems to get exactly what you wanted to tell them – those nights you remember forever. You get high on it.

One reason why this building project was so complex was because it was built to change. A lot of people think I’m crazy when I say that, because we’re barely open.

But how do we know what we want to do in 10 years or in five? You never truly arrive at the finish line – you’re always either at the starting line or somewhere in between. Right now, finishing this project is the goal, but very quickly I’ll need to have this uncertainty about what the next menu is going to look like, how we’re going to be able to continue to shape this place. The day that feeling is not there – that’s the day when it’s over. ● Noma, Refshalevej 96, 1432 Copenhagen K, Denmark, noma.dk G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

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T O A S T T O

V E G

M I T E

Chefs are spreading the love for Vegemite as they explore its possibilities beyond the breakfast table and lunchbox, writes PAT NOURSE.

Yu-ching Lee’s cheese and Vegemite twists at Sydney’s Paper Bird.

PHOTOGRAPHY YU-CHING LEE. ILLUSTRATION BILLIE JUSTICE THOMSON

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reakfast lunch and tea? Chefs in Australia have played with Vegemite on and off over the years, but right now everyone’s favourite yeasty spread is really having a moment in the kitchens of our leading restaurants and cafés.

Followers of Ben Shewry’s Instagram feed will notice that he has just doubled down on Attica’s commitment to Vegemite (first made three years ago with Gazza’s Vegemite pie), experimenting with that mum-lunch classic Salada crackers with tomato and Vegemite. This being a restaurant that charges a cool $275 a head for dinner, of course, the tomatoes are grown by the team, the heavily buttered Salada ain’t Arnott’s and the “Vegemite” is made from scratch using black garlic and other bespoke ingredients that aren’t known to be part of Cyril Percy Callister’s original 1923 formulation.

Melbourne is Vegemite’s hometown and Shewry’s fellow chefs over at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal made headlines in 2017 when they débuted a Vegemite-driven dessert. It was months in the making, and the kitchen team felt the pressure. “It’s Vegemite in Australia – we have to get this right,” said chef Ashley Palmer-Watts at the time.

“If it’s not great, we’ll be nailed for it.”

The dish remains on the menu today, listed at $30 as “ice-cream with Vegemite”, incorporating toasted barley cream, yeast caramel, macadamia, puffed spelt and, to really drive the toast connection home, sourdough crumble.

At Anchovy in Richmond, meanwhile, Thi Li dips into the school lunches of yore for inspiration and comes up with “tempura Vegemite, Laughing Cow”: a deep-fried cube of cheese custard infused with Vegemite and served with whipped cheese. At Kensington Street Social in Sydney, the Vegemite is on the drinks list, appearing in the Vegemitini.

In Canberra it’s whipped through ricotta for breakfast at High Road, and a similar approach is taken at Smoke, atop Barangaroo House, where Vegemite ricotta joins padrón peppers and crispbread on the bar menu. At the brand-new d’Arenberg Cube in McLaren Vale, Vegemite mayonnaise accompanies “bush coals” of hot-smoked barramundi blackened with onion ash, wattleseed and mountain pepper.

Why so much Vegemite right now? Its very ubiquity makes it an easy go-to – the miso of Australia, ready to add a dash of dark-brown complexity to anything it touches.

Yu-ching Lee, a chef who makes pastries for Paper Bird in Sydney, recently started putting cheese and Vegemite twists in the cabinet, and says that she started using it simply “because it’s there”. “I’d been making delicious XO cheese sticks, but the Paper Bird kitchen changed the

“It’s the miso of Australia, ready to add a dash of dark-brown complexity to anything it touches.”

menu and stopped making XO sauce, so I switched to Vegemite. It’s also vegetarian-friendly, which is a plus.”

But Vegemite has been a staple in an awful lot of kitchens for an awfully long time without ever really jumping onto restaurant menus in a big way. You could point to an intersection between locavorism, nostalgia for Australiana and a fascination with all things fermented. Where else (apart, perhaps, from a can of Fosters) are you going to find all those things in one handy jar?

Chase Kojima, the American-born chef of Sokyo in Sydney and Kiyomi on the Gold Coast, says Vegemite had him stumped when he first arrived in Australia seven years ago, but thinking of it as Australian miso (a “harsh” miso, admittedly) has unlocked its possibilities in the kitchen for him. It appears everywhere in his cuisine, from the Vegemite and shichimi roasted almonds at the bar to the lamb chops grilled on the robata and served with charred eggplant purée in the restaurants. He’s even used it at the sushi counter, making tiny Vegemite-toast croûtons as a complement to poached Moreton Bay bugs. It’s the perfect intersection, he says, between the Australian flavour profile and the Japanese. “You can’t get this taste just from normal red or white miso.”

Back at Attica, Ben Shewry says it’s the kitsch, playful aspect of serving Vegemite in a fine-dining restaurant, and the passion Australians have for it that appeals to him.

“To be honest, I don’t even like Vegemite much myself.” ● G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

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Wild at heart

A Texas native uses Australian lora to create an understated craft beer that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hold your palate to ransom, writes ALEXANDRA CARLTON. Photography WILL HORNER

Above: Topher Boehm. Left: the Wildflower Table beer.

The Wildflower cellar door. Below right: Boehm pours an Amber ale.

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opher Boehm, head brewer and co-founder of Wildflower Brewing & Blending, remembers precisely the moment he knew he’d made a beer he could be proud of. “I sat my wife down right here and had the beer arranged in a basket. I set the whole scene for her,” the Texan says, gesturing to the rustic wooden table in his 1890s, timber-beamed former metal foundry warehouse in Marrickville, in Sydney’s inner west. In the past, she’d found many beers were too bitter for her palate. Tentatively, she took a sip. “It’s really good, Topher,” she said.

It wasn’t long before some variation of this phrase was being uttered throughout the wider epicurean community across Australia. Since its launch last year, Wildflower has spread like, well, wildfire. It started with a small release of two wild-yeast ales, Gold and Amber, in April; and a cellar door, where they also sell a table beer, opened in June. The beer is now stocked in a range of restaurants, from Pizza Madre down the road, to Attica in Melbourne and Franklin in Hobart.

“While there are other breweries in Australia making and specialising in wild-fermented beer, the beers of Wildflower have a completeness that comes from them being thoughtful and considered in their production,” says Paper Bird co-owner and manager Ned Brooks, who stocks both the Gold and Amber at his restaurant in Sydney’s Potts Point. “Topher is a high-functioning individual and I see this as being reflected in the end product.”

High functioning is one way of putting it; high achieving is another. The sixth child of a baker and an electrical engineer, Boehm was always fascinated by pulling things apart to see how they worked. Originally, he was headed for a career in physics, but after a short stint in shoemaking that came about not so much from a love of shoes but a thirst for a challenge (“I was less interested in the end result than the process,” he says), he found himself drawn to the curious mix of scientific precision and fatalistic wizardry required in beer making.

Boehm moved from Dallas to Australia in 2009, and learned the trade at Sydney’s Flat Rock Brew Café and Batch Brewing Co. He delved deeper into wild-yeast brewing and blending in Belgium and France, until he and his brother-in-law Chris Allen decided to branch out on their own. The pair started a business they hoped would deliver a product they loved and give them the freedom to spend more time with their families.

The brand’s point of difference is its use of wild yeasts, found on foraged NSW plants including wattle blossoms and banksia.

These are combined with a single strain of brewer’s yeast for their fermentations. Wort, the base liquid for the beer, is made at Batch in Marrickville, and Boehm ferments then matures his beers in wine barrels on site. He then blends different barrels of various ages to achieve his desired flavour profile. “It’s a bit like being [Roald Dahl’s] BFG,” he says. “Dream catching. A bit of this, a bit of that.”

But Boehm would rather people focus less on the process and more on taste. He believes Wildflower is a drinkable beer to be enjoyed in a similar way to wine – with good friends and with good food but without too much fanfare. To that end, Wildflower ales are unapologetically subtle. Low-key. Gentle, even. They’re a far cry from the aggressive layers of hops and acid that characterise so many current craft-beer trends. “People are sick of having their faces ripped off,” Boehm says.

Instead, he’s tried to create a lighter flavour. Both the Gold and the Amber possess a freshness that pairs well with food; the Amber sits comfortably next to a caramelised rack of ribs, say, while the Gold finds a natural home with anything with a bit of spice. Both are beers that you’d want in the fridge after a day at the cricket. “I don’t want it to sound more complicated than that,” Boehm says. “People assume there’s a sophistication to what we do. But at the end of the day, it’s just fucking beer. And I can honestly say that if I make something my wife loves, I’m happy.” ● Wildflower Brewing and Blending, 11-13 Brompton St, Marrickville, NSW. Open Fri-Sat 1pm-8pm. wildflowerbeer.com

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RUMBLE IN T H E JUNGLE

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y the time Ben Shewry made it into the van, he was pretty sure he was going to puke.

Shewry was in Mexico for Hokol Vuh, a culinary journey dreamed up by Roberto Solís, chef of Mérida’s Néctar, who had planned the trip as a deep dive into the ingredients and food culture of the Mayan Yucatán.

Travelling through jungle and villages, 18 renowned chefs – including René Redzepi, Albert Adrià, Ana Roš and David Kinch – would try local flavours, learn about indigenous agriculture and do some serious bonding in the process.

Then they would team up to cook dinner for 200 guests beneath the ancient Mayan ruins of Aké.

It was the kind of adventure that Shewry loves – a chance to learn alongside friends about the culinary culture of a country he had never before visited. Until the penultimate night, it was just that.

The group made tortillas by hand and planted corn in a milpa, the Mesoamerican crop-growing system where a field is planted with several crops. They swam in the deep waters of a hidden cenote, learned how an extraordinary honey called melipona was harvested and climbed a secret chamber at Chichén Itzá. In the village of Yaxunah, they ate what Shewry (who once indulged his love of tacos with an all-taquería road-trip along the California coast) called the best cochinita of his life. During a few relaxing hours in the pool and more than

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Attica’s Ben Shewry faces Montezuma’s revenge on a culinary expedition in the Yucatán. LISA ABEND recounts the upset, blow by blow.

a little mezcal, they revelled in the kind of camaraderie that emerges when you get the rare chance to step out of your daily life with the few people who understand implicitly what your daily life entails.

Then Montezuma took his revenge.

It started as a faint queasiness the night before the final dinner. At first, Shewry attributed it to stress. Like the other chefs, he had intended to spend the day in the kitchen prepping the course he and Jorge Vallejo, chef of the exquisite Quintonil in Mexico City, would serve.

But a key ingredient in the coconut dish – namely the coconuts – hadn’t shown up until late. Vallejo hadn’t understood why his partner wanted to cream the coconuts himself; there was, he gently pointed out, fresh cream readily available at the local market. But Shewry is nothing if not a DIY guy and Vallejo acquiesced to his vision, as did the other chefs. When the ingredients finally arrived, they jumped in to help with the strenuous work of cracking and peeling the coconuts.

It was after midnight when they finished. By the time they boarded the van for the two-hour journey back to the artists’ compound where they were staying, Shewry was feeling much worse. He slumped woozily in the back seat while the others debated what he should do. Blaine Wetzel suggested he lie down. Roš tugged at his arms in an attempt to get him to the front of the bus. Redzepi initiated a frantic search for plastic bags that could be pressed into service. Finally, sweating

and miserable, Shewry moved to the front seat, clutching the lone bag that Redzepi’s efforts had unearthed. “Can we please just go?” he asked.

About 40 minutes into the drive, Shewry vomited – prodigiously. He looked around for a place to dispose of the overflowing bag, but found none. So he did the only thing his feverish brain could come up with: he threw the bag out the window. Of the moving van. Redzepi and Rosio Sánchez, seated right behind him, got the worst of it.

The next morning, Shewry convalesced in his room while the others travelled to the site of the dinner. There they found a field kitchen beneath plastic tarps that drove the 35-degree temperature and 95 per cent humidity even higher.

The oysters that Esben Holmboe Bang had ordered had arrived, but the knives for shucking them had not. Adrià stuck his hand into the freezer he would use to solidify his chocolate ice-cream to find it barely cool. Christian Puglisi couldn’t find a bowl to rinse the massive ñame root he was grating.

Yet everyone adapted. “If the mountain won’t come to Mohammed,” Puglisi said as he sawed the top off an oversized water jug, “Mohammed will come to the mountain.” Adrià’s contribution became a cold chocolate soup. “It would be a delicious ice-cream,” he said. “If only it were an ice-cream.”

In his partner’s absence, Vallejo handed out machetes to volunteers and set

ILLUSTRATION MOLLY MENDOZA

them about cracking still more coconuts to use as vessels. The peeled coconuts from the night before were shredded and milked, then left for the cream to rise.

Shewry was gutted he wasn’t there to help, but was reassured by what he knew about his colleagues. “Chefs always come through for each other,” he said.

“Especially chef friends the calibre of the group I was travelling with.”

At about 5pm, with two hours until the start of service, Shewry showed up.

A doctor had been sent to his room with an injection. The chef still felt weak, but he was upright. With guests arriving and an iPhone torch as his beacon in the

dimming light, he began spooning off the cream that had risen to the top of the coconut milk.

Around him, the kitchen swung into its well-choreographed dance. Redzepi tied hanks of agave fibres into nests that would support Sánchez and Bang’s oyster atole.

Elena Reygadas tweezed petals onto the fruit-stuffed banana that Matt Orlando had made. Roš helped plate Alejandro Ruiz and Vladimir Mukhin’s venison tostada. These were some of the best chefs in the world, each well accustomed to running the show. Yet, in that moving moment, they were all just cooks, helping one another put out beautiful food.

As dinner progressed towards dessert, Shewry put the finishing touches on the coconut dish, whipping the cream and gradually adding sugar. Vallejo was busy with his own task, but at one point he noticed the container his colleague was reaching into. “Is that sugar?” he asked.

Shewry confirmed it was, then paused.

He reached a finger into the container for a taste. “Bloody hell,” he said.

It was a mistake familiar to legions of home cooks: he had confused salt for sugar. Even then, his colleague had his back. Turning to the journalist observing the exchange, Vallejo asked, “You don’t have to write that, do you?” ● G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

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REWORKING A CLASSIC Dyed-in-the-wool Anzac fan PAT NOURSE takes a fresh look at this old favourite that won the hearts of two nations.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BEN DEARNLEY

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ess with Anzac biscuits at your peril. “Serious breaches” of the Protection of Word “Anzac” Act of 1920 can meet with serious penalties: up to a year in prison or $10,200 for a “natural person” and $51,000 for a “body corporate”. So how much can you alter the recipe while staying on the right side of the law and the Anzac spirit? Is there really any improving on a classic?

The Department of Veterans’ Affairs says applications for permission to use the term Anzac commercially for biscuits are normally approved “provided the product generally conforms to the traditional recipe and shape, and are referred to as ‘Anzac Biscuits’ or ‘Anzac Slice’”. Calling them Anzac cookies is generally not approved “due to the non-Australian overtones”.

But what is the traditional recipe? The DVA points to articles on the Australian War Memorial’s website, which in turn cite an undated recipe for “Anzac tile/wafer” from Arnott’s chief chemist Frank Townsend: flour, wholemeal flour, sugar, milk powder, water and a “good pinch salt” – no oats or golden syrup to be seen, let alone coconut. The biscuits in question, a form of hard tack, are “very, very hard”, and mention is made of the fact some soldiers preferred to grind them up and eat them as porridge.

The recipe makes sense on a wartime footing when eggs were in short supply and the product was to be shipped unrefrigerated for months at a time, but they’re not the

E

very time I could opt for something less milled, bleached or crushed, I went for it. I think the big win might’ve been the oats. In Hobart I stumbled across a brand of oats rolled by Callington Mill, “Australia’s only wind-rolled oats”, made using a century-old oat-roller. I am fully cognisant of just how Portlandia-precious the mention of oats ground in the country’s only operating Georgian windmill is, believe me. But they’re bloody good oats – fresh, creamy and coarse in texture rather than something refined to buggery and designed to sit on a supermarket shelf until the Rapture.

The fact they’re made in a place called Oatlands seals the deal.

I gave some thought to shredding my own coconut and using it fresh, but decided in the end to go with rougher-cut product from the shop. I didn’t churn the butter myself, or use my own tears in place of the salt, and I used a regular gas oven rather than anything wood-fired or the power of the sun’s rays. Georgian windmills are one thing, but there’s no sense in going overboard.

Less-refined products are going to vary more considerably in things like moisture content than plainer flours and sugars, so

biscuits that won the hearts of two nations. It was only after the war ended that oats became a standard of the recipe, and no printed reference to coconut appeared until 1929.

The War Memorial offers two other Anzac recipes that bear much closer resemblance to the bickies we know and love. The first, from a 1926 edition of The Capricornian, a Rockhampton newspaper, specifies two cups of oats to a cup of flour and half a cup of sugar. You mix a tablespoonful of golden syrup, two of boiling water and a teaspoon of bicarb till they froth, then add half a cup of melted butter, and mix that into the dry ingredients. Spoonfuls go onto a “floured slide”, are baked in a slow oven, and magic ensues.

Coconut gets its day in the Country Women’s Association of New South Wales’s 1933 Calendar of Cake and Afternoon Tea Delicacies. It’s a notably sweeter biscuit, with more sugar, less flour, and coconut taking the place of half the oats.

Dig a little deeper and you’ll see that “traditional” recipes vary even more widely still. You don’t have to look far in 1920s cookbooks to find references to iced Anzacs, or others sandwiched around jam. A 1929 recipe from the Brisbane Courier includes cinnamon, mixed spice and finely chopped dates. Tasty? Sure. But to me it sounds like it might bring you uncomfortably close to a $50,000 fine if you wanted to sell them as Anzac biscuits.

As a dyed-in-the-wool Anzac fan, I had a good think about what exactly makes them so appealing. My feeling is that it’s the austerity-roughage factor of the oats and coconut, the combination of crisp edges and a bit of chew (something the biscuits for the men in Gallipoli almost certainly didn’t have) and the unrefined rawness of the golden syrup.

And it was this idea of roughness and rawness that I thought could chime with today’s bakers’ love of rawer, less refined ingredients. Substituting coconut oil for butter would probably be delicious, but might lose sight of the virtue of the original. But what about swapping out the plain flour for something stoneground and wholemeal? Demerara for white sugar? What if I let the butter brown a bit in the pan when I melted it? I thought blending the best of the two classic recipes, updating them with better ingredients, might pay off.

I recommend using your eyes and fingers to judge the wetness of your dough (it should be just sticky enough to hold together) and how long you cook your biscuits. I like mine just shy of burnt; start checking the oven around the 10-minute mark. As I said, I like a bit of chew in a biscuit, so I baked mine slow rather than hot and fast. (The choice to go with non-fan-forced baking stems purely from the fact my oven was made in 1942 rather than any serious experimentation on that front.)

And the result? I am very happy with it. I don’t know that I’d dare to call them healthier, but these Anzacs are considerably less sweet than most commercial offerings, and have much more texture, especially where the oats and coconut are concerned.

The Anzac is a forgiving biscuit, even for the novice baker. It calls for nothing hard to find, and can be made without scales or a mixer. And the best Anzacs are those you make yourself, however recherché your oats. Put them next to a cup of tea with friends and pause a moment to reflect on the Australians and New Zealanders who ate them more than 100 years ago in less comfortable circumstances. Lest we forget.

Anzac biscuits, reinvented MAKES ABOUT 20 // PREP TIME 15 MINS // COOK 10-12 MINS

I’ve made these the size of regular biscuits, but they’re also very good made larger. For a crisper biscuit, meanwhile, flatten the balls of dough on the tray before baking.

1 1 1 ½ 1 1 ½

cup rolled oats cup coconut chips cup wholemeal flour cup demerara sugar tbsp golden syrup tsp bicarbarbonate of soda cup melted unsalted butter (about 125gm)

1 Preheat the oven to 150°C (fan of).

2 Combine oats, coconut, flour and sugar in a mixing bowl.

3 Mix golden syrup, bicarb and 2 tbsp boiling water in a bowl, stir until the mixture is foaming, then stir in melted butter.

4 Stir the syrup and butter mixture into the dry ingredients, and mix well (your hands are good for this). Taste, and add a pinch of salt if it needs it.

5 Place spoonfuls of the mixture on lightly floured trays, leaving plenty of room for them to spread.

6 Bake until they’re dark golden, starting to check around the 10-minute mark.

7 Allow biscuits to cool on the trays (they’re soft when they’re hot).

8 Biscuits will keep for up to a week in an airtight container. ● G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

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APRIL

FOOD Mushroom parcels

PHOTOGRAPHY BEN DEARNLEY

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Flavours to savour Rich chocolate cakes, wholesome grains, an all-in menu from Pinboneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Italian pop-up, cool-weather roasts and a taste of traditional Japan.

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h e t c e a k ke a T Recipes & styling EMMA KNOWLES

Photography WILLIAM MEPPEM Food assistant MAX ADEY

Salted chocolate layer cake with whipped ganache

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104

Whether made in miniature or as towering triple-deckers, chocolate bakes have all the star power they need to steal the show. Brace for impact.

Black and white cheesecake

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102

PREVIOUS PAGES Layer cake Salt & Pepper plate from Myer. Cheesecake Large plate from Mud Australia.

Napkin from Papaya.

Brownie cakes Side plate (right) from Studio Enti. All other props stylist’s own.

Stockists p176.

Meringue cake All props stylist’s own.

Little brownie cakes with fudge sauce MAKES 8 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 35 MINS (PLUS COOLING)

These seemingly small cakes can easily be shared between two, depending on your tolerance for richness. That said, diehard chocoholics will have no trouble devouring the lot. Choose your audience – and portioning – accordingly.

190 gm butter, coarsely chopped 190 gm dark chocolate (60%-68% cocoa solids), coarsely chopped 210 gm brown sugar 3 eggs 130 gm plain flour 40 gm Dutch-process cocoa ¼ tsp baking powder 90 gm (½ cup) coarsely chopped milk chocolate 40 gm slivered or coarsely chopped pistachio nuts, plus extra finely chopped to serve Pistachio or vanilla ice-cream, to serve FUDGE SAUCE

150 gm caster sugar 170 gm dark chocolate (54%-58% cocoa solids), finely chopped 140 gm liquid glucose 20 gm Dutch-process cocoa, sifted 20 gm butter, diced 1 Preheat oven to 180°C, and butter and flour eight 10cm-diameter cake tins.

2 Melt butter and dark chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth (2-3 minutes). Remove 100

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

from heat, add sugar, then mix in eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.

Sift flour, cocoa and baking powder over mixture, add a pinch of salt and stir until just combined (don’t overwork the mixture or the brownie will be cakey). Stir in milk chocolate and pistachio nuts, reserving a little of each to scatter on top.

3 Divide among prepared tins, smooth tops, scatter with reserved milk chocolate and slivers of pistachio nuts. Scatter with a little sea salt and bake until set around the edges but still a little fudgy in the centre (20-25 minutes; a skewer inserted should withdraw with just a little mixture on it). Cool in tins.

4 For fudge sauce, stir sugar, chocolate, glucose, cocoa, butter, 1 tsp sea salt and 150ml water in a saucepan over medium-high heat until smooth, bring to a simmer and cook until sauce has a light syrup consistency (3-4 minutes).

Cool briefly.

5 To serve, top cakes with ice-cream, drizzle with warm fudge sauce and sprinkle with finely chopped pistachio nuts.

Chocolate hazelnut meringue cake SERVES 8-10 // PREP TIME 40 MINS // COOK 1 HR 20 MINS (PLUS COOLING)

Dense and fudgy chocolate cake contrasts beautifully with feather-light chocolate meringue in this moreish cake. Serve it with crème fraîche to round things out perfectly.

250 gm dark chocolate (54%-58% cocoa solids), finely chopped 150 gm butter, diced 6 egg yolks 50 gm brown sugar 1 tsp vanilla bean paste 30 gm plain flour 20 gm Dutch-process cocoa, plus extra for dusting ¼ tsp baking powder 30 gm hazelnut meal Coarsely chopped roasted hazelnuts and chocolate curls, to serve Crème fraîche (optional), to serve

CHOC-HAZELNUT MERINGUE

4 80 80 1 2 30

eggwhites gm caster sugar gm brown sugar tbsp Dutch-process cocoa tsp cornflour gm hazelnut meal

1 Preheat oven to 160°C. Butter a 21cm-diameter springform cake tin and line base and sides with baking paper. Melt chocolate and butter in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth (2-3 minutes), then remove from heat.

2 Whisk egg yolks, sugar and vanilla in an electric mixer until pale and flufy (4-5 minutes).

Fold in chocolate mixture, then sift in flour, cocoa and baking powder, add hazelnut meal and fold to combine. Pour into prepared tin and smooth top.

3 For choc-hazelnut meringue, whisk eggwhites and a pinch of salt in an electric mixer to soft peaks (4-5 minutes). Gradually add sugars, whisking until mixture is glossy, then sift in cocoa and cornflour, add hazelnut meal and fold to combine. Spoon onto chocolate

mixture, forming peaks and swirls, then bake until meringue is crisp (1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes). Cool to room temperature, then carefully remove the sides of the tin. Dust with extra cocoa, scatter with hazelnuts and chocolate curls and serve with crème fraîche. ➤

Mini white chocolate bundts with bitter chocolate glaze MAKES 6 // PREP 15 MINS // COOK 40 MINS (PLUS COOLING)

White chocolate can be cloyingly sweet, so it’s important to temper the sweetness. Here, a bitter chocolate glaze does the trick.

150 gm couverture white chocolate, finely chopped 125 ml (½ cup) milk 100 gm caster sugar 80 gm butter, diced 150 gm (1 cup) plain flour ¾ tsp baking powder 1 egg Finely chopped chocolate, to serve BITTER CHOCOLATE GLAZE

220 gm (1 cup) caster sugar 160 gm dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), finely chopped 1 tbsp espresso-strength cofee 1 Preheat oven to 180°C and butter and flour six 150ml mini bundt tins or small cake tins.

Combine white chocolate, milk,

sugar and butter in a saucepan and stir over medium heat until smooth. Remove from heat, sift in flour and baking powder, whisk until smooth, then whisk in egg. Divide mixture among tins and bake until risen and pale gold (25-30 minutes).

Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

2 For chocolate glaze, stir sugar and 60ml water in a saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and cook without stirring until dark caramel (5-6 minutes), then remove from heat and add 100ml water (careful, caramel may spit). Return to heat, add chocolate and cofee, stir until smooth, then cool. Drizzle glaze over cakes, stand until set and top with chopped chocolate.

Black and white cheesecake Pictured p99.

SERVES 8-10 // PREP TIME 45 MINS // COOK 1 ½ HOURS (PLUS COOLING)

Dutch-process cocoa, to serve CHOCOLATE CRUMB CRUST

250 gm digestive biscuits, coarsely crumbled 30 gm caster sugar 30 Dutch-process cocoa, sifted 125 gm melted butter WHITE CHOCOLATE FILLING

375 gm cream cheese, at room temperature 150 gm mascarpone 250 gm white chocolate, melted 3 eggs DARK CHOCOLATE FILLING

375 gm cream cheese, at room temperature 150 gm mascarpone 55 gm (¼ cup) caster sugar 200 gm dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), melted 3 eggs 1 Preheat oven to 160°C, butter a 21cm-diameter springform cake tin and line the base with baking paper. For chocolate crumb crust, blitz biscuits, sugar, cocoa and a good pinch of salt in a food processor to fine 102

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

crumbs. Add butter, process to combine, then press evenly into the base of prepared tin. Bake until dry (8-10 minutes), then cool to room temperature.

2 For white chocolate filling, beat cream cheese and mascarpone in an electric mixer, scraping sides occasionally, until very smooth. Beat in chocolate, then add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Spread mixture over base, smooth top and place in the freezer to firm up while you make the dark chocolate filling.

3 For dark chocolate filling, beat cream cheese, mascarpone and sugar in an electric mixer, scraping sides occasionally, until smooth. Beat in chocolate, then add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Spread mixture over white chocolate filling, smooth top and bake until set with a slight wobble (1-1¼ hours). Cool to room temperature, then chill until completely cooled. Dust with cocoa and serve.

Chocolate and buttermilk slab cake SERVES 8-10 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 50 MINS (PLUS COOLING)

This lush cake is a super-simple melt-and-mix number.

Buttermilk plays a role in both the batter, where it creates an ultra-tender crumb, and in the frosting, where it cuts the sweetness. This cake is just as good a few days after baking, but you’ll be hard-pressed to resist it for that long.

280 gm caster sugar 120 gm dark chocolate (54%-58% cocoa solids), finely chopped 90 gm butter, diced 225 gm (1½ cups) plain flour 1½ tbsp Dutch-process cocoa, sifted ¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda 110 ml buttermilk 1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk Freeze-dried raspberries, (optional; see note), to serve CHOCOLATE-BUTTERMILK FROSTING

150 gm dark chocolate (54%-58% cocoa solids) 100 gm softened butter 120 gm (¾ cup) pure icing sugar 70 ml well-shaken buttermilk 1 Preheat oven to 160°C. Butter a 15cm x 30cm rectangular cake tin and line it with baking paper.

Combine sugar, chocolate, butter and 180ml water in a large

saucepan and stir occasionally over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat, cool slightly, then sift in dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Whisk in buttermilk, egg and yolk until smooth, pour into tin and bake until centre springs back when slightly pressed (45-50 minutes). Cool in tin.

2 For chocolate-buttermilk frosting, melt chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Cool to lukewarm, then transfer to an electric mixer, add butter and beat until flufy (5-6 minutes).

Beat in icing sugar and buttermilk until smooth, then spread onto cooled cake and serve scattered with crumbled freeze-dried raspberries.

Note Freeze-dried raspberries are available from select supermarkets and delicatessens or from fresh-as.com. ➤

This lush chocolate and buttermilk cake is a super-simple melt-and-mix number, and is just as good a few days after baking.

Slab cake and mini bundts All props stylist’s own.

Salted chocolate layer cake with whipped ganache SERVES 12-16 // PREP TIME 45 MINS // COOK 35 MINS (PLUS COOLING)

A slug of whisky adds grown-up flavour to this showstopper of a cake. It’s an excellent specialoccasion cake – not only because of its looks, but also because you can prepare it in advance.

Top it with whatever chocolatey garnishes take your fancy. We’ve opted for shards of chocolatecoated honeycomb, chocolate wafer balls and chocolate curls for a mix of textures. Pictured p104.

150 gm dark chocolate (54-58% cocoa solids), finely chopped 100 gm dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), finely chopped 250 gm butter, diced 300 gm (2 cups) plain flour 165 gm (¾ cup) brown sugar 165 gm (¾ cup) caster sugar 75 gm almond meal 40 gm Dutch-process cocoa, sifted, plus extra for dusting 2½ tsp baking powder 375 ml (1½ cups milk) 4 eggs Whiskey, for brushing Chocolate curls, chocolate wafer balls and chocolate-coated honeycomb, to serve

WHIPPED MILK CHOCOLATE GANACHE

200 ml pouring cream 60 ml (¼ cup) whisky 250 gm milk chocolate, finely chopped 250 gm dark chocolate (54-58% cocoa solids), finely chopped 4 egg yolks 1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Butter three 21cm-diameter springform cake tins and line them with baking paper. Combine chocolates and butter in a heatproof bowl and melt over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Combine dry ingredients and 2½ tsp sea salt flakes in a bowl, then add

chocolate mixture, milk and eggs and whisk until smooth.

Divide evenly among prepared tins and bake until a skewer inserted withdraws clean (25-30 minutes). Cool in tins for 15 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

2 For ganache, bring cream and half the whisky to a simmer in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Place chocolate in a large bowl, pour hot cream mixture over, stand for 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Whisk yolks and remaining whisky in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water until thick and pale (4-5 minutes). Remove from heat and whisk in chocolate mixture, then transfer to an electric mixer and whisk

until thick and cooled to room temperature (8-10 minutes).

Refrigerate mixture, whisking occasionally, until thick but spreadable (30-40 minutes).

3 Trim the top of each cake flat. Place one cake on a cake stand or serving plate, brush with a little whisky, spread with one-fifth of whipped ganache, then top with another cake.

Continue layering, finishing with a layer of ganache, then spread remaining ganache around the sides with a palette knife to neaten. Refrigerate for 1 hour to set.

4 Dust cake with cocoa, top with chocolate curls, chocolate wafer balls, crushed chocolatecoated honeycomb and a little extra sea salt and serve.

Chocolate, sour cherry and ricotta crumble cake SERVES 10-12 // PREP TIME 35 MINS // COOK 45 MINS (PLUS COOLING)

A slice of this rich dark cake is just the thing to have with your espresso, or afternoon cup of tea. Just add a dollop of mascarpone.

100 ml brandy 100 gm dried sour cherries (see note) 200 gm dark chocolate (54%-58% cocoa solids) finely chopped 180 gm butter, diced 220 gm hazelnut meal 200 gm brown sugar 4 eggs, separated 100 gm firm ricotta, crumbled Mascarpone, to serve CACAO NIB CRUMBLE

50 30 30 1

104

gm (⅓ cup) plain flour gm brown sugar gm butter, diced tbsp cacao nibs

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Butter a 21cm-diameter springform cake tin and line it with baking paper. Combine brandy and cherries in a small saucepan, bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat and stand to soak (30 minutes).

2 Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Cool slightly, then stir in hazelnut meal, sugar, egg yolks and cherry mixture to combine.

3 Whisk eggwhites and a pinch of salt in an electric mixer to soft peaks, fold into chocolate mixture, then spoon into tin.

Smooth top and top with ricotta.

4 For cacao nib crumble, rub together ingredients and a pinch of salt in a bowl to form a rough crumb. Scatter mixture over cake and bake until a skewer inserted withdraws clean (35-40 minutes). Serve warm or at room temperature with mascarpone. Cake is best eaten on the day it’s made.

Note Dried sour cherries are available from specialist food shops and select delicatessens and. If they’re unavailable, substitute dried cranberries or coarsely chopped pitted prunes. ● Chocolate, cherry and ricotta cake Bowl (with mascarpone) and side plate from Studio Enti. All other props stylist’s own. Stockists p176.

Chocolate, sour cherry and ricotta crumble cake

G A Whether in salads, soups, cakes or kibbeh, grains form the heart and soul of wholesome dishes.

I

N Kibbeh

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112

Recipes LISA FEATHERBY

Freekeh and shaved caulilower salad with herb dressing

Photography ALICIA TAYLOR Styling GERALDINE MUÃ&#x2018;OZ Drink suggestions MAX ALLEN

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Miso-glazed mushrooms with walnuts and black barley SERVES 4 // PREP TIME 15 MINS // COOK 35 MINS

Grains are wonderful cooked pilaf-style – they’ll plump up and take in other flavours really easily. Don’t forget the walnuts here to add some crunch.

1 40 1 2 750 250 1 1 1 300 2

108

tbsp olive oil gm butter small onion, finely chopped garlic cloves, finely chopped ml (3 cups) chicken stock gm black barley (see note) tbsp shiro (white) miso tbsp soy sauce tbsp sake gm Swiss brown mushrooms, sliced tsp rice wine vinegar Roasted walnuts, to serve Baby shiso leaves (optional), to serve

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

1 Heat oil and half the butter in a saucepan over high heat, add onion and garlic and stir occasionally until tender (5-6 minutes). Add stock and barley, season to taste and bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low, cover with a lid and cook until liquid is absorbed and barley is tender (20-25 minutes). Keep warm.

2 Combine miso, soy and sake in a bowl and set aside.

Heat remaining butter in a saucepan over high heat, add mushrooms and stir occasionally until softened (1-2 minutes), then add miso mixture and stir

until mushrooms are glazed (1-2 minutes). Stir through vinegar, season with black pepper and remove from heat.

3 Stir half the mushrooms through the barley and transfer to bowls. Top with remaining mushrooms, crumble over walnuts and top with shiso leaves to serve.

Note Black barley is available from select delicatessens. If you can’t find it, substitute pearl barley.

Wine suggestion Mature full-bodied shiraz from your cellar.

Jeera rice and dhal curry SERVES 4 // PREP TIME 15 MINS // COOK 1 HR

Bought ghee is fine, but making your own gives the best flavour – just make sure to use unsalted butter or the final result will be too salty. It’s very simple to make: just cook the butter gently until the fat separates from the milk solids, then strain of the fat.

For a more nuttiness, take the butter a little further so the milk solids begin to brown, then strain as usual.

300 gm (1½ cups) basmati rice 100 gm ghee Large handful of fresh curry leaves 1 tbsp coarsely crushed cumin seeds Large pinch of brown mustard seeds Greek-style yoghurt (optional), coriander sprigs (optional) and lime wedges, to serve Diced tomato, cucumber and red onion seasoned with lime juice and salt, to serve DHAL

2 tbsp ghee ½ large onion, finely chopped 1 tbsp medium-hot curry powder (see note) 1 tsp ground turmeric 175 gm small split red lentils 450 ml chicken stock 2 ripe tomatoes, diced

PREVIOUS PAGES Bowls with grains Bowl (top) from Dinosaur Designs. Spoon from Hub Furniture. Freekeh salad and Kibbeh Spoon from HUB Furniture. Plate (with kibbeh) from The DEA Store. All other props stylist’s own. Rice and dhal Large plate from The DEA Store.

Miso-glazed mushrooms Spoon from HUB Furniture. All other props stylist’s own.

Stockists p176.

1 For dhal, heat ghee in a saucepan over medium heat, add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent (10 minutes). Add spices and stir until toasted (2 minutes), then add lentils and stir to combine. Add stock, tomato and 600ml water and bring to a simmer, then simmer until lentils are tender, topping up with water if it’s getting too thick (1 hour).

2 Meanwhile, place rice in a saucepan and cover with 2cm water. Bring to the boil, stir once or twice, then cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 10-12 minutes. Turn of heat, set aside covered for 5 minutes, then fluf with a fork. Heat ghee over medium heat, add curry leaves, cumin and mustard seeds in a wide saucepan and stir until fragrant (2 minutes).

Add ghee and spices to rice, stir through, and season to taste.

3 Serve rice with dhal, yoghurt, coriander, lime wedges and chopped tomato, cucumber and red onion salad.

Note Choose any medium-hot curry powder you like, we like a blend, such as korma, or lentil and dhal spice mix from herbies.com.au.

Drink suggestion Tangy homemade kombucha. ➤

Chicken with barley, olives and chilli SERVES 4 // PREP TIME 15 MINS // COOK 45 MINS

This recipe relies on a few things being done well, so focus on the basics: look for a great chicken, and, if you can, match it with a homemade stock. Leave the chicken uncovered in the refrigerator overnight the day before cooking to dry out the skin – it’ll crisp up more and help prevent it from sticking.

60 1 2 1 100 100 150 350 12 2

PREVIOUS PAGES Chicken Brass fork from Hub Furniture. Knife from The DEA Store. Farro and bean soup Large bowl from Mud Australia.

Small bowl from Dinosaur Designs. All other props stylist’s own.

Stockists p176.

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G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

ml (¼ cup) olive oil onion, finely chopped garlic cloves chicken (about 1.4kg), jointed gm fennel-flavoured salami ml dry white wine gm pearl barley ml hot chicken stock kalamata olives small red chillies, finely chopped Coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley, sourdough and a green salad, to serve

1 Preheat oven to 200°C. Heat half the oil in a large casserole over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and stir occasionally until soft and translucent (15-20 minutes). Remove from casserole and increase heat to high. Add remaining oil to casserole, add chicken skin-side down and fry until skin is browned (3-4 minutes), then turn over and fry until browned (3-4 minutes). Set aside.

2 Add salami to casserole and fry, turning occasionally, until golden (4-5 minutes). Deglaze with wine and return chicken, onion and garlic to casserole, add barley and stir to combine.

Pour hot stock over, add olives and chilli, cover casserole with foil, then bake until barley is tender and juices of chicken run clear when pierced with a skewer (45-50 minutes). Top chicken and barley with parsley and serve with pan juices, bread and salad.

Wine suggestion Pale, dry rosé.

Farro, white bean and smoked ham soup SERVES 6 // PREP TIME 15 MINS // COOK 45 MINS (PLUS SOAKING)

This is a super-easy dish that’s rich, hearty and full-flavoured, but doesn’t require a whole lot of work. Just let the flavour of the hock come through and do the work for you. Begin this recipe a day ahead to soak the beans.

2 tbsp mild-flavoured olive oil, plus extra to serve 1 onion, finely chopped 2 celery stalks, diced 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 smoked ham hock (about 900gm) 200 gm dried white beans, soaked overnight in cold water, drained 150 gm farro (see note), rinsed 1.3 litres chicken stock Finely grated parmesan and finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional), to serve

1 Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and stir occasionally until soft and translucent, adding celery and garlic for the last 5 minutes of cooking (13-16 minutes). Add ham hock, beans, farro and chicken stock, bring to a simmer, then half-cover with a lid and simmer until hock, beans and farro are tender (2½-3 hours; top up with water as necessary to keep hock covered). Remove hock from soup and set aside.

Season soup to taste and keep warm.

2 When cool enough to handle, shred meat of the bone (discard bone), and return to the soup.

3 Serve soup topped with parmesan, parsley, a drizzle of olive oil and a generous grind of black pepper.

Note Farro is available from select delicatessens.

Beer suggestion Something rustic and cloudy brewed with grains other than barley, for example, farro. ➤

Kibbeh MAKES ABOUT 14-16 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 16 MINS (PLUS SOAKING)

The trick to smooth, nicely shaped kibbeh is in getting the consistency right. This starts with the mince – it has to be finely ground enough so the fat can blend well with the meat, but it still needs some texture. Asking your butcher is always the best bet. Chill the food processor bowl for 20-30 minutes beforehand to help keep the meat chilled while you blend and shape it. Begin this recipe a day ahead to soak the burghul. Pictured p107.

75 gm fine-grain burghul, soaked in cold water in the fridge overnight, drained 500 gm very finely minced lamb (see note) 2 small garlic cloves, crushed 2 tsp paprika Large pinch of ground cloves Large pinch of ground cinnamon Vegetable oil, for shallow-frying 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts Mint leaves and thinly sliced red onion, to serve Sumac, to serve Lemon wedges and Greek-style yoghurt (optional), to serve

1 Add burghul, lamb mince, garlic and spices to a chilled food processor, season to taste, and pulse to combine well. With slightly wet hands, shape lamb mixture into golf ball-sized balls, then, with a slapping motion, slap the mixture between each hand to shape it into ovals and add elasticity to the meat. Place on a tray and refrigerate until required, repeating with remaining balls.

2 Heat 0.5cm oil in a deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry kibbeh in two batches, turning occasionally,

until golden and cooked through (7-8 minutes; be careful, hot fat may spit). Keep warm.

3 Toss pine nuts, mint leaves and red onion together, top with sumac and serve with kibbeh, lemon wedges and yoghurt.

Note Ask your butcher to do this for you, or you can chop lamb mince to a fine texture yourself.

Tea suggestion Refreshing mint tea.

Freekeh and shaved caulilower salad with herb dressing SERVES 4 AS A LIGHT MEAL // PREP TIME 10 MINS // COOK 30 MINS (PLUS COOLING)

Freekeh has such nice flavour and texture that simple preparations are best. Here a herb dressing keeps it bright, while raw cauliflower adds texture. Pictured p107.

250 gm wholegrain freekeh Arils from 1 pomegranate 1 small cauliflower, trimmed and thinly shaved on a mandolin 1 frisée, pale leaves washed and torn HERB DRESSING

¼ cup finely chopped coriander ¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley Juice of 1 lemon 60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil

1 Cook freekeh in a large saucepan of boiling water until tender (30 minutes). Drain well, then set aside to cool.

2 For herb dressing, stir ingredients in a bowl to combine.

3 Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl. Add freekeh and dressing, toss to combine, season to taste and serve.

Wine suggestion Skin-contact sauvignon blanc.

Fennel-spiced semolina cake with yoghurt SERVES 8-10 // PREP TIME 15 MINS // COOK 35 MINS (PLUS DRAINING, COOLING)

This delicately spiced cake is at its best served warm.

Begin this recipe a day ahead to drain the yoghurt.

220 gm softened butter 200 gm caster sugar Finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon and 1 orange 4 eggs 2 tsp baking powder 200 gm fine semolina 150 gm almond meal 100 gm finely chopped roasted almonds, plus extra to serve 125 ml (½ cup) buttermilk 3 tsp roasted fennel seeds, ground Finely grated orange rind, to serve

SWEETENED YOGHURT

300 gm thick natural yoghurt 100 gm pure icing sugar, sifted LEMON SYRUP

3 pieces of lemon rind, removed with a peeler 80 gm caster sugar 1 For sweetened yoghurt, place yoghurt in a muslin-lined sieve over a bowl and refrigerate overnight to drain. Discard liquid.

Combine with sugar until smooth and refrigerate until needed.

2 Preheat oven to 170°C. Butter a 22cm cake tin and line with baking paper. Beat butter, sugar and citrus rinds in an electric

mixer until pale and flufy (8-10 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then add baking powder, semolina, almond meal, almonds, citrus juice, buttermilk, fennel seed and a pinch of salt and mix to just combine. Spoon into tin and bake until cake is golden and a skewer inserted withdraws clean (35 minutes).

3 For lemon syrup, combine ingredients with 80ml water in a small saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

4 Pierce cake all over with a skewer, then drizzle with syrup and set aside to cool (1-2 hours).

5 Scatter cake with extra nuts and orange rind and serve with sweet yoghurt.

Wine suggestion Sweet late-harvest riesling. ●

Text page Green dish from The DEA Store.

Semolina cake Small plate (top left) from Mud Australia. All other props stylist’s own.

Stockists p176.

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Disco inferno Pinbone’s latest Sydney pop-up is big, loud and fuelled by wood ire, but most of all, it’s just a damn good time. The team share a set of their non-authentic Italian recipes to get the party started.

Recipes MIKE EGGERT & JEMMA WHITEMAN Words DAVID MATTHEWS Photography BEN DEARNLEY Styling LISA FEATHERBY Wine suggestions FRANCK MOREAU

Peas, beans, ricotta and mint bruschetta

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Mike Eggert and Jemma Whiteman.

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ALL PROPS RESTAURANT’S OWN

A

part from the occasional rush of jet engines, Botany generous, ingredients are geared to work together and most Road in Mascot is a straight-up-and-down suburban dishes have seen the inside of the wood oven. “Peas and ricotta, strip complete with a chicken shop, a discount tomatoes and anchovies – they’re classic flavours,” says Eggert. chemist, an IGA and a cake store. Look a little closer “Then the ragù is like a Sunday sauce where we throw everything at the pub, though, and all is not as it seems. Round the back in the pot with this rich, unctuous lamb.” Salads keep it civil, but of the Tennyson Hotel in the old drive-through the lights are a rib-eye is the main event, grilled hard, then roasted to finish and down, the music’s up and a wood-fired oven served with condiments. “I remember being in is running hot. Chairs are scattered around Rome and being served a steak with this big Menu the concrete floor, plates of focaccia come out wedge of parmesan,” says Eggert. “It was draped in lardo, and patrons don vintage ski Peas, beans, ricotta and amazing, so we’ve borrowed that. And then, mint bruschetta suits to duck into the walk-in cool room. Past wherever we are, we always make a chilli sauce.”

Anchovy and tomato bruschetta the slabs of XXXX and VB, Franck Moreau, We have the dishes. But if you’re looking Koerner “Watervale” Riesling master sommelier, has filled the shelves with for the authentic Mr Liquor experience at outstanding wines at outstanding value. This home, Eggert has some advice: “It has to be Lamb shoulder ragù is Mr Liquor’s Dirty Italian Disco, the latest alfresco for starters,” he says. “Then crack with gnocchetti incarnation of Pinbone, and Mike Eggert and out the Christmas lights, put them on flicker, Brash Higgins Nero d’Avola Jemma Whiteman are in their element. crank up the tunes and have a dance – that’s The pair are no strangers to trying important – and you don’t need to have ski Rib-eye steak with something a little different, having been suits; any arctic-wear or cold-weather gear is chilli sauce through a few incarnations, and while they Cucumber, olive and fine, just make sure it’s colourful and fun.” mightn’t have thought a collaboration with roasted-onion salad The Mr Liquor pop-up is slated to end Witlof, grapefruit and Merivale was next, the pitch was solid: “They in mid-May. Once the dust has settled the pecorino salad basically said, ‘We have this shed… What do obvious question is what can possibly be next Grilled Roman beans you want to do? It can be really fun, chilled, for a team who’ve been lauded for their café Podere Le Boncie “Le Trame” different, exciting. Oh, and it’s in the middle food, lo-fi Chinese and now their Italian?

Chianti Classico of nowhere in a bottle shop,’” says Eggert. “So “First? A holiday,” says Eggert. “But we’re still we thought Italian, but more American-style on the hunt for a woolshed in the country.

Hazelnut tiramisù Italian. More casual. More laid-back. Fluffy We want to do Australiana. Something mad, Pellegrino Passito di Pantelleria, old-school focaccia and big servings. We something rural. Like Porteño meets The Man or a Negroni wanted it to be less stuffy and less traditional.” from Snowy River.” Mr Liquor’s Dirty Italian And that’s how it works at Mr Liquor.

Disco, Tennyson Hotel Bottle Shop, 952 Botany Rd, The plates are enamelware, servings are Mascot, NSW, (02) 9240 3000, merivale.com.au

Peas, beans, ricotta and mint bruschetta SERVES 6 // PREP TIME 15 MINS // COOK 35 MINS (PLUS PROVING, COOLING)

“This classic combo of peas, ricotta and mint could be the most popular dish we’ve done,” says Mike Eggert.

“The focaccia recipe is the easiest and most reliable we’ve ever come across. Stretch the dough out thin or make it thick and flufy – it works great any way you want and makes the perfect vehicle for bruschetta toppings or for mopping up sauces or melted cheese.” Pictured p114.

50 gm sugarsnap peas, coarsely chopped 50 gm frozen peas 50 gm podded broad beans (about 150gm unpodded) 50 gm podded edamame (see note) Juice of ½ lemon 1 tbsp olive oil 150 gm ricotta ¼ cup mint, coarsely torn FOCACCIA

460 3 7 60

gm baker’s flour gm (1 tsp) brown sugar gm (1 sachet) dried yeast ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve

1 For focaccia, combine 450gm flour and 1½ tsp salt in an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Lightly whisk remaining flour, sugar and dried yeast in a separate bowl with 300ml lukewarm water, then leave until bubbles appear (5-7 minutes). Add oil to yeast mixture, then, with the mixer on low speed, add yeast mixture to flour and knead until smooth and elastic (8-9 minutes).

Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place until nearly doubled in size (20-30 minutes). Preheat oven to 230°C. Gently knock back dough, cover and prove until nearly doubled in size again (10-15 minutes). Transfer to a well-oiled 12cm x 23cm loaf pan. Cover and leave to prove until about 1cm below top of tin (15 minutes), then bake until

golden brown and focaccia sounds hollow when tapped on the base (25-30 minutes).

Cool on a rack (about 1 hour), then cut into 12 slices.

2 Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil and blanch peas and beans for 20-30 seconds until bright green and still crunchy. Drain, then peel broad beans and mix with lemon juice, oil and remaining peas and beans in a bowl and season to taste.

3 Grill focaccia slices on a baking tray until well toasted (1-2 minutes each side).

4 Spread ricotta on focaccia, spoon pea and bean mixture on top, scatter with mint, drizzle with extra olive oil and serve.

Note Frozen edamame are available from Asian grocers.

Wine suggestion A riesling such as Koerner “Watervale” Riesling.

Anchovy and tomato bruschetta SERVES 6 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 5 MINS (PLUS COOLING)

“Anyone travelling through the Mediterranean eats tomatoes and anchovies to excess. We knew we had to have that delicious salty anchovy and sweet-acidic tomato combo on the menu here,” says Jemma Whiteman. “Throw in some charred-bread flavour and it’s like you’re on the coast of Italy.”

1 red capsicum 2 vine-ripened tomatoes Juice of ½ lemon 1 tbsp olive oil 6 slices focaccia (see recipe at left) 1 garlic clove, halved 12 anchovy fillets Coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley and sliced pickled green chillies (see note), to serve 1 Preheat oven to 270°C or its highest setting. Roast capsicum on an oven tray lined with baking paper until blackened and softened (18-20 minutes).

Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave to cool (20-30 minutes). Remove skin and seeds, and cut capsicum into large dice.

2 Meanwhile, grate tomatoes using a box grater, then drain in a sieve for 15 minutes. Combine drained tomato flesh, roasted capsicum, lemon juice and oil, and season to taste.

3 Grill focaccia slices on a charcoal grill or under an oven grill (1-2 minutes each side), then rub each slice with cut side of garlic.

4 To serve, spoon tomato mixture on foccacia, top with anchovies, scatter with parsley and serve with pickled chillies.

Note Pickled green chillies are available from delicatessens and supermarkets.

Wine suggestion A riesling such as Koerner “Watervale” Riesling. ➤

Lamb shoulder ragù with gnocchetti SERVES 6 // PREP TIME 1 HR, COOK 3 HRS (PLUS COOLING, RESTING)

“This is our take on the classic sauce – it’s rich and delicious,” says Eggert. “Nothing really compares to a homemade ragù, and once you discover pangrattato, you’ll crave it on everything.”

“Nothing really compares to a homemade ragù, and once you discover pangrattato, you’ll crave it on everything.”

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 each onion, celery stalk, red capsicum, and small fennel bulb, cut into large dice 10 garlic cloves, crushed 1 long red chilli, split lengthways 2 tbsp tomato paste 2 rosemary sprigs 2 thyme sprigs 2 bay leaves 2 thin strips of orange peel 1 cinnamon quill 2 each small star anise and cloves 10 black peppercorns 100 ml red wine 1 litre (4 cups) passata 50 gm brown sugar 1 kg boneless trimmed lamb shoulder, cut into 5cm pieces 1 tbsp butter Finely grated parmesan, to serve GNOCCHETTI

250 gm fine semolina, plus extra for dusting 1 tbsp olive oil ROSEMARY PANGRATTATO

120 gm (2 cups) breadcrumbs from day-old crustless bread processed to coarse crumbs, then shaken in a sieve to remove fine crumbs 100 ml extra-virgin olive oil 2 tbsp rosemary leaves 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 Heat olive oil, vegetables, garlic and chilli in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften and caramelise (10-12 minutes). Add tomato paste, herbs, peel and spices, and stir until beginning to brown (2 minutes). Add red wine, passata, bring to a simmer, then add sugar and 2½ tsp salt.

Add lamb, cover directly with a round of baking paper or with

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a lid, reduce heat to low, and braise gently until meat is almost falling apart (2 hours).

Leave to cool (1-2 hours).

2 Meanwhile, for gnocchetti, mix semolina, olive oil, 125ml cold water and a pinch of salt in a bowl until smooth and combined. Pat into a disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and leave to rest for an hour.

3 For pangrattato, stir ingredients in a large frying pan over low-medium heat until golden brown and crisp (15-20 minutes). Drain on paper towels and leave to cool.

4 Skim any fat from the surface of the ragù, remove lamb, shred into small pieces and set aside.

Pass remaining ragù through a mouli or coarse sieve into a saucepan, pressing with a large spoon to get as much pulp as possible. Discard solids in sieve, then reduce ragù over medium heat until thick and glossy (30-40 minutes). Return lamb to ragù, adjust seasoning to taste and keep warm.

5 Roll out gnocchetti dough on a well-floured bench until a 1cm-thick square. Cut into pieces about 1cm x 3cm long, then roll each piece lengthways over a gnocchi board, pressing with your thumb; if you don’t have a board, form the shape with a fork. Transfer to trays dusted with semolina and scatter with more semolina.

6 Blanch gnochetti in batches in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until they float (1-2 minutes). Transfer to ragù with a slotted spoon and stir in butter over low heat. Serve topped with parmesan and rosemary pangrattato.

Wine suggestion A nero d’Avola, such as Brash Higgins from McClaren Vale. ➤

Rib-eye steak with chilli sauce

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Rib-eye steak with chilli sauce SERVES 6 // PREP TIME 15 MINS // COOK 1 HR (PLUS COOLING, RESTING)

“The only way to have rib-eye is as a piece of at least a kilo – the thick cut lets you go to town on the outside with charry, caramelised flavour while the inside stays rare and juicy,” says Whiteman. “It’s the perfect piece of meat to impress and tasty AF.” Pictured p119.

1 kg untrimmed grass-fed rib eye steak, about 5cm thick (see note), brought to room temperature about 1 hour before cooking 1 tsp olive oil Hot mustard, horseradish cream, lemon cheeks and a wedge of parmesan, to serve CHILLI SAUCE

10 long red chillies, stalks removed, roughly chopped

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8 garlic cloves 125 ml (½ cup) vegetable oil Pinch of caster sugar 1 For chilli sauce, process chillies and garlic in a food processor to coarsely chop.

Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering (1-2 minutes). Add chilli mixture, bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer gently until the flesh

is very soft and the seeds are tender (20-25 minutes). Season with sugar and salt, increase heat to medium and simmer until sauce deepens in colour and caramelises (5-8 minutes), then remove from heat and cool. Sauce keeps refrigerated in an airtight container and topped with oil for 3 weeks.

2 Heat a barbecue or char-grill pan over high heat and preheat oven to 110°C. Rub steak with oil, season generously and grill, turning occasionally, until a charred crust forms (8-10 minutes). Transfer to a rack placed over a baking tray and roast until 50°C-55°C at the thickest point when checked with a meat thermometer

(15-20 minutes). If you don’t have a thermometer, insert a metal skewer into the thickest part for 30 seconds, then test the heat on your lip – if it’s hot, the steak is ready. Rest in a warm place for 10-15 minutes.

3 Just before serving, quickly flash steak on barbecue or grill to heat (30 seconds each side).

Slice and serve with chilli sauce, mustard, horseradish cream, lemon and parmesan to finely grate over steak.

Note A 1kg piece of rib-eye will need to be ordered ahead from a butcher.

Wine suggestion A Chianti Classico such as Podere Le Boncie “Le Trame” Chianti Classico.

Cucumber, olive and roasted-onion salad SERVES 6 // PREP TIME 10 MINS // COOK 25 MINS (PLUS PICKLING, COOLING)

“Cold salty cucumber just makes us happy,” says Whiteman.

“This salad came about because we wanted all our favourite things in one bowl – sweet roasted onions, briny olives and refreshing cucumber. We work in a hot tin shed surrounded by wood fire so we love the fresh cooling efect of this tasty salad.”

2 Lebanese cucumbers, chopped into 2cm-3cm chunks 1 tsp caster sugar 1 garlic clove, crushed 5 salad onions, green tops thinly sliced and reserved 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil ¼ cup (40gm) black olives, coarsely chopped ½ cup watercress leaves ½ cup mint leaves, torn 2 oregano sprigs, coarsely chopped Juice of ½ lemon ½ tsp honey

1 Combine cucumber with sugar, garlic and 1 tsp sea salt in a bowl and leave to pickle for at least 1 hour or refrigerate to pickle overnight.

2 Preheat oven to 200°C. Toss onion bulbs with half the olive oil, transfer to an oven tray lined with baking paper and roast, turning occasionally, until softened and starting to caramelise (25-30 minutes). Cool, then quarter onions lengthways.

3 Drain cucumber, combine with onions, olives, watercress, mint, oregano and onion tops.

Dress with lemon juice, honey and remaining olive oil. Season with cracked black pepper – the cucumber and olives are already salty – and serve. ➤

Witlof, grapefruit and pecorino salad SERVES 6 // PREP TIME 10 MINS

“Bitterness is a flavour we love and crave,” says Eggert. “It’s often overlooked and not celebrated, but not in this salad.

We serve the bitter fresh witlof with acidic grapefruit pieces and balance it out with chives and pecorino. It’s a perfect accompaniment to a rich sweet ragù, or roasted beef.”

2 red or white witlof, rinsed and dried 1 ruby grapefruit, peeled segmented, and segments halved 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil 2 tsp chardonnay vinegar 2 tbsp chive batons 40 gm pecorino cheese, shaved

Grilled Roman beans SERVES 6 // PREP TIME 15 MINS // COOK 1½ HRS

“Crisp bacon bits! What’s not to love?” says Eggert. “Roman beans are easily our favourite bean. They aren’t around all year, so get them when you can. They’re meaty and hardy enough to take a good smoky grilling – almost the perfect vegetable in our book.”

1 large head of garlic 60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil 75 gm smoked bacon rashers, diced 400 gm passata 300 gm Roman beans, or other long bean 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Sit garlic on a double layer of foil, drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil, wrap and roast until tender (45-60 minutes). Unwrap and leave to cool.

2 Meanwhile, in a small frying pan, fry bacon over medium-low heat, stirring often, until fat renders and bacon becomes 122

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crisp (12-15 minutes). Drain on paper towel.

3 Simmer passata in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until very thick (18-20 minutes). Remove from heat. Squeeze roasted garlic out of its skin and coarsely chop. Fold into tomato sauce and season to taste.

4 Heat a char-grill pan over high heat. Toss beans with 1 tsp oil, season to taste and grill, pressing them on the base of the pan, until lightly charred and softened (3-4 minutes each side). Halve widthways, add to sauce along with lemon juice and remaining oil. Scatter with bacon and serve.

1 Combine witlof, grapefruit, olive oil, vinegar and half the chives in a large bowl. Season to taste and gently toss to coat. Transfer to a plate and serve scattered with pecorino and remaining chives.

3 75 2 500 250 220 400

egg yolks gm caster sugar tbsp Frangelico gm mascarpone ml (1 cup) pouring cream gm savoiardi biscuits ml espresso Dutch-process cocoa powder, for dusting 45 gm (⅓ cup) roasted hazelnuts, skins rubbed of in a tea towel, coarsely crushed

Hazelnut tiramisù SERVES 6 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 5 MINS (PLUS CHILLING)

“We don’t know many people who don’t lose their minds over a good tiramisù,” says Eggert. “We pop a big spoonful of Nutella in the bottom of the bowl when we serve it for a little extra chocolate hit.”

Start this recipe a day ahead to let the biscuits soften and the cream firm up.

1 Whisk yolks, 25gm sugar and Frangelico in a heatproof bowl over a large saucepan of simmering water until thick and pale (5-7 minutes). Remove bowl and whisk in mascarpone a third at a time, ensuring each third is fully incorporated before adding the next.

2 Whisk cream and remaining sugar in a separate bowl until soft peaks form, then fold cream into mascarpone mixture with a large metal spoon until smooth.

3 Dip savoiardi in cofee, then place in a 20cm-square cake tin or 2-litre ceramic dish to form an even single layer (you should use about half the biscuits here). Spread with half the mascarpone mixture, add another layer of cofeesoaked biscuits, then spread with remaining mascarpone and refrigerate for at least eight hours or ideally overnight.

4 Dust with cocoa and scatter with crushed hazelnuts to serve.

Wine suggestion Pellegrino Passito di Pantelleria, or a Negroni. ●

th Spice-roasted pork with coleslaw

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e roast Inspired by the change of season, chef Brigitte Hafner of Melbourne restaurant Gertrude Street Enoteca, cranks up the heat with a suite of large-format roasts designed for comfort.

Recipes BRIGITTE HAFNER

Photography BEN DEARNLEY

Styling CLAIRE DELMAR Food preparation JACLYN KOLUDROVIC Drink suggestions MAX ALLEN

Duck with orange and quatre épices SERVES 4-6 // PREP TIME 15 MINS // COOK 2 HRS 15 MINS (PLUS RESTING)

“I like to cook duck so the meat is well-done and the juices run clear,” says Brigitte Hafner. “It’s the most delicious way, and makes it much easier to carve. It’s important to rest the meat for at least 20 minutes – that way the flavours come together and the texture is way better. I often start roasting a duck at three in the afternoon, then simply reheat it for 15 minutes and carve it at the table.”

1 carrot, coarsely chopped 2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped 1 small onion, coarsely chopped 250 ml (1 cup) red wine 1 orange, pierced several times with a sharp knife 2 bay leaves 1 duck (2.2kg), rinsed and patted dry Olive oil, for drizzling QUATRE ÉPICES

1 1 1 6

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nutmeg, finely grated cinnamon quill tsp white peppercorns whole cloves

1 For quatre épices, finely grind spices in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle.

2 Preheat oven to 170°C. Place carrot, celery and onion in the base of a large roasting pan, pour in red wine and place orange and bay leaves inside duck. Sprinkle duck generously all over with quatre épices, season with salt, then set on top of vegetables. Roast until golden brown and juices run clear when a thigh is pierced with a skewer (1¾-2 hours). Carefully pour juices into a small saucepan, cover duck loosely with foil and set aside to rest for 20 minutes.

3 While duck is resting, allow fat to settle on top of pan juices, then spoon of excess. Remove orange and bay from duck, halve the orange and squeeze juice and pulp from one half into pan juices. Stir over medium-high heat until reduced slightly (2-3 minutes).

4 Spoon pan juices over duck and drizzle with oil to serve.

Wine suggestion Your finest pinot noir.

Whole snapper roasted with curry lavours SERVES 4-6 // PREP TIME 15 MINS // COOK 45 MINS (PLUS MARINATING)

ALL PROPS STYLIST’S OWN

“Fish cooked on the bone has so much more flavour and moisture than fillets,” says Hafner. “This recipe is for one large snapper that you can put in the middle of the table. It’s really fresh and goes well with a green mango salad or stir-fried spinach with ginger and garlic and some coconut rice.”

1 large (about 3.4kg) snapper, cleaned and scaled (see note) Lime wedges (optional) and steamed rice (optional), to serve CURRY PASTE

4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped 3 long red chillies, seeds removed, coarsely chopped 15 gm ginger (about 3cm), coarsely chopped 5 gm turmeric (1 small piece), coarsely chopped 5 coriander roots and stems (roots scraped), coarsely chopped 1½ lemongrass stalks (white part only) finely chopped 1½ tsp ground cumin ¾ tsp ground coriander seeds 1½ tbsp mild-flavoured extra-virgin olive oil

1 For curry paste, blend ingredients (except olive oil) in a food processor with a large pinch of salt to a smooth paste, transfer to a bowl and stir in oil to combine.

2 Rinse snapper, pat dry with paper towels, and score deeply on both sides four times with a sharp knife. Rub all over with curry paste and refrigerate for 30 minutes to marinate.

3 Preheat oven to 175°C and line a roasting pan with baking paper. Roast snapper in pan until just cooked through (40-45 minutes; the flesh should pull away from the bone near the head, which is the thickest part). Rest for 5 minutes and serve with rice.

Note If a large snapper won’t fit into your oven with the head attached, ask your fishmonger to remove it for you, as we’ve done.

Wine suggestion Fragrant dry gewürztraminer. ➤

Spice-roasted pork with coleslaw

Mushroom parcels

SERVES 6-8 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 4 HRS 30 MINS (PLUS MARINATING, RESTING)

SERVES 4 AS A SIDE OR LIGHT MEAL // PREP TIME 15 MINS // COOK 25 MINS

“I’m excited about the growing availability of pasture-reared pork,” says Hafner. “It’s far more flavourful, and the pigs have a better life.

I like to roast the shoulder until it’s well done so the intramuscular fat renders out into the meat, keeping it succulent.” Pictured p124.

3 1 1 1

star anise cinnamon quill tsp white peppercorns tbsp coriander seeds Finely grated rind of ½ lemon 80 ml (⅓ cup) olive oil 3 kg boneless pork shoulder Sourdough bread or bread rolls (optional), to serve COLESLAW

¼ Savoy cabbage, thinly sliced ½ fennel bulb, thinly sliced 1 pink lady apple, cut into julienne ½ cup (firmly packed) mint, torn Juice of 1 lemon, or to taste 60 ml (¼ cup) mild-flavoured extra virgin olive oil

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1 Finely grind spices in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle, transfer to a bowl and combine with lemon rind and olive oil. Rub marinade into the pork flesh (not the skin), season and refrigerate to marinate (3 hours). Score pork skin at 1cm intervals with a very sharp knife, sprinkle skin liberally with fine sea salt and tie with kitchen string to secure.

2 Preheat oven to 170°C. Place pork in a roasting pan and roast until skin is crisp and deep golden brown and the juices just start to run clear when pork

is pierced with a sharp knife or a skewer (3¾-4¼ hours; see note). Set aside uncovered to rest for 30 minutes.

3 Meanwhile, for coleslaw, combine ingredients in a bowl and season to taste.

4 Serve sliced pork and crackling with coleslaw and bread rolls.

Note If pork skin hasn’t crisped in this time, increase oven to its highest setting and cook pork until skin crackles.

Cider suggestion Rustic scrumpy.

“Autumn is a great time for mushrooms,” says Hafner. “If you’re lucky enough to find wild mushrooms such as pine or slippery jack, throw them in.”

500 gm mixed mushrooms, such as portobello, enoki, king brown, shiitake and Swiss brown, large ones halved or quartered 80 ml (⅓ cup) extra-virgin olive oil 60 gm butter 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 8 thyme sprigs Thickly sliced sourdough, brushed with olive oil and grilled, to serve 1 Preheat oven to 190°C. Lay two large pieces of baking paper on a large piece of foil. Toss mushrooms in olive oil, then place one-quarter in the centre of paper, top with one-quarter butter, garlic and thyme, season to taste and wrap tightly. Repeat with remaining ingredients to make three more parcels.

2 Bake mushroom parcels on a baking tray until tender and full of lovely juices (20-25 minutes).

Serve with grilled sourdough.

Wine suggestion Gutsy grenache.

1 kg chicken wings Extra-virgin olive oil and lemon wedges, to serve

Chicken wings with adjika SERVES 4-6 WITH SIDES // PREP TIME 15 MINS // COOK 30 MINS (PLUS MARINATING, RESTING)

“My friend Renee Trudeau introduced me to this intriguing spice paste, which she came across on holiday in Georgia,” says Hafner. “It’s kind of a Georgian harissa, and can go over meat once it’s been roasted or grilled or can be used as a marinade.

It’s quite spicy and completely delicious. Thanks Renee!”

ADJIKA

1 tomato, coarsely chopped 3 long red chillies, seeds removed, coarsely chopped 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped ¼ cup (firmly packed) coriander, coarsely chopped ¼ red capsicum, coarsely chopped 2 tsp ground coriander seeds 1 tsp white vinegar 60 ml (¼ cup) mild-flavoured extra-virgin olive oil

1 For adjika, process ingredients (except oil) in a food processor to combine, then add oil and blend to a fine paste. Rub adjika all over chicken and refrigerate to marinate (4-6 hours or overnight).

2 Preheat oven to 175°C. Add wings to a large roasting pan, then roast, turning every 15 minutes, until wings are golden and cooked through (30-45 minutes). Set aside loosely covered with foil to rest (10-15 minutes), then drizzle with oil and serve with lemon.

Wine suggestion Something amber-coloured, preferably from Georgia. ➤

Roast chicken with tarragon, garlic and lemon SERVES 4-6 // PREP TIME 15 MINS // COOK 1 HR 15 MINS (PLUS RESTING)

“This is my standard roast chook,” says Hafner. “It’s super-easy and delicious. I use tarragon because it’s such a good match with chicken and it grows wild in my garden, but sage or thyme also work really well.”

50 gm butter, softened 50 ml extra-virgin olive oil ½ cup (firmly packed) tarragon leaves, coarsely chopped 1 garlic clove, crushed Finely grated rind of 1 lemon 1 chicken (1.4kg-1.8kg), brought to room temperature Lemon halves, for squeezing 1 Preheat oven to 175°C. Combine butter, oil, tarragon, garlic and lemon rind in a bowl.

Carefully separate skin from breast of chicken by running your fingers under skin, keeping skin intact. Evenly distribute most of the herb butter under skin with your hands, rubbing remaining over the chicken.

Season chicken with salt, then truss legs with kitchen string and fold wings under. Transfer to a roasting pan and roast, basting every 20 minutes, until the juices run clear when a thigh is pierced with a skewer (45 minutes for a 1.4kg chicken and up to 1 hour 15 minutes for a 1.8kg chicken). Set aside loosely covered with foil to rest (15-20 minutes), then serve with pan juices mixed with a squeeze of lemon to spoon over.

Wine suggestion The best chardonnay you can afford.

Lamb shawarma SERVES 6 // PREP TIME 25 MINS // COOK 4 HRS 40 MINS (PLUS MARINATING)

“I love a slow-roasted shoulder of lamb, cooked until the meat is falling of the bone,” says Hafner.

“The shoulder has more fat than the leg so I like to cook it until it’s well-done and the fat’s rendered out, which moistens the meat. Always rest it covered and in a warm place to allow the meat to relax.

I like this lamb flaked into large pieces with a sprinkle of salt, a squeeze of lemon juice and drizzle of the fatty juices from the pan. Serve it with flatbread and a crisp salad – something with a bit of acid to contrast the rich meat, like orange, shaved fennel, rocket, sumac and red onion.”

1 lamb shoulder (about 2kg), bone in Lemon halves, for squeezing Salad of orange segments, fennel, rocket, sumac and red onion, dressed with lemon juice and olive oil, to serve Toasted flatbread, to serve SPICE PASTE

1 1 1 1 1

6 1 1 4

tbsp black peppercorns tbsp cumin seeds tbsp coriander seeds tsp fennel seeds cinnamon quill Seeds from 6 cardamon pods, husk discarded cloves tbsp paprika cup (loosely packed) coriander, finely chopped garlic cloves, crushed Olive oil, for drizzling

GARLIC YOGHURT

220 gm Greek-style yoghurt 1 garlic clove, crushed Juice of ½ lemon, or to taste 1 For spice paste, dry-roast whole spices in a frying pan until fragrant (30-40 seconds; see cook’s notes p176). Cool, then finely grind in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Stir in paprika, coriander and garlic, then stir in enough oil to loosen and form an easily spreadable paste.

2 Place lamb in a non-reactive container (see cook’s notes p176), rub paste all over lamb and refrigerate to marinate (4-6 hours or overnight).

3 Preheat oven to 160°C. Season lamb with salt and

place in a roasting pan with 1.5cm water. Cover with a layer of baking paper, seal tightly with foil, then braise in oven until lamb is very tender (3½-4 hours; it should feel soft to the touch through the foil). Remove foil, increase heat to 180°C and roast until lamb is golden brown (25-35 minutes). Remove from oven and loosely re-cover with foil to rest (20-30 minutes).

4 For garlic yoghurt, combine yoghurt and garlic in a bowl, season to taste with lemon juice, and refrigerate until required.

5 Squeeze lemon over lamb, top with pan juices, season with salt flakes and serve with salad, garlic yoghurt and flatbread.

Wine suggestion Spicy young syrah. ●

R I S I N G

In her new book, Japan: The Cookbook, renowned authority on Japanese cooking Nancy Singleton Hachisu delves, recipe by recipe, into one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most revered cuisines.

Recipes NANCY SINGLETON HACHISU

Spinach and udon soup

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139

Okonomiyaki

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137

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G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

Stir-fried chicken and garlic chives SERVES 6 // PREP 15 MINS // COOK 5 MINS

“This dish hinges on being smothered in garlic chives,” says Nancy Singleton Hachisu. “Be sure to use whole chives, not just the tops.”

2 tbsp canola oil 600 gm boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 3cm cubes 12 fat garlic chives (about 75gm), cut into 2cm pieces 2 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp mirin 1 small dried chilli, thinly sliced into rings 1 tsp gold sesame oil (see note) or sesame oil Steamed Japanese rice, to serve

1 Heat canola oil in a large heavy frying pan over high heat until shimmering. Scrape in chicken and stir-fry to sear all surfaces, about 3 minutes. Add garlic chives and reduce heat to medium. Toss until chives are starting to wilt, about 1 minute.

Add soy sauce, mirin and chilli, toss to coat, then cover and cook for 1 minute. Uncover, add sesame oil and cook for 1-2 more minutes to reduce liquid. Serve with rice.

Note Gold sesame oil is made from gold sesame seeds.

Singleton Hachisu recommends Wadaman gold sesame oil, available online.

PORTRAIT COURTESY OF NANCY SINGLETON HACHISU

oday’s food distribution systems are such that almost all global foods are available in Japan. This has diluted traditional culinary mores, and one ironic result of that is an increased nostalgia for those very traditions. All kinds of Japanese ingredients, even somewhat obscure ones from small producers, are also now accessible throughout Japan, which has given rise to a renewed interest and excitement about previously regional Japanese foods.

Japan: The Cookbook is not an examination of “regional” cooking traditions, as much as a curated experience of Japan’s culinary framework from a specific moment in time. Using both fine and generous strokes, I have put together what I hope is a broad and rich picture of the food of this island nation.

Mostly, the Japanese I talked to shook their heads at the prospect of capturing all of Japanese food between two covers.

The obstacles to such an endeavour are many, one being that the origins of classic Japanese food came from the upper classes and were without immediate visible regional roots. This homogeneity also extends to “town food”, spawned from eateries in urban areas such as Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto. Certainly local foods exist today, but generally there is less regional variety than one would expect.

Like everywhere, modern-day Japanese rely on convenience foods and instant preparations. Part of why I immerse myself in Japanese cuisine is to advocate for a look back at the traditional and artisanal. Sourcing top Japanese ingredients, at least in the initial learning curve time, is essential. Well-made ingredients will be excellent teachers in and of themselves, although there is no obligation to use every ingredient. These dishes are also written with a baseline flavour in mind – if more salt, sweet, sour, or spice is desired, adjust accordingly.

I believe the unique approach to Japanese food and the recipes in this book have been replaced with quicker, more convenient foods or cooking methods. I like to think this more traditional way of eating and cooking is not lost – just overlooked. And it is my hope that the recipes in this volume will speak to home cooks in Japan and around the world, as much as they have spoken to me.

Vinegared octopus and wakame SERVES 4 AS A SMALL BITE // PREP 15 MINS

“Octopus has a chewy yet creamy texture that holds up well in vinegar treatments such as this one,” says Singleton Hachisu.

100 gm boiled octopus (see note) 100 gm fresh wakame (see note), or 3 heaped tbsp dried wakame soaked in cold water for 20 minutes 1 tbsp katsuobushi dashi (see recipe p137) 1½ tbsp rice vinegar 1 tsp mirin ½ tsp soy sauce 1 Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and boil the kettle.

Place octopus in a metal sieve and pour a steady stream of

boiling water over it for a count of five. Pat dry and cut on the diagonal into slices 5cm wide.

If using fresh wakame, cut the wakame crosswise into 3cm pieces, then put it in a sieve and dip it in and out of the saucepan of boiling water. Refresh in cold running water until cool, then drain well. (If using reconstituted dried wakame, drain it and cut it crosswise into 3cm pieces.)

2 Dry wakame in a tea towel.

Stir dashi, vinegar, mirin, soy and ¼ tsp salt together. Toss with octopus and wakame, and

serve. This salad will keep for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.

Note For boiled octopus, start with 1 (250gm) cleaned octopus.

Remove beak and bring a large saucepan of water to the boil.

Dunk octopus in and out of the water three times, then simmer over low heat until tender and cooked through (1 hour). Drain and refrigerate until needed.

You’ll need 100gm for this recipe. Reserve remaining for another use. Fresh wakame is available from select seafood suppliers. ➤

Sesame-dressed greens and carrots

Sesame-dressed greens and carrots SERVES 4 // PREP 10 MINS // COOK 10 MINS

“This dish is quick to execute, so works well for lunch or a casual evening meal,” says Singleton Hachisu. “Substitute spinach or mustard greens if komatsuna (Japanese mustard greens) are not available.”

185 gm komatsuna (Japanese mustard greens; see note) or English spinach 300 ml (1¼ cups) katsuobushi dashi (see recipe opposite) ½ tbsp mirin 2 tbsp soy sauce 1 small carrot, scrubbed and cut into 1cm x 4cm rectangles 2 sasami (chicken tenderloins; see note) or 100gm skinless, boneless chicken breast 30 gm gold sesame seeds (see note) or white sesame seeds 1½ tbsp gold sesame oil (see note) or sesame oil

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1 Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil over high heat. Lower the komatsuna stem ends into the water (do not let go) for a count of 10 seconds, then submerge the greens in the boiling water and cook for 30 seconds until just tender.

Drain and refresh under cold running water or in an ice bath.

Drain well, pat dry and cut crosswise into 2cm-3cm lengths.

2 Measure out 1½ tbsp dashi into a small bowl and set aside. Add remaining dashi to a saucepan and add the mirin, ¼ tsp sea salt flakes and 1 tbsp soy sauce. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, drop in the carrot, and simmer for

1 minute until just tender. Scoop out with a small metal sieve and discard the liquid.

3 Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Place the chicken tenders in a metal sieve and dip into boiling water for 2-3 minutes. (If using chicken breast, dip in for 7 minutes.)

Shake of excess water, then tear chicken into shreds.

4 Roast sesame seeds in small, dry frying pan over medium heat, shaking the pan and lifting of the heat if needed to avoid scorching, for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. While still hot, pound the seeds in a suribachi (grinding bowl), with a mortar and pestle, or whirl the seeds in

a spice grinder until mostly broken down. Whisk in remaining soy sauce, ¼ tsp sea salt flakes and reserved dashi. Once combined, whisk in the sesame oil until emulsified.

5 Toss the komatsuna, carrot, and chicken with the sesame dressing to serve.

Note Komatsuna is available from select Japanese grocers.

Chicken tenderloins are available from butchers and select supermarkets. Gold (unhulled) sesame seeds are available from Herbie’s Spices. Wadaman gold sesame oil is available online.

Okonomiyaki MAKES 2 LARGE PANCAKES // PREP 20 MINS // COOK 25 MINS

“There are myriad regional variations of these jam-packed pancakes, most popular in the area around Osaka and Hiroshima,” says Singleton Hachisu. “Prepare for a casual family meal, or have a make-your-own party using a portable tabletop burner. Feel free to omit or substitute the pork or dried shrimp.” Pictured p133.

Katsuobushi dashi MAKES 300ML // PREP 10 MINS // COOK 10 MINS

“This method for making dashi yields a highly flavoured broth that holds up to the artisanal seasonings and seasonal vegetables recommended in this book,” says Singleton Hachisu.

“For a lighter version, shared by Sakai Shoten, an artisanal katsuobushi producer in Kagoshima prefecture, see the variation.

The dashi will lose a little brightness over time, but nonetheless any unused portion can be stored in the refrigerator for a day.”

10 cm square (5gm-7gm) konbu (see note) 1 handful (about 5gm) freshly shaved katsuobushi (bonito flakes; see note) or hanakatsuo 1 Place konbu in a small saucepan and add 500ml cold water. Bring to a near simmer over medium-high heat. Remove the konbu, drop in katsuobushi and simmer gently over low heat for about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and steep for 8 minutes. Strain the dashi through a wire mesh sieve before using.

Note For a variation, soak konbu in a small saucepan with 500ml cold water for 1 hour. Heat slowly over low heat until small bubbles appear on base of pan. Remove konbu and increase heat to medium. Bring the water to a simmer and remove from the heat. Stir in 3 small handfuls of (15gm) katsuobushi and steep for 2 minutes. Strain through a sieve lined with muslin and let sit for 1 minute before using.

Bonito flakes and konbu are available from Asian supermarkets and grocers.

1 (300gm) boneless pork chop, about 3cm thick, at room temperature 1 tsp flaky sea salt 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 2 tbsp tomato sauce 200 gm (1⅓ cups) udon flour (see note) or unbleached pastry flour 300 gm (about ¼ small) green cabbage, finely shredded 3 fat spring onions, finely chopped 4 tbsp small dried shrimp (see note) 4 eggs, at room temperature 2 tbsp canola oil 2 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise (optional; see note) 1 tbsp aonori (powdered green nori; see note) 2 tbsp red pickled ginger, cut into fine julienne 2 handfuls freshly shaved katsuobushi (bonito flakes; see note) or hanakatsuo 1 Sprinkle pork with ½ tsp sea salt flakes. In a small, heavy frying pan, stand the pork up, fat-side down, while holding it upright with a pair of tongs, and sear over high heat for 30 seconds to render the fat.

Lay the chop down and sear for 1 minute on both sides. Cover and cook over medium heat for 30 seconds more on each side.

Transfer to a cutting board and rest for 5 minutes, then cut into fine “sticks” or lardons.

2 Stir Worcestershire and tomato sauce together in a small bowl and set aside until needed.

3 Whisk flour and ½ tsp sea salt flakes in a bowl, then add pork, cabbage, negi, shrimp, and eggs. With a pair of saibashi (cooking chopsticks), slowly mix in 125ml water to form a loose, chunky batter.

4 Heat 2 large lightweight frying pans over medium-low heat. Once you can feel the heat rising from the pans, add 1 tbsp canola oil to each pan. Ladle half the batter into each pan, smearing it around in a circular motion to evenly distribute the ingredients across the surface of the pan, then cover and cook slowly until the edges have dried a little and the pancake is golden brown on the bottom (6-8 minutes).

(Steam will accumulate on the inside of the lid, so take care to wipe the water droplets of every once in a while.)

5 Invert a large dinner plate over a pan and, wearing oven mitts, flip the pan upside-down so the pancake is on the plate, then slide the pancake back into the pan. Repeat with the second pancake. Cook both pancakes over medium heat until cooked through and the bottom is lightly browned (3-4 minutes).

6 Slide each okonomiyaki onto a large clean plate. Smear each with 2 tbsp Worcestershire and tomato sauce mixture (this takes the place of okonomiyaki sauce), squeeze a little mayonnaise over the top in a crosshatch or a wiggly pattern, sprinkle with aonori, ginger, and a handful of katsuobushi.

Cut into wedges to serve.

Note Udon flour, aonori and bonito flakes are available from Japanese grocers. Small dried shrimp are available from Thai grocers. Japanese mayonnaise is available from Asian grocers and select supermarkets (Singleton Hachisu recommends Matsuda brand or a high-quality French mayonnaise). ➤

1 tbsp grated ginger Nori (optional), snipped into fine threads, to serve Thinly sliced spring onion, thinly sliced shiso, bonito flakes and sliced myoga (all optional; see note), to serve

Agedashi tofu with grated daikon SERVES 6 // PREP 40 MINS // COOK 15 MINS

“Simmering agedashi tofu with grated daikon helps mitigate the oil that seeps into the dashi,” says Singleton Hachisu.

2 (300gm each) blocks momendofu (see note) or Japanese-style soft block tofu 4 tbsp potato starch Neutral oil, such as canola, peanut, or safflower, for deep-frying 15 cm piece konbu (see note) ⅓ cup (80ml) soy sauce 2 tbsp mirin 2 tbsp sake ½ tsp fine sea salt 250 gm (1 cup) finely grated daikon

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1 Set the tofu on a cutting board next to the kitchen sink and prop a small saucer underneath to angle the board into the sink (to catch drips). Lay another cutting board on top of the tofu to press out moisture for 20 minutes. The board should not be too heavy – the tofu must keep its shape.

2 Halve the tofu lengthwise and then cut each half into thirds crosswise. Sprinkle half the potato starch on a large sheet of baking paper and arrange the tofu on top, leaving room for rolling. Sprinkle the rest of the potato starch over the tofu and nudge the pieces around gently to coat evenly with starch.

3 Heat 8cm oil in a heavy-based deep saucepan over high heat until hot but not smoking. Shake excess starch of tofu, and in batches, drop the tofu into the oil and fry until golden brown (30 seconds to 2 minutes). Drain on paper towels.

4 Place the konbu in the base of a heavy medium saucepan.

Add 500ml water, the soy sauce, mirin, sake, and salt.

Bring to a lively simmer over medium-high heat and cook for 3 minutes. Carefully nestle the fried tofu in the broth, top with the daikon, and gently simmer until the daikon has absorbed flavour (3 minutes).

5 Place two pieces of tofu each in 6 deep-sided saucers, ladle the daikon dashi over, and serve hot with garnishes of your choosing.

Note Momendofu or momen tofu, a semi-firm tofu, is available from Japanese grocers and select supermarkets. Konbu is available from Asian grocers.

Myoga, Japanese ginger, is hard to source in Australia, substitute young ginger cut into julienne.

Garlic chive soup SERVES 6 // PREP 20 MINS // COOK 10 MINS (PLUS SOAKING)

“Garlic chives and eggs are a classic pairing, the addition of cod, however, lends a note of richness,” says Singleton Hachisu. “This is clearly a restorative, delicious soup.”

Begin this recipe a day ahead to soak the konbu.

150 gm skinless white fish (such as bar cod or blueeye), cut into 2cm cubes 1 tsp usukuchi shoyu (see note) or light soy sauce 2 tbsp sake 2 eggs, at room temperature 8 garlic chives, cut into 1cm lengths ½ tsp freshly ground black peppercorns Steamed Japanese rice (optional), to serve KONBU DASHI

6 squares (10 cm) konbu (45gm total; see note) 1 For konbu dashi, soak konbu overnight in a small saucepan with 1.5 litres cold water. Strain through a metal sieve before using as a vegetarian stock.

(Alternatively, bring konbu to a near boil, remove from heat, and steep for 1 hour before draining and using.) Makes 1.2 litres.

2 Place the cod pieces in a metal sieve and pour a steady stream of boiling water over them for 10 seconds.

3 Combine 1 litre dashi (freeze remaining for another use), 1 tsp salt, usukuchi shoyu and sake in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

4 Beat eggs and garlic chives in a small bowl to combine. Slide cod into simmering broth and return to a boil. Give eggs a quick whisk to re-emulsify and swirl into the soup. Adjust heat to low and cook until eggs are just set but still runny in places, another 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle black pepper over the top and serve by ladling into small bowls or over a bowl of rice.

Note Usukuchi shoyu, light Japanese soy sauce, is available from Japanese grocers. Konbu is available from Asian grocers.

Garlic chive soup

Spinach and udon soup SERVES 6 // PREP 20 MINS // COOK 5 MINS

“The chicken soup and egg lend richness to this quick noodle soup,” says Singleton Hachisu. “Spinach is the dominant ingredient with a small amount of udon to add a bit of starch.” Pictured p132.

3 400 125 1 ¾

eggs, at room temperature gm English spinach gm dried udon noodles litre chicken stock, heated tsp soy sauce Shichimi togarashi (optional), to serve

1 Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil. Add eggs and cook until just set, but not runny (8 minutes). Cool completely under cold, running water, then peel and slice in half.

2 Cook spinach in a separate large saucepan of boiling water for 1 minute, refresh under cold running water, then squeeze dry. Cut crosswise into thirds.

3 Cook udon in a separate pan of boiling water until just tender (6-8 minutes). Rinse in a large bowl of cold water.

3 Divide udon among 6 large donburi (deep soup bowls).

Top each bowl with the spinach and half an egg. Pour the hot chicken broth into the bowl and sprinkle with 1-2 pinches of salt and shichimi togarashi or freshly ground black pepper.

Serve immediately.

Note Shichimi togarashi, a Japanese spice blend, is available from Asian and Japanese grocers. ●

This extract from Japan: The Cookbook by Nancy Singleton Hachisu (Phaidon, hbk, $59.95, available 6 April) has been reproduced with minor GT style changes.

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APRIL

TRAVEL A shore thing Cruising through Russia, tall tales in Cornwall, and Hollywood glamour comes to Sydney.

Newquay, in Cornwall, southwest England

PHOTOGRAPHY HELEN CATHCART

p

152

Russian enigma

Like a Russian doll, the enigmatic character of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest nation is revealed in layers on a river cruise from Saint Petersburg to Moscow, writes ALEXANDER LOBRANO. Photography SIMON BAJADA

R

u

ss

ia

Kizhi

Finland Lake Ladoga

Neva River

Baltic Sea Estonia

Volga River

Saint Petersburg

Uglich Yaroslavl

Moscow

I

n the pit below the gold-embroidered theatre scrim emblazoned with a double-headed imperial Russian eagle, the orchestra is warming up on a chilly autumn evening in Saint Petersburg. Their brows furrowed, they test and tune their instruments with the kind of intense concentration I recall in the characters of Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy and Turgenev, the leading lights of the famously intense Russian canon that I laboured through many years ago at university.

In a different way, I’m limbering up, too, since this is the first night of a highly anticipated journey by ship into the heart of Russia. I’ve long been curious about life in the world’s largest nation, but also humbled by the scale of this Slavic enigma. I owe my grail to the 18th-century Romantic poet Lord Byron, who wrote: “Admittedly there are other ways of making the world’s acquaintance. But the traveller is a slave to his senses; his grasp of a fact can only be complete when reinforced by sensory evidence; he can know the world, in fact, only when he sees, hears, and smells it.”

Despite the dulling scents of damp wool and wet leather in the overheated air, there’s an aura of collective wonderment in the audience, comprised mainly of my fellow passengers aboard the Viking Ingvar. “I still can’t believe I’m actually sitting here, in Russia,” whispers the woman next to me. “When I was a girl in grade school in Massachusetts, we had air-raid drills to practise hiding under our desks if there was a Russian missile attack.

I doubt our desks would have saved us, but it stamped our young minds with ideas about the Soviet Union.”

She shrugs, “I guess you could call that propaganda.”

We’re in the lavishly gilded private theatre of Catherine the Great in the Hermitage Museum, which also houses her 18th-century Winter Palace. Now the conductor arrives, and bows to the audience. He raises his arms, holding them aloft just a second or two longer than anyone expects to insist on silence, and the performance by the Saint Petersburg State Governor’s Symphony begins. The exquisitely doleful opening

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PREVIOUS PAGES Left: Winter Palace, Saint Petersburg.

Right: Saint Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow. Above: Pavilion Hall of the Small Hermitage, Winter Palace, Saint Petersburg; Top right: Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood, Saint Petersburg. Bottom right: bayan player, Moscow. Opposite: Top: soldiers by the State Duma building, Moscow.

Left: the Winter Palace, Saint Petersburg.

notes of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake draw to the stage a cast of long-limbed dancers in white tutus from the theatre’s own company, and we watch as the story of doomed love unfolds between Prince Siegfried and Odette, the swan maiden. I think of it as a profoundly Russian tale, because embedded in the ballet’s tragic story is an implicit celebration of the Slavic soul, the cardinal points of which are pride, perseverance and discipline.

And so, as often happens at the beginning of a great trip, I find the wick of my journey – the chance it will offer to fathom the uniquely intense and complex Russian character.

Peter the Great built his magnificent Saint Petersburg in the 18th century, on the marshy delta of the Neva river where it empties into the Baltic Sea, to be Russia’s window on the West. Our 13-day cruise will take us deep into the countryside and then to Moscow, the citadel of Russian power and pride. There’s a refrain of discovery on the journey between these two cities as we match reality to places we’ve only ever seen on maps or read about. We’re all surprised by the enormousness of Lake Ladoga, for example, and later by the similarly unexpected beauty of the 11th-century city of Yaroslavl, built on a bluff overlooking the Volga.

Since the allure of a trip to Russia is decidedly cerebral compared with that of Mediterranean destinations, Viking River Cruises arranges tours and lectures tailored for a well-informed and intellectually curious audience during our four days in Saint Petersburg. There’s a private-access visit to the Hermitage, one of the world’s great art museums, and I join an excursion to the Catherine Palace in Pushkin, a daytrip south of Saint Petersburg, with its Amber Room rightly described as the “eighth wonder of the world”. On a sunny afternoon, a daytrip to Peterhof Palace, the country estate founded by Peter the Great in 1709 on the shore of the Baltic Sea, is dazzling; its gravity-powered Grand Cascade and Samson Fountain were inspired by those at King Louis XIV’s Château de Marly. But almost more compelling than these splendid encounters with imperial grandeur are the intimate glimpses of modern Russian reality that we get during a range of encounters and home visits. ➤

On a dove-grey Sunday afternoon I join a small group of fellow passengers for tea at the home of Larisa Baltrukova in a kommunalka – a communally organised block of flats – in a tidy residential district of central Saint Petersburg composed of late-19th-century apartment buildings with wedding-cake façades. A plaque by the main entrance says the building was nationalised in 1917 under Lenin, who created this socialist-style living as a way of accommodating the city’s rapidly growing population during a time of acute housing shortages.

Thin light filters through lace curtains at the three tall windows in Baltrukova’s living room as she fills teacups and serves cakes – one filled with sweet curd cheese, another with minced meat and onions – from Stolle, one of the best-known bakeries in the city.

Through an interpreter, she says she’s a trained nurse and the widow of an admiral in the navy, and she lived in Vladivostock in the Russian far east for many years.

Twelve years ago she bought her flat, with its shared kitchen and bathroom, for the equivalent of $US27,000.

“How is life in Russia today – better or worse than it was during the days of the Soviet Union?” asks a woman from London. The sixtysomething Baltrukova smiles briefly and cocks her head. “Life was more civil, stable and better organised during the Soviet times, especially the Brezhnev years. People were better disciplined and thought of the well-being of their community rather than just their own needs and desires,” she says, deftly exposing the ambient nostalgia for the Soviet Union that fuels the popularity of President Vladimir Putin.

“But what of your young grandson, who never knew the Soviet Union?”

“He loves the Western pop stars, but I worry for his future,” she says. “He cannot find a job doing the medical technician work he trained for, so he will have to settle for something that pays less well.”

On the way back to the ship, our guide circumspectly echoes our host’s assessment of Russia’s foreign policy.

“We want to be friends with every country, but Putin had no choice but to try and restore Russia to its rightful 146

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Above: matryoshka dolls in Uglich. Below: pelmeni with pickles, cabbage slaw and beef stew on board the Viking Ingvar.

place in the world,” he says gravely, adding, “and it was wrong of you to take parts of our country into NATO.” There’s often a frisson in conversations during this journey – a pervasive assumption of being misunderstood and a polite insistence that visitors try to appreciate the point of view of Russians. (A young guide even says cheerfully one day, “Enjoy your trip to Russia, ladies and gentlemen.

And remember, we will be nice to you, if you will be nice to us.”)

I wondered if the kitchen and bars on board the Ingvar would be affected by the draconian import bans and restrictions Russia has imposed on many European foods and wines in retaliation for the economic sanctions imposed on the country after it annexed Crimea in 2014. “Yes, the sanctions have made supplying the ship more complicated and expensive,” says Daniel, the unfailingly gracious maître d’hotel, when I ask. “But we’ve also discovered many more good Russian products than we used before. So the silver lining is perhaps a greater authenticity.”

Rather than the bland international menu I feared, the daily offer is largely Russian. Dishes such as rassolnik, often made with giblets and pickles, but which appears here as a rich chicken soup, are regular features; as well as pelmeni, little meat-filled dumplings that are a Siberian specialty; and Pozharsky cutlets, meat or fish rissoles encased in crisp bread cubes.

The wines, too, are a highlight. There’s an extensive list of Russian and Georgian wines, and a range of

food-and-drink experiences, including a pelmeni-making demonstration and a very professional vodka tasting; the crowd-pleaser here is Mamont from a Siberian distillery founded in 1868. The most memorable, however, is a wine tasting led by Daniel, who’s also the ship’s sommelier. Afterwards, I order the two wines that were standouts in his flight of six: a Monte Garu sparkling wine from the Krasnodar region of Russia that first won a gold medal at the 1900 Universal Exposition in Paris, and a fascinating Georgian wine, Tbilvino Qvevris Rkatsiteli, that surprised with a Sauternes-like nose but pleasantly maderised taste.

Just before dusk we leave Saint Petersburg and churn upstream through the pewter-coloured waters of the Neva. I’m glad of a quiet afternoon on the balcony of my Veranda suite, a well-designed space with a Scandinavian look created by neutrals and blond-wood fittings. For many kilometres the beech and birch trees lining the riverbanks present a cook’s palate of autumnal colours – tea, cinnamon, caramel, lemon and apple red – only occasionally interrupted by the rusty docks and locks of a country that often looks worn and dated as soon as you leave its cities.

Almost everyone, even those who think they know European geography well, is surprised to discover that Lake Onega is so huge you often can’t see its shores during our passage to Kizhi, an island bound by marshes and covered by emerald fields, to see the wooden Churches of the Transfiguration and the Intercession, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Seen from afar, the silvery wooden domes of the churches are both stirring and spectacular; they get their metallic appearance from the weathering of their hand-hewn aspen shingles. Built from thousands of logs transported to the island from the mainland, the churches were constructed without nails, using dovetail joinery instead. A third structure, the 14th-century Church of the Resurrection of Lazarus, stuns with the power of the 17 icons that comprise its iconostasis.

Nearby, in an old farmhouse, we learn a little of life on the island, once inhabited by several thousand, today home to only a handful of custodians. Its single large room worked as a sort of machine for living, since the huge brick stove occupying a third of the space provided light and heat. “It was built off the floor so that chickens could live underneath it in the winter and continue to supply the family with eggs,” says our guide. “When it was very cold – winter here usually begins in October and runs through to May – it was the privilege of the elderly and children to sleep on top of the stove.” This meant that the family of 10 living here in the late 1600s spent eight months in a single room on a tiny island in the middle of a lake where it was often minus 30 degrees. Then, when spring came, they eked out a living fishing the lake or coaxing meagre crops of rye from poor soil. “And of course ➤

Right: a girl paints matryoshka dolls in Uglich; ceiling of the Church of Saint Dimitry on the Blood, Uglich.

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most people lived this way in northern Russia less than a century ago,” we’re reminded. “You made or grew almost everything you ate, wore or needed.”

This kind of sinewy ancestral memory helps to inform the recurring subtext of the bemused remarks and well-polished jokes of Russian staff and residents we meet. I recall an exchange with a cab driver in Saint Petersburg a few days earlier. He lived in Toronto for six years and returned to Russia because of his disaffection with “nonstop consumerism”, causing people to buy things they don’t need and can’t afford. “It also happens because your educational systems produce so many idiots.” Staring hard at me in the rear-view mirror at a traffic light, he seemed disappointed when his pugnacious statements elicited nothing more than sympathetic nods from me. So he tried again, “Unlike you, we Russians are proud to remain a deeply serious people.” He looked devastated when I agreed. “Yes, you Russians are a very serious people,” I replied, “and it’s quite refreshing.” I meant it, too.

In contrast to the sunny optimism of the relatively newborn colonial countries of America, Australia and Canada, Russians are a reflexively pessimistic people.

It makes sense to brace yourself for disappointment when almost everything that surrounds you is a regular reminder that life is hard, arbitrary and frequently unfair. Making peace with this reality engenders a wry sense of humour that dulls the resignation necessary to stay sane in the face of circumstances you’re usually powerless to change, too. And so the ironical wit and truculent pride of the Russians in their country and culture have become the quiet backdrop of our trip. ➤

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;For many kilometres, the beech and birch trees lining the riverbanks present a cookâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s palate of autumnal colours.â&#x20AC;?

Birch trees along the Neva River.

Opposite: church spires in the Kizhi Pogost, Kizhi.

As the days pass, the Ingvar becomes an amiable village where life is animated by reflexive pleasantries, meals and a full schedule. Tribes emerge, of course, with some of the ship’s 200 passengers preferring to relax in their cabins, others in the lounges, where lectures and Russian language lessons are held.

Our last stop before Moscow is Uglich, a handsome old town on the banks of the Volga. Like Yaroslavl, it’s part of the Golden Ring, the constellation of historic towns north of Moscow, and known for an ornate wall of icons in its green-domed Cathedral of the Transfiguration of Our Saviour and for the rather lurid frescoes in the Church of Saint Dimitry on the Blood that memorialise the death of Ivan the Terrible’s son.

Today, the town is looking for a future from tourism, since its main industry – watch-making – has been buffeted to near extinction by the demise of the Soviet Union and the use of mobile phones as timepieces. Still, watch stores selling the local Chaika line the main street – the brand’s name originates from the call signal of Valentina Tereshkova, Russia’s first female astronaut.

Their owners occasionally tout their wares. “Great gift, great souvenir, so camp! No?” says a middle-aged woman as we head for the bus on our way to a home visit.

We’re ushered into the dining room of a sturdy red-headed woman with ice-blue eyes who asks us to call her Tamara. A large photo mural of downtown Chicago covering one wall prompts a giggle from guests; “I chose it to make tourists feel at home,” Tamara says with a bemused smile. We try the home-distilled vodka made by her husband, Nikolai, with yeast, water and sugar – a real 45-proof eye-opener at 10am – accompanied by black bread, a salad of dill-flecked, home-grown potatoes, and tangy pickles: half-sour and sweet-and-sour gherkins and wild mushrooms. Doubtless abetted by Nikolai’s potent tipple, high spirits prevail during an exchange of questions.

“So what do you think of Putin?” ventures a retired stockbroker from San Francisco.

Tamara shrugs theatrically. “Ouf, I don’t know.

Maybe some of the same things you think of your Trump,” she replies, with the satisfaction of having thrown a polite but well-aimed dart.

“Touché! They do rather seem to get along, don’t they?” says the quick-witted San Franciscan.

The pickles came from her well-stocked root cellar, beneath a trapdoor in her living room. Our host shows us, shining a torch into the darkness, revealing rows of preserves made from the produce of her kitchen garden behind the banya, or sauna cabin. “A kitchen garden is the best insurance policy you can have in Russia,” says Tamara’s friend, Galina, who’s our interpreter, “because whatever happens, you’ll always have enough to eat.”

On the eve of winter, a cold frame in the garden is still filled with cucumber vines trained on trellises and chillies producing the last harvest of the season.

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Clockwise from far left: Beluga restaurant; smoked pike with mushroom sauce, shallot confit and fried mushrooms; Moskva river and the Kremlin, Moscow; Tamara and her husband, Nikolai; baked goods on the Viking Ingvar; the Viking Ingvar by the Church of Saint Dimitry on the Blood, Uglich.

Just before we reach Moscow, a Cuban friend who lives in the Russian capital spots my Instagram feed and messages to ask if I’m free for lunch at Beluga, a recently opened restaurant in the Hotel National on the edge of the Kremlin. So the next morning, I’m a little bewildered by the Moscow metro after being under someone else’s wing for 10 days. Twenty-five minutes later, I arrive at a beautiful dining room with a Baccarat glass bar and tables dressed in snowy linens.

A sullen waitress leads me to the table where Armando, whom I haven’t seen in many years, is pecking away on his phone. As befits the manager of the Moscow boutique of a major Italian fashion designer, he looks so smart that I can’t help but feel hopelessly dumpy in my saggy jumper, windbreaker, khaki trousers and deck shoes, the signature outfit of most male passengers aboard the Ingvar.

He eyeballs me appraisingly but kindly, and says, “I’m going to make it better, my friend.” And he does, when the waiter responds to his fluent Russian by bringing us a feast for a tsar: oscietra grey caviar with blini; Baltic herring tartare with marinated onions; grilled artichokes with pressed sturgeon caviar; salt-baked sturgeon with Abkhaz lemons and thyme; smoked pike with mushroom sauce, shallot confit and fried mushrooms – and there might have been more if I hadn’t begged him to stop.

The thing is, I explain to Armando, the Russian dish I knew I’d end up craving soon after returning home is shchi, the famously homey, slightly sour cabbage soup served with a big dollop of smetana, sour cream. I’d eaten a bowl of it in a hole-in-the-wall café the day I’d arrived in Saint Petersburg.

Armando raises his dark brows. “Seriously? Why?” I doubt he’ll understand, but after my trip through the heart of Russia, I couldn’t think of a single dish that better expresses this great Slavic nation’s endearing humility, ingenuity and tenacity, along with its appetisingly piquant perspective on life. To boot, it’s cheap, and it’s good for you. I knew I’d miss Russia. ●

Tr i p notes

Getting there Emirates and Qatar Airways fly to Saint Petersburg and Moscow, the arrival and departure ports for Viking’s Russia river cruises, from select Australian cities.

Cruising there Viking River Cruises’ 13-day Waterways of the Tsars cruise from Saint Petersburg to Moscow, and in reverse, operates May to October 2018 and 2019. It costs from $7,895 per person twin share, which includes return flights from select Australian cities to Russia, accommodation, all meals, wine and beer with lunch and dinner, one excursion in every port and onboard activities. 138 747, vikingrivercruises.com.au

CORNISH

PA S T I C H E

Legend, legacy and more than a little whimsy converge in Cornwall where the lanes that intersect the green ields invariably lead to something magical, writes MAX ANDERSON. Photography HELEN CATHCART

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owey Hall sits over the small harbour town of Fowey, on display like a trophy. It was built in 1899 by Charles Hanson, who had returned from Canada after making his fortune in timber. With its square corner towers, imperious arches and a lead-domed bellcote, it was designed so none should be left in any doubt that here was a local boy made good.

The imposing, slightly batty edifice is now a hotel.

While I’m checking in, I take a stab at pronouncing the name and, figuring I’ve got a 50-50 chance of getting it right, plump for “Foh-ee” over “Fow-ee”.

“It’s pronounced Foy,” says the receptionist kindly in her luscious Cornish lilt. “It rhymes with joy.”

This eccentric turn of phonemes isn’t the only thing to leave me wrong-footed.

While much of Fowey Hall is intact – including marble fireplaces, parquet floors and Baroque plasterwork – the hotel dedicates itself to “family luxury”. So the manicured lawns are set with miniature soccer goals. The coach house, once a garage for Hanson’s splendid 1904 Rolls-Royce, is a kids’ den.

And along a wood-panelled corridor lined with ancestral portraits, a small boy bursts from behind a potted palm and cries, “Cheese, cheese, cheese!”

Perhaps it’s the jet lag, but I feel my face adopting the expression perfected by Martin Clunes as the crabby Cornish GP in the TV series Doc Martin.

The receptionist smiles. “School holidays,” she says. “Nearly over.”

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n summer, Cornwall’s population of 500,000 is swollen by four million visitors. Most are from other English counties, many come with children, and all are hoping for sun and sand. By early September, however, there’s change in the air: the swarms of children are dissipating, the Whac-a-Mole arcade machines fall silent, and a different Cornwall begins to suggest itself. That Cornwall is Kernow, one of the seven Celtic nations. It’s very old, very beautiful and very distinctive.

After a restorative night’s sleep, I drive to Tintagel where I’m greeted by sunshine and views of the village’s 13th-century castle ruins, a vista that has long inspired writers and artists, JMW Turner, Alfred Lord Tennyson and John Steinbeck among them. Atop a dramatic headland, its broken battlements sit ragged against the sky. On the same site are the grass-covered foundations of a fifth-century trading port that did business with the Greeks. The Romans never got to grips with Cornwall so the mysterious-sounding Dumnonians flourished in their absence, speaking what would become modern Cornish.

I want to know more about the Dumnonians, but in the neighbouring stone village of Tintagel only one name seems to have any currency.

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PREVIOUS PAGES Left: Fistral Beach, Newquay.

Right: Mousehole.

Left: Fowey Hall and (below right) the sitting room at Fowey Hall.

Below left: where Fowey town and river meet.

At the entrance to King Arthur’s Great Halls, it’s 50p to have your photo taken beside an anvil with a sword welded vertically into place. The exterior of the building is late-Victorian Gothic and perfectly anachronous to things Arthurian – both the sixthcentury king who defended Britain against the Saxons, and the 12th-century chronicles of his legend.

Moreover, Arthur’s connection to the ruins of Tintagel is at best tenuous; it’s said he was conceived at the site thanks to a bout of infidelity and a dash of Merlin’s magic. And that’s about it.

So I enter the building to see what all the fuss is about.

“Take a look at the Great Hall of Chivalry!” enthuses the halls’ custodian, John Moore. “I promise you’ll be surprised!” He urges me towards a heavy drape; even after years of welcoming tourists, it seems he can’t believe what’s behind it.

The Great Hall of Chivalry is vast. As meticulously crafted as a cathedral, the room is bolstered with pillars of Cornish stone and hung with swathes of red velvet.

Seventy-two stained-glass windows depicting chivalrous acts cast a hallowed light onto a round table and Arthur’s throne.

“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” exclaims Moore when I return.

“It is!” I say, equally wide-eyed. “Who built it?”

“His name was Frederick Glasscock. He finished it in 1933 and died in 1934. Would have cost him a fortune.”

“Where’d he get his money?”

“You won’t believe it,” says Moore gleefully.

“Custard powder! He also invented hundreds and thousands. Y’know – sprinkles.”

I blink at the eccentricity. It’s rather beautiful.

L

egend and lunacy, mythology and madness – in Cornwall they’re bedfellows of sorts, fostered by a people who seem rather un-English. They frequently call out, “Take care, m’lovely!” as a farewell. Occasionally the word “dreckly” is used, a shortening of “I’ll get to it directly”, which implies “maybe in a minute, maybe in a month”.

A curious occurrence might prompt a wry shrug and the question “P’raps it’s the faerie folk?”

While driving my little hire car through the green fields that sheath the Cornish leg of south-west England, my GPS frequently takes me on detours along lanes that survive from a time when milkmaids and pilgrims had to breathe in so they might pass each other. I drive these one-vehicle roads with white knuckles, praying to the patron saint of nothing coming. Yet invariably they lead to something magical.

The Minack Theatre near Penzance is an amphitheatre carved in a granite cliffside. It’s reminiscent of Ancient Greece, but it was built in ➤ G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

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1932 by the landowner, Rowena Cade, and her gardener because local players had nowhere to perform Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Performances are still staged against a backdrop of becalmed seas or waves whipped to fury. Only electrical storms warrant a cancellation.

The beachfront at Bude, about 34 kilometres north of Tintagel, has a castle atop the dunes dating to the 1830s. It was the home of an obscure inventor named Sir Goldsworthy Gurney, who advanced patents for steam carriages and mine-safety equipment; he also discovered that lime burns fiercely enough to provide excellent indoor and outdoor illumination. None of his inventions was commercially successful, though they furthered the careers of George Stephenson (the “father of railways”), Humphrey Davy (inventor of the Davy miner’s safety lamp) and Thomas Drummond (who illuminated theatres and, quite literally, stole the limelight).

Strictly speaking, The Lost Gardens of Heligan is a Cornish legend of modern invention, and it grows even as I watch. In 1766, Heligan was a Georgian-era estate near Saint Austell on the south coast owned by a wealthy squire named Henry Hawkins Tremayne.

Kitchen gardens, greenhouses and orchards were added over the decades, and a gully planted with exotics collected from exploration ships.

In 1914, the estate’s 13 gardeners went to the Great War; only four came back. Consumed by brambles and rot, the gardens fell into decay. ➤

Top left: cucumber, heritage tomato, and poppy seed salad with zucchini and garden peas at the Heligan Kitchen & Bakery, and (below) pineapples from the Melon Yard at The Lost Gardens of Heligan. Left: chef Emily Scott and partner Mark Hellyar of St Tudy Inn, St Tudy, and (opposite) their scallops with hazelnut butter.

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Nearly 80 years later a Dutch music producer, Tim Smit, “found” the gardens and began a slow restoration. Now some 345,000 people visit the 80-hectare estate each year, admiring the gorge of exotics from a Burmese rope bridge, gathering in hides for sightings of badgers, goldfinches and blue tits, and wandering among forests filled with sculptures.

Five tonnes of mainly heritage fruit and vegetables are grown annually in its gardens and served in the Heligan Kitchen & Bakery. “Lost” varieties that were popular before the First World War are being revived, such as scorzonera and medlar.

“We stay faithful to the techniques and tools that were used in the original gardens,” says Katie Kingett, supervisor of Heligan’s Victorian Productive Gardens.

Within the old brick walls of the kitchen gardens, Kingett shows me beds turned by traditional longhandled Cornish shovels. “The majority of what we do is by hand,” she says. “So we hand-barrow manure into the beds, and we still use seaweed collected from the local beach for our leeks, onions and asparagus.”

T

he story of how the fishing village of Padstow became famous for seafood dining started with Rick Stein, a name uttered in these parts with the same reverence as Sir Lancelot. But this story, too, has evolved.

Stein’s The Seafood Restaurant has been in business for more than 40 years, but travellers can dine at 18 restaurants in and around Padstow with Michelin stars, bibs or plates. This includes the two-starred Restaurant Nathan Outlaw in Port Isaac and Paul Ainsworth at No 6 in Padstow.

Around 25 kilometres north-east of Padstow is St Tudy Inn, in the village of St Tudy. It has a Michelin bib, denoting budget-priced excellence, and while there has been talk of a star, chef-owner Emily Scott isn’t sure she’d want one. “I wouldn’t want the pressure!” she says. “I just want to keep doing what we’re doing, which is serving simple, seasonal food with great wine and style. It’s really about the provenance of the ingredients – it’s about the farmers and the fishermen.”

The light, white dining room in the 17th-century inn has tables fashioned from French window shutters, etchings of farm animals on the walls and a huge hearth. Scott’s menu offers full-flavoured Cornish produce prepared with finesse, such as figs baked with thyme and honey and topped with Helford White cheese, and fish stew brimming with locally caught haddock, bream, mussels and tiger prawns. One of the most popular bottles in the cellar, meanwhile, is Camel Valley sparkling rosé. Served to the Queen and the crew of the Bond film Spectre, it has garnered global recognition – and it’s produced just 11 kilometres down the road.

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The Old Coastguard guesthouse, Mousehole.

Opposite: winemaker Sam Lindo of Camel Valley Vineyard.

“I think it’s the halo effect of Padstow,” says Camel Valley winemaker Sam Lindo, “but we’re now one of the busiest wineries in the world. We get 35,000 visitors through in a year.”

Lindo’s father, Bob, planted the first vines in 1989 when the notion of a UK wine industry was just that. But the Goldilocks climate for chardonnay and pinot noir has moved north as the climate has changed. “Hard to believe, but we have one of the longest growing seasons in the world,” he says.

“Meanwhile, it’s getting harder for Champagne producers to do what they do because they’re getting too warm.” A new legend rises on the back of the old.

I raise a glass of Lindo’s brut in the fishing village of Mousehole, near Penzance. Pronounced “Mowzel”, it’s a place so lovely you’d think it was a parody, with its tiny harbour and stone cottages packed into a rocky cove. I’m staying at The Old Coastguard, a guesthouse that offers colour and comfort in equal measure. I take supper in the bar and dining room; it’s rather like a ship’s lower deck with its low ceiling, old timbers and tallow-coloured light, and so hearty I expect a shanty to break out by eight bells.

I order Porthilly oysters, and plaice fillets topped with crisp seaweed. But I hanker for a dish the waitress says I can’t have. Stargazy pie is served only on Christmas Eve to mark the legend of Tom Bawcock, a 16th-century fisherman who braved storms to relieve the starving villagers of Mousehole. His catch – seven

sorts o’ fish – was baked in a pie with the heads poking through the crust to prove that there really were fish inside. Once a year, the villagers tuck in and sing their traditional song of celebration: Merry place you may believe, Tiz Mouzel ’pon Tom Bawcock’s eve, To be there then who wouldn’t wesh, To sup o’ sibm soorts o’ fish.

T

he town of Fowey proves to be a stargazy-pie sort of place, with rich Cornish pleasures under its crust and wild-eyed stories poking out. On a morning kayak tour of Fowey Estuary, I spot seals and kingfishers and hear tales of Phoenician traders and pirates. We pass a ship’s figurehead mounted beneath the eaves of a handsome timber house; my guide, Karen Wells-West, says the carving is modelled on the ship’s owner, Jane Slade.

Daphne du Maurier rescued the figurehead from a creek and had it hung on her family home. Slade inspired du Maurier’s first novel, The Loving Spirit, published in 1931.

At lunchtime I hole up in Pintxo, a Catalan restaurant tucked away in an alley where the light bounces off whitewashed walls. I order a plate of Manchego drizzled with orange-blossom honey, and a glass of sherry. And later, in a dusk that’s still long in the summer solstice, I lose myself in steep, fractured lanes lined by cottages with names such as Littlesteps, ➤

Above: tidal pool at Mousehole.

Above right: the sitting room at Artist Residence, Penzance.

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Longsteps, and Whistlefish. The alleys lead to the harbour, where gulls cry remorselessly, where ale has been served since 1570 at The Ship Inn – and where I come across a curious one-room museum packed to the gunnels with Fowey memorabilia.

Fowey Museum is curated by Helen Luther, whose lilt is typically languorous but who talks like time is running out. “I knew Daphne du Maurier,” she says.

“She was godmother to my brother and she based a character on my father in The House on the Strand.”

A display includes a checked shirt belonging to the author, and original editions of her best-known works, including Jamaica Inn. A stuffed crow (actually a Cornish chough) is a tribute to a novelette that arguably became even more famous. “I didn’t realise du Maurier wrote The Birds,” I admit.

“They were originally seagulls in her book, following behind the plough,” Luther explains.

“Hitchcock turned them into crows. She also wrote Don’t Look Now, which was a film with Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie. She hated it. Thought it was too focused on sex.”

There are displays devoted to other Fowey residents: children’s illustrator Mabel Lucie Attwell, essayist Sir Arthur “Q” Quiller-Couch and Kenneth

Grahame, author of The Wind in the Willows. Luther is certain that Grahame, who convalesced in Fowey in 1899, based his main characters on local friends.

She shows me photos of three men to make her case: one has mutton-chop whiskers (Badger), another is a keen boatman (Ratty). “As for Mole, that was likely Grahame himself... and this is Sir Charles Hanson, who was clearly Toad.”

I look at a heavy man in a business suit.

“Does he not look like a toad?” urges Luther. “And of course he had his big Rolls-Royce and his huge hall up on the hill, which Grahame used as the basis of…”

I return to Fowey Hall, tickled pink at the idea that I’m staying in Toad Hall. In the twilight, I stand between the miniature soccer goals and look with new eyes at the building’s eccentric façade – the towers, the arches and even a few bats emerging from its belfry.

It’s another story of legacy and lunacy, a happy and very Cornish form of folly where a word spelled Fowey can be rhymed with joy.

Greatly warmed to the hotel, I also resolve to be more gracious towards its young spirits – after all, if you can’t be a kid in Toad Hall, where can you?

And should another child jump from the potted palms to cry “Cheese, cheese, cheese!”, well, I shall enter into the spirit of Grahame himself. “Onion sauce!

Onion sauce!” I shall remark jeeringly – and be gone before he can think of a thoroughly satisfactory reply. ●

Tr i p notes

Getting there The main Cornish town of Truro is a five-hour drive from London. For a seamless (and rather lovely) transfer, take the overnight Riviera Express sleeper train from London Paddington to Truro, departing just before midnight and arriving about 7am.

Clockwise, from above: Surf Sanctuary instructor Dom Moore on Fistral Beach, Newquay; fried anchovies, pickled chillies and sherry at Pintxo, Fowey; The Headland Hotel and Spa, Newquay.

Stay Artist Residence A Bohemian vibe attracts a cool crowd to this 23-room hotel on historic Chapel Street in Penzance. It faces the Admiral Benbow pub – possibly that Admiral Benbow, but definitely old and yo-ho-ho. 20 Chapel St, Penzance, +44 1736 365 664, artistresidencecornwall.co.uk The Beach The sunset deck of this stylish retreat overlooking Summerleaze Beach

in Bude is filled with weekend surfers from London kicking back with Cornish Mules. Summerleaze Cres, Bude, +44 1288 389 800, thebeachatbude.co.uk Fowey Hall Hanson Dr, Fowey, +44 1726 833 866, foweyhallhotel.co.uk The Headland Hotel and Spa This 19th-century institution in Newquay has clifftop views over Fistral Beach, a fine-diner, plush pavilion bar and a resident surf instructor in Dom Moore.

Fistral Beach, Newquay, +44 1637 872 211, theheadland.co.uk The Old Coastguard Most of the 14 bedrooms have water views. The Parade, Mousehole, Penzance, +44 1736 731 222, oldcoastguardhotel.co.uk Eat The Beach Restaurant Chef Joe Simmons is making waves by amping up Cornish ingredients. His charred mackerel with aniseed shallots and wasabi is a standout. Summerleaze Cres, Bude, +44 1288 389 800, thebeachatbude.co.uk Fowey Hall Restaurant The hotel’s fine-diner champions Cornish produce and dishes. Hanson Dr, Fowey, +44 1726 833 866, foweyhallhotel.co.uk The Lost Gardens of Heligan Kitchen & Bakery Boasting food yards rather than food miles, Heligan’s seasonal produce is a feature in dishes such as a frittata of chard and yarg, the latter a Cornish cow’s milk cheese traditionally wrapped in nettles. Pentewan, Saint Austell, +44 1726 845 100, heligan.com

The Old Coastguard The Parade, Mousehole, Penzance, +44 1736 731 222, oldcoastguardhotel.co.uk Pintxo 38 Esplanade, Fowey, +44 1726 337 450, pintxo.co.uk St Tudy Inn St Tudy, Bodmin, +44 1208 850 656, sttudyinn.com Do Camel Valley Vineyard Nanstallon, Bodmin, +44 1208 77 959, camelvalley.com Encounter Cornwall Three-hour guided kayak tours along the Fowey River. The Boatshed, Golant, Fowey, +44 7976 466 123, encountercornwall.com Fowey Museum Trafalgar Sq, Fowey, +44 1726 833 513, museumsincornwall.org.uk King Arthur’s Great Halls Fore St, Tintagel, +44 1840 770 526, kingarthursgreathalls.co.uk The Lost Gardens of Heligan Pentewan, Saint Austell, +44 1726 845 100, heligan.com Minack Theatre Porthcurno, Penzance, +44 1736 810 181, minack.com Surf Sanctuary Cornwall’s popularity as a surfing destination took off in the 1990s, and it continues to ride that wave. It’s centred on Fistral Beach in Newquay, a huge swoop of sand served by board-hiring spots, bars and cafés. Surf instructor Dom Moore runs a school from his Surf Sanctuary in The Headland Hotel and Spa. He starts his lessons on the headland, showing students how the waves below form and move. “It helps demystify it if they can see it from above,” he explains.

Headland Rd, Newquay, +44 7540 155 123, surfsanctuary.co.uk G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

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Paramount House has all the temptations of a permanent vacation: good cofee, art-house ilms and smart dining, in one of Sydneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s liveliest suburbs. As a new hotel opens on site, MAGGIE SCARDIFIELD charts the making of a destination.

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PHOTOGRAPHY SHARYN CAIRNS (PARAMOUNT HOUSE HOTEL), WILL HORNER (PARAMOUNT COFFEE PROJECT AND GOLDEN AGE CINEMA AND BAR) & TOM ROSS (EXTERIOR)

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hat makes a great destination?

Is it the food? The architecture and design? The entertainment options? Ask Russell Beard, who owns a handful of cafés in Australia and beyond, and he’ll say it’s a mix of all of those elements, plus something less tangible: a sense of connection to the people who live there and the community they’ve developed. “You’ve got to mix with them,” he says.

“It’s a great way to feel included.”

“Community” is a word that Beard and his business partner Mark Dundon use frequently in their projects, which include Sydney cafés Reuben Hills, Paramount Coffee Project and Bondi Hall, as well as Seven Seeds in Melbourne and PCP in Los Angeles. And it’s the concept at the core of their latest venture, Paramount House Hotel, conveniently positioned in Surry Hills, on the southern fringe of Sydney’s CBD. The hotel was conceived as a portal to the thriving inner-city neighbourhood, and was designed to give guests “a sense of place”, says Beard, “something that doesn’t feel generic and offers a real slice of the area”.

The making of a destination started 11 years ago, when Sydney property investor Ping Jin Ng bought Paramount House, the former Australian HQ of Paramount Picture Studios, and slowly filled the 1940s building with a hand-picked collection of like-minded tenants. Beard and Dundon’s Paramount

PREVIOUS PAGES Paramount House’s façade.

THIS PAGE Clockwise from top left: a Sunny room; Paramount Cofee Project; a split-level Loft room; the hotel lobby.

having enough discussions about the dream hotel Coffee Project opened on the light-filled ground we’d love to stay in, we thought we should just go floor in 2013, followed by the Golden Age Cinema ahead and do it,” says Beard. Designed by Melbourne’s and Bar in the restored Art Deco screening room Breathe Architecture, the hotel’s 27 rooms and two downstairs. Studio space upstairs is inhabited by a suites occupy four floors of the former film-storage handful of creative agencies, while The Office Space warehouse adjoining Paramount Studios. The on the mezzanine is a sleek co-working hub buildings have been cleverly linked by a herringboneoverlooking the café. patterned copper screen stretching two storeys and The rooftop Paramount Recreation Club, due to wrapping around the façade. open this month, is a breezy retreat for exercising and “To be a guest is to be a friend” socialising where white terrazzo is the heart-on-sleeve sentiment and greenery evoke Palm Springs “To be a guest offered on the hotel’s website, and vibes. On the schedule are barre the friendly gestures start at check-in. classes, strength training, meditation is to be a friend” Guests walk through Paramount workshops and nutrition sessions, and is Paramount Coffee Project, past baristas busy there’s a fancy canteen to boot. “It’s an House Hotel’s with pour-overs or coffee-cupping alternative to the somewhat maniacal heart-on-sleeve demonstrations, to a smooth concrete approach to fitness in the city,” says reception desk stamped with the director Barrie Barton, whose creative sentiment. words “permanent vacation”. On and research agency Right Angle arrival, staff offer a glass from one Studio is located downstairs. “It says: of three copper taps on the desk, perhaps pouring a get out of the gym and into the fresh air.” The brief locally brewed sour beer, a natural wine or a kombucha. at the Club Kiosk is “healthy food, but not health Just as refreshing as the drink is the potential it food”, Barton says. And the menu, devised with offers – enjoy your Wildflower amber ale, for Longrain’s Griff Pamment and Sam Christie, will be example, and the hotel team envisages you’ll end a smorgasbord of wholesome fare – think oats soaked up at the label’s brewery in Marrickville the next day in coconut water, citrus salad with agave, ricotta and (see p88 for a profile of co-founder Topher Boehm). mixed nuts, and brown rice bowls with rare roast beef.

“A lot of hotel lobbies scare me,” says Beard. “They feel Paramount House Hotel is the jewel in the crown, cold or weird, and alienate the community a bit. ➤ and a joint project by Beard, Dundon and Ng. “After G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

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We want ours to be the opposite of that. There need to be a few key elements that remind guests of the place they’re in.”

A brief written history of the studios is embossed above the original roof line of the lobby and, in a neat marriage of old and new, two fire vaults originally used to store film now hide guests’ luggage behind doors crafted from the same copper panels that clad the façade.

The rooms also mix heritage features – high ceilings, bare walls and exposed brickwork, original sash windows and heavy old rafters – with contemporary comforts such as luxe Jardan sofas and Pakistani kilim rugs. Showers have copper pipes and are tiled in terrazzo, and vintage-style bathroom vanities sit handsomely within the bedroom space. Some rooms have freestanding Japanese-style wooden baths, created by boutique carpenters Wood and Water.

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aramount’s owners believe hotels should give guests space to think, and to that end most rooms have internal terraces, sunny indoor-outdoor alcoves partly screened by the façade’s herringbone finish and softened by potted devil’s ivy and fiddle leaf figs.

A host of Australian makers are featured, too.

Beds are dressed with stonewashed linen by Cultiver and Seljak merino blankets from Australia’s oldest mill. Linen bathrobes are by Worktones, toiletries

by Aesop, and the art throughout the hotel is curated by the nearby China Heights gallery.

Though smart design and good looks in a hotel are important, says Beard, “the recipe is a mixture of service, quality and place”. He cites Fleet, a 14-seat restaurant in Brunswick Heads, northern New South Wales, as a fine example of a place where many small things are done right. “They never alienate anyone and always know your next move,” he says. “That’s what we’re going for – getting the DNA right.”

Beard is a Surry Hills local himself, having opened his first café, Reuben Hills, in the suburb six years ago.

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From left: hotel guests are ofered a drink on arrival; the adjoining Golden Age Bar; the vanity in an Everyday room.

“The hotel is our way of inviting guests to experience the ’hood we love, through our eyes,” he says. “I enjoy its proximity to the city, the beach, and an endless supply of restaurants, cafés and bars.” Staff might hand you a tote bag with directions to Carriageworks Farmers Market or a Jac & Jack beach towel for a dip at Gordon’s Bay. Had you not been so keenly aware of all the fun that lies on the doorstep, though, you’d be tempted not to leave your casting couch. The minibars are stocked with the likes of mortadella by LP’s Quality Meats, a pet-nat by South Australian maverick label Yetti and the Kokonut, and tinnies by Yulli’s Brews.

Within Paramount House, the spotlight turns next to Poly, a ground-floor restaurant and bar by the team behind Chippendale’s Ester; it’s set to open soon, and hotel room service is part of its brief. Big night? Staff will leave a thermos of the café’s daily batch-brew on the doorstep. When you’re ready, breakfast is served at the Coffee Project, where regulars pick up pre-ordered vegie boxes on Saturday mornings and stay for waffles with buttermilk fried chicken. Later, linger over a Hollywood Highball cocktail at Golden Age Cinema and Bar while waiting for a cult documentary screening or a director’s cut in the pint-sized cinema. Even better, the choc tops are by Gelato Messina. ● Paramount House Hotel opens this month. Rooms from $290. 80 Commonwealth St, Surry Hills, NSW, (02) 9211 1222, paramounthousehotel.com

A GOURMET TRAVELLER PROMOTION

Gourmet shopping They’re the flavours of the month, so put these items at the top of your wish list.

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Omega is proud to announce that it will join the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18 as the event’s Official Timekeeper. Omega celebrates this new partnership through the Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M “Deep Black” in red. $6,525. omegawatches.com

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Holland America Line Experience Japan’s cherry-blossom season and hanami, the celebration of traditional art and culture, on a cruise with Holland America Line. For more information visit hollandamerica.com or call 1300 987 322.

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Castello Castello® Double Cream Brie matures into a distinctive soft cheese with a smooth texture and rich, creamy flavour – perfect with bubbles or white wine. For best results, bring it to room temperature before serving. castellocheese.com

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Harvey Norman The Broodie Floor Lamp is a great piece to create a retro look. With an on-trend copper-coloured shade and a matte-black lamp body, it adds a stylish finishing touch to any space around the home. $399. harveynorman.com.au

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Parisi The Jar Butler Sink with Rim 375mm has a special glaze that’s resistant to acids, alkalines, stains and thermal shock. Jar Butler Sink with Rim 375mm including basket waste: $1,035; plus timber chopping board, $315. parisi.com.au

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Winning Appliances The Smeg Portofino Multifuel Pyrolytic Cooker features an LCD screen, and Soft Close and Thermoseal technology to maintain atmospheric balance for the best cooking results. $6990. winningappliances.com.au

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Riedel The Fatto a Mano range, available in six colours and six grape varieties combines the elegance of Venetian tradition in a handmade stem and base with a machine made bowl. $129.95 per piece, $599.95 for a 6 pack. riedel.com

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HotelsCombined It’s never been easier or more affordable to book your next getaway to the Hawaiian Islands. Spectacular natural wonders, adrenalin-fuelled activities and delicious cuisine are just the beginning. HotelsCombined.com.au

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Google Home Mini Get hands-free help in any room. Powered by the Google Assistant, you can ask it questions and tell it to do things.

Use one or have a few around the house. $79. store.google.com

The high life The latest Bali cliffhanger combines look-at-me architecture, ine dining and poolside lounging, writes THEODORA SUTCLIFFE.

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n 1971 the classic Australian surf film Morning of the Earth unleashed the siren song of Uluwatu, a rocky promontory on the south-west tip of Bali whose metronomic swells and epic barrels drew a generation of adventure-seekers. Four decades later the area’s towering sea cliffs draw more attention than the increasingly crowded line-up, and Uluwatu’s latest landmark speaks to a generation of travellers attracted by style, not surf.

The new clifftop complex has three attractions: a day club, Omnia, an offshoot of the Las Vegas nightclub of the same name; a Japanese fine-diner, Sake no Hana, an outpost of the well-regarded restaurant based in Mayfair in London; and a 56-suite hotel, set to open later this year.

Entering the property feels more like walking onto

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Above: Omnia’s The Cube bar.

Right: Sake no Hana restaurant, above an open-air lounge.

a Cinecittà film set than the standard club sashay. A covered teak bridge, arrival courtyard and reception area flow towards a grand staircase, which in turn reveals six cabanas, two bungalows and a collection of day beds fringed by infinity-edge pools that hug the cliff. Beyond lies a cantilevered catwalk to The Cube, a showpiece bar that seems to levitate above the Indian Ocean.

The project’s partners are high-end nightlife entrepreneurs Hakkasan Group, developer Kaja Group, and Alila Hotels and Resorts, which operates the nearby Alila Villas Uluwatu. Two design houses – Singapore-based Woha, which has done projects for Kaja and Alila, and New York’s Rockwell Group (Hakkasan Group’s go-to nightlife designers) – worked side by side on the brief. “We felt that combining

PHOTOGRAPHY MARTIN WESTLAKE

The complex is positioned on an 80-metre plateau above the ocean. Clockwise from right: Sake no Hana restaurant; Omnia’s poolside cabanas; the complex at night.

Rockwell’s understanding of spatial needs with Woha’s aesthetic understanding of the market would enhance the overall project,” says Paul Hugo, Hakkasan Group’s director of music and marketing for Indonesia.

Blessed with a natural amphitheatre to work with, Woha approached the project with social media image-sharing in mind. Even before the official opening later this month, the catwalk and glistening cube have become an essential Bali backdrop for the influencer crowd. “Omnia has lots of photogenic views,” says Woha’s Richard Hassell. “The Cube, the dramatic cantilever over the crashing surf, the pool with its infinity edge...”

Fluttering diaphanous curtains soften the angular lines of bungalows and cabanas carved from local stone. Beautiful bodies pose on podiums or at the swim-up bar, DJs play sunshine grooves and goodtime electro, and butlers deliver robust cocktails and one of Indonesia’s better selections of bottled spirits.

Latticework crafted from reclaimed ironwood railway sleepers wraps around Sake no Hana; inside the restaurant, an abstract grid of bangkirai and teak reflects the dramatic interior of the London original. The attention to shun, a Japanese

concept of meticulous seasonality, is also echoed here in dishes including delicately marbled wagyu tataki and flawless sashimi moriawase.

Once a refuge for exiled criminals and those who practised black magic, the Bukit Peninsula and the area around Uluwatu in particular have become a hotbed for luxury day clubs. Karma Kandara, with its spectacular clifftop spa, is expanding its beach club, accessed by private funicular railway; Oneeighty has a glassbottomed pool cantilevered over the cliff; and a music recording studio is among the features at Ulu Cliffhouse.

Uncharacteristically for Bali, a magnet for families and schoolies,

Design

Omnia enforces a guest age-limit of 21, the legal minimum age for alcohol consumption in Indonesia. Says Hugo: “If you’re paying premium money for a day bed or for a cabana, the experience will not be enhanced by kids running around and bombing into the pool.” ● Omnia day club is open daily 11am-7pm. A minimum day-long spend applies to the use of day beds, cabanas and bungalows: $115 for two-person day beds, $940 for 15-person cabanas and $1125 for 15-person bungalows with private pools. Reservations are recommended on weekends and during peak season, omniaclubs.com/bali. Sake no Hana is open daily noon-11pm. Reservations are recommended for dinner on weekends, sakenohana.com/bali G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

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UNPACKING

Not strictly ballroom Forget the India travel guide – DOMINIC KNIGHT inds he should have packed his best Bollywood moves.

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love a destination wedding.

I toasted friends in a Mid-century house in Palm Springs, and joined a party in a vineyard in Orange, and yet another against the picturesque backdrop of an old French hotel in Vientiane. But I regret missing one in Delhi which, judging by the photos, featured massive buffets, all-night parties and a groom on horseback. Always say yes to a wedding that lasts three days.

I eventually made it to an Indian wedding two years ago. There I was in the Hyatt Regency Chennai, dressed in a Rajasthani silk kurta and sick with nerves. It wasn’t jet lag or culture shock.

I was the groom.

Our three-day wedding would begin with a mehndi party where the women would be painted with henna. Next day was the formal engagement ceremony, the nichayathartham, followed by a dawn

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ceremony where we would walk around a fire and make promises to each other as prescribed by Hindu tradition. Finally, we’d host a reception dinner back at the hotel to thank our guests. I was vague on the detail. “They don’t rehearse wedding ceremonies in India,” my betrothed assured me.

So we’re gathered in the hotel’s function room, our guests dressed in kurtas and saris and chatting furiously while a team of artists begin painting intricate patterns on the arms of the women. I’m sweating in my kurta, but I begin to relax.

Then the DJ announces it’s time for some dancing. Everyone will gather in a circle around the groom, he tells the crowd, and watch him perform his Bollywood dance moves.

Surely he jests. But, no, he’s quite serious and everyone forms a circle

around us like it’s part of a script I’ve never seen.

I panic. I’m a hopeless dancer – I can barely manage a swaying shuffle let alone the exuberant choreography seen in Indian movies. How will I perform in front of my future in-laws? What if they decide I’m unfit for their daughter – or just plain unfit?

But our guests are waiting, smiling but a little impatient. The bhangra beat of Panjabi MC’s “Mundian To Bach Ke” fills the room. It’s showtime.

I remember watching an Indian comedian doing a routine about Bollywood dance steps, and some of her jokes come back to me: screwing a lightbulb, patting a dog, picking fruit.

Our guests are polite and encouraging as I screw the lightbulb, pat the dog and pick the fruit, but after a minute I’ve run out of moves. Desperate, I waggle my arms like a broken wave machine. The mood in the room chills. I’m losing them.

And that’s when my bride takes pity on me. Raised on Bollywood movies, she has an exhaustive repertoire. I copy her, the guests copy us, and within a few minutes the circle has dissolved into frenzied dancing. By the end of the day we’ve changed more lightbulbs than they have in the entire hotel.

The religious ceremonies that follow are conducted at a beautiful Kerala-style courtyard house, festooned with marigolds. My family and I arrive on a bullock cart, which, for spectacle’s sake, certainly beats an Uber.

The following day, after a few hours of ceremonies, I walk out. With a parasol and the Hindu scriptures and hard sandals to represent my disdain for worldly comforts, I stride off to abandon the marriage and become a hermit.

But then, as is the tradition, my father-in-law meets me at the gate, “convinces” me otherwise, and presents me with a gift of coconuts. So I turn around and marry his daughter after all.

Next time I’m invited to a wedding in India, I’m definitely going. And I’ll warn the groom about the dancing. ● Dominic Knight is a co-founder of The Chaser. His latest book is Strayapedia (Allen & Unwin, $29.99).

ILLUSTRATION LIZ ROWLAND/ILLUSTRATION ROOM

Tr a v e l m e m o i r

City hitlist

Don’t miss

EAT Eat your way through Kuromon Ichiba, one of Japan’s largest food markets, while admiring the gleaming seafood and impeccably fresh produce from more than 150 vendors. At the modest Takoyaki Wanaka stall, a line forms every morning for what are some of the city’s best octopus balls. Other highlights are a knife shop that’s been open since 1775, and a tea house dating back to 1937. 2 Chome 4-1 Nipponbashi Dōtonbori

Osaka PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES (DŌTONBORI AND KANIDOURAKU DŌTONBORI-HONTEN) & ALAMY (BUNRAKU)

Japan’s second city stays true to its merchant roots with lively malls and superb street food, writes AMELIA LESTER.

SEE Bunraku Founded in Osaka in the early 17th century, the traditional Japanese theatre of bunraku stars puppets so big they’re controlled by three puppeteers.

Stories of heroes and demons are accompanied by a chanter and a musician playing the shamisen, a three-stringed instrument. The National Bunraku Theatre ofers English audio guides. 1 Chome 12-10 Nipponbashi, ntj.jac.go.jp/english

STAY Conrad Osaka This new luxury hotel is located in the heart of the commercial district on the 33rd to 40th floors of a shiny skyscraper. All 164 rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows with panoramic views and signature white circular bathtubs. Whimsical works by Japanese artists including Kohei Nawa feature throughout. 3 Chome-2-4 Nakanoshima, conradhotels3.hilton.com

Getting there Qantas flies to Osaka from Sydney direct.

Airlines including Japan Airlines, ANA and Jetstar fly from select Australian cities via Tokyo.

Kanidouraku Dōtonbori-Honten This popular chain’s original location overlooks the neon wonderland of Dōtonbori (left) – just follow the giant red crab (above). Inside, on the first of the restaurant’s four floors, the legion of live crabs hanging out in a tank are in capable hands; the kitchen turns out all things crab with remarkable consistency, from croquettes to kani nabe, a hearty hot pot.

1 Chome-6-18 Dōtonbori Again Trust an unpretentious Osakan to take deep-frying to the next level. Run by a former sommelier, Again is a Michelin-starred shoebox devoted to the art of kushiage: battered meat and vegetables on a stick. The seasonal omakase is almost impossibly light, even if the fried-egg-andhamburger-curry skewer sounds anything but. 3F, Umebachi Bldg, 1-5-7 Sonezakishinchi Fujiya1935 What began as a noodle joint in 1935 is now among the World’s 50 Best restaurants. And it's almost certainly the world’s finest Japanese-Spanish eatery.

Tetsuya Fujiwara is the fourth generation of his family in the kitchen, though he trained in Barcelona. Now he creates imaginative, elegant fare such as wasabi pasta and lily root and black trule flan.

2-4-14 Yariyamachi Chuo-ku ●

A walking tour with Inside Osaka reveals hidden hotspots in the “nation’s kitchen”, as Japan’s rice-trade hub is known, as well as the comedy clubs and theatres for which Osaka is renowned. insideosaka.net G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

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Style 1

2 3 5 4

6

Visit

Le Très Particulier bar, Paris

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Chanel

French polish Mix monochrome staples with seductive red accents for that elusive je ne sais quoi.

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1 Helmut Lang coated shell trench coat, $1,651, from Net-a-Porter. 2 Small hoop earrings, $690, from Céline. 3 Leather beret, $99.95, from Witchery. 4 Stripe wrap shirt, $229, from Country Road. 5 Grown Alchemist Vanilla & Orange Peel Hand Cream, $27, from Mecca Cosmetica. 6 Miss Lark sunglasses, $283, from Karen Walker.

7 Prada belted shell trench coat, $1,280, from Net-a-Porter. 8 Retro Matte Lipstick in Ruby Woo, $36, and Lip Pencil in Cherry, $30, from MAC Cosmetics. 9 H&M Studio wide cotton shirt, $99.99, from H&M. 10 Leather and canvas shopper, $4,370 from Chanel. 11 Raey zip-front leather pencil skirt, $837, from Matches Fashion. 12 Glass bead bracelet, $860, from Chanel. 13 Calfskin clutch $4,250, from Céline. 14 Gianvito Rossi suede and PVC mules, $945, from Net-a-porter. 15 Stripe wide-leg pant, $249, from Country Road. Stockists p176.

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7 PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES (LE TRÈS PARTICULIER, CHANEL). MERCHANDISING LIZ ELTON

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Beauty

Sugar crush With these autumnal shades, your love of chocolate doesn’t have to end on the plate.

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WORDS AND STYLING LIZ ELTON. PHOTOGRAPHY ROB SHAW. SPOON FROM THE DEA STORE. ALL OTHER PROPS STYLIST’S OWN. STOCKISTS P176

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Wide variety of cuisine.

Ultimate enjoyment.

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6 7

THE

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1 Chanel’s iconic long-lasting polish is the perfect shade for the season. Chanel Le Vernis Longwear Nail Colour in Brun Contraste, $41, chanel.com. 2 Bronze and contour while evening skin tone and pigmentation. Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil Bronzer, $44, mecca.com.au. 3 Its creamy texture will melt onto your lips and stay put for hours. Marc Jacobs Beauty Le Marc Liquid Lip Crayon in Burn Notice, $38, sephora.com.au. 4 A satin finish allows you to build the intensity of your colour. MAC Cosmetics Satin Lipsick in Film Noir, $36, maccosmetics.com.au. 5 This antioxidant-rich pencil will fill even the finest of gaps in your brows. Napoleon Perdis Eyebrow Pencil in Chocoholic, $32, napoleonperdis.com.

6 Rich in pigment and incredibly easy to blend. Napoleon Perdis Color Disc in Chocolate Ganache, $29, napoleonperdis.com. 7 Build the ideal smoky eye for day or night. Elizabeth Arden Eyeshadow Trio in Bronzed to Be, $28, elizabetharden.com.au. 8 A chiselled, angular tip allows for smooth, precise lines. MAC Cosmetics Liptensity Lip Pencil in Double Fudge, $42, maccosmetics.com.au.

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INDULGENCE PROMISE

Indulgent buffets with live cooking and extra children’s dishes Varied buffet themes featuring regional products Excellent gala buffets once a week as a special treat Enjoy special dinner locations, such as right on the beach Exceptional speciality restaurants WellFood® – nutritious food designed to give you a boost of energy Get happy with lots of Felicity Food dishes

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p

113

Fennel-spiced semolina cake with yoghurt

Cook’s notes • All cup and spoon measures are level and based on Australian metric measures.

• Eggs have an average weight of 59gm unless otherwise specified.

• Fruit and vegetables are washed, peeled and medium-sized unless otherwise specified.

• Oven temperatures are for conventional ovens and need to be adjusted for fan-forced ovens.

• Pans are medium-sized and heavy-based; cake tins are stainless steel, unless otherwise specified.

Cooking tips • When seasoning food, we use sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

• To blanch an ingredient, cook it briefly in boiling water, then drain it. To refresh it, plunge it in plenty of iced water, then drain it.

• We recommend using free-range eggs, chicken and pork. We use female pork for preference.

• Makrut lime leaves are also known as kair lime leaves.

• To dry-roast spices, cook in a dry pan, stirring over medium-high heat until fragrant. Cooking time varies.

• RSPCA Australia’s advice for killing crustaceans humanely is to render the animals insensible by placing them in the freezer (under 4°C) until the tail or outer mouth parts can be moved without resistance; crustaceans must then be killed quickly by cutting through the centreline of the head and thorax.

For crabs, insert a knife into the head. This process destroys the nerve centres of the animal.

• All herbs are fresh, with leaves and tender stems used, unless specified.

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G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

• Non-reactive bowls are made from glass, ceramic or plastic. Use them in preference to metal bowls when marinating to prevent the acid in marinades reacting with metal and imparting a metallic taste.

• Eggwash is lightly beaten egg used for glazing or sealing.

• Sugar syrup is made of equal parts sugar and water, unless otherwise specified. Bring the mixture to the boil to dissolve sugar, remove from heat and cool before use.

• Acidulated water is a mixture of water and lemon juice.

• To sterilise jars and lids, run them through the hot rinse cycle in a dishwasher, or wash them in hot soapy water, rinse well, place on a tray in a cold oven and heat at 120°C for 30 minutes.

• To blind bake, line a pastry-lined tart tin with baking paper, then fill it with weights (ceramic weights, rice and dried beans work best).

• To test whether marmalade, jam or jelly is at setting point, you’ll need a chilled saucer. Remove the pan from the heat, spoon a little mixture onto the saucer and return it to the freezer for 30 seconds, then draw your finger through the mixture – it should leave a trail, indicating that it’s reached setting point. If not, cook for another few minutes before testing again. If you prefer, use a sugar thermometer to measure when the mixture reaches 105°C; once it does, start testing.

• To clarify butter, cook it over low heat until the fat and the milk solids separate. Strain of the clear butter and discard the milk solids. You will lose about 20 per cent of the volume in milk solids.

Stockists Batch Ceramics batchceramics.com.au Bison Home (02) 6257 7255, bisonhome.com Cargo Crew cargocrew.com.au Céline celine.com Chanel 1300 242 635, chanel.com Country Road 1800 801 911, countryroad.com.au Dinosaur Designs (02) 9698 3500, dinosaurdesigns.com.au Francalia (02) 9948 4977, francalia.com.au H&M Studio hm.com/au Hale Mercantile Co halemercantileco.com Hub (02) 9217 0700, hubfurniture.com.au Ikea ikea.com.au In Bed Store inbedstore.com Jook Ceramics itsajook.com Kana London kanalondon.com Karen Walker karenwalker. com Katherine Mahoney katherinemahoney.id.au M.A.C maccosmetics.com.au Matches Fashion matchesfashion.com Mecca 1800 007 844, mecca.com.au Mr. Draper mrdraper.com.au Mud Australia (02) 9569 8181, mudaustralia.com Myer myer.com.au Net-a-Porter net-a-porter.com Papaya (02) 9386 9980, papaya.com.au Quies Designs quiesdesigns.com Riedel (02) 9966 0033, riedelglass.com.au Studio Enti studioenti.com.au The DEA Store (02) 9698 8150, thedeastore.com The Essential Ingredient theessentialingredient.com.au The Forty-Nine Studio thefortynine.com.au West Elm westelm.com.au Witchery 1800 640 249, witchery.com.au

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PHOTOGRAPHY ALICIA TAYLOR

Measures & equipment

Fare exchange 2 tsp finely diced crystallised ginger, to serve CHOCOLATE POTS

520 250 2¼ 6 65 130

Dark chocolate pots de crème with ginger pear SERVES 8 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 50 MINS (PLUS CHILLING)

Stokehouse Q, Sidon St, South Bank, Brisbane, Qld, (07) 3020 0600, stokehouseq.com.au

ml pouring cream ml (1 cup) milk tsp Dutch process cocoa egg yolks gm caster sugar gm dark chocolate (55%-60% cocoa solids), finely chopped PEAR IN GINGER SYRUP

250 gm caster sugar 25 gm (5cm piece) ginger, thickly sliced 2 large corella pears, peeled, cored and cut into 3cm pieces 1 For chocolate pots, preheat oven to 160°C and place eight

150ml-200ml ramekins in a deep roasting pan. Whisk cream, milk and cocoa in a saucepan over medium heat, bring to the boil, then whisk constantly for 1 minute to cook cocoa. Whisk yolks and sugar in a separate bowl until well combined, then whisking constantly, gradually pour in hot cream mixture, then add chocolate and stir until melted. Strain through a fine sieve into a jug, then pour into ramekins, filling three-quarters full. Transfer baking tray to oven, then fill tray with enough boiling water to come halfway up sides of ramekins. Bake until set with a slight wobble in the middle (25-30 minutes). Remove

ramekins from water, cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate to chill (at least 2 hours or overnight).

2 For pear in ginger syrup, combine sugar, ginger and 250ml water in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Turn of heat, cover with a lid and leave to infuse (1 hour, or longer for a stronger flavour). Bring syrup back to a simmer over medium heat, add pear and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened (8-10 minutes). Keep warm, or refrigerate and warm briefly before serving.

3 Drain pear and spoon over chocolate pots with crystallised ginger to serve.

Recipe index SOUPS, STARTERS, SNACKS AND SIDES

MEAT AND POULTRY Casarecce with pork

Agedashi tofu with daikon ●........138

and chilli ● .....................................64

Anchovy and tomato bruschetta ●..................................117 Cucumber, olive and roasted-onion salad ●●●.................................... 121 Farro, white bean and smoked ham soup ●●.................................111 Freekeh and shaved cauliflower salad with herb dressing ●● ... 112

Chicken with barley, olives and chilli ●........................ 110 Duck with orange and quatre épices ●.......................... 126 Indian spiced yoghurt chicken with cardamom-coconut pilaf ●........68

Garlic chive soup ● ........................139

Kibbeh ●............................................ 112 Lamb shawarma................................131

Jeera rice and dhal curry ●......... 109

Lamb shoulder ragù

walnuts and black barley ●● . 108

with gnocchetti ●........................ 118

brown rice bowl ●● ....................64 Mushroom parcels ●● ................. 128 Okonomiyaki.....................................137 Peas, beans, ricotta and

Roast chicken with tarragon, garlic and lemon ●●................. 130 Sesame-dressed greens and carrots ....................................136

mint bruschetta ●●.....................117 Spinach and udon soup ● ............139 Witlof, grapefruit and pecorino salad ●●●................................... 122

SIMPLE

Stir-fried chicken and garlic chives ●.........................................134

Shaanxi-style lamb with cumin and celery ● ..................... 67 Sirloin steak with red wine sauce and kipfler chips ● ..........65

GLUTEN-FREE

Chocolate, coconut and date slab ●●●●..................39 Chocolate-coconut pudding with passionfruit and ice-cream ●●...69 Chocolate-hazelnut

SEAFOOD Clams with bacon and corn ● .....................................66 Pan-fried ocean trout with cauliflower, almond and brown butter ● .............................68 Vinegared octopus and wakame ●.....................................135 Whole snapper roasted with curry flavours ● ..................127

meringue cake ●● ..................... 101 Chocolate, sour cherry and ricotta crumble cake ●●.......... 104 Dark chocolate pots de crème with ginger pear ●●● ............... 177 Fennel-spiced semolina cake with yoghurt ●●● .......................113 Hazelnut tiramisù ●●● .................123 Hot cross buns ●● ..........................42 Little brownie cakes with fudge sauce ●●●............. 100

Rib-eye steak with chilli sauce.................................... 120

Mushroom and pine nut

coleslaw ● ................................... 128

Chicken wings with adjika ●....... 129

Grilled Roman beans ●● ............. 122 Miso-glazed mushrooms with

PHOTOGRAPHY ANDREW FINLAYSON

sausage, cavolo nero

Spice-roasted pork with

DESSERTS AND SWEETS Anzac biscuits, reinvented ●●.....93 Black and white cheesecake ●● ......................... 102

Mini white chocolate bundts with bitter chocolate glaze ●●●.... 102 Salted chocolate layer cake with whipped ganache ●● ..... 104

Caramelised honey and popcorn bars with salted

DRINKS AND EXTRAS

chocolate ●●●●.........................39

Hot chocolate ●●●.........................45

Chocolate and buttermilk slab cake ●●●........................... 103

VEGETARIAN

Katsuobushi dashi ●●●................137 Kaya ●●●..........................................49

CAN BE PREPARED AHEAD G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

177

Chefs’ recipes

Fare exchange Recipes you’ve requested from Australia’s leading restaurants

Dark chocolate pots de crème with ginger pear

p

177

Pots de crème Linen tablecloth from In Bed Store. All other props stylist’s own.

Stockists p176.

REQUEST A RECIPE // TO REQUEST A RECIPE, EMAIL FAREEXCHANGE @ BAUER-MEDIA.COM.AU 178

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

RECIPE RICHARD OUSBY AND SAVANNAH SEXTON. PHOTOGRAPHY ANDREW FINLAYSON. STYLING ROSIE MEEHAN. FOOD PREPARATION MAX ADEY

“I love digging into the chocolate pots at Stokehouse Q, but what I’d love even more is to make them at home. Could you please ask for the recipe?”

Yvonne Dao, New Farm, Qld

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