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 Food
¡TACO FARM GRAND IN THE
FIESTA! FRESH FINALE MIX
Carne asada, A passion for Party cakes Shaun Byrne and
smoky calamari produce drives that pop with Gilles Lapalus of
and spicy chicken Palisa Anderson’s flair and colour Maidenii celebrate
tacos meet zingy Thai cooking, with tip the scales vermouth with
cocktails for good Boon Luck Farm at from everyday cocktails perfect
times galore. the heart of it all. to extra special. for the sunshine.

100 108 118 128

Features
FRIED CHICKEN THE NEXT PARTY PARTY
IS COMMON ROUND PEOPLE PIECES
GROUND Whether it’s a What’s the secret Bright colours,
Even in Australia, gin hall or a cave to celebration bold patterns
fried chicken is à manger you success? Hosts and a tropical
a dish that runs fancy, Australia’s with the most spin – everything
right back to its new bars have spill the bubbly on you need to
Southern roots. it covered. how best to party. set the scene.

76 80 86 89
Travel
TRAIL WE NEED TO
BLAZER TALK ABOUT
Serious hikers take MARGARET
months to walk the The latest wave
Appalachian Trail. of Margaret River
Alexandra Carlton restaurants brings
sees the highlights new breadth to
in a week. the popular region.

138 148

Party
PHOTOGRAPHY BEN DEARNLEY.

issue

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 9
 NOV
On the
Appalachian
Trail, USA

p 138

Regulars
14 EDITOR’S LETTER 44 THE EXPLAINER 158 TRAVEL MEMOIR
Barbecue sauces. Running out of luck
16 CONTRIBUTORS in Trinidad, Cuba. ON THE COVER
46 PRODUCE
18 160
Corn tortillas (p104); carne
FOUR DISHES Paulette Whitney on STYLE asada tacos with arbol chilli
Our favourite plates roasting a whole pig. Pair metallics with sparkles salsa (p104); chicken tinga tacos
this month. this party season. (p105); and calamari and corn
50 DRINKS tacos with salsa verde (p106).
23 NEWS Large bottles, party pies 162 BEAUTY
The latest from the food and a little fizz make for Party makeup.
and travel scenes. the best celebrations.
168 STOCKISTS
34 HOW I EAT 52 MELBOURNE REVIEW Plus our cook’s notes
Leigh Sales on lobster The team from Embla has and privacy notice.
suppers, special apples levelled up its offering
and Paul McCartney. with Lesa, a savvy new 169 RECIPE INDEX
sister restaurant upstairs.
36 HOW I TRAVEL 170 FARE EXCHANGE
Fashion designer Karen 55 SYDNEY REVIEW Chefs’ recipes you’ve
Walker on the allure of After winning fans with requested.
big old cities. sandwiches and pop-ups,
Joey Astorga puts down ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
39
PHOTOGRAPHY PAOLA + MURRAY.

FIVE OF A KIND roots at Paperbark. OF COUNTRY Recipes Lisa Featherby

Bitters. Gourmet Traveller
67
Photography Ben Dearnley
QUICK MEALS acknowledges the Gadigal
Styling Claire Delmar
40 ANATOMY OF A DISH Midweek meals in no time.
people of the Eora Nation as the
traditional custodians of the SUBSCRIBE
Classic cocktails.
134 SUBSCRIBE
place we now call Sydney, magshop.com.au/

42
where this magazine is australian-gourmet-traveller
MASTERCLASS
156
published. Gourmet Traveller
A step-by-step guide to CITY HITLIST also pays respects to elders
making sponge cake. Basel. past, present and emerging.

10 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
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 Editor Sarah Oakes
Managing Editor Pat Nourse
Creative Director Liz Elton
Travel Editor Helen Anderson

Food
Food Director Lisa Featherby
Contributing Food Editor Nick Banbury

Art
Art Director Brooke Donaldson
Junior Designer Laura Jacobs

Words
Senior Editor David Matthews
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Editorial office GPO Box 4088, Sydney, NSW 2001, Australia phone +61 2 9282 8758
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Editor’s letter
Party pieces
p 89
M
y husband is a passionate
home brewer. As with many
passions, the accoutrements
of his hobby have slowly
made their way into our lives and
living spaces. A quaint workshop in
our backyard I once envisioned as
a greenhouse has been transformed
into a small bar replete with hand-
fashioned oak bar, upcycled stools,
two beers on tap and a revolving
selection of bottles.
The garage transitioned into a
microbrewery some time ago, our
car left unsheltered on the street to
face the elements, sometimes several
blocks away during busy periods at the
Greek Orthodox Church across the
road. I often find beer bubbling away
under the dining table or lining the
laundry benches if conditions in the
shed aren’t quite right.
Of course there are upsides to
having a small brewery in your home.
For starters, the party always comes
to you. We have a pre-prepared and
designated entertaining space that
never runs dry (so far, at least). We’ve
made friends with neighbours and
local businesses all by having them
over for an impromptu beer or two.
EMAIL ASKGOURMET@BAUER-MEDIA.COM.AU // FOLLOW @ GOURMETTRAVELLER // ONLINE GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
14 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
Of course the downside is… the
party always comes to you. But then
the journey home to bed, up a single
flight of stairs and into the loving,
warm embrace of our bedroom, one
of the few sacred, beer-free spaces in
the home, only takes a moment.
However you choose to party,
entertain or celebrate this holiday
season I hope you’ll find plenty of
good ideas and inspiration inside
this issue. I wouldn’t completely
recommend turning your house
into a brewpub, but there are those
days when it does feel like a stroke
of genius, with only a few medium-
sized compromises.
Follow
@ SARAHALICEOAKES
Where we’ve been
Laura Jacobs, junior designer;
Cottesloe Beach
A calm and clear afternoon walking
along the coast from Leighton beach to
Swanbourne was so picture perfect, even
the galahs were taking in the view.
@laurajanejacobs
Lisa Featherby, food director;
Bangkok
It only took one meal in Bangkok, en
route to Phuket, to have me so excited to
be back in Thailand – the bright colours,
the markets and street food can’t be
beaten. @lisafeatherby
PHOTOGRAPHY BEN DEARNLEY (PARTY PIECES) & ALANA LANDSBERRY (PORTRAIT).
Helen Anderson, travel editor;
somewhere in the South Pacific Ocean
Vertigo test aboard Majestic Princess,
en route to Sydney. From its glass-floored
“sea walk” on Deck 16, look down at the
churning ocean, 39 metres below, for
a reliable surge of adrenaline.
@handersonglobal
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Contributors
SHAUN BYRNE
bartender & author
In the mix, p128
Shaun Byrne has mixed drinks
since he was allowed into bars,
and hasn’t looked back. After
working in the UK for four years,
he came home to join Gin Palace
in Melbourne, then launched
Maidenii, an Australian vermouth
brand, with winemaker Gilles
Lapalus. In their first book, The
Book of Vermouth, they show
off the aromatised wine in all its
glory. “Vermouth and cocktails
go hand in hand,” he says. “I
encourage you to grab a bottle.”
16 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
PALISA ANDERSON
restaurateur
Farm fresh, p108
Palisa Anderson is the director
of Chat Thai, a group of nine
Sydney eateries founded by
her mother, Amy Chanta. After
working in London, New York
and Tokyo for many years,
she returned to join the family
business. At Boon Luck, in
Byron Bay, she and her husband
Matt follow a natural farming
philosophy, “Often that means
it’s wild,” she says, “which
I hope translates a little bit
into the food we serve.”
JESSICA WYLD
photographer
We need to talk about
Margaret, p148
Jessica Wyld grew up in Margaret
River and thought she’d seen
it all. While shooting for GT,
though, she didn’t expect to
traipse through mud with chef
Evan Hayter’s free-range pigs
or stand atop a marble bench
as chef Seth James plated local
marron. “The beaches, forests
and wineries are all familiar,” she
says, “but the new dining options
really strengthen my love for this
once sleepy country town.”
We need to talk
about Margaret
p 148
GERALDINE MUÑOZ PHOTOGRAPHY JACK HAWKINS (SHAUN BYRNE) & KARA ROSENLUND (PALISA ANDERSON).
stylist
Party pieces, p89
Sydney freelance stylist
Geraldine Muñoz has been
plying her creative trade for
the past 15 years, 11 of those
with GT. Naturally drawn to
an earthy palette, she says
she couldn’t resist the brief
for our party-styling feature,
and the chance to branch
out. “It’s not often that I get
to play with such rich, bright
colour, with such bold and
eclectic patterns in the mix
– a styling dream.”
EXPERIENCE
THE CREAMY SENSATION
of Castello Double Cream Brie
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Four dishes

What we’re
eating
Our favourite plates of the moment.

HOUSE CHEESE AND SALUMI,

Osmiza Antonič Andrea
The signs strung with ivy above
Trieste lead down many roads. The
reward? Small farms, osmize, selling
only what they make: wine, salumi,
eggs from their hens, and, in this
case, aged and fresh cheese worth
a detour. Sure, each osmiza opens
just a handful of days a year. But what
days. Osmiza Antonič Andrea, Località
Ceroglie 34, Duino-Aurisina, Trieste.
DAVID MATTHEWS, SENIOR EDITOR

VEGAN CURRIES AND RED RICE,

Give Cafe
This not-for-profit stands out among
the cafés of Canggu for its vegan
Indo plates, this dish of red rice, for
instance, surrounded by tempeh with
green beans, lawar (the Balinese bean
and coconut salad), sambal times
three, mushroom rendang, eggplant,
and chilli tempeh. Just add a coconut.
Give Cafe, Jalan Padang Linjong 85,
Canggu, Bali, +62 859 4286 1236.
HARRIET DAVIDSON, EDITORIAL COORDINATOR

HARRIET DAVIDSON, DAVID MATTHEWS & PAT NOURSE.

PHOTOGRAPHY ANDREW BEZEK (MOMOFUKU KO),

FRIED CHICKEN, Momofuku Ko REUBEN, Baked Uprising

You’re familiar with Ko, the fine-diner Plenty of spice from house-
among the Momofuku restaurants of made sauerkraut and a fine
New York, but did you know it had light rye underpin the unusually
a walk-in bar that serves very good impressive Reuben served
snacks? The cold fried chicken is the at Newcastle’s hippest bakery.
pick of them. Brittle, caramelised and A good hit of Thousand Island
thoroughly steeped in chilli, it’ll fortify dressing and a nicely judged
you against the subway, the weather, ratio of pastrami to Swiss cheese
and pretty much anything the city can seal the deal. Baked Uprising,
throw at you. Momofuku Ko, 8 Extra Pl, 21-25 Downie St, Maryville, NSW.
New York. EMMA BREHENY, DIGITAL EDITOR PAT NOURSE, MANAGING EDITOR

18 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 THE CHOICE OF
AWARD WINNING RESTAURANTS

2019 GOURMET TRAVELLER RESTAURANT GUIDE

Congratulations to the award winning restaurants
who choose to serve Vioria Coffee.

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MonopoleSydney
TheDolphinHotelSydney
WasabiNoosa FelixSydney
LongChimSydney
BotanicGardensRestaurantAdelaide
MusePokolbin
FlowerDrumMelbourne MrWongSydney
NourSydney
PorteñoSydney
SokyoSydney
StanbuliSydney
UccelloSydney
YellowSydney
TheEuroBrisbane
KiyomiBroadbeach
MontrachetBrisbane
NineteenatTheStarBroadbeach
TartufoBrisbane
UrbaneBrisbane
EzardMelbourne
KenzanMelbourne
ParingaEstateMornington
ThePressClubMelbourne
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Co-OpDiningPerth
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 NEWS
NOVEMBER

Edited by HELEN ANDERSON & LEE TRAN LAM

Natural order
A new Victorian retreat, team
Hubert’s goes Italian, and a Bali
restaurant goes waste free.

Lon Retreat
PHOTOGRAPHY NIKOLE RAMSAY.

and Spa.

p 24
 NEWS
Right: Lon Resort and Spa’s main
foyer. Below, from top: the Alto
suite; Point Lonsdale’s back beach;
The Cumulus suite’s bathroom.
Belle of Bellarine
A new retreat makes the case for Victoria’s “other” peninsula.
“We want people to reconnect with the
beauty of doing nothing,” says Claire
Gemes. Hence the private courtyards
furnished with hammocks and outdoor
showers, and “spa bars” in each suite
at Lon, her new retreat and spa on
Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula.
The 80-hectare property has been
owned and farmed by Gemes’ family
since the 19th century. The sandstone
farmhouse, previously the family home
and a B&B run by her parents, has been
renovated so each of the seven suites has
views of Bass Strait, Lake Victoria and
the Point Lonsdale Lighthouse.
With the number of guests capped
at 16, an adults-only policy, an honesty
bar and a minimum two-night stay, Lon
is geared for winding down and switching
off. “Sometimes a walk to the beach is all
you’ll do all day,” Gemes says of the short
stroll to Point Lonsdale’s back beach.
For the first time, a flight to Antarctica leaves from Hobart. A Qantas Boeing 747 will fly
low over the icy continent for about four hours during a 12-hour trip on 25 November. Other
Antarctic flights this season depart Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. antarcticaflights.com.au
24 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
The day spa’s three rooms are
positioned so guests can watch ships sail
past their massage tables, and the heated
hydrotherapy pool is fed by a spring that
filters through caves beneath the property.
Each suite has a barbecue and access
to a pantry of local produce so guests can
DIY, while destination restaurants include
Oakdene Vineyards and Geelong’s Igni.
While much of the new investment
PHOTOGRAPHY WILL HORNER (ALBERTO) & NIKOLE RAMSAY (LON RETREAT AND SPA).
in tourism has funded projects on the
Mornington Peninsula, the Bellarine
Peninsula – just across the heads of Port
Phillip Bay – is catching up. Campbell
Point House, on Lake Connewarre,
opened in October with eight luxury
suites, and artisan brewers and distillers,
such as Bellarine Distillery in Drysdale,
are moving into the wine-growing region.
Lon Retreat and Spa, 25 Gill Rd, Point
Lonsdale, Vic, (03) 5258 2990,
lonretreat.com.au MICHAEL HARDEN

The next project by the Hubert gang has an Italian accent.
From left:
Alberto’s Dan
Pepperell, Allie
Webb, Anton
and Stefan
Forte and
Toby Hilton.
Were you a fan of Dan Pepperell’s
distinctive take on Italian food when he
was the chef at 10 William St? Us too. What
if we told you that he was getting back into
the spaghetti business? Anton and Stefan
Forte, owners of two-star Restaurant Hubert,
have teamed up with their Swillhouse
group colleague Toby Hilton to take over
the Sydney ristorante formerly known as
Berta and open a modern-day enoteca.
Why the Italian direction after Hubert?
“We’ve always known Dan cooks super
sick Italian food,” says Anton Forte.
In his time as head chef at 10 William
St, Pepperell gained many fans for his
imaginative approach to Italian cuisine
(his bottarga dip served with a hot pretzel
remains a signature to this day), and
he applied a similar model to the French
menu at Hubert, so in a way this is a return
to familiar territory for him. He has been
toying with the likes of oysters acqua
pazza, tonnarelli Amatriciana, celeriac
lasagne with a dose of Indian spice,
bistecca grilled over applewood, and
News
The moulded eye indentations allow rapid eye movement, while the beak ensures a black-out.
Dubbed the bird mask and destined for Air New Zealand business passengers, it’s a joint
design project between the airline and New Zealand footwear company Allbirds. The mask
is made from merino wool and a foam of castor-bean oil. airnewzealand.com.au
Meet Alberto
a play on pani ca meusa, the famed
spleen sandwich of Palermo. And, just
for good measure, a Yakult gelato.
What about the drinks? “We’re going for
250 bins, lots of back-vintage Barolo,” Forte
says. The cocktails won’t be rigidly Italian,
either. “There’ll be Negronis, Americanos,
vermouth-based drinks. But who doesn’t
like a Margarita or a Manhattan?”
And the look? Expect a 1960s “Fellini
vibe” with a tribute to Italian cinema and
wine bottles in every corner. Artist Allie
Webb is responsible for the “surrealist, trippy”
streetscape that diners will see as they enter.
Will the Forte brothers’ Italian heritage
Ready for adventure?
play a part? “My Nonna on my Mum’s side
was an awesome cook,” says Forte. “She Backpacks in Victorinox’s
came from a town on the Austrian border, Altmont Classic collection
so she made polenta, lots of long-cooked
dishes, tortellini in brodo. But it’s more
are designed for heavy loads
our style to say ‘hey, my Nonna used to and quick access, and are
do this really mad dish – Dan, can you do equipped with a screwdriver
something with it?’ and just see what
happens.” Alberto opens late November, and bottle opener. From
17-19 Alberta St, Sydney. $169. victorinox.com
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 25
News
SIGNATURE DRINK
The Stolen Town Bike
Petty theft is the inspiration behind Bar Lourinhã’s
party-friendly grapefruit cocktail.
The category of works inspired by
bikes getting nicked is rather small.
The Italian classic Bicycle Thieves
was released in 1948, and Melbourne’s
Bar Lourinhã offers us the Stolen
Town Bike. The cocktail dates back
to 2006, when Matt McConnell and
Jo Gamvros first opened their bar.
One of their regulars would often turn
up on his so-called “town bike” – until
the day it got swiped. The team at Bar
Lourinhã created the zesty grapefruit
drink to cheer him up.
“This cocktail has been on the list
since it all began,” says McConnell.
“It can easily be transferred to a
punch bowl as a party drink, over a
large block of cut ice with grapefruit,”
says Gamvros. Cool it in the fridge
ahead of the party or, better still,
leave it in a pre-chilled caña or short
26 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
cocktail glass, to be served straight
up once guests arrive. “Top with
grapefruit soda and serve with
a guindilla pepper garnish as a
nice twist,” she says. Bar Lourinhã,
37 Little Collins St, Melbourne, Vic,
barlourinha.com.au
> Combine 30ml vodka, 30ml oloroso
sherry, 10ml sugar syrup, a dash
of grapefruit bitters and 45ml fresh
grapefruit juice in a cocktail shaker,
top with ice, and shake vigorously for
10 seconds. Strain into a highball, top
with grapefruit soda and garnish with
basil and a twist of grapefruit.
This recipe is an edited extract from
Eat at the Bar by Matt McConnell and
Jo Gamvros (Hardie Grant Books,
$50, hbk).
Dan Hunter’s affinity with native
ingredients inspired Koko Black to
collaborate with the Brae chef on
a new chocolate range. Flavours
include passion and strawberry
gum, lemon aspen and whipstock
wattleseed as well as Davidson’s
plum (aka the Davo). kokoblack.com
CHAMPAGNE
& WHITE SAND
Already the last word in luxury, Lizard Island Resort in Far
PHOTOGRAPHY MARK ROPER (EAT AT THE BAR).
North Queensland has taken indulgence to new heights
in a partnership with Champagne brand Dom Pérignon.
Guests are whisked by private boat to snorkel the reef and
then dropped at a secluded beach for a picnic of lobster
rolls and chilled Champagne. The Dom Pérignon Retreat
includes dinner under the stars, prepared with regional
produce by chef Ryan Locke, and just when guests think
they’ve reached peak extravagance, they return to an
upgraded suite, slip into complimentary silk pyjamas, light
a Dom Pérignon-scented candle and pop open a bottle
of the acclaimed 2009 vintage. lizardisland.com.au/
experiences/dom-perignon-retreat LIZ ELTON
 RESTAURANT NEWS
At London’s Two Lights
(clockwise from front),
skate wing, grouse
sausage, flatbread with
mussels, potato rolls with
bottarga butter, sardine
katsu sandwich and
roasted artichoke with
sunflower-seed miso.
MELBOURNE Don’t expect
typical Indian fare at Elichi.
Here, the naan is slathered
with black-garlic butter and
tandoori chicken is served
with a yoghurt emulsion and
jicama. Chef Punit Fernandes
(Rockpool Bar & Grill) also
likes adding native accents
to the menu: finger lime in
the pani-puri, for instance,
and saltbush in the lamb ribs.
BRISBANE Jonathan
Barthelmess has shared
his draft menu for Greca, the
sibling to The Apollo in Sydney
and Tokyo, opening at the end
of November at the Howard
Smith Wharves. Things from
the sea and garden star (such
as zucchini stuffed with crab
and cracked wheat, or calamari
with skordalia) but there’s still
room for cumin lamb skewers
and an epic veal cutlet crumbed
with parsley and garlic.
SYDNEY The team behind
Alfio’s and Wilmer is back with
a new space and a new name.
Don Peppino’s pops up for
six months in the Paddington
site best known as the Grand
Pacific Blue Room. Check
in for favourites from Wilmer
(chickpea pasta, say, with
limelite
duffle
Making Action-Packed
Getaways a Breeze
half-Negronis), alongside a
warm-weather take on tortellini
in brodo and house wine from
Sparrow & Vine “straight from Limelite
the bowser”. Duffle Large
2 wheel trolley duffle,
ADELAIDE Ben McLeod (Peel with external lockable
Street) has joined forces with zipper in black grey
Quentin Whittle and Paul
Tripodi (Stone’s Throw) to open
Herringbone. Kingfish sashimi
with fried cavolo nero and
slow-roasted lamb shoulder
with smoky eggplant are
bestsellers, while the dessert
list takes a left turn with toasted
fennel-seed ice-cream.
NEW YORK Naturally Bourke
Street Bakery’s first US
outpost, in Manhattan’s Nomad Limelite
district, features its classic Duffle Cabin
pork and fennel sausage rolls 2 wheel cabin sized trolley duffle, with paklite smart sleeve
and ginger-brûlée tarts, but in denim grey
they’re supplemented by New
York-only specials, too, such
as peanut butter and jelly *Available in 3 sizes. Available colours Black Grey and Denim Grey
croissants and pumpkin pie.
1300 303 021
LONDON Chase Lovecky (The
Clove Club) has launched his pakliteau | pakliteaustralia
first solo eatery: Two Lights.
The East End restaurant’s
www.paklite.com.au
artichokes with a vegan mayo
made from sunflower-seed
miso recall the chef’s time at
Sydney’s Momofuku Seiobo.
 Dining room at Ijen.
News Right: Ijen chef Wayan
Kresna Yasa; grouper in
banana leaf, smoky garlic
prawns and barbecued
corn at Ijen.

NEWS

Big taste, no waste

There’s no such thing as leftovers at Ijen in Seminyak.

Banana leaves instead of
plastic, line-caught seafood, and
wood fire in place of gas. This
is how the kitchen rolls at Ijen,
a new “zero-waste philosophy”
restaurant at Potato Head
Beach Club in Seminyak, Bali.
Its owner, Potato Head
Family, has a history of
sustainable business practices,
but Ijen takes things up
a notch by repurposing the
majority of its waste – plastics
are processed into building
bricks, green scraps are fed to
local livestock, fish scales are
the star ingredient in rice-flour
crackers. “We use our waste
to create other products:
pickles, aromatic oils, chilli
oil,” says chef Wayan Kresna
Yasa. “We even ferment our
own sambal using a technique
similar to sriracha.”
Ijen’s open-air dining
room is crafted from recycled
materials. The floor is tiled in
terrazzo flecked with broken
glass and plates, furniture is
padded with cushions made
from foam recycled from
motorcycle seats – even
the drinking glasses are
repurposed beer bottles.
Kresna Yasa turns out the
likes of mackerel with rujak,
beans grilled over charcoal,
and grouper in banana leaf
with a root-spice paste – all
touched by wood fire.
The chef grew up on Nusa
Penida, the arid island off
Bali’s east coast, where most
sustenance comes from the
sea. At Ijen he combines
the flavours and techniques
of his upbringing with skills
developed overseas; during
eight years in the US he
cooked for the likes of Ryan
McCaskey at Chicago’s Acadia
and Dan Barber at Stone
Barns. He joined Potato Head
in 2016 to head its Indonesian
restaurant, Kaum.
“Cooking with fire is
something I grew up with,”
says Kresna Yasa, “but at Ijen
I’m combining that with the
Western knowledge that you
grill the fish, finish it in the
oven and get the smokiness
from the wood fire.”
Vegetables are sourced
from local farms, and fish, all
local, are reeled in by hand.
The zero-waste model keeps
Ijen’s kitchen and suppliers
on their toes, but for Kresna
Yasa, the cause is vital.
Another luxury group
in Bali taking sustainability
seriously is Alila Hotels &
Resorts, which is developing
zero-waste policies, and a
waste-processing lab and
facility. Ijen, Potato Head Beach
Club, Jl. Petitenget No. 51,
Seminyak, Bali, ptthead.com
MAYA KERTHYASA

Like sunburn and pavlovas, the arrival of international cruise ships heralds summer. The
season’s first arrival, Majestic Princess, is the newest and largest in the Princess fleet
to visit Australia. She remains until March 2019, sailing 16 itineraries. princess.com

28 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 T H E A R T O F E S S E N C E

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Included TV-to-AV Box cable is required for TV operation.
News

Instead of settling in with a G&T, perhaps your next party move might involve a G&C. Kris Lloyd of
Woodside Cheese Wrights has teamed with gin-makers across South Australia (including Settlers
Spirits and Kangaroo Island Spirits) to create her booze-infused cheddar. The G&C range is available
from her Adelaide Hills Woodside cellar door and key distillers. $18, woodsidecheese.com.au

THREE OF THE BEST

Chicago in slices
In America’s greatest pizza city, Steve Dolinsky chooses three essential examples from 10 styles.

LABRIOLA Having several homegrown
businesses all laser-focused on making
deep-dish is one of Chicago’s unique
characteristics. As I lift out my first slice,
PAT’S Chicago is the city that works, and
immigrants who built the roads, bridges
and skyscrapers loved to end their day at
neighbourhood taverns. Bar owners realised
PIZZERIA BEBU Servers wearing “Feed Me
Pizza” t-shirts stand sentinel in a long, narrow
room at the base of an apartment building
run by pizzaiolo Jeff Lutzow and his partner
Zach Smith. Their well-hydrated dough gets

I see that outer edge – a thin caramelised
layer of mozzarella, clinging to the perimeter.
Underneath, the dough is firm – the result
of being baked on a stone deck – and crisp
throughout. The addition of toasted cornflour
and corn oil to the dough, plus a bottom
layer of coarse cornmeal, add a satisfying
chew. Rich Labriola and his staff have cracked
the code: a deep-dish pizza that both tourists
and picky locals like me crave.
535 N Michigan Ave, labriolacafe.com
they could make ultra-thin pizze cheaply, cut
their pies into tiny squares, and pass them
around to encourage more beer drinking. The
tavern style (or Chicago-style thin) at Pat’s in
Lincoln Park (there are two businesses, one on
the North Side, the other South) is square-cut
with a very thin crust. The sauce is house-
made, as is the excellent fennel-studded
sausage, and the meaty pepperoni is baked
on top of the cheese to release some of the fat
while baking. 2679 N Lincoln Ave, patspizza.info
PHOTOGRAPHY HUGE GALDONES (PIZZA CITY, USA) & ROB SHAW (G&C CHEESE). STYLING AIMEE JONES (G&C CHEESE).
a gentle two-day rest before being shaped
and tossed into a gas-fired, brick-lined oven
for six to eight minutes. Lutzow achieves
what few others can: an ultra-thin middle
that manages to stay firm, crisp and upright.
1521 N Fremont St, bebu.pizza
Pizza City, USA: 101 Reasons why Chicago
is America’s Greatest Pizza Town, by Steve
Dolinsky (Northwestern University Press, $49.95),
nupress.northwestern.edu

Fusion energy Design Canberra Festival

Ilve’s Fusion
Don’t worry, the Ilve Fusion cooktop. returns on 5-25 November
cooktop doesn’t come with
a recipe for sashimi lasagne. with architecture tours,
The sleek 90cm cooktop talks, exhibitions, open-
combines many features:
an integrated downdraft studio visits and a Lake
hood to clear away steam Burley Griffin installation by
and food odours, and four
electronic cooking zones Kengo Kuma, whose recent
using state-of-the-art projects include the dramatic
induction technology to
make mealtimes simpler.
V&A Dundee in Scotland.
$7,999. ilve.com.au designcanberrafestival.com.au

30 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 T H E A R T O F E S S E N C E

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News
Party with a
conscience
Celebrate without causing
any damage that lasts longer
than a hangover.
Kitiya Palaskas knows how to have fun.
The Melbourne-based author of Piñata
Party has made giant festive decorations
in the shape of rollerskates, cocktails
and a donkey (“it was so big you could
actually sit on it,” she says).
As a professional party-starter,
Palaskas is an expert at having a good
time, but she’s also aware that the
practice could more eco-friendly. Her
sustainable party service sidelines
disposable wares and the wasteful
side of celebrating.
Consult Palaskas (kitiyapalaskas.com)
and she’ll be ready with her set-ups,
retro and reusable props, stylish serving
ware and colourful decorations.
She has plenty of green tips: use
honeycomb balls, paper garlands and
fresh flowers rather than balloons (the
CSIRO regards them as one of the biggest
threats to marine life), and if you’re going
to stuff a piñata before joyously smashing
it open, go for “paper over metallic
confetti and glitter – always”.
32 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
Wasara tableware from Epicure
Trading. Glass straws from Jam
Factory. Stockists p168.
xxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
In other party news, this was the year
that plastic straws started vanishing from
bars. In Australia, The Last Straw worked with
474 venues to prevent 20 million straws from
ending up in drinks. In August this year, the
Sydney Opera House went plastic-straw free,
which will result in millions of straws being
diverted from landfill and oceans annually.
Billy Crellin, an artist at Adelaide’s
Jam Factory ( jamfactory.com.au), has his
own solution: colourful tubes made from
glass. “The technique is so old that people
in Germany have the last name ‘tubemaker’,”
he says. (That’s Röhrer, if you’re wondering.)
Looking around at the world’s sustainable
celebrations, the use of plastic utensils,
cups and plates will be phased out in
France by 2020.
And from Japan, the Wasara tableware
range, which is made from fully compostable
sugarcane fibre, can hold hot food and
liquids for up to six hours before softening.
It’s an elegant upgrade on age-old green
party tips, such as on writing your name on
a plastic cup (epicuretrading.com.au).
Don’t miss Dan Hong’s
Sydney Gourmet
Institute event on
14 November: his
Chinese banquet menu
includes fisherman’s-
purse dumplings and
more. harveynorman.
com.au/gourmet-institute
CAPE CRUSADE
The first private lodges in Tasman
National Park, in Tasmania’s south-east,
are models of low-impact beauty and
eco-architecture: Tasmanian hardwood,
solar and wind power, state-of-the-art
recirculating showers. But all eyes are
on the great outdoors. “We wanted to
create lodges that had all the comforts
of a boutique hotel,” says Tasmanian
Walking Company co-owner Brett
Godfrey, “but the star attraction had to
PHOTOGRAPHY ROB SHAW (STRAWS AND PLATES) & LUKE TSCHARKE (TASMANIA). STYLING AIMEE JONES (STRAWS AND PLATES).
be the wilderness itself.” Godfrey and
business partner Rob Sherrard have
added the Three Capes Lodge Walk to
their portfolio, which includes the Bay
of Fires Lodge Walk, Wineglass Bay
Sail Walk and Cradle Mountain Huts
Walk. Lodge walkers with guides tackle
the 46-kilometre Three Capes public
track by day and spend nights at two
private lodges, designed by Sydney
architect Andrew Burns. Comforts
include Tasmanian wines and treatments
in a relaxation pavilion with an outdoor
bath. The four-day Three Capes Lodge
Walk operates year-round and costs from
$2,790 per person. taswalkingco.com.au
Cape Pillar Lodge,
Three Capes
Lodge Walk.
 T H E A R T O F E S S E N C E

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TWINwash® Mini is cold wash only to take care of small and specialty loads.
Leigh Sales
EATING WITH

The 7.30 presenter and author on lobster suppers,

special apples and Paul McCartney.

What was in your lunchbox growing up?
I always hated having to eat a packed
lunch. In Queensland, it always got so
rancid because of the heat. I refused to
have a sandwich because it would get
sweaty and horrible. I used to eat fruit
and Vita-Weats.
You’ve said that going to your local
Chinese restaurant, Double Golden
Dragon, was a special event. What did
you order? Old-school Chinese fare like
sweet-and-sour pork, spring rolls and
beef in black-bean sauce.
Do you have a favourite scoop from
your time studying journalism? There
was a huge story in the early ’90s about
James Scott, a medical student who
went missing in the Himalayas and
was miraculously found after around
40 days in freezing conditions. I scored
an interview with one of his hiking
companions, who happened to be
the brother of one of my best friends.
One of your earliest stories was about
charity lunches for the homeless. What did
you take away from it?
How lucky I was to
not be homeless on Every night we’d
Christmas Day. start with a bucket luck and the role it plays
of mussels, have
You were the
ABC’s Washington a lobster each,
correspondent during then finish with
an eventful period of a slice of pie.
the Bush administration.
How was it covering
9/11, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
and Hurricane Katrina? That was a massive
news period to be there and a very scary
time for the world. I remember being so
INTERVIEW LEE TRAN LAM. PHOTOGRAPHY DANIEL BOUD.
shocked at the devastation wrought by
Hurricane Katrina. I visited Biloxi right
on the coast and it was like a pile of
toothpicks. It was hard to believe it
had ever been full of buildings.
Did you become a fan of American food?
I ate some truly dreadful food, but had
some amazing meals, too. I did a road
trip with my friend Melissa through
Maine, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward
Island and we had the most incredible
lobster suppers almost every night in
community halls. We’d start with a
bucket of mussels, have a lobster each,
and then a slice of whatever pie was
on offer.
In your new book, Any Ordinary Day,
you write of your role hosting 7.30, “I
sometimes interview people on the best
days of their lives and often on the worst.”
How do you prepare for that? It’s hard.
I ask the production team to let me know
if there’s any particularly confronting
material in the stories. I try to remain
detached if the material is very sad or
emotional. I find animal cruelty and
child abuse stories very hard to take.
In the book you’re also upfront about the
uterine rupture you suffered during the
birth of your second child. What made
you feel ready to write about this? The
fact it had had such a profound impact
on me as a person and my view of the
fragility of life.
The likelihood of someone having MS
and being a terrorist’s hostage is one in
1.39 billion, but that’s what happened
to Louisa Hope, who is
interviewed in your book.
Do you often think about
in our lives? All the time. I
am grateful for where I am,
because it is mostly due
to an accident of birth.
I don’t believe in God or
fortunes or anything like
that, but I do find myself
doing silly superstitious rituals, things
like, “If this light stays green, then
the Prime Minister will say yes for a
7.30 interview tonight.”
During a difficult time in your life
your friends dropped off dinners with
entertaining labels. What was the “Trump’s
‘Grab ’Em By The Pussy’ Chicken and
Vegies” like? Ha! That one was basically
roast chicken and vegies, nothing that
had any real connection to Donald Trump.
My friends providing food is a practical
way of showing they care. My friend Ping
dropped me off a fish pie recently when
my father died and it was so comforting.
I try to do the same for others in return.
How I eat
You ate at Blue Hill in Manhattan during
a recent trip to New York. How was it?
Usually I’m very sceptical of that kind of
dining. I always feel like, “Am I about to
be the kind of rube who pays $45 for
a raw carrot? How good can a carrot be?”
The answer is that it can be extraordinary.
Everything about Blue Hill was flawless.
The last thing they served was an apple
cut into slices. The variety of apple was a
snapdragon, which I don’t think we have
in Australia. It was the most astonishingly
delicious apple I’ve ever eaten. I felt tears
well in my eyes – it was that perfect.
You scored the only Australian TV interview
that Paul McCartney gave during his tour
last year. Saying it was a big deal for you
might be an understatement. My parents
owned Help!, Rubber Soul and Revolver, so
they were the first Beatles albums I ever
heard. I’m a massive fan and meeting him
was one of the greatest days of my life.
You also got to play the “Magical Mystery
Tour” piano he’s used onstage for 30 years.
How did it feel to hit the same keys he has?
I don’t think I was that happy on my own
wedding day.
Appearing on Play School must come
close as a career highlight, though? My
kids think so. They were far more excited
by that than they are by me appearing
on 7.30.
Do you reach for the popcorn when a
leadership spill occurs? I wish I had time
to break out the popcorn! I’m always
the one at the centre of the action on
TV. Huge news days are very intense
and I am wrung out afterwards.
You and Annabel Crabb mentioned a recipe
for “Chatters’ Crack” on your podcast,
Chat 10 Looks 3, that ended up going viral.
What’s in it? It’s basically a slice made
of Saladas, toffee, chocolate and toasted
almonds. It went absolutely insane among
the listeners of Chat 10. We heard that
sales of Saladas went crazy. ●
Any Ordinary Day
(Penguin Random House,
pbk, $34.99) is out now.
7.30 is on the ABC Monday
to Thursday each week.
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 35
How I travel

As the founder and designer of a fashion

label, travelling is a big part of what I enjoy
about my job. Media trips, store visits,
design meetings and collaborations –
I’ve designed my business, job and career
in such a way that I get to travel to places
I love and places I’ve never been.

I always make sure I have a certain amount

of dead space during the day when I travel.
I like to have two hours built into my
itinerary that might be for doing yoga
or going to an art gallery. I tire of frantic,
non-stop travel so I make sure, for my
well-being, that there’s time to just breathe.

I’m extremely organised. I like to be

comfortable. I’m not intrepid in any
way. I’m not a thrillseeker. I’ll never
go backpacking or stay in hostels. I like
to have someone waiting for me at the
arrival hall. It’s just how I roll.

Good skincare products are something

I always pack. It’s important when you’re
TRAVELLING WITH in air-conditioning on planes and moving

Karen
Growing up in Auckland spoilt between climates; I use Osmosis Skincare.
me in terms of harbours. I I also always pack my own little black
set the bar very high. I only umbrella – it means I don’t have to

Walker
really feel comfortable in schlep around an umbrella with the
a city by the sea and feel hotel logo on it. That’s the best way
most at home in cities with to stand out, right?
a harbour. Auckland is small
and relatively young, so when I Travel frees my mind. It gives it a bit
The fashion designer on the travel I want to go to cities that of elasticity and allows me to think
are big or have a strong history openly. It gives me negative space –
allure of big old cities, and the of architecture, art and culture. sitting in the Koru club lounge, you
power of negative space. London, Paris, Rome, New can gaze into the sky and allow your
York – they tick all the boxes. brain to go into neutral. Or in the
back of a car from Heathrow into
When I was a child our family the city just looking at the landscape. INTERVIEW HARRIET DAVIDSON. PHOTOGRAPHY AARON BURGESS.
travelled once a year, at a time Inspiration can come from anywhere.
when travel wasn’t as accessible
Just back from… Next up… as it is now. My father was an early player The most important thing, especially if
Four weeks, Lots of domestic in the travel industry, opening one of the you’re going to a place again and again,
possibly the longest travel around New first travel agencies in New Zealand in the is to stay curious. Curiosity is part of my
trip I’ve ever done, Zealand, to great 1950s. I grew up with that love of getting nature and a very important part of my
in the US and spots I don’t on a plane. Our family trips were never job. You need to retain that curiosity to
Canada, launching normally get overly intrepid – Australia, the Pacific find what’s new in a city you might have
our collaboration to, and then to
islands, LA – but they opened my eyes. been to a thousand times.
with Madewell Shanghai for
in NYC, then the first time.
My first independent trip was to New York. My ideal trip is going to a large, old city
holidaying with
family in the Hudson I was 18 or 19, and it opened up the world with family and catching up with a few
Valley, Toronto in a whole new way. I saw a big city for the good friends along the way – surrounded
and LA. first time. It really lit the flame for me – I by culture, beauty and food, and having
thought, “wow, I have to do more of this”. time to explore without any agenda. ●

36 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
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 Most wanted

1 2

5 4

FIVE OF A KIND

Bitters
Beyond Peychaud’s and
Angostura there’s a whole
world of bitters lining up
WORDS MATTHEW HIRSCH. PHOTOGRAPHY BEN DEARNLEY. STYLING LISA FEATHERBY.

to freshen your drink.

1
SÜD POLAIRE
MOUNTAIN
PEPPERBERRY
TASMANIA BITTERS
Nothing captures the
zeitgeist quite like putting
native ingredients to
creative use. A white
vermouth on ice or a
simple, herbaceous take
on a Spritz will benefit from
a splash of the pleasantly
medicinal, fragrant infusion
found in this little bottle.
$25 for 100ml.
sudpolaire.com
2
BITTERMENS
XOCOLATL MOLE
BITTERS
Coax layers of flavour from
the molasses-driven depths
of dark rum or the vegetal
intensity of reposado
tequila with a dash or two lemon, chamomile and star
of these bitters, inspired
by the almighty Mexican substitute whenever orange
sauce that marries the
complexity of cacao
with warming spices
such as cinnamon.
$30 for 145ml.
pnvmerchants.com
3
MISTER BITTERS
NEGRONI BITTERS
Conceived in part by the
gang at Melbourne’s Lily
Blacks to complement
the Negroni, the unadulterated celery flavour
combination of orange, is a mystery. What is clear
anise is also a worthy
bitters are called for, and
brings new life to the old
lemon-lime treatment.
A solid all-rounder.
$21.99 for 100ml.
nicks.com.au
4
THE HUDSON
5
FEE BROTHERS
STANDARD GRAPEFRUIT BITTERS
CELERY BITTERS Alluringly aromatic, almost
How the New York brand cordial-like and alive with
manages to extract such citrusy brightness, these
bitters are low in alcohol
and supremely refreshing.
is how much the raw, A few drops will perk
botanical bite enlivens up a Paloma or lend an
a Bloody Mary, and extra-clean edge to a dry
makes a hero of a soft Martini, while a couple of
option – a dash in mint bar spoons will get you
and soda, perhaps, on the right side of
or fresh apple juice. White Sangria.
$29.95 for 100ml. $14.99 for 150ml.
onlybitters.com danmurphys.com.au

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 39
 Classic HEMINGWAY
DAIQUIRI
Cuba introduced the

cocktails
Daiquiri to Hemingway,
Shaken or stirred, but Hemingway
cocktails are the word. introduced the world
to the Papa Doble, an
invigorating cocktail
made with white rum
and Maraschino liqueur,
shaken with grapefruit

M
juice, lime juice and
simple syrup. It has more
ixing and shaking for a big party is a tall
NEGRONI alcohol and is sharper
order. Unless you’re willing to employ a
Once an insiders’ drink, the than the classic, which
bartender or two, it’s a much safer bet to may or may not be a
Negroni has in the last decade
either prepare something that can be made reflection of the fact
or two become a party staple.
on scale (jugs of Negronis, say) or something that’s designed that Papa was a diabetic
And with good reason. It’s easy
for a crowd (time to break out the punch bowl). But for to make, and very forgiving. Even who enjoyed a strong
a small group, for a short, sweet period of time (it’s called if you don’t follow the classic ratio drink. The Maraschino
the cocktail hour with good reason), cocktails can be of equal parts gin, Campari and liqueur can take some
a very beautiful thing. They’re 90 per cent booze and ice, sweet vermouth carefully, it still finding, but is worth it,
so taking the trouble to track down quality spirits and make makes a great drink. On the as is squeezing the
up plenty of fresh ice cubes of a decent size ahead of your rocks with a twist of orange peel grapefruit fresh.
party lays the foundation for good times. There’s much is the standard, but it tolerates
to be said for the classics here: they have stood the test of plenty of experimentation: try it
time. Pick two, or perhaps three, get to know them inside straight up for a stiffer apéritif.
out, and they’ll serve you as well as you serve them.

When we want to benchmark the classics, our go-to

Find establishments include The Everleigh and Bar Americano
one in Melbourne, The Gresham in Brisbane, and The Baxter
Inn, Restaurant Hubert and Rockpool Bar & Grill in Sydney.

40 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 Anatomy of a dish

SAZERAC
This 19th-century New Orleans classic is
the rare cocktail that’s served without ice.
Originally made with Cognac, but nowadays
typically built with rye, it’s in essence a
twist on the Old Fashioned. The whiskey is
stirred down with ice, sugar and a splash of
Peychaud’s and/or Angostura bitters in one
glass, then strained into another glass that
has been rinsed with absinthe and garnished
with a swatch of orange peel. A 50/50
Sazerac, one made with a mixture of rye
and Cognac, is a delicious variation, as is
the entirely untraditional choice of dark rum.
PHOTOGRAPHY CHRIS CHEN. STYLING GERALDINE MUÑOZ.
MARTINI
We’re not going to tell anyone how to drink
their Martinis. You like it wet, made with vodka
and 10 olives, or bone dry with two kinds of
gin and a twist of grapefruit peel in a tumbler
– find your joy. But it’s a fine idea to only serve
as much Martini at a time as your guest can
comfortably enjoy while it’s still cold. Smaller
glasses (or smaller pours) and more of them
are the move. Chilled glassware is worth the
extra effort. Shaking and stirring, if they’re
done with care and vigour, both produce
great results. Fresh vermouth and olives
are a help, as is a dash of orange bitters.

From left Harrison ice

bucket with tongs from
Pottery Barn. Nachtmann
tumbler from Riedel. Stone
WORDS HARRIET DAVIDSON & PAT NOURSE.

octagonal coaster from

West Elm. Spiegelau
Perfect Serve coupette
glass from Riedel. Kurlux
mixing glass and Paddle
bar spoon from Bargeek.
Whiskey tumbler from
Riedel. Martini glass
from Riedel. Hammered
nickel charger from
Pottery Barn. All other
props stylist’s own.
Stockists p168.

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 41
 Sponge cake
Few know the art of baking like
LORRAINE GODSMARK of Lorraine’s
Patisserie. She shares her method for
making light, fluffy sponge.

Sponge sheets All

props stylist’s own.

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

W
hen it comes to baking, a go-to sponge recipe
is essential to any repertoire. This one is light
and versatile; it can be used for all types of
desserts, including layer cakes, sponge fingers
for Charlottes and tiramisù, and it’s also great layered with
custard in a trifle. The key to this sponge not losing volume is
neither under- nor over-whipping the eggwhite, but whipping
it to thick, glossy, firm peaks, then gently folding it into the
batter and lightly spreading it in the tray. This sponge can
made up to a day in advance or stored in the freezer for
whenever the call for light, fluffy cake comes.
Sponge fingers
This recipe also works well for making sponge fingers. Transfer
the sponge batter to a piping bag fitted with a nozzle size suited
to the size of cake you’re making. For example, if you’re making
individual Charlottes, a number 12 (12mm) piping nozzle would
be apt. The length of the sponge fingers also depends on the size
of your mould. Measure the mould first, then pipe the fingers slightly
smaller; they’ll expand a little, and can always be trimmed after
baking. Dust the piped fingers with icing sugar and bake at 150°C
until firm and golden (15 minutes). Transfer them to a wire rack
immediately, so they don’t steam and go soggy, and trim as needed.

3
4
RECIPE LORRAINE GODSMARK. PHOTOGRAPHY CON POULOS. STYLING GERALDINE MUÑOZ. FOOD PREPARATION JESSICA BROOK.

2
Step by step
1 Preheat oven to 160°C
fan-forced (see note). Whisk
12 egg yolks with 160gm caster
sugar and ½ tsp vanilla extract
in an electric mixer on medium
speed until very light and
creamy. Transfer to a large bowl.
on top of the flour, then gently
fold in the flour and meringue
all at once with a large whisk.
Do this carefully to keep
the volume; if you are too
aggressive or the eggwhite isn’t
stiff enough, the mixture will be
5 Lift the sponges with the
baking paper from trays,
flip over onto another sheet of
baking paper and remove the
top sheet of paper. Cool the
sponge sheets on a wire rack.
away, store it in an airtight
container for a day or in the
freezer wrapped in plastic
wrap for a month. Thaw at
room temperature before use.
Note Fan-forced ovens are
good for baking sponges,

2 Clean and dry electric mixer,

then whisk 12 eggwhites
on medium speed until soft
peaks form. With the mixer still
running, gradually add 200gm
caster sugar until incorporated.
Whisk until meringue is glossy
and thick with firm peaks (if it’s
dull and grainy, it has been
over-whipped).
runny and you’ll end up with a
flat sponge; you also won’t be
able to pipe sponge fingers
(see above right).
4 Gently spread the sponge
batter evenly to 1cm thick
over two 20cm x 30cm baking
trays lined with baking paper
(you may have some batter
remaining). Bake the sponges,
swapping trays halfway through
6 Cut the sponges to the
desired shape and size
with a serrated knife. If you’re
with the fan helping to lift the
sponge and giving it more
volume; for a conventional
not using the sponge straight oven, bake at 180°C.
Variations This sponge recipe lends itself well to additional
flavourings. Try warm spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and star
anise, or citrus zest, such as orange, lemon and mandarin. If you’re
making a layer cake, cut the layers from the sponge sheets and
alternate them with the filling – a buttercream or a gelatine-based
filling for a firm set – in a metal ring or a cake tin lined with plastic

3 Sift 240gm plain flour over

the yolk mixture in the
bowl. Spoon all the meringue
cooking, until golden brown and
they spring back when lightly
pressed (16-20 minutes).
wrap for easy unmoulding. Sponge is true to its name, and soaks
up liquid easily; a glug of booze is almost a must in a trifle, but try
brushing it with tea, Earl Grey perhaps, for something different. ●

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 43
The Explainer

Barbecue sauces
Not all barbecue sauces are created equal. Or created the same,
for that matter. Anywhere in the world where there’s barbecue
(that is, everywhere) there’s barbecue sauce. Fire it up.

SATAY SAUCE
Made fresh, satay sauce goes from suburban to sublime. Start with
an aromatic base of finely chopped red shallot, lemongrass and
galangal. Fry it off with crushed cumin and coriander seeds, simmer
with coconut milk, then blend it with roasted peanuts and season with
tamarind and kecap manis. It is, of course, a very natural fit with
things grilled on sticks (try prawns or a mixture of prawn and chicken
to change things up). Finish with a squeeze of lime for zing.

NAHM JIM
Variations on this Thai dipping sauce abound, but in essence it’s garlic and hot
chilli pounded to a paste with salt, then mixed with fish sauce, lime juice and palm
sugar. Try using roasted dried chilli in place of (or in addition to) the fresh chilli for
more depth, and finish with chopped coriander and thinly sliced spring onion. This
sauce will definitely add punch and bright flavour to your next barbecue; it’s killer
with grilled chicken, and brings the fun to fish cakes.

CHIMICHURRI
The staggering volume of grilled meat enjoyed at
Argentinean asados is surely helped along by the

WORDS & STYLING LISA FEATHERBY. PHOTOGRAPHY BEN DEARNLEY. ALL PROPS STYLIST’S OWN.
freshness and piquancy of this herb sauce. The standard
is green: a mixture of parsley, oregano and garlic pounded
to a purée with a mortar and pestle (it also comes up
a treat in a food processor), then thinned with vinegar
and oil; the rojo version is spiced up with hot red chilli.

TARE
Used as a marinade, baste and dipping sauce, the sweet, soy-based tare
(pronounced tar-ay; pictured far left) is indispensable in Japanese grilling,
and is an essential element of yakitori. It’s typically made by reducing soy
sauce with mirin, sake and brown sugar to a thick syrup. Some cooks
brighten it with aromatics such as ginger or spring onion, while others
add dashi for more umami. It’s fantastic with chicken and much more.

ROMESCO
In Catalonia, romesco is traditionally made with mild ñora peppers, but
roasted or charred capsicum and tomato, peeled and puréed with the
almonds, bread, garlic, sherry vinegar and olive oil, makes a perfectly
tasty substitute. The classic pairing for the sauce is calçots, a spring onion
little-seen outside Catalonia, but it’s delicious with regular spring onions or
leeks cooked over coals. Try it with lightly grilled calamari or a whole fish. ●

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

served, too. In an orcharding part of the

world, amply supplied with cider makers,
the pop of bottle caps and murmurs
of wild ferments and forgotten casks
rediscovered is a constant hum, while the
kids are queuing clutching mugs before
an urn of warm spiced apple juice.
I’ve picked the first of my cucumbers
and turned the last of my medlar paste,
made with Coreen and Matt’s medlars,
into a fool with whipped cream and
honey, and our friend, chef and farmer
Matthew Evans, has baked little rolls
that are being stolen from the table by
tiny hands long before the pig is done.
The bring-a-plate table is heaving with
the choicest things we guests could

The whole hog

muster from our gardens or larders.
There seems to be an established
tradition of Matt Tack – our host farmer
– growing or catching a particular type
of animal, then inviting the appropriate
chef over to help prepare it. If there’s a
Roasting a home-reared pig feeds more than the masses, tuna on the table Masaaki is in charge,
it feeds the soul, writes PAULETTE WHITNEY. but carving the pig on the spit falls smack
bang in Matthew Evans’s field of expertise.
I’m not sure what draws me – the lure
of properly sharpened knives, perhaps,

A
line of partygoers, burdened
with camp chairs and picnic
baskets, follow their noses,
drawn to the scent of roasting work with a special pig, the Large Black,
meat. A 40-kilo Large Black pig that
Coreen and Matt have raised at Our
Mates’ Farm is rotating on a spit,
all heat-blistered coppery skin with
caramelising juices running hither and
yon. The kids flinch at first, seeing ears, to manage grass – growing chops
curly tail and snout, but the promise
of crackling soon wins them over.
Coreen and Matt and their two
mini farmers, Julian and Rachel, bought
a neglected apple orchard at Geeveston
in the Huon Valley four years ago,
converted it to organic, grubbed out
trees grown to triffid-like proportions,
introduced pigs, cattle and sheep to
the production system, and grafted
traditional cider varieties and more
or my latent desire to become a butcher’s
spray. They press single-variety apple apprentice – but I find myself alongside
juices, make pies, tuck a jar of apple sauce Matthew, slicing up the pig after it’s
in with every side of pork they sell, and been declared cooked and heaved onto
a workbench for carving. We try to be fair,
a breed that will graze and scavenge giving everyone a little piece of puffed,
apples under trees without the bulldozery crackling skin, but we make sure to slice
habits other breeds have. This kind of off the odd perfect piece and sneak it into
polyculture makes sense. Why wouldn’t our own mouths. Having piled meat onto
you use sheep instead of herbicide plate after plate we’re about to fill our
own, when Masaaki arrives with his. We
underneath your apple crumble carve juicy, pale slices of loin, melting,
– with the sheep adding fatty bits of belly, plump
little pellets of fertiliser as cheeks and dark slices
We carve juicy,
they graze? And the pigs of leg and shoulder
eating fallen fruit is a pale slices of meat, noticing the
boon to the organic loin, melting, fresh sweetness of
farmer, breaking the life fatty bits of belly, loin compared with
cycles of pests such as the richness of the belly
the codling moth, which
plump cheeks. or the gaminess of the
emerges from fruit left on cheek. A meal like this,
the ground to infest next season’s crops. the bounty of a whole beast, grown with
ILLUSTRATION DAWN TAN.

flavoursome fresh-eating cultivars onto
the old rootstocks. They’re innovative
farmers, pruning apple branches higher
so sheep can run the orchard eating the
lush pasture growing under the trees
– eliminating the need to slash or
The feasting begins as Masaaki
Komaya, chef and local legend, does the
rounds with a platter of rainbow-coloured
sushi, alchemically more delicious than
the rice, seasonings and vegetables it’s
made up of. Our fluid intake is well
love, shared between a happy, grateful
horde and savoured with our almost
scientific analysis and juicy-chinned
smiles, doesn’t feel like gluttony, it feels
like plenty – a soul-enriching bounty
and a delicious learning experience. 

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

Artist’s Impression

A WALMER WELCOME
Each apartment in Walmer features
an impressive wraparound balcony –

TRAN
some even rival a backyard at 200m2.

Artist’s Impression

Nestled on the banks of the Yarra River, Walmer’s elegant new apartments are where
urban life connects with nature and exceptional design takes pride of place.

H
aving secured one of the last
developable sites on the Yarra
riverfront, Melbourne’s Salta
Properties saw a brilliant
opportunity to do things a little differently
with its Walmer project. They engaged
Bates Smart, one of Australia’s most
highly regarded architecture and interior-
design firms, and made a decision to
limit the number of Walmer’s off-the-plan
apartments to just 75. This means that
each apartment is extremely generous
in its proportions – some have nearly
double the footprint of an average
inner-city apartment – and all are
incredibly flexible. There are 124 layouts
to choose from, with room to further
personalise the configuration to suit
the way you like to live. Inside, beautiful
finishes in wood, stone, metal and concrete
are given the space to shine under high
ceilings, and natural stone benchtops
stand proudly alongside top-of-the-range
Bora or Gaggenau appliances and the
best in Italian tapware. Full-height glazing
offers unmatched views to the river or
landscapes beyond. The river escarpment
will also be renewed and planted out with
natives, with leading landscape architects
Taylor Cullity Lethlean at the helm.
 A GOURMET TRAVELLER PROMOTION

SINGULAR DESIGN
Acclaimed Melbourne architects,
landscapers, artists and makers
have come together to create
an environment that calms the
spirit and brings people together.

Artist’s Impression

WELL & GOOD

Walmer has wellness at its
heart, with a 25m pool and
a wellness centre with fully
equipped gym, sauna and
treatment room.

QUILLITY
Close to the river, a stone’s throw from
the city and designed with an obsessive
level of attention to detail, this is your
chance to own a unique and outstanding
piece of Melbourne real estate.

FIND OUT MORE Register your interest

at walmer.com.au or contact Walmer’s
Sales Executives on (03) 9673 1118 to
arrange a private tour of the display suite.

Artist’s Impression
 Big-bash
you’re in an irreverent, party mood. Especially when
there are baked goods involved.
If you haven’t tried this combo recently, here’s an

league
idea for your next party: track down a couple of bottles
of really good sparkling red (Joseph, Seppelt, Best’s,
Ashton Hills, for instance – or Rockford if you can
find/afford it), invite a few friends over and launch
them at a selection of the finest party pies and sausage
rolls you can rustle up.
Ideally, you want to be serving your sparkling
red in magnum, too. I’m a huge fan of the big bottle
Large bottles, party pies, a little fizz and at parties. For my daughter’s 21st we had a family
a healthy dose of generosity make for the gathering at our place: grandparents struggling to
best celebrations, writes MAX ALLEN. hear the speeches, parents wondering where the
last two decades went, children running riot.
And we poured wine from magnums: some from
my daughter’s birth year, some younger wines, all
in big, beautiful 1.5-litre bottles.

H
ere’s a party tip you never thought
you’d read: first-growth Bordeaux tastes
particularly delicious drunk straight
from the bottle.
The scene: a share house in north London. The
time: a summer’s evening, 1992. Along with a bunch
of other young wine newbies, I’d been working for
weeks at one of the world’s largest tasting competitions,
lugging boxes, opening bottles, washing glasses. We
deserved a party.
And party we did. Hooley dooley. Any notion
that UK wine folk are a bunch of stuffy fuddy-duddies
was shattered that night. I remember one eminent
wine journalist running around in a wig and a dress,
singing Gilbert and Sullivan, while another danced
on the roof in the moonlight, drinking Champagne
from magnum. And I remember people passing round
a bottle of Château Latour, swigging the classic claret
with relish and waxing lyrical like the wine-loving
tramps in Tampopo.
It looks so theatrical, and feels so convivial to pour
wine from magnum – and the wine tastes better, too.
No, seriously, it does. I once sat down with Geelong
winemaker Gary Farr and tried 10 vintages of pinot
noir he’d made, from both bottle and magnum. And
in every case the magnum version was fresher, more
complex, generally superior. Something to do with
physics, apparently: the larger the volume of wine
in the bottle, the slower the ageing process.
Then there’s the question of the quality of wine
you put on. Here I think it really pays to be as generous
as you can. Think back to your fondest memories of
wines drunk at parties and I guarantee you’ll recall the
better bottles and the people you shared them with
– not the cheap plonk your host bought on discount
G
IN

W A P E RI TIVO
S HI N G RIE SL

Not all wine parties since have been quite as loose

Party wines From as that night in London. But the most memorable
left: stemless
Fishnet wine glass ones have shared some of its essence: plenty of fizz,
a hint of drama, big bottles, and opening the best
RE

from Francalia.
NE
EF

Viski 24-karat wines for friends. R

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

corkscrew from Fast forward to the late ’90s and an end-of-vintage

Peter’s of festival party in the Barossa Valley. The old barrel hall
Kensington. we’re in is full of sweaty winemakers dancing badly, 2018 Provenance White Possum Forager
Extreme rosé Riesling, Henty, $30 1, Melbourne, $49
glass from Riedel.
the fat sound of an oompah band, and the smell of
Scott Ireland sources This aperitivo is made
Stemless gold- that classic South Australian late-night, after-pub dish,
grapes from vineyards using dried orange,
rimmed glass the pie floater – except Maggie Beer has cooked the across western Victoria roasted wattleseed and
from West Elm.
Vitis Champagne
pies, so they’re a bit fancy: stuffed with kangaroo, for his wines. This is his earthy roots. It’s floral,
glass from Riedel. on a bed of fresh mushy peas. first riesling from the gently fruity and bitter,
Veritas coupe Someone hands me a glass of deep-purple foaming Henty region and it’s with a woody, dry finish.
from Riedel. All shiraz (winemakers were still labelling it “Sparkling
other props
stunning: racy, gorgeous, Mix with prosecco for
stylist’s own. Burgundy” at the time) and everything clicks: it’s such mouth-watering. a savoury Spritz.
Stockists p168. a quintessentially Australian wine, perfect for when provenancewines.com.au whitepossum.com.au

50 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 Drinks
From left: 2015
Munjebel Terre Siciliane
Rosso, 2001 Grand Vin
de Château Latour, 2017
Caves D’Esclans Sacha
Lichine “Whispering
Angel” Rosé, and
Seppelt Original
Sparkling Shiraz. It looks
at the local liquor barn. I’m
so theatrical,
not suggesting you open the
and feels so Grange – but then again,
convivial to why not? That’s what wine’s
pour wine from for, after all. Sharing and
enjoying, not hoarding
magnum – and and admiring.
the wine tastes If you have a wine
better, too. collection – either a proper
underground cellar (lucky
you) or even just a stash of wines in the cupboard –
here’s a suggestion for your next dinner party. When
your guests arrive, invite each of them to choose
a bottle for everyone to share. It’s a wonderfully
generous way to encourage people to engage with
the wine they’re drinking, and it leads to lots of
exchange around the table: “What did you choose?”;
“Here, try this…”; “Oh, I love that wine!”
They won’t all choose your most precious bottles:
people are good like that. And if they do? Well, just
enjoy the moment.
A few years ago, I visited a vineyard in Western
Australia with a photographer friend, and the host
invited us to choose a bottle from his extensive cellar
to have with dinner. Any bottle, he said. He didn’t
mind. My mate picked out the first wine he saw and
brought it upstairs to the dining room. It was the
1973 Moss Wood cabernet, the first vintage of this
classic Australian red, and probably our host’s last
bottle, but he didn’t blink as he pulled the cork on
this irreplaceable treasure. It was magnificent: superb,
cedary, earthy, wonderful old wine. An unforgettable
moment and an unforgettable dinner party. ●
CK

OT
JA R E V I S I T E D

, I C E B A BY
I S O’ C LO

I N G PI N
G U TS RE D
(ALL OTHER TOP DROPS) & ROB SHAW (MAIN). STYLING AIMEE JONES.
PHOTOGRAPHY CHRIS JANSEN (GLENFIDDICH), ALANA LANDSBERRY

UNN
ABL

IC E
RIO

CH

ST

2016 Eperosa Meld,
Barossa Valley, $25
Fire up the barbie, chuck
some peppery kangaroo
fillets on the coals, and
pour yourself a big slug of
this bold, vibrant blend of
mataro, grenache and
shiraz: heaps of wild, juicy
berry fruit, loads of fragrant
spice. eperosa.com.au
2014 Honorio Rubio
Lías Finas Edición
Limitada, Rioja, $60
One sip of this excellent
white Rioja and I’m back in
Spain eating grilled fish by
the sea: lemony fresh to
smell, creamy and layered,
finishing with a lovely
herbal tang. Imported by
thespanishacquisition.com
2016 Gautheron Chablis
Premier Cru “Les
Fourneaux”, Chablis, $60
This white has exquisite
floral, citrusy aromas and
flavours, with fabulously
thirst-slaking minerality on
the tongue. Great value for
a Chablis Premier Cru of
this quality. Imported by
santewines.com.au
2017 Pipers Brook New
Certan Pinot Noir,
Tasmania, $100
Utterly entrancing new pinot
noir from the Pipers Brook
wine team: ethereal red fruit
aromas and flavours lead on
to a focused palate with
fine, persistent tannins.
Exceptional wine.
kreglingerwineestates.com
Glenfiddich Winter Storm
21-Year-Old Single Malt
Whisky, Scotland, $350
The latest and best so far in
Glenfiddich’s Experimental
Series: rich, complex,
mature malt, burnished
with sweetness thanks to
time spent maturing in
Canadian icewine barrels.
danmurphys.com.au

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 51

Gather up
The team from Embla has levelled up its offering
with a savvy new sister restaurant upstairs. Lesa,
writes MICHAEL HARDEN, is a keeper.
C
ould it be true? Is curly
parsley a candidate for
redemption? Dave Verheul
thinks so, backing his claim
with one of the best dishes at Lesa.
The parsley is the supporting act to
arrow squid, which is sliced into sheets,
warmed in buttery, garlicky clam stock,
then laid in folds in a shallow bowl, like
a pristine white cloth. The curly parsley is
also braised in clam stock, its annoyingly
scratchy texture banished. Broad beans,
lemon and some koji join the
parsley, along with a garlic and
pistachio paste. It’s a gorgeous-
looking dish, like everything
that precedes and follows it,
but it’s the fine grasp of flavour
and texture, the perfectly judged
temperature and the parsley
rehabilitation that really impress.
52 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
Lesa has been a while in coming,
so you could say it needed to deliver.
Verheul and business partner Christian
McCabe first mooted the idea of
a restaurant in the space above their
wine bar Embla three years ago and
the feverish anticipation almost curdled
as months, then years, ticked by.
That extended gestation was not in
service of a radical departure – things just
took a long time. Lesa exhibits a similar
palate and philosophy to Embla; in
architect Allistar Cox’s subtly lit fit-out
textured with timber and exposed brick,
in a wine list laden with compelling bio
wines, in food that’s often flavoured by
flame, and in plates that frequently
involve things raw, fermented and pickled.
It’s more evolution than revolution,
but when it’s a benchmark wine bar
and one of Melbourne’s most interesting
chefs doing the evolving, it’s worth close
attention. Lesa brings structure to the
equation. The menu is set-course (two,
four or six), bookings recommended.
The furniture – antique tables, leather-
upholstered chairs, low-slung timber
banquette – signals clearly that this is
a restaurant, not a bar. The green-tiled
open kitchen is larger and sleeker than the
compact, rustic steampunk space at Embla.
Verheul has used the extra room
and time for further experiments in
fermentation and minimalist presentation.
New Zealand flounder, raw and finely
diced, is capped with hazelnut miso
paste and sits in a bright acidic dressing
made from pear-leaf oil and the juice
of fermented green-almond shells.
Raw veal is mixed with a rich, almost
meaty, smoked, dried and fermented
tomato paste in a tartare, while a brilliant
pale chicken porridge, thickened with
almond milk and sourdough breadcrumbs,
is finished with shavings of black
Above: Lesa fermented chestnuts that look
co-owners like shaved truffles but have a
Christian
fascinatingly sour, nutty flavour.
McCabe (left)
and Dave If the caviar supplement is offered,
Verheul. Left: say yes. The fishy salty blast
arrow squid elevates an already heady dish.
with parsley,
clam and Balls of green apple, poached
pistachio. in sugar syrup flavoured with ➤

elderflower vinegar and
rosemary, are served with
a syrup made by lightly
fermenting artichokes
under sugar, which gives
the dish a fragrant, slightly
caramelly quality. These come
with a generous chunk of
chamomile ice-cream dipped
in a nicely acidic mix of finely
chopped fennel fronds, dill
and chervil.
It’s food well suited to
PHOTOGRAPHY GREG ELMS (LESA) & JOSH ROBENSTONE (FUTURE FUTURE).
a wine list that leans natural,
but isn’t doctrinaire. It’s as
much about the young and
funky as it is at Embla, but
also lists back vintages of
Burgundy and rare wines
from private cellars that
McCabe has accumulated.
The glassed-in wine
cellar, a feature at one end of the dining
room, is like a statement, a commitment
to a less prescriptive wine regime, where
minerally biodynamic Cobaw Ridge
“Il Pinko” rosé sits comfortably
alongside beautifully structured white
Burgundy from Jean-Marc Pillot and
bright, finessed terrano from Italian
producer Benjamin Zidarich.
Melbourne review
AND ALSO…
Lesa’s dining room. Clockwise from left: the
open kitchen; slow-grilled pumpkin with
wattleseed, pine nut and mandarin; green
apple with chamomile ice-cream, globe
artichoke and almond blossom.
FORWARD THINKING
Joining the restaurants lining Richmond’s
Swan Street is the modern Japanese
diner Future Future (above). Former
Kappo sous-chef Atsushi Kawakami deftly
blends modern elements with traditional
technique in dishes such as raw tuna
with avocado tofu and nori crisps, yakitori
panko-crumbed barramundi off the hibachi
Details and, given that there’s provolone and
matcha in the mix, a surprisingly good
okonomiyaki. Future Future, 191 Swan St,
Pretty much anything
Lesa Richmond, (03) 9965 7900
on the list would go with the
Level 1, 122 Russell St,
potato flatbread that comes SIGNORE CITIZEN
Melbourne,
with a dark, intense slick of Decent Italian has been harder to find than
(03) 9935 9838,
lesarestaurant.com.au
shiitake oil and a macadamia necessary in Brunswick, but Sig. Enzo
Licensed cream, given floral acidity redresses the balance. More bar than
Cards AE MC V EFT with cherry-blossom vinegar. restaurant, its short list of snacks – ’nduja
Open Lunch Thu-Fri Order it. Same goes for the and ricotta crostini, crumbed and fried
noon-3pm; dinner slow-cooked pumpkin olives stuffed with veal mince – good pizza
Wed-Sat 5pm-10pm dish – slivers of pumpkin, (go the zucchini), and essential pasta like
Prices Two courses $50, cooked just short of complete cacio e pepe and spaghetti and meatballs
three courses $78, submission and dusted good enough to become benchmarks
six courses $120 with wattleseed, laid over scratch an itch for the neighbourhood.
Vegetarian One option The drinks list is tight but well considered
a crumble of pine nuts and
per course with all-Italian wine and a good selection
pumpkin seeds flavoured
Noise Fully present of amari and grappa. Sig. Enzo, 1d Michael
with mandarin oil. St, Brunswick, (03) 9388 8718
Wheelchair access No
Lesa does clever, intricate
Minus Fermentation
food. It’s subtle in its tricks SPEND THE NIGHT
phobics need not apply
Plus Making curly
and presentation and Turkish-Middle Eastern diner Babajan
parsley great again committed to ethical produce is now open Fridays and Saturdays for
and vegetable-forward dishes. dinner. Owner-chef Kirsty Chiaplias’s
The considered restraint menu comprises dishes such as pickled
carries to the service, which is low-key and barbecued octopus, and a pistachio,
attentive and informative when needed. saffron and barberry pilaf, followed by
Lesa means “to gather” in Old Norse. sweets such as walnut baklava, and
It works, and not just because the room, rose and almond macarons. The best idea
the food and a fashionable reputation here? The $40 set menu is a generous and
delicious bargain. Babajan, 713 Nicholson St,
make gathering here a safe bet. Lesa, by
Carlton North, (03) 9388 9814
taking its time, has gathered experience
and confidence, and it feels like we’ll
be gathering here for some time. ●
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 53
 NESTLÉ ADVERTISEMENT

Frozen Mango
Macadamia Crunch
SERVES 12 PREP TIME AND
COOK TIME 30 Min plus freezing time
100g butternut snap cookies
¹/³ cup (45g) roasted macadamias
20g butter, melted
3 medium (1.2kg) mangoes, chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 ½ cups (375ml) thickened cream
395g can NESTLÉ Sweetened
Condensed Milk
Mango slices, macadamias, extra,
toasted coconut flakes and lime zest,
to serve

1 Grease a 14cm x 22cm loaf pan (7 cup capacity).

Line base and sides with 2 layers of baking
paper, extending paper 10cm over the edges.
2 Process mango and half the juice until smooth.
3 Beat the cream in a bowl with an electric mixer
until softly whipped. Gradually add NESTLÉ
Sweetened Condensed Milk and remaining juice;
beat until thickened.
4 Drop alternate spoonfuls of mango mixture
and cream mixture over the base in pan. Gently
swirl the mixtures with a butter knife. Repeat,
alternating spoonfuls in layers and swirling each
layer. Cover; freeze overnight or until firm.
5 Process cookies and nuts until finely chopped.
Add butter; process until combined. Press biscuit
mixture over frozen ice cream. Freeze 1 hour.
6 Turn out onto a board crumb-side down; remove
paper. Decorate with extra mango slices, chopped
macadamias, shaved coconut and lime zest.

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Conditions apply, see www.womensweeklyfood.com.au/christmastastesbetter. Start date 15th October 2018. Ends 11:59pm AEDT on 27th December 2018. AU and NZ residents 18+. Multiple entries permitted per person. Drawn at Greeneagle Distribution and Fulfillment, Unit 5/9 Fitzpatrick street
Revesby NSW 2212 at 15:00pm AEDT on 10th January 2019. An unclaimed prize draw will be held on 11th April 2019 at the same time and place as the original draws. The winner will be notified by telephone and in writing within 7 business days of the draw using the contact details provided in their
entry. The winner’s name will be published in www.bauer-media.com.au/competitions on 17th January 2019. Prizes: 1 x Food Studio Session valued at up to AUD $7,548.75 each and 50 x 12 Month Subscriptions of a Bauer magazine valued at up to AUD $131.88 each. Total prize pool in Australia is
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Force
of nature
After winning fans with sandwiches
and pop-ups, writes PAT NOURSE,
Joey Astorga puts down roots and
branches out at Paperbark.
I
can’t eat a Joe’s Sandwich Bar
sandwich in public. I’m sure there
are plenty of people who can convey
one from their hand to their mouth
without it raining chipotle pumpkin
and Japanese slaw. I am not one of
those people. And yet I continue to
dance with death (or at least the death
of clean, chipotle-free clothes) because
the sandwiches at Joe’s are very, very
good. The food-going-everywhere issue
is less a slur on their construction than
PHOTOGRAPHY WILL HORNER.
a reflection on how many fine and tasty
things they manage to press between two
slices of Iggy’s sourdough.
So it was with delight that I received
the news that the people behind Joe’s and
its parent eatery, Verd, and the talents at
Alfie’s Kitchen had decided to step things
up a notch and open a
restaurant where I could
enjoy all of these things
with Iggy’s bread and knives
and forks, napkins and tables.
Paperbark is all about the
plants and it is inventive in
their celebration. Kicking off
with Iggy’s bread, (one of the
most excellent plant-based
foods found in the city of Sydney),
teamed with a fine, fresh, green olive
oil from the Southern Tablelands, gets
things off to a savvy start.
Chef Joey Astorga knows his way
around a snack, and the first few things
on his menu are among the best. He
tops semolina and saltbush crackers
with crisp saltbush leaves. He threads
slivers of portobello mushroom onto
eucalyptus twigs and grills them to
make juicy skewers to swipe
through a macadamia cream. Above:
Paperbark
He squirts potato batter into
chef Joey
hot oil to make golden squiggles Astorga.
he then scatters with salt and Above left:
freeze-dried vinegar, and offers saltbush
crackers with
as potato churros. These are aïoli and crisp
very good things. saltbush.
Sydney review
He likes to play with nomenclature,
which works some times better than
others. There’s no resisting “potato
churros”, but the words “hazelnut pâté”
on the menu conjure an expectation of
something lighter and smoother than
the dense nut-nugget on the plate. There
again, it sits comfortably with the sheets of
roasted and raw beetroot and pleasantly
salty rhubarb laid over it. (And hey, “dense
nut-nugget” is definitely niche marketing.)
A word on the room: I like it. The
horticultural references are numerous,
and include a low, backlit planter running
along one wall behind a banquette, which
softens the room’s sharper, boxier edges,
and a striking paperbark sculpture that
unspools across the wall above it in
an angular ribbon of timber origami.
(More literal-minded nature fans will be
pleased to see there are actual melaleuca
trees growing out the front on
Phillip Street, too.) Beautiful
ceramics and nice linens don’t
hurt one bit.
Given that plant-focused
restaurants are all but required
by law to offer an eggplant main
course, I feel duty-bound to ➤
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 55
Sydney review
Roasted banana with
chocolate, miso and
peanut. Below right:
hazelnut pâté with
roasted beetroot and
salted rhubarb.
order Paperbark’s
contribution to the genre:
lobes of coal-roasted and
nicely giving eggplant laid over
potato mash, textured with
a heap of roasted Puy lentils,
all sharpened up with the
twang of Davidson’s plum.
Do high-end plant
eateries have something
against salad leaves? They
don’t feature here, and
I don’t think I’ve seen them
at Yellow, either. If you’d like
greens, meanwhile, at Paperbark you’ll
take them in the form of char-grilled
celtuce and pak choy, scattered with
karkalla and laid over puffed black rice
with a cream flavoured with lemon aspen.
I’d like to nominate miso making its
way into desserts in Australia as one of
my favourite recent developments in our
cuisine, right up there with kimchi now
being considered an essential complement
to a cheese toastie. At Paperbark, the
gentle funk of miso caramel gives depth
to an otherwise poptastic arrangement of
banana, peanut and chocolate covered in
crunchy frozen honeycomb. Last winter’s
truffles, meanwhile, bring both earth and
perfume to ice-cream made with coconut
cream. The absence of dairy is far from
a liability; the ice-cream’s smoothness and
snap marry beautifully with the texture of
the pear on the plate.
56 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
Details
Paperbark
8/18 Danks St (enter
via Phillip St), Waterloo,
(02) 9310 1356,
paperbarkrestaurant.com
Licensed
Cards MC V EFT
Open Mon & Wed-Thu
6pm-10pm, Fri-Sat
6pm-midnight
Prices Entrées $8-$18,
main courses $18-$26,
desserts $16,
chef’s menu $75 pp
Vegetarian
100 per cent vegan
Thoughtful, inventive
Noise Noisy
Wheelchair access Yes and fresh, but not without
Minus Can want for its moments of finger-lickin’
atmosphere tastiness, the food at
Plus Inventive food, great Paperbark is lots of fun.
booze, sound value The friendly staff push the
chef’s menu (and at dinner
on Fridays and Saturdays
it’s the only menu offered), but I prefer
to think of the food as the high-minded
drinking kind, and like the idea of hitting
those excellent snacks over a bottle or two.
There’s lots going on down the herbal
end of the flavour spectrum, which works
nicely with a list focused on winemakers
who like to march to the beat of their
own drum (Good Intentions, Jauma,
Manon and Momento Mori among
them). The all-Australian wine line-up
is complemented by cocktails showcasing
local distillers and native flavours, such
as eucalyptus, lemon myrtle, finger lime
and wattleseed, as well as superb ales
from Marrickville’s Wildflower brewery.
I think we’ve moved well beyond
the “good for a vegan place” conversation
in Sydney now. This is simply good
food that needs no qualifiers, full stop.
Get into it. ●
AND ALSO…
DOWNTOWN SCENE
A CBD sibling to the Double Bay favourite,
Matteo Downtown has opened to
packed services on Bond Street. Chef
Orazio D’Elia mingles southern-Italian
oomph with deft technique, serving
prawn crudo with stracciatella from the
mozzarella bar, puffy pizze from the
wood-fired oven, pan-roasted quails with
farro, and linguine with vongole and sea
spray (above) alongside the city’s most
handsome bucatini alla gricia. Throw in a
sizable bar and plenty of outdoor seating,
and you’ve got a new summer favourite.
20 Bond St, Sydney, (02) 9241 2008
A BETTER BILLS
It seemed a bit strange at the time,
moving a business just one tenancy
up the same block, yet that move, plus
the accompanying fit-out, has made
Bills Surry Hills something to talk about.
More in line with the look of the Bondi
branch, the Crown Street café’s design,
by Sydney firm Meacham Nockles,
is exquisite, bevelled and chamfered
like a Jony Ive gone Deco. And yes, the
scrambled eggs are perfectly en pointe.
359 Crown St, Surry Hills, (02) 9360 4762
WEST MEETS EAST (SYDNEY)
Is it too much to say Michael West
has brought a touch of the Provençal
summer to his menus at Love, Tilly
Devine? The young Automata alum
spent the northern summer cooking in
Arles, and it’s tempting to draw a line
between that and the sunny elegance
of his silverbeet with whey and green
olives, and peas with sheep’s curd and
marjoram. It’s brilliant stuff regardless.
91 Crown La, Darlinghurst, (02) 9326 9297
 SUMMER 2018/19

SUM M ER ALFRESCO
SUMMER 2018/19

B R I N G A T O U C H O F M O D E R N W I C K E R T O YO U R
POOLSIDE LOUNGE ZONE WITH THE STRIKING
C U RV E S O F T H E P I P O N C H AT S E T T I N G .

P R E V I O U S PAG E E s c a l a 2 - p i e c e o u t d o o r l o u n g e ( W 2 8 2 x H 7 7x D 8 1 c m , o t to m a n W 1 3 3x H 3 0 x D74 c m) $ 1 2 9 9 ; N ov a o u t d o o r u m b r e l l a i n g rey $ 1 7 9 ( b a s e

a l s o av a i l a b l e $ 69) ; o u t d o o r c u s h i o n s i n b l a c k a n d w h i te s t r i p e $ 3 9 e a c h . L E F T PAG E P i p o n 3 - p i e ce t u b c h a i r p a c k a g e i n w i c ke r $9 9 9 ; A l f re s co i n d o o r/
o u t d o o r r u g i n n i g h t s i l ve r $ 2 9 9 ( 1 6 0 x 2 3 0 c m) ; b r a i d e d o t to m a n o p a l $ 2 9 9 ; o u t d o o r c u s h i o n m o s s w i t h j u te b o rd e r $ 3 9 ; t ro p i c a l l e a f v a s e m e d i u m $ 1 9 .
R I G H T PAG E C L O C K W I S E B owd e n 3 - p i e ce c h a t s e t t i n g $ 7 9 9 ; S h e r i d a n S o u t h B ay b e a c h towe l i n s a n g r i a re d w i t h t a u p e reve r s e $ 7 9 ; o u t d o o r c u s h i o n
i n te r r a cot t a w i t h j u te b o rd e r $ 39 ; o u t d o o r c u s h i o n s i n b l a c k a n d w h i te , c i t ro n a n d w h i te , o r o p a l a n d w h i te s t r i p e $ 3 9 e a c h ; A m a r a s u n l o u n g e r i n w h i te
o r c h a rco a l $ 49 9 ; H a r k aw ay hy a c i n t h ov a l b a s ke t s e t of 2 (o n e s h ow n) $ 1 7 9 .
Additional items stylist’s own.
 CHANNEL POOLSIDE CHIC
WITH BOLD CUSHIONS

MORNING DIP

Wake up with a refreshing

pre-breakfast dip that will
get you energised and ready
for the day ahead.

V I S I T D O M A Y N E . C O M . A U T O B R O W S E O U R F U L L R A N G E O F F U R N I T U R E , B E D D I N G A N D H O M E WA R E S .
SUMMER 2018/19

GREEN ZONE

Create your own urban oasis with stunning

artificial plants that stay as fresh as the day
you bought them – no green thumb required.

C L O C K W I S E S i m o n e p o t te d a r r a n g e m e n t
( 5 0 c m) $ 1 49 ; J a g g e r p o t i n b l a c k l a rg e $ 4 9 ;
F e r n i n p o t i n g re e n (8 9 c m) $9 9 ; P ot t y p l a n t e r
i n b l a c k $ 3 0 ; n e e d l e s u cc u l e n t (2 3 c m) $ 39 ;
s t a g h o r n s p r ay (4 0 c m) $ 24 ; G i u l i a ce r a m i c
p o t i n n a t u r a l a n d w h i te ( 1 9 . 5x 2 2 . 5 c m) $ 59 ;
l e a f g a r l a n d h a n g i n g ( 1 6 0 c m) $ 39 ; J a g g e r p o t
i n b l a c k s m a l l $ 3 9 ; P o t t y p l a n t e r i n l i g h t g rey
$ 1 9 ; A m a l f i b ro n ze h u r r i c a n e l a n te r n m e d i u m
$ 1 2 9 , l a rg e $ 1 9 9 , e x t r a l a rg e $ 2 59 ; S i m o n e
p o t t e d a r r a n g e m e n t ( 5 0 c m) $ 1 4 9 ; d e s e r t
c a c t u s (8 2c m) $ 1 59 , ( 1 1 5 c m) $ 24 9 ; A z u re c u b e
p o t l a rg e $ 1 59 ; N a m i b i a c a c t u s l a rg e $ 1 7 9 ;
A z u re c u b e p o t s m a l l $ 4 4 ; B re e ze l a n t e r n i n
l i g h t b l u e l a rg e $ 3 9 ; d e s e r t c a c t u s ( 3 1 c m)
$ 49 ; b r a i d e d ro u n d o t to m a n i n o p a l $ 2 9 9 ;
t r ave l l e r s p a l m w i t h 1 6 l e ave s ( 1 8 0 c m) $ 3 2 9 ;
A z u re c u b e p o t m e d i u m $9 9 .

Additional items stylist’s own.

V I S I T D O M A Y N E . C O M . A U T O B R O W S E O U R F U L L R A N G E O F F U R N I T U R E , B E D D I N G A N D H O M E WA R E S .

Domayne® stores are operated by independent franchisees. Advertised prices valid at NSW stores only. Prices may vary between states due to additional freight costs. Accessories shown are not included. Ends 19/12/2018.
 QUICK
NOVEMBER

MEALS Recipes & styling LISA FEATHERBY Photography CHRIS CHEN

Food preparation JACLYN KOLUDROVIC

Penne with
tomato and
ginger

p72
 Tonnato with asparagus SERVES 6
Capsicum Spoon from
Montmartre Store. Green
Tonnato, the creamy tuna sauce often found spooned over thinly glass from Papaya.
Tonnato Large plate from
sliced veal in the classic Italian dish vitello tonnato, also makes a Jardan. All other props
great dip in its own right. Serve it with crisp flatbread and charred stylist’s own. Stockists p168.
or blanched vegetables, such as beans or asparagus.

2 Lebanese flatbread, folded 1 Preheat oven to 200°C.

and cut into 5cm pieces
1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra
for drizzling
1 bunch large, thick
asparagus, trimmed
Shavings of parmesan,
coarsely chopped flat-leaf
parsley, dried chilli flakes
and capers, to serve
TONNATO
230 gm canned tuna in olive oil,
drained (see note)
1 tbsp capers in vinegar,
drained, plus extra to serve
2 anchovy fillets
Juice of 1 lemon (or to taste)
1 small garlic clove
150 ml mild olive oil
Toss flatbread in olive oil and
scatter in a single layer over
two oven trays. Bake, swapping
trays halfway, until golden
and just crisp (8-10 minutes).
2 Meanwhile, blanch asparagus
in a large saucepan of boiling
salted water until bright green
(30-40 seconds; see cook’s
notes p168). Refresh, drain,
then pat dry.
3 For tonnato, process
ingredients (except oil) in a
food processor or blender
until combined, then, with the
motor running, gradually add
oil until smooth. Season with
salt and lemon to taste. Transfer
to a bowl, drizzle with oil, top
with parmesan, parsley, chilli
and capers and serve with
flatbread and asparagus.
Note Use the best quality
canned tuna you can find.
Char-grilled capsicum with
sherry vinaigrette SERVES 4-6
Add colour and variety to spring barbecues with this
panzanella-style salad of charred peppers, smoky almonds
and fragrant herbs simply dressed with a sherry vinaigrette
– an ideal partner for grilled chicken.
4 red capsicum, quartered, 1 Preheat a barbecue or
seeds discarded char-grill pan to high. Grill
2 tbsp sherry vinegar capsicum, turning occasionally,
125 ml (½ cup) extra-virgin until charred and tender
olive oil (6-8 minutes). Cut quarters
50 gm smoked almonds, in half widthways and transfer
coarsely chopped to a serving bowl.
1 salad onion or ½ small 2 Meanwhile, whisk vinegar
white onion, thinly sliced and olive oil in a small bowl,
Large pinch of smoked toss with capsicum to coat, and
paprika season to taste. Scatter with
1½ cups torn day-old almonds, onion, paprika, bread,
sourdough bread mint and parsley and toss to
Coarsely chopped mint combine to serve.
and flat-leaf parsley,
to serve

68 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

Fish burgers
SERVES 6
Beer-battered flathead,
tartare sauce, crisp slaw.
Simple, but very effective.
Vegetable oil, for
shallow-frying
9 flathead fillets (about
110gm each), halved
widthways
6 soft burger buns, halved
and toasted
Thinly shredded white
cabbage, dressed with
lemon juice and olive oil,
to serve
Fish burger Small dish
from The Lost and Found
Department. Plate from
Montmartre Store.
Stockists p168.
BEER BATTER
150 gm (1 cup) plain flour, plus
extra for dusting
50 gm (¼ cup) rice flour
1 tsp baking powder
330 ml pale ale
TARTARE SAUCE
150 gm (½ cup) mayonnaise
2 golden shallots, finely
chopped
40 gm cornichons, finely
chopped
2 tbsp salted capers,
well-rinsed and chopped
¼ cup (loosely packed)
flat-leaf parsley, coarsely
chopped
Quick meals
1 Preheat oil in a large deep
saucepan to 180°C. For batter,
combine flours, baking powder
and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl,
then gradually whisk in pale
ale until smooth.
2 Dust fish lightly in extra flour,
shake off excess, then coat
in batter. Fry fish in batches,
turning occasionally, until
golden and cooked through
(4-5 minutes; be careful, hot
oil will spit). Drain on paper
towels and keep warm.
3 For tartare sauce, combine
ingredients in a bowl and
season to taste.
4 Serve fish in buns with
cabbage and tartare sauce. ➤
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 69
 Ocean trout with harissa and yoghurt to your liking (5-6 minutes
for medium-rare).
SERVES 6
2 For harissa, dry-roast spices
Harissa is not only straightforward to make, it’s a fine pairing until fragrant (see cook’s notes
with a piece of fish. We’ve served this ocean trout with no more p168), then finely crush with
than a simple salad but couscous would add a little heft. a mortar and pestle. Combine
chillies and garlic in a jug and
6 ocean trout fillets (about 6 dried long red chillies, blend with a hand-held blender,
180gm each), skin on soaked in hot water for until finely chopped. Add spice
1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra 15 minutes mixture and a large pinch of
for drizzling 8 red birdseye chillies salt, then blend, gradually
Juice of 1 lemon (or to 2 garlic cloves, chopped adding oil, until a coarse
taste), plus extra to serve 60 ml (1⁄4 cup) olive oil purée. Season to taste.
Mixed soft herbs, pea 3 Toss pea tendrils and herbs
tendrils and labne or 1 Preheat oven to 200°C. in a little olive oil and lemon
thick yoghurt, to serve Place trout skin-side up on juice. Spread labne on serving
HARISSA a lightly oiled oven tray. Drizzle plates or bowls, top with fish
1 tsp cumin seeds with olive oil and a little lemon and a spoonful of harissa and
1 tsp caraway seeds juice, then roast until cooked serve with salad.

70 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 Quick meals

Grilled steak with

gochujang butter
SERVES 6

Paul Lee from Korean fine food

purveyor Table 181 introduced
us to the idea of mixing butter
with gochujang, and whether
it’s served with rice or melted
over a steak, the flavour is
a revelation. Thanks Paul.
There’s enough butter here
for six to eight steaks, but it
pays to make a double batch
and slice off discs as needed
– spoon the butter onto a
piece of foil, roll it tightly,
then keep it in the fridge
as you would any butter.
Add a green salad to turn
this into more of a meal.

6 grass-fed Scotch fillet

steaks (about 150gm each)
Neutral oil, such as
grapeseed or olive oil,
for brushing
GOCHUJANG BUTTER
120 gm butter, softened
2 tbsp gochujang (see note)
1 small garlic clove, crushed
2 spring onions, thinly sliced

1 For gochujang butter,

stir ingredients in a bowl to
combine well and season to
taste with salt.
2 Heat a barbecue or char-grill
pan to high. Brush steaks with
oil, season to taste and cook,
turning once, until browned
and cooked to your liking
(3 minutes each side for
medium-rare). Rest for
5 minutes, then top with
butter to serve.
Note Gochujang (fermented
Korean chilli paste) is available
from Asian grocers. ➤

Steak Plate from Papaya.

Knife from The Bay Tree.
Trout Glass from Montmartre
Store. Bowl from Jardan.
All other props stylist’s
own. Stockists p168.

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 71
 Penne with ginger and tomato SERVES 6
The best pasta often starts with a simple base, pepped up
with ingredients like chilli, parmesan and herbs. This pasta
follows the model, but a little added ginger gives the dish
an unexpected warmth and vibrancy.
Spiced chicken skewers SERVES 6
A flavour-packed spice rub enlivens grilled meats with minimum
fuss – just a few minutes of marinating makes all the difference
here. Add a potato salad or a crunchy slaw to round out the dish.

60 ml (1⁄4 cup) olive oil
1 red onion, diced
800 gm canned diced tomatoes
20 gm ginger, finely chopped,
plus extra finely grated
ginger to taste
2 small red chillies, finely
chopped
500 gm penne rigate
Extra-virgin olive oil and
finely grated parmesan,
to serve
1 Heat oil in a deep-sided
frying pan over medium heat.
Add onion and cook, stirring,
until soft and transparent
(10 minutes). Add tomatoes,
ginger and chilli, and cook,
stirring occasionally, until
sauce deepens in colour
(5 minutes). Season to taste
with salt and extra ginger.
2 Meanwhile, cook pasta in
a large saucepan of boiling
salted water until al dente
(8-10 minutes). Drain, reserving
a little pasta water.
3 Add pasta to tomato sauce
and toss to coat, adding a
little reserved pasta water
to loosen. Drizzle with extra-
virgin olive oil and serve
topped with parmesan.
8 skinless chicken thigh
fillets, cut into thin, flat
strips
Lettuce leaves and lemon
wedges, to serve
SPICE RUB
2 tsp coriander seeds
1½ tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp paprika
¼ tsp turmeric
Pinch of ground cloves
Pinch of ground cinnamon
1 For spice rub, dry-roast
coriander and cumin seeds
until fragrant (20-30 seconds;
see cook’s notes p168). Coarsely
crush with a mortar and pestle,
then combine with remaining
spices and a large pinch of salt
in a large bowl. Add chicken,
toss to coat and leave to
marinate for 5 minutes.
2 Heat a barbecue or char-grill
pan to high. Folding the strips
of chicken back on themselves,
thread chicken onto metal or
bamboo skewers (soak bamboo
skewers in water for 30 minutes
to minimise burning). Brush
chicken with oil, then cook,
turning occasionally, until
golden, charred and just
cooked (2 minutes each side).
Serve with lettuce and lemon.

72 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 Quick meals

Pretzel brittle with ice-cream SERVES 6

This brittle has an addictive salty-sweet crunch from the pretzels,
but try using nuts with a touch of salt, too. Smash it into pieces
and serve it over ice-cream – it’s a tough dessert to beat.

Shards of crunchy, Vegetable oil, for brushing
140 gm salted pretzels
salty-sweet brittle
330 gm (11⁄2 cups) caster sugar
meet smooth scoops 85 gm butter, chopped
of ice-cream for a 60 gm rice malt syrup
decadent dessert. Vanilla-bean or chocolate
ice-cream, to serve
1 Brush an oven tray with
oil and scatter with pretzels
(they can overlap a little).
2 Combine sugar, butter, rice
malt syrup and 140ml water
in a saucepan over high heat
and cook, stirring occasionally
to prevent sticking, until golden
and caramelised (10-12 minutes;
be careful, hot caramel will
spit). Add ½ tsp salt flakes, or to
taste, then pour onto prepared
tray, covering as many pretzels
as possible. Cool for 15 minutes
until set. When cool, break into
shards and serve with ice-cream.
Brittle will keep in an airtight
container for 2-3 days. ●

Pretzel brittle
Ice-cream scoop from
The Bay Tree. Pasta
White bowl from
The Bay Tree. Tile
(used throughout)
from Teranova Tiles.
Small plates and
amber glass from
Jardan. All other
props stylist’s own.
Stockists p168.
Chicken All props
stylist’s own.

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 73
 1 2 3 4

9 10 11 12

17 18 19 20

1. Fine leather washbag in blush 2. Beltrami leather weekender bag 3. Aussie slang lingo cards 4. Personalised rose gold make-up brush set 5. Men’s
personalised socks 6. Personalised leather watch box (fve compartments) 7. Personalised fll-me-up bauble 8. ‘Books, stationery and teacher stuf’ tote
9. Australian animal personalised Santa sack 10. Crosley Charlotte speaker 11. Personalised amethyst necklace 12. Mizzie the Kangaroo teethe and
squeeze toy 13. Beach bag in hibiscus print 14. Shower beer holder 15. Personalised teacher ornament 16. Personalised hammered gemstone necklace with
moonstone 17. Wrap dress in poppy 18. Freya by One Six Eight London wall clock 19. Beaten sterling silver and pearl ring 20. Crescendo smart bendable
vibrator 21. Personalised small heart diamond locket 22. Personalised solid oak watch stand 23. F**k the game 24. Leather weekend dufe bag
 5 6 7 8

13 14 15 16

21 22 23 24

N OT YO U R AV E R A G E G I F T.
4 0 , 0 0 0 + G E N U I N E LY D I F F E R E N T F I N D S .
w w w. h a r d t o f i n d . c o m . a u
 FRIED
CHICKEN
IS
COMMON
GROUND
Words OSAYI ENDOLYN

Photography JULIAN KINGMA

Morgan McGlone, of Belles Hot Chicken, sells far more than to widespread popularity.
Meanwhile, notes writer Adrian
hot chicken. Even in Australia, writes OSAYI ENDOLYN, Miller in his book Soul Food:
this is a dish that runs right back to its Southern roots.

B
efore he started cooking hot chicken
in Australia, before he opened his
seventh location of Belles Hot Chicken
and began planning for expansion in
Asia, before he was serving customers
like Chance the Rapper and American
football star Marshawn Lynch, Morgan McGlone
was sitting on a porch in Nashville.
McGlone and friends were eating hot chicken,
cooling their lips with glasses of natural wine, when
he thought, this is how I should make my living. After
an itinerant decade of cooking around the world
and three years learning from American chef Sean
Brock, McGlone was struck with the idea of bringing
Nashville’s most famous dish together with his love
for wild-fermented wines and selling it to the audience
he knew best: Australians.
But, of course, long before McGlone thought
to make money from American-style fried chicken,
there were many, many others.
For at least 150 years, people have been cooking
and selling fried chicken in America. The earliest
were black women, newly freed from slavery after
the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. These
entrepreneurial cooks, known as “waiter carriers”,
brought their skills and their chicken to markets and
train stations to sell to travellers passing through towns
like Gordonsville, Virginia. They sold chicken to
support themselves and their families, because that
was the work that was available to them.
Though their culinary contributions
went uncredited for centuries, African
and African American cooks were
largely responsible for creating what
Americans now know as Southern
food. From the mid-18th century
through Emancipation, dishes like fried
chicken were developed and prepared
by enslaved cooks, who combined West
African culinary traditions with those
of indigenous North American peoples
and European colonialists.
In the early 19th century, white
members of high society like Mary
Randolph, a distant relative to Thomas
Jefferson, wrote cookbooks that
commandeered the recipes of black
cooks. The books were a revelation
to white audiences at the time and
helped launch dishes like fried chicken
The Surprising Story of an
American Cuisine One Plate at
a Time, African Americans who
perfected this dish under inhumane conditions were
subject to repugnant stereotypes about their affinity for
fried chicken. After being forced through servitude to
cook for landowners, and later relegated by circumstance
to sell fried chicken for a living, African Americans were
depicted in advertisements, postcards, newspapers and
flyers as chicken thieves and animalistic consumers of
fried chicken – images and stereotypes that persist today.
It’s why many black people in America still refuse to eat
fried chicken in public, carrying the stigma with them
even if they’ve never seen the images in person.
In spite of these indignities, fried chicken didn’t
disappear within black communities. In fact, it spread
even further as part of the six decades-long Great
Migration, during which at least six million African
Americans fled a turbulent and segregated South to start
anew in northern and western cities. As scholar Psyche
Williams-Forson documented in Building Houses out of
Chicken Legs: Black Women, Food, and Power, these men,
women and children were prohibited from using most
train accommodations along their trip, so they prepared
fried chicken from recipes designed to withstand the
long journey, boxed it up cold, and carried it on board
for sustenance. When they arrived in their new homes,
fried chicken was a special Sunday meal – a place it
occupied for much of the early 20th century.
Then, a few years after World War II, Harland
Sanders turned a single restaurant in Kentucky, where
he served pressure-fried chicken, into a full-fledged ➤
Morgan McGlone.
Opposite: Belles Hot
Chicken wings with Old
Bay fries and pickles.

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 77
 franchise business under the name Kentucky Fried
Chicken. By marketing his restaurants using his
symbolic status as a non-military “Colonel,” along
with a heavy dose of imagery that evoked slavery-era
plantations, he grew KFC into a multimillion-dollar
company. Later, after Sanders had mostly stepped away
from the business, KFC would swell into the world’s
second largest restaurant brand, with locations in more
than a hundred countries. KFC’s success brought a
version of Southern fried chicken to a global audience.
Almost 70 years after the Colonel opened his first
franchise, and a century and a half after Emancipation,
McGlone, an affable half-Maori, half-Irish sous-chef
working for one of America’s most celebrated Southern
chefs, decided that fried chicken and natural wine was
a pairing that needed to happen. He flew to Australia
armed with a recipe and a business plan.
All of this, for better or worse, is possible because
fried chicken is unequivocally, fundamentally delicious.
At various periods throughout history, fried chicken has
been craved, rejected, heralded, excoriated, belittled,
honoured and exploited – often all at once. The dish’s
exact origins are hard to pin down and, perhaps, beside
the point. A quick survey of the food world reveals
that practically every culture that eats chicken has
come up with a way to crisp birds in hot oil.
In addition to the bone-in, breaded, and pan-fried
chicken ubiquitous in the United States, there’s
twice-fried Korean fried chicken with gochujang,
adobo-rubbed chicken in the Guatemalan tradition,
Japanese karaage seasoned with soy, ginger and garlic, Above: hot population, but white customers began to pay
Brazilian fried chicken, Chinese fried chicken, Thai chicken, sides attention after the restaurant moved to a downtown
and natural
fried chicken, and a Keralan-American mash-up with wine at Belles location. In the decades since, Prince’s, along with
coriander, mint and serrano peppers popularised Hot Chicken numerous copycats, have become tourist destinations
in Atlanta, Georgia, by chef and cookbook author in Fitzroy. in the city and throughout the United States. Nashville
Asha Gomez. A US trade association estimated that now has a Hot Chicken Festival. And in 2016, KFC
Americans would consume 1.35 billion chicken wings started serving its rendition of hot chicken in more
in a single day: the 2018 Super Bowl. Many of them than 4,000 US locations.
were no doubt served Buffalo-style: deep-fried and McGlone tasted his first hot chicken in 2012 at
tossed in hot sauce, with a creamy blue-cheese dressing a Prince’s-inspired restaurant in Nashville called
and batons of celery and carrot on the side. 400 Degrees. He’d recently been promoted to chef de
In 1945, in a black neighbourhood of Nashville cuisine of Husk Nashville, the sibling to chef Brock’s
called Hadley Park, Thornton Prince opened Prince’s celebrated New Southern restaurant in Charleston,
BBQ Chicken Shack – today, known as Prince’s Hot South Carolina. Before arriving in the American South,
Chicken – the first-ever hot chicken establishment. The McGlone had spent the preceding decade in and out
name “hot chicken” is a charmingly matter-of-fact and of the culinary world, cooking for chefs like Alex Atala
apropos descriptor of the dish: chicken breast, legs in São Paulo and Pierre Gagnaire in Paris. But he also
or wings dredged in flour and fried, then bombarded put in time working on the sets of photo shoots, and as
with a proprietary blend of dry seasonings (secret a security escort and talent scout in the upper echelons
spice rubs abound when it comes to fried chicken) of the fashion world, amassing more than his fair
that always includes a heavy dose of cayenne pepper. share of hilarious, terrifying and outrageous experiences
It’s customarily served atop slices of squishy-soft involving Russian models, P Diddy’s New Year’s Eve
white bread to absorb the chicken fat and scarlet-red party, rock stars and an original Picasso.
seasoning, with sweet cucumber pickles on the side. Like many chefs, McGlone is a wanderer. New
An evening and late-night haunt, Prince’s built Zealand is his birth country, but he has rarely stayed
its reputation by serving the city’s African American in one place for long. He credits Brock’s impassioned

78 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

advocacy of Southern food for luring him to the region
and keeping him there for three and a half years.
“I used to think that Southern cuisine was just fried
chicken and barbecue, but it’s actually an incredibly
refined way of cooking that’s taken its influences from
the Huguenots, from the Jewish settlers, and especially
in Charleston, from the Gullah people,” says McGlone.
Southern cuisine is, in fact, a cuisine that is
especially black – African – in that the food was grown,
cultivated, processed, improved, prepared and served
by West African people and their descendants. “It’s not
from my culture,” he says. “I just gravitated toward it.”
In many places, but particularly in America, this
is where things can get tricky. Anyone can gravitate
toward a culture, and “Southern culture” contains
a sprawling, nebulous multitude: everyone from trap
rappers to rural squirrel hunters will talk about their
love for the culture, land and food of the South. But
it’s easy to misappropriate culture, too. There is a
distinct pattern in the United States, wherein African
American chefs struggle to find parity with their white
counterparts in terms of recognition, funding and
reward. Both codified and unspoken social policies
ensured that the black women who worked as waiter
Redzepi and Chris
carriers in the 19th century never saw their business
become a global franchise.
Brock, McGlone’s mentor, has had to walk
a careful line in trying to show appreciation and
deference to the black Southern cooks who came
before him while still becoming a prominent
proponent. And while Brock grew up in the South,
McGlone is one step further removed – an immigrant
of Polynesian and European descent, who sells hot
chicken on the other side of the world.
M
cGlone is a talented chef. He’s beloved
all across the restaurant world. He has
studied the nuanced levels of hot chicken
spiciness, the benefits of flour hydration,
and how oil temperature affects the crispness of
his chicken. He acknowledges the lineage of black
American entrepreneurs who invented and popularised
hot chicken. He is an engaged citizen of the world, who
speaks four languages. His chicken has won dedicated
fans from Australia as well as visitors from America
and other parts of the globe. He is proud to say his
beans, greens and macaroni and cheese are faithful
to the recipes he learned in the South. He likes to
feed people, and to eat his cooking is a joyful thing.
But American fried chicken will always be
tied inextricably to race and the violent, egregious
exploitation of black Americans. Outside of the
United States, this complex food can seem dissociated
from its history.
“First they want to make sure that it’s delicious,”
says McGlone of his diners at Belles. “And then they
want to make sure that it has provenance, and then
they want to make sure that it’s a continuation, that
it means something.”
And there, McGlone has landed on the two
questions that give all food consequence: Is it tasty?
And does it mean something?
With fried chicken, the taste question is moot.
Vegetarians notwithstanding, everyone loves fried
chicken. Some fried chicken is better than others, but
even bad fried chicken is better than none. Everyone
who wants to cook fried chicken should. Everyone
who wants to sell American-style fried chicken ought
to be able to give the market a try. Fried chicken is
eaten all over the planet. People from completely
opposite sides of the socioeconomic and political
spectrum, who might agree on almost nothing,
can agree that fried chicken is good.
With its deliciousness unquestionable, all that
remains is what fried chicken means. No matter where
it’s cooked, American fried chicken carries the learning
and effort and skill of a people who persevered against
This is an edited
extract from unfathomable odds. That Southern hue follows fried
Dispatches, chicken all the way to Melbourne and Sydney, too. And
edited by René therein lies an incredible opportunity. If everyone can
Ying (Workman, agree to share fried chicken, then perhaps that’s a step
$29.99, pbk). toward sharing the weight of its complex legacy as well. ●
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 79
 AUSTRALIA’S BEST NEW BARS

The
next
round
Whether it’s a late-night dive, a
brew-pub or a cave à manger you
fancy, Australia’s latest wave of
watering holes has it covered, writes
MAGGIE SCARDIFIELD. Time
to pull on your drinking shoes.

Old Mate’s Place

NSW

When you hear the words “rooftop

bar” in Sydney a dark abandoned
library isn’t what usually comes to
mind, but that’s Old Mate’s Place,
hidden away on the fourth floor of
a CBD office building, and offering
an open-air terrace – still an oddly
rare thing in Sydney. Opened in
August thanks to former Ramblin’
Rascal Daniel Noble and his mates
Andres Walters (Lobo Plantation,
Kittyhawk) and Gabrielle Walters
(Black by Ezard), the focus, Noble
says, is on “serious drinking that
doesn’t take itself too seriously”.
Cocktails include a rum and sherry
Pistachia with rhubarb and grape,
and the easy-drinking Corky
Lady Killer No 2 with gin and
roasted peach.
What to order: A VB throwdown
Lvl 4, 199 Clarence and Old Mate’s version of a classic
St, Sydney Philly cheesesteak: a hoagie roll
oldmates.sydney packed with jamón.
From top: Bar She Loves You
Topa; the bar at
Sometimes you want a bar that’s more about your
Old Mate’s Place.
conversation than the management’s Spotify choices.
A place where, rather than leaving you to flounder through
300 bottles of varying quality and 50 cocktails, the
bartender listens to what you want and pulls out just the
right thing from a list that’s as concise as it is smart. While
co-owner Sophie Otton is one of the best sommeliers in
the state, nothing about this, her first bar, screams “cork
dork”. Instead, She Loves You is the sort of place to curl
up with a copy of The New Yorker from the shelf, or revel
in the company of good friends. You won’t be short
of good things to drink.
530 King St, What to order: There’s not a bad wine on the list, and star
Newtown US bartender Eben Freeman consults on the cocktails.

80 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 Above: scallops Ode
with rosemary
Natural wine by the carafe. Mecca
and anchovies,
and mussels on coffee. A charcoal grill. This charming
toast with drinks café-bar-restaurant is many things at
at Ode. Below: different hours. Breakfast includes
the Marrickville Iggy’s toast with soft-boiled eggs
at Poor Toms
Bar Topa Gin Hall.
and smoky eggplant, while aperitivo
This bolthole on Palings Lane is inspired by the might mean a glass of unfined Rosso
tapas bars of Spain. Oil paintings crowd the walls, Masieri from Veneto accompanied
legs of jamón hang proudly above the bar, and by mussels on toast. Ode chef
whipped salt-cod dip, Gildas and sardines are plated Ben Abiad has clocked time at
up with nothing more than a point and a por favor. Dear Sainte Éloise and Sean’s,
Martinis and Negronis are served as half-pours so you can rest assured that pasta
(for $8) and there’s Sangria on tap and Basque wine dishes such as cacio e pepe with
to accompany the likes of botifarra a la plancha. anchovy, and Parma-ham agnolotti
4 Palings La, Sydney What to order: The half-Martinis are hard to beat, in parmesan broth have soul.
(02) 9114 7368, but grab one of the excellent steak sandwiches What to order: The wine list celebrates
merivale.com on a bun before they beat you. 251 Bondi Rd, Bondi, lesser-known minimal-intervention
(02) 9130 2894, Italian, French and Australian wine.
odebar.com Try something new.

Rosenbaum & Fuller

Slated to open as we go to press,
Rosenbaum & Fuller sounds like Poor Toms Gin Hall
a beach bar we can get behind. This white-washed gin hall in the
Cocktail bartender Lee Potter industrial back streets of Marrickville
Cavanagh wants to give Sydney isn’t exactly a place you’d stumble
“real wine, honest food and fair across, but those who do are well
coffee”, no matter what the hour. rewarded. “People who find us
“We have plenty of great cafés have made an effort to be here,”
and bars, but very few that says co-owner Griffin Blumer.
cater all day and night,” he “We wanted the bar to reflect
says. Daytime trade can enjoy that.” Mission accomplished:
Edition coffee and easy classics Poor Toms feels more like a house
such as pumpkin scones, or at party than a gin palace. There’s
happy hour, $6 Poor Toms Gin an illuminated shrine to their patron
& Tonics and Australian wine. saint, Ginsus, the toilet is in the
PHOTOGRAPHY NIKKI TO (BAR TOPA).

What to order: Cocktails pay tribute style of a confession booth, there’s

to some of the country’s best a Sunday sausage sizzle, and dinner
cooks. Make ours a Shewry Gin comes courtesy of neighbouring
Fizz with banana and green ants. restaurant Pizza Madre.
What to order: The three house
13 O’Brien St, 6 Chalder Ave, Marrickville, gins are showcased in Martinis
Bondi Beach, NSW, (02) 9557 2282, and Gin & Tonics, and there’s also
(02) 9365 4134, poortomsgin.com.au an eau de vie made with cider
rosenbaumandfuller.com from foraged roadside apples. ➤

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 81
 Cry Baby
SA
For his début venue, Hains & Co alumnus
Jon Di Pinto has built his dream bar. Named
for the ’60s Janis Joplin track, Cry Baby
has all the dive bar essentials. Pool table?
Check. A jukebox with 80 hand-picked albums
spanning the Stones, Led Zep, Blondie and
yes, Janis Joplin? Check. Not to mention
the Pabst Blue Ribbon tins and the bar nuts
(either smoky or spicy). Slide into one of the
green velvet booths for a round of Alabama
Slammers and a Sunny’s pizza from next
door. In the words of Joplin: “I’ll always
11 Solomon be around, if you ever want me.”
St, Adelaide, What to order: The house shot is maple-laced
0452 199 082 Buffalo Trace bourbon.
82 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
Molly
ACT
After a six-month hiatus, Molly is back at it
in smart new digs in the historic Melbourne
building. Where once you’d descend via an
unmarked stairwell, now you head upstairs
to a space that’s twice the size, but just as
discreet. Barrel-aged Sazeracs, Torontos and
Negronis await, chased with the likes of Scotch
eggs, duck pâté and old-fashioned service.
She’s just as saucy as her predecessor, with
Melbourne leather banquettes, a copper-topped bar and
Building (entry a grand piano for jazz night, and the Molly
via Odgers La), Vault returns in the form of a private 55-seat
59-81 London bar on the mezzanine.
Cct, Canberra, What to order: With over 500 whiskies in Molly’s
molly.bar collection, choose your own adventure.
 Bar Romantica

VIC
Is it a romantic idea for a Melbourne bar to serve
exclusively Victorian craft beer, local spirits, sustainable
wines and predominantly organic Victorian produce
deep into the night? Not if you ask the folks at Lygon
Street newcomer Bar Romantica. This thoughtful
late-nighter makes the likes of kangaroo tartare
and Jean Foillard Côte du Py at 4am, all with a side
of cool, its business. On tap is an impressive line-up
that might include Collingwood’s Stomping Ground,
52 Lygon St, Alphington’s La Sirène or a smoked porter by
Brunswick East, Cheltenham’s Wolf of the Willows.
(03) 9191 9410, What to order: Crudités with smoked cashew butter
barromantica.com.au – and just about anything on the wine list.

Juliet Melbourne
Neon pink-lit Juliet celebrates the talents of women in the
drinking world with a list stacked with pours from female
producers and distillers. Cocktail names, meanwhile, take
their cue from literature; Shakespeare inspires the Casa
di Giulietta, for example, made from gin infused with black
tea, ginger liqueur and almond syrup. The bar also does
a nice line in G&Ts – New Zealand’s Island Gin, perhaps,
with tonic water, lemon and burnt thyme.
What to order: Hit the I’m Feelin’ Lucky button. You choose
your spirit and your mood, and the Juliet team matches it.
Basement 37-41
Little Bourke St,
Melbourne,
(03) 9639 4944,
julietmelbourne.com.au
Galah
Step through a bottle shop slinging
minimal-intervention wines, then
climb the stairs to find a warehouse
space with a DJ spinning vinyl and
a mood that celebrates all things
Australian. Native flowers and tropical
plants decorate the place, you’ll find
all your favourite boutique Australian
spirits, such as Archie Rose gin, plus
the likes of wattleseed kangaroo loin
with candied macadamias, and lamb
ribs with Kampot pepper. It’s all-out
Australiana without the kitsch.
What to order: A Miss Peach, Galah’s
take on a Peach Sour, made with
tequila, lemon juice, peach liqueur
and peach syrup.
216A High St, Windsor,
(03) 9521 5325,
galah.melbourne

Arlechin
This tiny bar, the newest addition to
the Grossi family’s hospitality stable,
has all the sophistication of Florentino
with the spontaneity and fun of Cellar
Bar. To look at the dramatic vaulted
ceiling and the stained glass in the
Clockwise from wine cabinets, you’d never guess
left: Cry Baby;
it was born by accident. “We took
the Miss Peach at
Galah; the bar at the space over as a cellar for all the
Juliet; Arlechin. venues,” says Guy Grossi, “and then
PHOTOGRAPHY SARAH ANDERSON (ARLECHIN).

it dawned on us to turn it into a bar.”

Start (or end) your night with Italo-
Australian wines, and cocktails by
Romeo Lane’s Joe Jones. And keep
things ticking over with sourdough
bread with moretum, a Roman herb
and cheese spread, or a cabbage
steak with fermented chilli. The best
Mornane Pl, part? The kitchen’s open till 3am.
Melbourne, What to order: A twirl of Midnight
(03) 9662 2413, Spaghetti with sugo, colatura di
arlechin.com.au alici, capers and chilli, is a must. ➤

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 83

W A
458 William St, Perth,
(08) 9328 3332,
winesofwhile.com
341 Rokeby
Rd, Subiaco,
(08) 9388 8882,
juanitasbar.com.au
84 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
Wines of While.
Below right:
The Den.
Wines of While
Meet Wines of While: a 50-seat
cave à manger specialising in
minimal-intervention wines chosen
by chef-owner Sam Winfield.
European in both inspiration
and flavour, it offers no wine list,
just a blackboard that changes
a few times daily. The approach
in the kitchen is similarly relaxed
– think pasta all’arrabiata, or a plate
of white beans with braised rapini
to match your glass of Sicilian
Lamoresca Rosato.
What to order: A magnum of Cantina
Giardino’s skin-contact T’ara rà
Greco, best enjoyed out the front
catching the late-afternoon Western
Australian sun.
Juanita’s
“Come as you are, drink what you
like” is the mantra at this Subiaco
watering hole. Owners Luke Foyle
(late of Lulu La Delizia and The Old
Crow), Anthony Princi and Jeremy
Diaz (both of Bivouac Canteen
& Bar) have brought a new energy
to the south end of Rokeby Road.
“We’re calling it South Rok,” says
Foyle. Formerly an art-supply store,
there’s a bohemian spirit in its styling
(vintage squash rackets and all) and
regular takeovers from winemakers.
The wine list is made up of staff
favourites, and there’s house-made
parfait and terrines, too.
What to order: Foyle’s salt and vinegar
chips are the perfect foil for a Blood
& Sand: here a shot of equal parts
rye and Campari.
ÔÔ
QLD
Don’t stress about the name and how to say it. Just
order another cocktail. Perhaps a Deadly Viper
Assassination Squad (Archie Rose vodka, umeshu,
watermelon and lemon juice) or The Man From
Okinawa (a Gin Sour with shiso liqueur). All the
cocktails at restaurant Hôntô’s bar, ÔÔ, are named
for Kill Bill characters, and you can almost imagine
the Crazy 88 storming the hidden entrance on Alden
Street. Opened in August by Tyron Simon, Frank Li
and the team behind Longtime, there’s a lot to like
Alden St, – more than 120 Japanese whiskies, for starters.
Fortitude Valley, What to order: We’re hoping the lobster katsu sando
(07) 3193 7392, makes it from the restaurant to the bar (which is
honto.com.au pronounced “double-o”, by the by.)
Savile Row
Martin Lange describes his new Fortitude Valley
speakeasy as “artist Richard Hamilton and David
Bowie, feet up on a Chesterfield, drinking Rob Roys
by candlelight and playing Uno at 1am”. Count us in.
It’s slightly more extravagant than Cobbler, with an
Italianate mural, luxe wallpaper and a whopping great
chandelier. Whiskey, sherry and amari feature heavily
on the 900-bottle back bar, or get those feet up
with a classic prepared by dapper uniformed staff.
667 Ann St, What to order: The Butterscotch Old Fashioned:
Fortitude Valley, butterscotch whisky and grappa stirred with
savilerowbar.com.au spiced manuka honey and macadamia bitters.
PHOTOGRAPHY ALASTAIR BETT (THE DEN) & LULU CAVANAGH (WINES OF WHILE).
The Den
TA S
Finally, a sophisticated bar in Tassie where you’re
almost guaranteed a spot by the fireplace. The
tables outside are set around two custom-built
gas fires; and inside, a luxe two-storey scorcher
with a brass-plated flue takes centre stage. Bar
manager Etien Celzner is behind cocktails such
as the Tas Berry Sour, made with McHenry gin,
Pimm’s, Fernet Branca and a syrup steeped
63 Salamanca Pl, with rosemary and lavender foraged (read:
Battery Point, nicked) from front yards in Battery Point.
0499 888 233, What to order: There’s whispers of an off-menu
theden.com.au stash of Glaetzer-Dixon’s La Judith Shiraz. ●
 ESPRESSO
COFFEE MAKERS*
* Independent research institute,
value sales leader from Jan to Dec 2017 in 47 countries
 What’s the secret to celebration
success? Champagne doesn’t
hurt. But have you considered
char siu buns with a side of
performance art, or Paloma
punch to start and a party bus
to finish? Seasoned hosts spill the
bubbly on how to make a soirée soar.

Janice Petersen
NEWS PRESENTER, SBS AUSTRALIA
PA R T Y

You should be knocked off your feet by the buzz of

a party and want to dive right in as soon as you arrive.
Transform a space with flowers, lighting and candles
PEOPLE

– it can help to make a venue, and your guests, feel

flat-out fancy. Good food that’s easy to eat with one
hand is essential. And don’t skimp on the bubbles. The
constant pop of Champagne screams full-throttle fun.

Nikki Friedli
MAÎTRE D’ AND CO-OWNER, AFRICOLA
I’m a big fan of a Paloma on arrival. It’s refreshing, sneakily
strong and easy to serve as a punch. If your strength in

INTERVIEWS MAGGIE SCARDIFIELD. PHOTOGRAPHY ROB SHAW. STYLING AIMEE JONES.

the kitchen is a Bunnings snag, roll with it. Nobody expects
you to be Marco Pierre White (unless you are Marco Pierre
White). Candles and lamps are your friends, and under no
circumstances should you play anything that says “Smooth
Background Music” in the title; your guests will die of
boredom. When an extra shows up unexpectedly, don’t
panic. Smile and knock back a massive gin. And the golden
rule? Don’t invite anyone you don’t like. It’s your house.

Stuart Gregor
CO-FOUNDER, FOUR PILLARS DISTILLERY
Never let a person over the age of 18 arrive at your house
and not have a drink in their hand within two minutes.
Standing around wondering what to do with your hands
should never happen. I like to have jugs of gin cocktails
to make it easy. Last summer it was Bloody Shiraz gin,
Campari, lemon tonic, lots of ice, soda and lime. Pour away
and the party’s already started! Open multiple bottles of the
same wine so you’re not going up and down to the cellar
every 10 minutes. Uninvited guests add a certain frisson
to the evening, so welcome them with open arms.

Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales
DESIGNERS, ROMANCE WAS BORN
Flowers are often the first element you notice and can
set the tone for the type of party you’re in for. It’s super
cute when people get to take them home at the end of
the night, too. We’re flower mad – we’ve named entire
collections after flowers (Electro Orchid, anyone?). Beyond
that, you need plenty of Champagne (a tower, please),
oysters, a mirror ball and a DJ who willingly takes requests.
Lisa Havilah
DIRECTOR, CARRIAGEWORKS
The best party should take effort but appear casual.
Details don’t need to be too detailed. We once had
an exhibition launch at Carriageworks and the caterer,
John Wilson, brought focaccia still in its baking tray,
a huge wooden pallet of ricotta, and truffle to grate
over the top. People always remember one simple
thing done perfectly. And this was totally no-fuss but
still felt extra special.
Anthea Loucas Bosha
CEO, FOOD AND WINE VICTORIA
A great party is all about a relaxed host. And that
means laying out a DIY spread so guests can help
themselves to food as they please, leaving you free
to flit around. A glazed ham with lots of soft white bread
rolls, an Italian-style coleslaw, a wheel of cheese and
loads of different condiments are my go-tos. And
Negronis, always Negronis.
Andrew McConnell
MELBOURNE RESTAURATEUR AND CHEF
If you’re hosting at home, set the table somewhere
different from where you usually eat, perhaps on the
porch or in the garden if you can. There’s something
really special about eating outside. When people offer
to help, let them; it’s more fun cooking with friends.
I always go for big, generous and often familiar flavours,
something I can execute easily so I’m not in the kitchen
with tweezers trying to plate up food and missing all
the fun. And I always have a pile of vinyl ready to go
for when dinner turns to dancing.
Tony Tan
CHEF AND AUTHOR
The food must be light, simple, sexy and have oomph.
A fish crudo with ginger-and-lemongrass mayo and Yarra
Valley Caviar salmon roe is great. Or Xinjiang-style Uyghur
lamb skewers with cumin, chilli, lemon and an easy rice
pilaf. Then there’s char siu: cook it over a charcoal burner
and serve it with pickles and fluffy mantou buns. With food
as light as this, everyone will think you’re a rock star. And
it’s fun and easy to make, so you’ll have time to party.
Banjo Harris Plane
BEVERAGE DIRECTOR, BAR LIBERTY, THE WINE GALLERY AND CAPITANO
To start, serve a pét-nat from the Adelaide Hills (easy, fresh, fun) or top
Heiwa Shuzo yuzushu with an equal amount of fizzy water (a citrusy smash).
Being a wine nerd, I always have a mix of fizz, white, rosé, amber and light
reds open on a table for people to help themselves to. If the sun is shining,
host your do at the park, in a beer garden or at the beach. Ask people to
bring easy stuff: a loaf of bread, some charcuterie, a hunk of cheese. And
if you don’t have the patience to work the barbecue, takeaway from Flower
Drum or Supernormal is always a luxe option.
John Fink
CREATIVE DIRECTOR, THE FINK GROUP
Cook something with flair so everyone can roll up their sleeves and get involved
(paella, fresh pasta). Have a small court of witty regulars to spark things up,
and somewhere in that lot invite a musician – they can’t help but belt out
a few tunes. Get a crew together to back you up with the preparations, so
you have a mini-party to set up, then the party-party, then a clean-up party the
next day. Be open to some crazy shit going down. A few years back at one of
our parties, a woman stripped off, painted her body with acrylic paint and made
an impression on a primed canvas. It was all very spontaneous. She gave the
painting to her husband as a birthday present.
Food that you can eat with one hand is essential.
And don’t skimp on the bubbles. The constant
pop of Champagne screams full-throttle fun.
Christine Manfield
CHEF AND AUTHOR
Your party should reflect you as a person. Great glassware, fabulous cocktails
and high-calibre Champagne and wine add style and glamour. So do good-
looking staff who know how to deliver polished service and add a bit of theatre.
As host, you need to be present for your guests to help spark the energy,
not slaving away behind the scenes, so keep the food simple, fresh and full
of flavour. Gorgeous ceramics, linen napkins and interesting cutlery help show
food in its best light, too.
Taras Ochota
WINEMAKER, OCHOTA BARRELS
Start with chilled orange-wine shots, then move on to cocktail mayhem.
Whiskey Sours, Margaritas, Martinis, mezcal shots (for the ones still not picking
up on the vibe), more orange-wine nips – anything plural really. The ’80s
usually nails the music, but a live band can also get a crowd bouncing off the
walls, ceiling and floor. As for a location, opt for something with dim lighting
(Africola’s basement comes to mind). A handwritten invitation gives it another
level of charm, especially when you deliver them personally. And a good
host will also charter a bus to drop the guests home. Two days later. ●
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 87
 Plan your dream
kitchen renovation
Visit the “My Project” page on our new website to
choose your favourite appliances from the Winning
Appliances range. You can request a quote based
on your selection, which can be shared with your
architect or builder. This service is obligation-free
and invites you to imagine the possibilities!
Create your dream appliance package today.
winningappliances.com.au/project
Featured brands:
 PA R T Y P I E C E S
Bright colours,
bold patterns
and a tropical
spin – we’ve got
everything you
need to set
the scene this
party season.
PLANTS COURTESY MAE THORANI PLANTS.

Photography BEN DEARNLEY Styling GERALDINE MUÑOZ

Styling assistant AURORE LECLERC
 FROM LEFT TO RIGHT
Watercolour Flamingo and Leaves wallpaper (used as table
runner), $79 per sqm, from LuxeWalls. My Drap cotton napkin
roll in Sea Blue, $18 for 150, from Peter’s of Kensington. Fire
whisky tumbler, $49.95 for two, from Riedel. Polo decanter,
$39.95, from Salt & Pepper. Rosanna Luxe Moderne
Champagne flutes, $63 for four, from Peter’s of Kensington.
Nachtmann Punk whisky tumbler, $69.95 for four, from
Riedel. Spiegelau craft beer glass (part of a kit), $59.95 for
three, from Riedel. Optical O whisky tumbler, $49.95 for two,
from Riedel. Melrose Avenue cocktail glass, $99.95 for
two, from Kate Spade New York. Luigi Bormioli Incanto 1-litre
decanter, $144.95 for six, from The Flying Fork. Party Set
tumbler, $99.95 for four, from Royal Doulton. Whiskey
bottle with wood stopper (not shown), $44, from West Elm.
RAISE
YO U R
GLASS
Raise your glassware
game with a glass for
every pour, whatever
the occasion, and
be the toast of the
town. Cin Cin!
PREVIOUS PAGE
Rainforest Leaves wallpaper, $79 per sqm, from LuxeWalls.
Rattan Criss Cross bar cart, $400, from Fenton & Fenton.
Greg Natale Marmo II Stacca tiles, $329 per sqm, from
Teranova Tiles. “Sunny” macramé plant hanger, $45,
from EdenEve. Yen Ceramics Raku handmade ceramic
plant pot (in hanger), $55, from The Works. Yen Ceramics
Dove Grey handmade ceramic plant pot (on the floor),
$33, from The Works.
Top level of cart (left to right):
Island multi napkin, $125 for six, from Bonnie and Neil.
Vintage gold cocktail kit, $149.95 (includes shaker, mixing
glass, strainer, bar spoon, bell jigger), from Bargeek.
Brass pineapple canister, $280, from Fenton & Fenton.
Darling Point Mr & Mrs Champagne saucer, $229 for two,
from Kate Spade New York. Kartio green water tumblers,
$29.95 for two, from Iittala. Top twist bamboo skewers,
$8.95 for 100, from Bargeek.
Bottom level of cart (left to right):
Jellies bowl (with limes), $35, from Top3 by Design.
Nachtmann Prezioso Tumbler Verde, $139.95, from Riedel.
A Walk in the Garden dessert plates (top four in stack), $190
each, from Hermès. Jasper Conran Chinoiserie green plate
(bottom in stack), $79.95, from Wedgwood. Stockists p168.
 MIX&
M AT C H

Keep it fun in the sun with

a range of eclectic drink
accessories for entertaining
with a sense of flair.

FROM TOP TO BOTTOM:

Green bone inlay coaster, $80 for six, from Fenton & Fenton.
Spirit of Adventure palm tree coasters, $99.95 for four, from Kate
Spade New York. Dine Parlour Deco coaster, $19.95 for four, from
Salt & Pepper. Sky cocktail-stirring spoons, $40 each, from Georg
Jensen. Dine Parlour Leaf coaster, $19.95 for four, from Salt &
Pepper. Kate Spade New York All The Glistens “Cheers” coaster,
$129 for four, from Peter’s of Kensington. All that Glistens “I need
a vacation” flask, $99.95, from Kate Spade New York. Paper straws,
$4.50 for 25; Pineapple stainless-steel cocktail picks, $13.95 for
six; Hoop stainless-steel cocktail picks, $12.95 for six; Beach
Umbrella parasol, $10.95 for 144; Oriental Umbrella parasol,
$9.95 for 144, all from Bargeek. Stockists p168.

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 91
CLOCKWISE FROM FAR LEFT:
Vanda coral napkin, $125 for six, from Bonnie and Neil. White
Vintage Strelitzia wallpaper (used as a table runner), $79 per
sqm, from LuxeWalls. Hybrid Isaura dinner plate, $100, from
Seletti (bottom plate). Clay plate in pink, $12.95, from Salt &
Pepper (on top). Koichi brushed copper cutlery by Valerie
Objects, $335 for four pieces, from Spence & Lyda. DuraClear
amber red wine stemless glasses, $110 for six, from Williams-
Sonoma. Matthew Hamilton Drop Brass candle holder (on right),
$220, and Industry small brass candle holder (on left), $280,
both from Spence & Lyda. A Walk in the Garden tart platter (with
bananas), $605, from Hermès. Flocca white linen tablecloth,
$349, from Hale Mercantile Co. LA Aggregate mid-grey tile,
$59 per sqm, from Teranova Tiles. Masters chair by Philippe
Starck, $325, from Space Furniture. Iznik salad plates, $16 for
four, from Williams-Sonoma. DuraClear blue highball glass,
$110 for six, from Williams-Sonoma. Rosanna Patio Party
flamingo plate, $52 for four, from Peter’s of Kensington. Palms
pink napkin, $125 for six, from Bonnie and Neil. iVV Speedy
colour goblets in green and coral, $261 for six, from Top3 by
Design. A Walk in the Garden dinner plate (bottom in stack),
$245, from Hermès. Hybrid Zoe fruit plate, $57, from Seletti
(top in stack). Maarten Baas brushed copper cutlery by
Valerie Objects, $222 for three pieces, from Spence & Lyda.
A Walk in the Garden dinner plate (bottom in stack with
dragonfruit), $245, from Hermès Australia. Limoges Legle
Rose entrée plate (top in stack with dragonfruit), $70, from
Peter’s of Kensington. Face Bowl (with passionfruit), $59,
from Alex and Trahanas. Stockists p168.

TA B L E S
What’s better than
a tropical-themed
bash? Capture the
vibe with a table set
in a joyful riot of
colour and pattern,
and serve up the
TOPS

good times.

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 93
 FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:
DuraClear amber stemless red wine glasses, $110 for six, from
Williams-Sonoma. Ester + Erik cone candle 34cm, $15.50, and
22cm, $14.50 each, from Top3 by Design. Ro Design Flower
Vase N2 Burnt Sienna, $130, from Spence & Lyda. Gallery
Duality brass vase, $29.95, from Salt & Pepper. Small pink
hand-blown glasses, $45 for four, and large, $55 for four,
from Studio Tetatet. Golden Palm Leaves wallpaper, $79

MEET
per sqm, from LuxeWalls. LA Aggregate mid-grey tiles,
$59 per sqm from Teranova Tiles. Stockists p168.

IN THE
M I D D L E An eye-catching centrepiece
ties a setting together in
style. Brass, coloured glass
and bright florals add
the finishing touch.

94 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
Nespresso Quest
 ALL COFFEE

GREAT
& SMALL
From a large and robust Alto to a cheeky Espresso, the
Nespresso VERTUO machine guarantees outstanding
coffee for all tastes – in five delicious sizes.

THE MIGHTY 414ML THE NEW 230ML

A LT O
Start your day extra large
with Nespresso’s biggest cup
size, delivering a generous
414ml per cup.
MUG
Hold on to your coffee experience
longer with the Nespresso
VERTUO Mug. Perfect for anyone
who loves to add milk to their coffee.
Measures 230ml in total.
 A GOURMET TRAVELLER PROMOTION

AND ONE TOUCH MADE THEM ALL ...

What goes into an extraordinary cup of coffee? An intelligent barcode technology that adjusts to each
capsule, whatever your coffee style. The light on the Nespresso VERTUO machine tells you that the
capsule has been automatically recognised and the extraction parameters will be adjusted accordingly.
The extraction process has started to craft your cup of coffee. What is the most difficult part? Making it
that simple. Experience one-touch technology.

LINGER WITH THE 150ML A QUICK 80ML THE 40ML

GRAN LUNGO
A long-extracted Espresso,
the Gran Lungo is the perfect size
– somewhere between a long and
short coffee. Extend your enjoyable
moment just that little bit more
… 150ml to be exact.
DOUBLE
ESPRESSO
The newest size in the range, this special
cup of delicious Double Espresso
Chiaro is two times the intense
pleasure of an Espresso, at just 80ml.
ESPRESSO
There’s no time to waste.
Keep it short and sweet with this
Espresso that delivers 40ml of
coffee in one quick, short hit.

nespresso.com/vertuo
 The ultimate

Have freestanding or integrated into your kitchen cabinetry!

 FOOD
NOVEMBER

Berry bundt
cake

p120

Turn it up
PHOTOGRAPHY BEN DEARNLEY.

A festival of tacos, farm-to-table

Thai from Boon Luck Farm, party
cakes, and vermouth cocktails.
¡T a c o Carne asada

a!
tacos with arbol

st
chilli salsa

fie p 104

Chicken
tinga tacos

p 105
Calamari and
corn tacos with
salsa verde

p 106
Fire up the comal and crack open a cerveza, it’s time to party Mexican style. Carne asada,
smoky calamari and spicy chicken tacos meet zingy cocktails for good times galore.
 Recipes LISA FEATHERBY

Photography BEN DEARNLEY

Styling CLAIRE DELMAR

Food preparation JESSICA BROOKS

Drink suggestions MAX ALLEN

 Michelada
MAKES 2 // PREP TIME 5 MINS

Pink Margarita What can be more refreshing than a cold beer on a hot day?
Answer: a cold beer with a splash of lime juice and a dash of hot
MAKES 1 // PREP TIME 5 MINS
sauce. Like most things, the success of a Michelada is all in the
Margaritas are a true party starter, and while we balance. Taste and go until the mix is spot on. Pictured p104.
love a classic, a jigger of grapefruit juice in the mix
adds another layer to the sharpness of lime, and Sea salt flakes 1 Pour salt into a small bowl
turns these blushing pink. Juice of 1 lime (reserve to the depth of about 1cm.
one squeezed lime half), Rub reserved lime half around
Sea salt flakes 1 Pour salt into a small bowl plus lime slices to serve the rim of two chilled beer
30 ml lime juice (reserve one to the depth of about 1cm. 1 (330ml) pilsner or glasses, then dip rims in salt
squeezed lime half) Rub reserved lime half around pale lager, preferably flakes to lightly coat.
45 ml tequila the rim of a chilled coupe or Mexican, chilled 2 Half-fill glasses with beer, add
30 ml pink grapefruit juice Margarita glass, then dip rim Pinch of cayenne pepper lime juice and top with ice. Add
15 ml Cointreau in salt to lightly coat. Hot sauce and remaining ingredients to taste,
Thinly sliced pink grapefruit 2 Combine tequila, grapefruit Worcestershire sauce, stir with a swizzle stick and serve
or lime wedges, to serve and lime juices and Cointreau to serve topped with a slice of lime.
in a cocktail shaker and add
ice to three-quarters full. Shake
until well chilled, then strain into
glass and serve with a slice of
The success of a Michelada is all in the
grapefruit or lime. balance. Taste and go until it’s spot on.
102 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 Prawn and avocado with lime
SERVES 8 // PREP TIME 15 MINS // COOK 5 MINS (PLUS COOLING, MARINATING)

Think of this as a prawn cocktail detouring through Mexico,

with plenty of corn chips on the side for scooping.

30 (1.3kg) medium green 1 Par-cook prawns in a large

king prawns, peeled saucepan of boiling salted
and deveined water until colour changes
Juice of 3-4 limes and they become opaque
2 avocados, diced (1-2 minutes). Drain, reserving
½ telegraph cucumber, 60ml cooking water. Coarsely
cut into 1cm dice chop prawns, place in a bowl
1 jalapeño, seeds removed with reserved cooking water
and finely chopped and cool completely.
⅓ cup coarsely chopped 2 Add lime juice to prawns,
coriander toss to combine and season to
Corn chips, to serve taste. Prawns can be prepared
a day ahead and kept chilled.
3 Toss remaining ingredients
through the prawn mixture,
season to taste, and serve
with corn chips.
Wine suggestion Citrusy
dry riesling. ➤

PREVIOUS PAGES & THESE

PAGES Background by Desanka
Aleksovska (used throughout)
from Desa Creative. All other
props stylist’s own. Stockists p168.

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 103
Corn tortillas Carne asada tacos with arbol chilli salsa
MAKES 16 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 35 MINS (PLUS RESTING) MAKES 16 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 15 MINS (PLUS RESTING)

Making your own tortillas is the all-in way to make tacos; Tacos are about prep. Have all the trimmings ready to go, prepare
shop-bought doesn’t compare with the flavour or texture of those the tortillas just before serving and let guests assemble their
made fresh on a press. Enlist friends to help out pressing while own as the steak comes off the barbecue. Two avocados should
you flip tortillas on a flat plate or in a frying pan. We recommend be enough, but it’s always good to scale up, especially if guests
making these at the last moment, or at most an hour before are serving themselves.
serving – keep them in a low oven wrapped in a damp tea towel
so they stay soft and steamy. 3 rib-eye steaks (350gm 1 For arbol chilli salsa,
each), pounded to 2cm dry-roast chillies until fragrant
250 gm white masa flour to remove the other piece and thick, at room temperature (20-40 seconds; see cook’s
(see note) gently place tortilla in pan. Cook Olive oil or grapeseed oil, notes p168) and transfer to a
tortilla, turning once, until it for brushing small food processor. Add garlic
1 Combine flour, 375ml water starts to turn golden and puffs 16 corn tortillas (see recipe to pan and stir until it starts to
and ¼ tsp salt in a bowl and mix up a little (1-2 minutes each at left), to serve turn golden (1 minute), then add
with your hands to a soft pliable side, depending on the pan). Crumbled feta, coarsely to food processor with chilli
dough (2 minutes), adding more Transfer cooked tortillas to a chopped coriander and and blend until finely chopped.
water or flour if necessary. Form warm dish and cover with a shredded white cabbage, Add remaining ingredients and
dough into a ball, cover with damp tea towel while you press to serve pulse once or twice until just
plastic wrap or a damp tea and cook remaining tortillas. Coarsely mashed avocado, combined but still coarse.
towel and rest for 30 minutes Tortillas are best served straight seasoned with lime juice 2 Preheat a barbecue to
at room temperature. from the pan, but can be and salt, to serve high. Brush steaks with oil,
2 Divide dough into 16 pieces reheated, wrapped in a damp Lime wedges, to serve season to taste and grill,
and roll each in a walnut-sized tea towel, in a very low oven. ARBOL CHILLI SALSA turning occasionally, until
ball. Heat a heavy cast-iron or Note Masa flour is available 10 dried arbol chillies (see charred and cooked to
non-stick pan over high heat. from select delicatessens and note), cut coarsely with your liking (10-12 minutes for
Line a tortilla press (see note) Mexican food shops and online scissors medium-rare). Rest in a warm
with plastic wrap. Working with from fireworksfoods.com.au. 2 garlic cloves, coarsely place (5-10 minutes), slice and
one ball of dough at a time, Tortilla presses are available chopped serve with tortillas, salsa, feta,
place in the press, top with from Fireworks Foods and 4 large ripe tomatoes, diced coriander, cabbage, avocado
another piece of plastic wrap kitchenware shops. ½ white onion, finely chopped and lime wedges.
and press to flatten into a disc. Juice of 1 lime Note Dried arbol chillies,
Remove top piece of plastic, ¼ cup coarsely chopped also called chile de árbol,
then carefully hold tortilla flat coriander are small, hot Mexican chillies
available from Mexican
food shops and online from
fireworksfoods.com.au
Wine suggestion Bold young
red grenache.

Carne asada All props stylist’s

own. Chicken tinga Sodalite Crystal Carne asada
Crush Platter from Top3 by Design. tacos with
All other props stylist’s own. arbol chilli
Stockists p168. salsa

Michelada
Chicken tinga tacos
MAKES 16 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 1 HR 15 MINS

Chicken tinga, made with onion, tomato and chipotle chillies,

is easily prepared ahead, and full of flavour. Keep the toppings
simple here and let the tinga sit front and centre. Pictured p100.

1 whole chicken (about
1.4kg), quartered
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds, dry-roasted
(see cook’s notes, p168)
and finely ground
2 garlic cloves, finely
chopped
400 gm tomatoes, finely
chopped
3 chipotle chillies in adobo
(see note), finely chopped
16 tortillas (see recipe
opposite), to serve
Sour cream, thinly sliced
radish, finely chopped white
onion, shredded coriander
and lime halves to serve
1 Preheat oven to 240°C. 3 Shred chicken (discard bones) radish, onion, coriander
Toss chicken in half the oil and add to sauce. Deglaze and lime.
in a roasting pan, season with roasting pan with 50ml water, Note Chipotle chillies in adobo
salt and roast until golden and scraping base of pan, and pour are available from select
juices run clear when a thigh pan juices into sauce. Cook over delicatessens and online from
is pierced with a skewer high heat, stirring occasionally, fireworksfoods.com.au
(45-50 minutes). Cool briefly. until sauce thickens a little Beer suggestion A rich
2 Meanwhile, heat remaining (5-6 minutes). Season to taste. amber ale. ➤
oil in a large, deep frying pan 4 Serve chicken tinga in
over medium-high heat. warm tortillas with sour cream,
Add onion and cumin and
stir until onion is softened
and starting to turn golden
(7-8 minutes). Add garlic, stir
until fragrant (20-30 seconds),
then add tomato and chipotle
chilli and simmer until slightly
thickened (4-5 minutes).
 Calamari and corn tacos with Tres leches cake with roasted peaches
salsa verde SERVES 14-20 // PREP TIME 30 MINS // COOK 1 HR (PLUS COOLING, SOAKING)

MAKES 16 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 25 MINS This chilled Latin American cake combines three kinds of milk
– evaporated, condensed, and whole – and makes a fine match with
Grilling the corn and calamari heavily will add depth here. Timing
early summer fruit. And on a day where so much happens at the last
is crucial, cook the corn first, then have everything ready to pile on
moment, it’s a blessing to have dessert ready to go in the fridge.
top of the calamari as soon as it finishes cooking. Pictured p100.

3 corn cobs, husks and silks
removed
Neutral-flavoured oil, such
as olive oil or grapeseed oil,
for brushing
6 calamari (about 150gm
each), cleaned, hoods
halved lengthways and
patted dry with paper towels
16 tortillas (see recipe, p104),
to serve
Edible flowers (optional),
sour cream and hot sauce,
to serve
SALSA VERDE
1 spring onion, finely
chopped
1 jalapeño, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
½ cup coarsely chopped
coriander
60 ml (¼ cup) neutral-flavoured
oil, such as grapeseed
Tacos are about prep. Have the trimmings
ready to go, cook the tortillas just before
serving and let guests assemble their own.
1 Preheat a barbecue,
preferably charcoal, or a
char-grill pan to high. Brush
corn with oil and cook,
turning occasionally, until
slightly charred and kernels
are tender (15-20 minutes).
Cool briefly, then slice off
kernels with a sharp knife.
2 For salsa verde, combine
ingredients in a bowl and
season to taste.
3 Brush calamari with oil
and grill, turning occasionally
until charred, opaque and just
cooked through (3-4 minutes).
Cut into bite-sized pieces and
serve in tortillas with corn, sour
cream, hot sauce, salsa verde
and edible flowers.
Wine suggestion Fruity
sauvignon blanc or
sémillon-sauvignon blend.
Butter, for greasing
240 gm plain flour, sifted
1½ tsp baking powder
5 eggs
210 gm caster sugar
Scraped seeds of 1 vanilla
bean
450 ml milk
395 gm canned condensed milk
400 ml canned evaporated milk
Whipped cream and
maraschino cherries,
to serve
ROASTED PEACHES
5 peaches, cut into thin
wedges
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds
scraped
55 gm (¼ cup) caster sugar
Juice of ½ lime
1 Preheat oven to 175°C and
butter a 20cm x 30cm baking
dish. Sift flour, baking powder
and ¼ tsp salt into a bowl.
Whisk eggs and sugar in an
electric mixer until thick and
pale (7-8 minutes). Fold in flour
mixture in batches, then vanilla
and 50ml milk until smooth.
Spoon batter into prepared
dish and bake until golden and
a skewer inserted withdraws
clean (25-30 minutes). Prick
cake all over with a skewer.
2 Whisk condensed milk,
evaporated milk and remaining
milk in a jug to combine well,
then pour evenly over cake.
Cool cake to room temperature
(1-1½ hours), then cover and
refrigerate to soak (4 hours
or overnight).
3 For roasted peaches, preheat
oven to 200°C. Spread peach
wedges on a baking tray
lined with baking paper, add
vanilla, sprinkle with sugar
and squeeze over lime juice.
Toss to coat and roast until
golden and caramelised
(20-25 minutes). Cool.
4 Cut cake into squares, top
each square with whipped
cream and a cherry, and serve
with roasted peaches.
Wine suggestion Glass
of sweet sherry. ●

106 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
Tres leches cake with
roasted peaches

Tres leches cake Skagerak

Edge sugar bowl in Burned
Red (top left with lid),
from Top3 by Design. All
other props stylist’s own.
Stockists p168. Text page
All props stylist’s own.

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 107
Words PALISA ANDERSON

Recipes PALISA ANDERSON

& AMY CHANTA

Stir-fry of young
angled gourd
and tendrils

p 112
Photography KARA ROSENLUND

Styling LISA FEATHERBY

Hor mok

p116

Drink suggestions
MAX ALLEN
F A R M
A passion for locally grown Thai ingredients drives Palisa Anderson’s holistic approach
to cooking, with Boon Luck Farm in northern New South Wales at the heart.

F R E S H
 I
t started off as a joke with our
neighbour, John Picone. John is a fruit
grower whose reputation extends well
beyond his northern New South Wales
region. The climate and the soil here are just
right for growing temperate, subtropical and
tropical produce, and John’s orchard is filled
with rare and delicious fruit, which he grows
as much for himself and his family as for the
local farmers’ markets.
It was the variety of fruit at John’s stand
that caught my eye at the Byron market, but
it was the green Kampot peppercorns that
made me stop and take a serious look. I work
in Sydney, with my husband Matt, on the
Chat Thai group of restaurants founded by
my mum, Amy Chanta, and we almost never
see green Kampot pepper in the markets down south.
We struck up a conversation with John, trying to impress
upon him how much we wanted his produce. This led to
a friendship which has developed over the years during our
annual visits to Byron during fig season – April – which
I think is the best time to enjoy Byron in its prime.
After a few years, John suggested that we try growing our
own Kampot peppercorns just across his fence line. The next
day we went to inspect the property and not long after, settled
into growing exactly what we wanted.
Boon Luck Farm, which we started in 2015, has made
for a challenging and eye-opening reckoning with how our
food system works. Mum started our restaurants in 1989 and
over the decades we’ve moved closer and closer to working
directly with farmers to source our
fresh produce. Growing our own has
brought us the quality and quantity that
always seemed beyond our control. In
learning about land management and
natural farming, I have become deeply
passionate about growing nutrient-dense
food, which goes hand in hand with
responsible land stewardship.
Through growing our own produce we
have developed a greater holistic approach
to cooking for ourselves and our guests.
These recipes are a snapshot of how we
like to eat at home – food that is fresh,
uncomplicated and mostly vegetables.
You will be able to source most of
the ingredients for these dishes from the
supermarket, and if not, it’s food that is forgiving of substitutions.
But buying fresh produce from local organic grower’s markets will
make a noticeable difference.
Much of Thai cooking is about gathering the ingredients
and the prep – the work you do before you fire up a pot or wok.
With that in mind, if you’d like to push the envelope further,
as we are trying to do, challenge yourself by growing some of
the ingredients at home – start with the fine herbs, which can
be done in pots, then get brave and grow some eggplant; if you
have a shady spot, betel leaves are your next step – you’ll enjoy
this food so much more, I promise you.
Boon Cafe and Jarern Chai Grocer, 1/425 Pitt St, Sydney, NSW,
(02) 9281 2114; Chat Thai has several Sydney locations; its Thaitown
HQ is at 20 Campbell St, Sydney, NSW, (02) 9211 1808.

MIENG KHAM (2-3 minutes). Finely pound

Menu
Betel leaves with
accoutrements
Nutty palo cortado sherry
Grilled eggplant salad
with prawns
Golden, bottle-aged riesling
Hor mok
Refreshing cold
pilsner-style lager
Stir-fry of young angled
gourd and tendrils
Hoppy, cloudy New England IPA
Green curry of chicken
Rich, textural orange wine
Sour orange fish curry
Off-dry, tangy chenin blanc
Pandan, tapioca and young
coconut pudding
Passito-style sweet wine
Betel leaves with accoutrements
SERVES 8-10 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 45 MINS (PLUS COOLING)
“Thai food is so much about textures and the immediate
flavour on the palate,” says Palisa Anderson. “And this is
one of those dishes that defines Thai cookery: simple and
showcasing good ingredients.”
100 gm shredded coconut
30 betel leaves, washed
and patted dry with
paper towels
100 gm dried shrimp (see note)
100 gm small roasted peanuts
100 gm young ginger, finely
diced (see note)
3-4 red shallots, finely diced
10 red birdseye chillies,
thinly sliced
Finger limes, halved, or
diced lime flesh, to serve
MIENG KHAM SAUCE
2 tbsp dried finely grated
coconut (or desiccated)
10 gm (2cm piece) galangal,
coarsely chopped
galangal mixture with a mortar
and pestle, then place in a large
saucepan with palm sugar,
shrimp paste and 600ml water.
Bring to the boil, stirring to
dissolve sugar, reduce heat
to medium and simmer,
whisking occasionally, until
sticky and reduced by a quarter
1½ lemongrass stalks, white
(10-15 minutes). Stir in ground
part only
shrimp and roasted coconut
350 gm soft palm sugar
and cool to room temperature.
2 tsp shrimp paste
3 Serve betel leaves with dried
60 gm dried shrimp, finely
shrimp, peanuts, ginger, shallot,
ground in a food processor
chilli, roasted coconut and lime
with sauce on the side.
1 Dry-roast shredded coconut
Note Dried shrimp is available
in a wok or frying pan over
from Asian grocers. Young
low-medium heat, tossing, until
ginger is soft and juicy; look
golden (10 minutes).
for ginger with thin, pale skin.
2 For mieng kham sauce,
Wine suggestion Nutty palo
dry-roast coconut in a wok
cortado sherry. ➤
or large frying pan over
medium heat until golden
(8-10 minutes). Set aside. Add
galangal and lemongrass to
wok and dry-roast until fragrant

110 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
PREVIOUS PAGE
Palisa Anderson with
husband Matt, and
their children, Soraya
and Arthur. Left: Anderson
on the farm.
Stir-fry of young angled gourd 1 tbsp coconut nectar 1 Whisk coconut nectar, miso,
(see note) soy sauce and rice wine vinegar
and tendrils 1 tbsp aka (red) miso in a small bowl until smooth.
SERVES 4-8 // PREP TIME 10 MINS // COOK 5 MINS 1 tsp soy sauce 2 Heat a wok or large frying
“When we’re up at the farm, I make a variation of this stir-fry 1 tsp rice wine vinegar pan over high heat until almost
almost every second day, using whatever vegetable or weed 2 tbsp lard or neutral oil smoking. Add lard or oil and
I can pick in the last vestige of daylight,” says Anderson. “It’s a 4 garlic cloves, crushed once oil is rippling, slide in
dish that counteracts spicy food well, and is just as good with 300 gm small young angled garlic and stir-fry to keep it from
a bowl of steaming hot rice as it is eaten as leftovers straight gourds (about 10cm long; burning. Add gourd and tips,
from the fridge – my kids love it. I often use miso as a soy see note), sliced diagonally pour in the sauce (be careful,
substitute in anything that requires umami. Different misos 500 gm angled gourd tips or sauce may spit) and cook,
have different purposes. In this recipe I use red miso – it’s pea tendrils, tough stems tossing to coat evenly, until
stronger in flavour and works well to balance the coconut discarded (see note) wilted (1-2 minutes). Serve.
nectar. In place of the young angled gourd you can use Note Coconut nectar is available
zucchini, beans or snow peas. The tips can be substituted from health-food shops and
with any young pea or tender greens as long as they wilt Asian grocers. Angled gourd is
and aren’t woody. Anything in season is best.” Pictured p108. available from select Asian and
Thai greengrocers.
Beer suggestion Hoppy, cloudy
New England IPA.
 2 large long green silken
Thai eggplant (see note)
2 large eggs, at room
temperature
5 king prawns, peeled, tails
intact and deveined
200 gm coarsely minced
chicken, preferably thigh
5 spring onions, thinly sliced
7 coriander stalks, cut into
1cm lengths
1 large red shallot, cut
into julienne
Mint leaves and sliced red
birdseye chilli, to serve
15 gm (¼ cup) dried shrimp,
finely ground with a mortar
and pestle
CHILLI-LIME DRESSING
2 tbsp lime juice
1½ tbsp fish sauce
3 tsp soft palm sugar
½ birdseye chilli, thinly sliced

1 Preheat a barbecue to
medium. Grill eggplant, turning
occasionally, until blackened and
slightly yielding (20-30 minutes;
skin should peel back without
taking too much flesh and reveal
a centre that’s a soft but intact,
and smoky but not burnt). Cool,
peel and slice horizontally into
5cm-thick pieces.
2 Meanwhile, cook eggs in
a saucepan of boiling water
until medium-soft (6½ minutes).
Remove, cool completely in
cold water, peel and halve.
3 For dressing, whisk lime
juice, fish sauce and palm sugar
in a bowl until sugar dissolves.
Grilled eggplant salad Season to taste and add chilli.
with prawns 4 Poach prawns in a saucepan
of simmering water over medium
heat until just translucent
(1 minute). Remove with a
slotted spoon, drain, and place
in a large bowl. Add chicken to
YUM MAKEUA water and poach until cooked
(3 minutes). Drain, separate with
Grilled eggplant salad with prawns a fork and add to prawns. Add
SERVES 4 // PREP TIME 40 MINS // COOK 35 MINS (PLUS COOLING) onion, coriander and shallot,
and toss to combine.
“This eggplant salad has to be my all-time favourite – again, so 5 Toss eggplant, prawns and
simple and so effective,” says Anderson. “There are a few steps chicken in a bowl with dressing,
to this, but you could easily make the elements ahead of time eggs, mint and chilli, and serve
and assemble when you’re ready to eat. There are a few different scattered with shrimp.
variations on this salad, some with nam prik pao (Thai chilli jam), Note Green eggplant
and while I love that too, this is a great version that can be easily are available from Asian
made with few ingredients on hand, and perhaps a few soft grocers; substitute purple
herbs from the garden, and eaten just as quickly. The best way Japanese eggplant.
to grill the eggplant is over charcoal on a barbecue, but they Wine suggestion Golden,
can also be grilled in the oven or charred on a gas stove.” bottle-aged riesling. ➤

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 113
Green curry
of chicken

Sour orange
fish curry
GAENG KEOW WAN GAI
Add curry paste and the head
Green curry of chicken of coconut cream skimmed from
SERVES 6-8 // PREP TIME 1 HR // COOK 1 HR 20 MINS top of can, and stir until fragrant
and oil separates (12-15 minutes).
“We make this a lot at home when there’s any feasting or celebrating to be done,” says Anderson. Add coconut milk and simmer
“It’s still one of the most popular curries at the restaurant, for good reason – it’s as comforting and over low heat until thickened
soothing as any chicken soup, but with a kick and warmth that really invigorates. Always make (30 minutes). Increase heat to
a big pot, it can be portioned and frozen. For most of these recipes, as in most Thai cooking, high, add chicken and stock,
you will need a mortar and pestle; it’s probably my most used piece of equipment at home. It’s cover with a lid and simmer,
worth investing in a stone one that can fit at least a litre.” stirring occasionally, until
chicken is cooked and flavour
40 gm lard or sunflower oil 4 long red chillies, whole or 10 long green chillies, deepens (30 minutes). Add
425 ml canned coconut cream, thinly sliced (optional) coarsely chopped fish sauce, seasoning to taste,
unshaken 2½ cups (loosely packed) Thai 15 green birdseye chillies, and stir in palm sugar and
250 ml (1 cup) coconut milk basil, with flowering tops coarsely chopped remaining coconut cream.
1 whole chicken (1-1.5kg), Steamed jasmine rice or 1 head of garlic, cloves 3 Increase heat to medium,
cut into 12 pieces fermented rice noodles coarsely chopped then drain eggplant, add to
250 ml (1 cup) chicken stock (see note), to serve 5 coriander roots, wok, and simmer until tender
75 ml fish sauce (or to taste) GREEN CURRY PASTE coarsely chopped (5 minutes). Remove from heat,
2 tbsp soft palm sugar 10 white peppercorns, 1 tsp shrimp paste stir in lime leaf, chilli and basil,
10 apple eggplant (see note), dry-roasted (see cook’s ½ cup birdseye chilli leaves and serve with rice.
quartered and placed in notes, p168) (optional; see note) Note Apple, green and pea
acidulated water (see 2 tsp coriander seeds, eggplant are available from
cook’s notes p168) dry-roasted 1 For curry paste, finely grind select Asian and Thai grocers.
3 long green silken Thai 1 tsp cumin seeds, spices with a mortar and pestle. Substitute purple Japanese
eggplant (see note), cut dry-roasted Add remaining ingredients in eggplant. Fermented rice
into 4cm chunks and 6 gm (1cm piece) galangal, order of toughness with ½ tsp noodles, or kanom jeen, are
placed in acidulated thinly sliced salt, pounding them to a paste available from select Asian
water Peeled zest of 1 makrut (alternatively, blend in a food grocers. Substitute rice or
1½ cups pea eggplant (see lime, coarsely chopped processor until smooth, but the somen noodles. If you have a
note), trimmed and placed 1 lemongrass stalk, white mortar and pestle will give you chilli plant, add some leaves to
in acidulated water part only, thinly sliced better colour and fragrance). the curry paste.
15 makrut lime leaves, 4 red shallots, coarsely 2 Heat lard in a large wok or Wine suggestion Rich, textural
deveined and torn chopped saucepan over medium heat. orange wine.

GAENG SOM
ginger and shrimp paste,
Sour orange fish curry pounding until a paste. Keep
SERVES 8 // PREP TIME 30 MINS // COOK 20 MINS ⅓ cup curry paste in mortar;
the remainder can be frozen.
“I think gaeng som is my mum’s favourite curry,” says Anderson. “I became aware of just how 2 Poach fish in a saucepan of
much she loves it when, during a holiday to Thailand after not having been back for many years, simmering water over medium
she ordered this dish at every meal. In Thailand they usually serve curries and soups in a ‘mor heat until firm (5 minutes), then
fai’ – a sort of aluminium hotpot lit with a gas burner or candle. It keeps the curry hot-hot-hot cool. Add fish to reserved curry
and mouths burning-burning-burning, but that’s the way Thais like it. It took me a long time to paste and pound with a mortar
appreciate this as a kid – most of the time it was too hot and spicy for me to enjoy. But now, and pestle to a fine paste.
as an adult, the merits of eating spicy food at hot temperatures in humid conditions is totally 3 Add stock and fish paste to
something I’m into. Detox! This curry paste makes three times what you need, but it will keep a small saucepan and bring the
for a month in the freezer.” boil, stirring, over medium heat.
Add papaya, tamarind, sugar,
100 gm skinless firm white 16 green king prawns, 1½ tbsp dried birdseye chillies, fish sauce and 2 tsp salt, and
fish, such as snapper, peeled, deveined, heads coarsely chopped simmer until papaya begins to
cobia or kingfish and tails intact 50 gm red shallots, coarsely turn translucent (12-15 minutes).
1.125 litres (4½ cups) chicken 2 tbsp lime juice (or to taste) chopped Add prawns and simmer until
stock Steamed rice, to serve 50 gm wild ginger (see note), opaque (3 minutes). Add lime
250 gm green papaya, peeled, CURRY PASTE coarsely chopped juice, seasoning to taste, and
quartered lengthways and 30 gm fresh red turmeric, 1¼ tbsp shrimp paste serve with steamed rice.
cut into large pieces coarsely chopped Note Wild ginger, also known
125 ml (½ cup) tamarind 5-7 dried long red chillies, 1 For curry paste, add as krachai or Chinese keys,
concentrate soaked in cold water ingredients to a mortar in order is available from Thai grocers.
85 gm (¼ cup) soft palm sugar (10 minutes) and of toughness starting with Wine suggestion Off-dry, tangy
60 ml (¼ cup) fish sauce coarsely chopped turmeric, then chillies, shallots, chenin blanc. ➤

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 115
 Hor mok 3 Cut banana leaves into

WHITE CERAMICS (USED THROUGHOUT) FROM ANNA KARINA AND BLUE PLATTERS (USED THROUGHOUT) FROM NIKAU STORE.
SERVES 6-8 (MAKES 12-14 PARCELS) // PREP TIME 1 HR // COOK 25 MINS 28 roughly 20cm pieces. Place
two pieces of banana leaf in
“There are so many variations and names for hor mok across different regions in Thailand,” says your hand and top with 1 tbsp
Anderson. “In the north-eastern region of Isaan they call it mok pla and it has the addition of dill. In cabbage and 3 tbsp fish paste
the northern regions of Chiang Mai, a rustic version with river fish and so many more herbs and (including a piece of fish).
wild greens is called ap (the northern versions also tend not to include coconut milk). The common Arrange pieces of chilli and
denominator is that it is usually wrapped in banana leaves – a tradition carried over from the days 5 basil leaves on top. Leaving
when plastic wasn’t available. I love the banana leaves – they impart a special fragrance through room around the edges to
the steaming process that to me smells of nostalgia. This version is one we make from time to time expand during cooking, fold
at our Chat Thai kiosk at The Galeries in Sydney to appease our Thai diners (who can’t help but sides of leaf to enclose, and
order it when they see it). When we do make it, it’s the first thing to sell out. If you happen to have secure with toothpicks. Repeat
a noni fruit tree in your backyard, use noni leaves in place of shredded cabbage.” You’ll need until all paste has been used.
toothpicks or skewers to secure the banana leaves. Pictured p108. 4 In batches if necessary, place
parcels in a bamboo steamer
1 kg banana leaves, cleaned 5 gm (1cm piece) galangal, 1 For hor mok paste, cut basket over a saucepan or wok
(see note) thinly sliced 300gm fish into 14 pieces of boiling water. Reduce heat to
200 gm white cabbage, finely Peeled zest of 1 small and refrigerate until required. medium and steam until parcels
shredded makrut lime, coarsely Blend remaining fish in a food are firm (20-25 minutes).
12 thinly sliced or whole small chopped processor to a coarse paste. 5 To serve, open the top of
ALL OTHER PROPS STYLIST’S OWN. STOCKISTS P168.

long red chillies
2½ cups (loosely packed)
Thai basil
2 tbsp warmed coconut
cream, and shredded
makrut lime leaves, to serve
HOR MOK PASTE
500 gm skinless firm white fish,
such as cobia, kingfish or
snapper
20 dried long red chillies,
coarsely cut with scissors,
soaked (10 minutes), drained
10 garlic cloves, coarsely
chopped
4 coriander roots, coarsely
chopped
4-5 red shallots, coarsely
chopped
2½ tbsp wild ginger (see note),
coarsely chopped
2 eggs, beaten
60 ml (¼ cup) fish sauce
1 tbsp soft palm sugar
250 ml (1 cup) coconut cream
Pound chillies, followed by
galangal, zest, garlic, coriander,
shallots, ginger and 2 tsp
salt to a very fine paste with
a mortar and pestle. Combine
with fish paste in a large bowl,
add egg, fish sauce and palm
sugar and enough coconut
cream to bind and mix with
your hands until well combined.
2 Gently mix fish pieces into
paste (taking care not to break
the pieces).
the parcels, drizzle with coconut
cream and top with lime leaves.
Note Banana leaves are
available from Asian grocers –
look for Ducasse leaves, which
are softer and less likely to
break. Wild ginger, also known
as krachai or Chinese keys, is
available from Thai grocers.
Beer suggestion Refreshing
cold pilsner-style lager.

116 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
Pandan, tapioca and young 1 small taro (50gm; see note),
peeled and finely diced
coconut pudding Jasmine extract (see note),
SERVES 8 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 30 MINS (PLUS SOAKING) to taste
500 ml (2 cups) coconut water
“This is an oldie but a goodie,” says Anderson. “We will often
from 2 young coconuts,
knock up this quick dessert as a snack and have a pot on
1 cup flesh reserved
standby around the farm – everyone is always hungry from
3 pandan leaves, tied
working in the field and having this little sugar buzz keeps us
1 cup tapioca pearls,
going. The trick with any grain is to soak it overnight – not only
soaked in cold water
will it help with cooking time, it will help unlock nutrients and
(2 hours or overnight)
rid the grain of phytic acid which inhibits mineral absorption.
250 gm caster sugar
So soak away.” Begin this recipe at least two hours ahead
1 tbsp pandan extract (or
to soak the tapioca.
to taste; see note)
SALTED COCONUT
250 ml (1 cup) coconut cream
1 tbsp rice flour
Opposite, from left: Hands-on
at Boon Luck Farm; Amy Chanta.
1 Cook taro in a saucepan
of boiling water until tender
(6 minutes). Drain.
2 Combine jasmine extract
with water to taste to make up
250ml. Combine with coconut
water and pandan leaves in a
saucepan and bring to a simmer
over medium heat. Add tapioca,
reduce heat to low, and simmer,
stirring occasionally, until
translucent (5-8 minutes). Add
sugar, stirring to dissolve, then
reduce heat to very low. Add
pandan extract, stirring until
green, then add coconut
flesh and taro. Cook, stirring
occasionally, until mixture is
sticky and a runny, gelatinous
consistency (5-8 minutes).
3 For salted coconut, bring
coconut cream to a simmer
in a saucepan over low heat.
Whisk in flour and ½ tsp salt
until smooth, then whisk until
starting to thicken (2 minutes).
4 Serve pudding warm or at
room temperature with a drizzle
of salted coconut cream.
Note Taro, jasmine extract and
pandan extract are available
from Asian grocers. To make
jasmine extract, simmer ½ cup
(firmly packed) jasmine flowers
with 500ml water for 5 minutes.
Then steep for 20 minutes.
Whisk in sugar to taste. To
make pandan extract, blend
15 chopped pandan leaves in
a food processor with a splash
of water, then pass through
muslin or a fine sieve. Use more
leaves for a more vibrant colour.
Wine suggestion: Passito-style
sweet wine. ●

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 117
G A
R
N
Choc-orange
cake with Jaffa
buttercream

FINA
p 120

118 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 D
Recipes JACLYN KOLUDROVIC

Styling GERALDINE MUÑOZ

Photography BEN DEARNLEY

Cakes that pop with flair and colour tip the scales
from everyday to extra special. Time to celebrate.

ALE G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 119
 Choc-orange cake with Jaffa buttercream
SERVES 12-18 // PREP TIME 40 MINS // COOK 3 HRS 15 MINS (PLUS DRAINING, COOLING)

Classic chocolate and orange form the base for a rich cake capped with an extra-chocolatey icing 3 For chocolate buttercream,
and crushed Jaffas. Don’t stop at orange: a bergamot base with Earl Grey buttercream makes a melt chocolate in a bowl over
fine variation. Begin this recipe a day ahead to boil the oranges. Pictured p118. a saucepan of simmering water
(don’t let bowl touch water).
2 large oranges, plus finely 50 gm Dutch-process cocoa 2 Preheat oven to 140°C. Beat butter in an electric mixer
grated zest of 1 orange 60 gm (1⁄4 cup) sour cream, Grease a 21cm-diameter fitted with the whisk attachment
Finely grated zest of whisked to soft peaks springform cake tin and line until pale and creamy. Sift sugar
1 lemon base and sides with baking and cocoa together into a bowl,
300 gm caster sugar 1 Place oranges in a saucepan, paper. Combine sugar, almond then with the motor running, add
300 gm (21⁄2 cups) almond meal cover with water, and bring meal, coconut, cocoa powder, to butter a little at a time, beating
70 gm desiccated coconut to the boil. Boil, topping baking powder and a pinch until fluffy. Beat in chocolate,
2 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted up water if necessary, until of salt in a large bowl. Add then fold in sour cream. Transfer
2½ tsp baking powder soft (2-2½ hours). Drain in a eggs to orange purée, whisk to a piping bag fitted with a
8 large eggs, beaten colander, then place colander to combine, then add purée to 1.3cm plain nozzle and pipe
Diced candied orange over a bowl and refrigerate dry ingredients and stir to peaks onto cake. Scatter with
peel (optional) and crushed to drain completely (6 hours combine. Spoon into tin and orange peel and Jaffas to serve.
Jaffas, to serve or overnight). Discard seeds, bake until cake is firm to touch Cake will keep refrigerated in
CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM then purée oranges in a food and a skewer withdraws clean an airtight container for 5 days.
50 gm dark chocolate processor. Combine orange (45-50 minutes). Cool in tin Note Candied orange peel is
(70% cocoa solids) and lemon zest with 300gm (30 minutes), then turn out available from The Essential
250 gm butter, softened orange purée. (Freeze and cool completely. Transfer Ingredient and select
300 gm icing sugar mixture remainder for another use.) to a serving plate. delicatessens.

Berry bundt cake

SERVES 12-14 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 40 MINS (PLUS COOLING)

With their elegant curves and dramatic icing cascading down

the sides, bundt cakes always make an arresting centrepiece.

105 gm butter, softened, plus
extra for greasing
85 gm raw caster sugar, plus
extra for dusting
150 gm caster sugar
60 ml (1⁄4 cup) extra-virgin
olive oil
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
300 gm (2 cups) self-raising flour,
sifted, plus 2 tbsp extra
140 ml buttermilk
240 gm (1½ cups) mixed frozen
berries, larger berries
coarsely chopped
Freeze-dried berries
(optional; see note), to serve
Edible rose petals (optional;
see note), to serve
LEMON ICING
1 tbsp lemon juice
120 gm (¾ cup) pure icing
sugar, sifted
1 Preheat oven to 170°C. Butter
a 2-litre 23cm bundt tin and dust
it with extra raw caster sugar.
Beat butter and sugars in an
electric mixer fitted with the
paddle attachment (5 minutes)
until pale and creamy. Add oil, cake, then top with freeze-dried
beat until fluffy (4-5 minutes), berries and rose petals. Cake
then add eggs one at a time, will keep refrigerated in an
beating until incorporated before airtight container for 3 days.
adding the next, then beat in Note Freeze-dried berries
vanilla. Combine flour and a are available from select
pinch of salt in a large bowl. With supermarkets and grocers,
a spatula, fold flour into egg or online from fresh-as.com.
mixture in batches, alternating Edible rose petals are available
with buttermilk, until smooth. from The Essential Ingredient
2 Toss frozen berries in extra and online.
flour in a bowl to coat. Add a
third of the batter to prepared
tin and top with half the berries.
Top with another third of the
batter and remaining berries,
then top with remaining batter.
Shake the tin a little to settle
batter, then bake, rotating tin
halfway, until centre springs
back when lightly pressed
(35-40 minutes). Cool in tin
for 10 minutes, then invert onto
a serving plate. Jiggle tin to
loosen and release cake but
leave tin on until cool (1 hour).
3 For lemon icing, combine
lemon juice and sugar in a
bowl and stir until thickened
and white. Drizzle icing over

120 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
PREVIOUS PAGES Wall
painted in Bauwerk Vervain
(strip; used throughout) and
Bauwerk Marrakesh (used
throughout). Table and chair
from Matt Blatt. Plate, cake
slice and knife from Salt &
Pepper (used throughout).
All other props stylist’s own.
THIS PAGE Bundt Surface
painted in Bauwerk Balsam.
Forks from Salt & Pepper.
All other props stylist’s own.
Stockists p168.

Berry bundt cake

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 121
 Sponge roll Blue plate (top) and patterned blue
plate (left) from Salt & Pepper. Brushstroke plate
(bottom right) from West Elm. Robert Gordon ghost
gum side plate (right) from Williams-Sonoma.
Raspberry and coconut layer cake Surface
painted in Bauwerk Balsam. Plate from Salt &
Pepper. Candles from Poppies for Grace. All
other props stylist’s own. Stockists p168.

Almond and
hokey-pokey
ice-cream
sponge roll

p 126
122 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
Raspberry and coconut layer cake
SERVES 12-14 // PREP TIME 1 HR // COOK 45 MINS (PLUS COOLING)

Love Iced VoVos? Our maxed-out cake, layered with raspberry jam, covered in fluffy buttercream and topped
with raspberry and coconut has a whack of nostalgia, and bells and whistles for good measure. Now this is a party.

50 gm (2⁄3 cup) desiccated
coconut, toasted, plus extra
untoasted to serve
350 ml milk
200 gm eggwhite (about
7 large eggs)
Scraped seeds of
½ vanilla bean
400 gm (2⅔ cups) self-raising
flour
330 gm (11⁄2 cups) caster sugar
230 gm butter, softened
85 gm raspberry jam
250 gm raspberries
RASPBERRY BUTTERCREAM
150 gm white chocolate,
coarsely chopped
100 gm eggwhite (about 4 eggs)
220 gm (2 cups) caster sugar
175 gm butter, softened
Finely grated zest of 1 lime
2 tsp raspberry baking paste
(optional; see note)
6-8 drops red food colouring
paddle attachment, then add
butter and remaining coconut
milk and beat until smooth
(1-2 minutes). Scrape down bowl,
then add eggwhite mixture in
3 batches, beating after each
addition, until incorporated.
Divide batter evenly among tins,
reduce oven temperature to
170°C, and bake until golden,
risen and centre of cakes spring
back when lightly pressed
(30 minutes). Cool in tins.
3 Spread 1 cake with two-thirds
jam, then sandwich with second
cake, pressing down firmly. Cut
stack in half lengthways with a
serrated knife, then spread the
top of one half with remaining
jam and top with remaining half.
Trim cake to an even rectangle
and press down firmly to ensure
layers stick together.
4 For raspberry buttercream,
melt chocolate in a heatproof
bowl over a saucepan of
simmering water (don’t let
bowl touch water). Set aside.
Combine eggwhite and sugar
in a heatproof bowl, place over
simmering water and whisk
until hot to touch (or 55°C on
a thermometer). Transfer to an
electric mixer and whisk on high
speed until thick, glossy and
cooled to room temperature.
Gradually beat in melted
chocolate and butter until
smooth, then add lime zest,
raspberry paste and food
colouring and beat to combine.
Transfer to a piping bag fitted
with a 1.5cm star nozzle.
5 Pipe peaks of buttercream
over the whole cake, sprinkle
with extra coconut and top with
raspberries to serve.
Note Raspberry baking paste
is available from the baking
section of supermarkets. ➤

1 Preheat oven to 180°C.

Grease two 3cm-deep 20cm
x 28cm cake tins with baking
paper. Place desiccated coconut
in a large heatproof bowl.
Bring milk to a simmer over
high heat, then pour it over
the coconut. Stir to combine,
then cool to room temperature.
Pass through a fine sieve,
discarding solids. You should
have 330ml infused milk. If
not, top up with regular milk.
2 Whisk eggwhite with vanilla
and 110ml infused milk until
just combined. Combine flour,
sugar and 1 tsp salt in an
electric mixer fitted with the

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 123
 Rocky-road
cake

Rocky-road cake
SERVES 12 // PREP TIME 30 MINS // COOK 20 MINS (PLUS COOLING, SETTING)

This cake riffs on the classic rocky-road play of textures with fudgy ganache, an extra-soft flourless
cake, spongy marshmallow, dried cranberries, and roasted macadamia nuts for crunch.

360 gm dark chocolate MILK-CHOCOLATE GANACHE until firm, thick, glossy and cool
(70% cocoa solids) 525 gm milk chocolate, to touch. With a piping bag fitted
80 gm butter, diced finely chopped with a 1cm plain nozzle, pipe
370 gm eggwhite (about 180 ml (3⁄4 cup) pouring cream large teardrops onto prepared
12 large eggs) 60 gm honey tray. Refrigerate until set (1 hour).
130 gm caster sugar 45 gm butter, diced 2 Preheat oven to 150°C.
6 large egg yolks Grease two 20cm square cake
Dried cranberries, sliced 1 Grease an oven tray and tins and line them with baking
candied orange peel (see line it with baking paper. For paper. Combine chocolate and
note), roasted macadamia marshmallow, place eggwhite butter in a heatproof bowl over
nuts and Dutch-process in an electric mixer. Place sugar, a saucepan of simmering water
Rocky-road and carrot cocoa, to serve vanilla, rosewater, glucose and (don’t let bowl touch water) and
cupcakes Cake stand, MARSHMALLOW 2 tbsp water in a small saucepan stir until melted and smooth.
server and Champagne 75 gm eggwhite (about and bring to the boil. Once Whisk eggwhite and sugar
flute from Salt & Pepper. 3 small eggs) syrup reaches 118°C on a sugar in an electric mixer until a
Gold platter, tall gold
candleholders and
175 gm caster sugar thermometer, begin whisking silky, pearly meringue, transfer
chair from West Elm. Scraped seeds of eggwhite. Continue boiling syrup a fifth of the meringue to a
Small gold-rimmed ½ vanilla bean until it reaches 125°C, then large bowl, add egg yolks
candleholder (left) from 80 ml (1⁄3 cup) rosewater immediately remove from heat, and whisk to combine, then
The Bay Tree. Tablecloth 1½ tbsp liquid glucose stir in gelatine and, with the fold yolk mixture into chocolate
(used throughout) from
Hale Mercantile Co. 5½ titanium-strength gelatine motor running, pour syrup into mixture until smooth. Fold in
All other props stylist’s leaves, soaked in cold water eggwhite in a steady stream remaining meringue, then divide
own. Stockists p168. (5 minutes) and strained down the side of bowl. Whisk batter evenly between prepared

124 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 Carrot cupcakes
with cream-
cheese icing

p 126

tins, spreading evenly, and macadamia nuts and dust

bake until risen and firm to with cocoa to serve. Cake
touch (12-15 minutes). Cool will keep refrigerated in an
to room temperature in tins, airtight container for 3 days.
then turn out. Note Candied orange peel is
3 For milk-chocolate ganache, available from The Essential
place chocolate in a small food Ingredient and select
processor. Bring cream and delicatessens. ➤
honey to the boil in a saucepan,
then immediately pour hot
cream over the chocolate.
Stand for 1 minute, then pulse,
scraping down sides, until
smooth and emulsified. Add
butter and process until smooth
(ganache will set quickly, so
use it immediately).
4 Spread one cake with
two-thirds of the ganache,
top with remaining cake and
spread with remaining ganache.
Top with marshmallows, scatter
with cranberries, orange and

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 125
 Carrot cupcakes with cream-cheese icing
SERVES 18 // PREP TIME 25 MINS // COOK 40 MINS (PLUS COOLING)

The combination of cinnamon, orange zest and the creamy icing that typifies carrot cake warms many
hearts. These bite-sized cupcakes stay true to the original, with a crisp carrot topping thrown in for
crunch. Make a big batch for a birthday party or tuck them into lunchboxes. Pictured p125.

Finely grated zest of CANDIED CARROT over a large oven tray lined by carrot, zucchini, walnuts
1 orange 200 gm caster sugar with baking paper. Bake until and currants. Divide batter
Scraped seeds of 2 carrots, peeled into strips crisp (15-20 minutes), then cool. among paper cases and bake
½ vanilla bean CREAM-CHEESE ICING 2 Increase oven to 175°C. Line until golden and centre springs
300 gm caster sugar 250 gm cream cheese, softened a 3⁄4-cup 12-hole muffin tin with back when lightly pressed
280 gm plain flour 90 gm butter, softened paper cases. Rub orange zest (12-15 minutes). Cool.
1½ tbsp ground cinnamon 230 gm pure icing sugar, sifted and vanilla into sugar in a bowl. 3 For cream-cheese icing, beat
1½ tsp baking powder Finely grated zest of 1 lemon Sift flour, cinnamon, baking cream cheese and butter in an
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda Scraped seeds of powder and bicarbonate of electric mixer fitted with the
4 eggs ½ vanilla bean soda into a separate bowl. paddle attachment until pale
240 ml olive oil Place eggs in an electric mixer, and fluffy. Add sugar, zest and
240 gm coarsely grated carrot 1 For candied carrot, preheat whisk to combine, then with the vanilla and beat until combined.
(about 3 large carrots) oven to 120°C. Bring sugar and motor running, slowly add the 4 Spread icing over cupcakes
100 gm coarsely grated zucchini 200ml water to the boil in a sugar mixture until pale, creamy and top with grated walnut and
(about 1 small zucchini) saucepan, stirring to dissolve, and doubled in size. Add oil, candied carrot. Cupcakes will
60 gm walnuts, coarsely then cool. Add carrot to syrup whisking just to combine, then keep refrigerated in an airtight
chopped, plus extra finely and stand for 1 minute, then immediately turn off the mixer. container for a week.
grated, to serve drain well and spread evenly Fold in flour mixture, followed
50 gm currants

Almond and hokey-pokey ice-cream sponge roll

SERVES 14-18 // PREP TIME 30 MINS // COOK 12 MINS (PLUS COOLING, FREEZING)

Sponge roll is not only quick to bake, it’s all wrapped up and ready to go well ahead
of time. Begin this recipe a day ahead to set the sponge roll. Pictured p122.

50 gm confectionery
honeycomb, chopped into
small pieces, plus extra to
serve (see note)
1 litre good-quality vanilla
ice-cream
Whipped cream (optional),
to serve
ALMOND SPONGE
90 gm (¾ cup) almond meal
65 gm plain flour
50 gm roasted almonds
150 gm (2⁄3 cup) caster sugar
4 eggwhites
75 gm (1⁄3 cup) raw sugar
1 For almond sponge, preheat
oven to 160°C. Grease a 23cm
x 33cm Swiss roll tin and line
it with baking paper. Pulse
almond meal, flour, almonds,
90gm caster sugar and a pinch
of salt in a food processor until
combined and almonds are
chopped. Whisk eggwhites
in an electric mixer until soft
peaks form, then gradually
add remaining caster sugar
and whisk until a smooth glossy
meringue (6 minutes). Gently
fold in almond-meal mixture,
then spread batter evenly in
prepared tin and bake until
light golden and firm to touch
(8-12 minutes). Cover with a
tea towel and cool completely.
2 Sprinkle raw sugar over
a large sheet of baking paper
placed on 2 overlapping larger
sheets of foil. Invert sponge onto
sugar, remove tray and peel off
baking paper.
3 Beat ice-cream in a bowl
until spreadable, then, working
quickly, spread it over two-thirds
of the sponge lengthways and
press honeycomb evenly into
the surface. Rolling away from
you, and using the foil to lift and
roll over, wrap the sponge into
a log shape, then gently twist
the ends of the foil to secure.
Freeze until firm (overnight).
4 Serve sponge roll in slices
topped with extra honeycomb.
Sponge roll will keep frozen
in an airtight container for a
week (honeycomb may begin
to weep after 2 days).
Note Honeycomb (the crunchy,
confectionery kind) is available
from select supermarkets
and confectionaries.

126 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 Fairy-bread cake
Wall painted in
Bauwerk Vervain.
Knife from Salt &
Pepper. Text page
Wall painted in
Bauwerk Balsam.
Plate from Salt
& Pepper. All
other props
stylist’s own.
Stockists p168.

Fairy-bread cake
SERVES 12 // PREP TIME 1 HR // COOK 55 MINS (PLUS DRYING, COOLING)

Two favourites collide in this mash-up of birthday cake and dry at room temperature saucepan of simmering water
and fairy bread. Party hats mandatory. Begin this recipe overnight. Store in an airtight (don’t let bowl touch water). Set
a day ahead to make the rainbow sprinkles. container until required. aside. Combine eggwhite and
2 Preheat oven to 160°C. sugar in a separate bowl and
375 gm (21⁄2 cups) plain flour RAINBOW SPRINKLES Grease two 20cm square cake place over simmering water.
75 gm (1⁄2 cup) cornflour, plus 150 gm fondant tins and line them with baking Whisk until hot to touch (or 55°C
extra for dusting Red, yellow, green and blue paper. Combine flour, cornflour, on a thermometer), then transfer
450 gm vanilla sugar food colouring vanilla sugar and baking powder to an electric mixer and whisk
(see note) in an electric mixer fitted with the on high speed until thick,
2¼ tsp baking powder 1 For sprinkles, divide fondant paddle attachment. Add butter glossy and cooled to room
165 gm butter, coarsely chopped into 4 pieces. Starting with and beat to coarse crumbs. Add temperature. Beat in chocolate.
195 gm eggwhites, at room one piece, knead on a surface eggwhite and beat until a paste vanilla and butter until smooth.
temperature (about 6 eggs) lightly dusted with cornflour forms, then add milk and oil and 4 Spread a third of the
270 ml milk, at room temperature until smooth and pliable, then beat until smooth (5 minutes). buttercream over one cake,
1½ tbsp vegetable oil add 2-3 drops of food colouring, Divide among tins and bake top with other cake and spread
WHITE-CHOCOLATE kneading until smooth and until golden, risen and a skewer with remaining buttercream.
BUTTERCREAM coloured evenly. Repeat with inserted withdraws clean or with Scatter with sprinkles and
75 gm white chocolate remaining fondant and colours. only dry crumbs (30-35 minutes). cut into triangles to serve.
3 eggwhites Roll out each piece to 2.5mm Cool briefly in tins, then turn Note For vanilla sugar, store
110 gm (1⁄2 cup) caster sugar thick, brushing off excess flour. out onto a wire rack lined with used scraped vanilla beans
Scraped seeds of Punch out discs with a plain baking paper to cool completely. in caster sugar, or combine
½ vanilla bean 7mm piping-bag nozzle, transfer 3 For buttercream, melt scraped seeds of ½ vanilla
90 gm butter, softened to a tray lined with baking paper chocolate in a bowl over a bean with the caster sugar. ●

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 127
 Sweet Tea

In
Soda

p 132

the

128 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 Recipes SHAUN BYRNE & GILLES LAPALUS

Photography JACK HAWKINS

Sherbet
Punch

p131

When bartender Shaun Byrne got together with winemaker Gilles Lapalus,
Maidenii vermouth was the result. Now their collaboration has produced
The Book of Vermouth, which celebrates aromatised wine in all its glory.
First stop: light, bright cocktails perfect for sharing in the sunshine.
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 129
 Summer of Vermouth SERVES 10
“This is a fun summer punch,” says Shaun Byrne. “Just
scoop out the flesh from the watermelon and blitz it in
a food processor, then pass it through a sieve and you’re
ready to go. To make your watermelon vessel, cut a third
off the top, then cut that piece in half, and you have a stand

From the winemaker

for the watermelon to sit on. Tequila and watermelon are
a match made in heaven, and the wormwood fragrance
“What is vermouth?” is usually the first question of Absentroux brings the whole thing together.” Begin this
I am asked when I begin a conversation about it. recipe a day or two ahead to make the blueberry verjuice.
Having been in wine for most of my life, I approach
vermouth from a wine angle. Vermouth is, after all,
mainly wine. Or, more precisely, an aromatised wine.
A second question often arrives quickly after
I give the definition of vermouth: “How do you
use it?” Instantly, my winemaker brain suggests it
complements food, or you drink it neat, even though
it was my discovery of the Negroni that first lured
me to it. Vermouth, like wine, can shine when
drunk on its own, but it also finds its home in
mixed drinks. In the same way a chef selects the
best-quality ingredients to create a dish, so too can
a fine vermouth help to form a beautiful cocktail.
I hope this book gives you plenty of ideas
for making vermouth a permanent part of your
repertoire. Santé!
Gilles Lapalus

From the bartender

Vermouth and cocktails go hand in hand. They
have done for years and will do for years to come.
The main reason is that vermouth is so full of
flavour; it has sweet, sour, bitter and even salty
notes depending on the brand. This flavour
spectrum makes it incredibly versatile, and helps
emphasise different characteristics in the products
it is mixed with.
For many years vermouth had fallen out of
favour – working at Melbourne’s Gin Palace, I would
often hear people say “Vermouth? That’s what my
grandmother drank when she was young!” – but due
“Tequila and watermelon
to the recent trend towards lower-alcohol drinks, are a match made in heaven,
vermouth has come into its own. There’s been an and the wormwood fragrance
explosion of brands in response to this popularity, of Absentroux brings the
and with bartenders showcasing it in cocktails,
winemakers promoting it as a drink to be served neat, whole thing together.”
and people writing books on the subject, the world
of vermouth has never been so exciting. I encourage
you to grab a bottle. Cheers!
Shaun Byrne

130 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 1 small watermelon
500 ml Absentroux vermouth
(see note)
300 ml Tromba Blanco tequila
150 ml lime juice
250 ml (1 cup) ginger beer
Large block of ice, to serve
Basil leaves, mint leaves
and blueberries, to garnish
BLUEBERRY VERJUICE
250 gm blueberries
500 ml verjuice
1 For blueberry verjuice, freeze
blueberries overnight, then
combine frozen blueberries
with verjuice and refrigerate
for 12 hours to macerate.
Strain through a fine sieve
into a sterilised glass bottle,
discarding blueberries.
Blueberry verjuice will keep
refrigerated in a tightly sealed
bottle for a week.
2 Cut top off watermelon,
scoop out flesh and, in batches,
blitz in a food processor until
puréed, then pass through
a fine sieve. (You’ll need 750ml
watermelon juice; reserve
remaining flesh for another use.)
Combine 750ml watermelon
juice with remaining ingredients
and 250ml blueberry verjuice in
the hollowed-out watermelon
and top with ice. Garnish with
basil, mint and blueberries and
serve in chilled wine glasses.
Note Absentroux vermouth is
available from select bottle
shops, such as Nicks Wine
Merchants and P&V Merchants.
Sherbet Punch SERVES 12
“When I first wrote this recipe, I thought it lacked something. Enter
one of my favourite cocktail ingredients: tea,” says Byrne. “When
used correctly, tea can bring amazing subtlety to cocktails and
punch; it gives them some backbone, allowing other flavours to
pop. Once I added the tea, the Cocchi rosa stood out and you could
really notice the bitter cinchona bark of the La Tonique quinquina.
Very quickly, this punch went to superstar status.” Pictured p129.
300 ml Cocchi Americano 1 Combine ingredients except
rosa vermouth soda water, prosecco and ice
300 ml Maidenii La Tonique in a large chilled punch bowl,
quinquina then pour in soda water and
200 ml Melbourne Gin prosecco and top with ice.
Company gin 2 Garnish with flowers, mint
100 ml St Germain liqueur and strawberries and serve in
200 ml black tea syrup chilled punch or wine glasses.
(see recipe below) Note Edible flowers are
500 ml (2 cups) soda water available from David Jones
300 ml prosecco food halls and select grocers.
Large block of ice, to serve
Marigolds and other
edible flowers (optional;
see note), mint sprigs and
strawberries, to garnish

Black tea syrup MAKES 450ML

20 gm Darjeeling black
tea leaves
100 gm caster sugar
1 Combine tea leaves with
400ml chilled, filtered water
in a large bowl. Leave to
macerate, stirring occasionally,
for 1 hour.
2 Strain tea through a fine
sieve, discarding tea leaves.
Return tea to the bowl and
add sugar, stirring vigorously
until dissolved. Pour syrup into
a sterilised bottle and seal
tightly. Black tea syrup will keep
refrigerated for a week. ➤

Summer of
Vermouth

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 131
 Melbourne Fruit Cup MAKES 1
“What is spring without a fruit cup?” says Byrne.
“Classically made with Pimm’s – a gin-based apéritif
sweetened and flavoured with herbs – fruit cups, also
known as summer cups, can be made simply with
vermouth and gin, like this version. You can use whatever
brands you like, but I’ve opted for products produced in
Melbourne to make this a truly Melburnian fruit cup.”

30 ml Maidenii classic 1 Combine vermouth and

vermouth
30 ml Melbourne Gin
Company gin
45 ml Capi dry ginger ale
45 ml Capi lemonade
Ice cubes, to serve
Sliced strawberries and
basil leaves, to garnish
gin in a chilled Collins glass,
then gently pour in ginger
ale and lemonade.
2 Carefully top with ice to
retain the fizz, then garnish
with strawberries and basil.

Sweet Tea Soda MAKES 1

“This cocktail was developed for a friend of mine,
John Parker, when he opened his bar, Halford, in
Perth,” says Byrne. “It’s made with tea and vermouth
and freshened with cider and a strawberry purée float
that gives the drink a lovely nose.” Pictured p128.

45 ml Maidenii sweet 1 Combine vermouth and black

vermouth
60 ml (1⁄4 cup) black tea syrup
(see recipe p131)
90 ml dry apple cider
Ice cubes, to serve
50 ml strawberry purée
(see note), to serve
Mint leaves, to garnish
tea syrup in a chilled Collins
glass. Gently pour in cider
and carefully top with ice to
retain the fizz. To serve, float
strawberry purée on top, then
garnish with mint.
Note For strawberry purée,
blend fresh or frozen berries
with a hand-held blender until
smooth, then pass through a
fine sieve.

Melbourne
Fruit Cup

132 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
Vermouth Brings the Funk MAKES 1
“Kombucha, a fermented tea drink, has come into vogue over
the past few years with different brands popping up all over the
place,” says Byrne. “Finding a good brand is key, and I always
prefer to use unflavoured varieties – flavoured ones tend
to mask the other ingredients in a drink. Dolin Blanc is a light
vermouth with a floral finish that gives the coconut water a lift.”

60 ml Dolin blanc vermouth 1 Combine vermouth, coconut

30 ml coconut water
Pulp of ¼ passionfruit, plus
1⁄2 passionfruit to serve
90 ml unflavoured kombucha
Ice cubes, to serve
Lemongrass stalk,
to garnish
water and passionfruit pulp in
a chilled highball glass and
stir to combine. Gently pour
in kombucha and carefully top
with ice to retain the fizz.
Garnish with lemongrass
and passionfruit. ●

“Dolin blanc is a light

vermouth with a floral
finish that gives the
coconut water a lift.”

This extract from The Book

of Vermouth by Shaun Byrne &
Gilles Lapalus (Hardie Grant
Books, hbk, $39.99) has been
reproduced with minor
GT style changes.
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Sugarloaf Rock,
Western Australia

p 148

See the light

PHOTOGRAPHY JESSICA WYLD.

Hiking America’s Appalachian Trail, Margaret River’s

new dining destinations, and art and style in Basel.
TRAIL

A trail near
Lonesome
Lake, New
Hampshire.
Right: the
Ammonoosuc
River.
Serious hikers take months to walk the 3,500km Appalachian Trail.

ALEXANDRA CARLTON sees the highlights of America’s

most famous trail in comfort – and in a week.

Photography PAOLA + MURRAY

LAZER
 I
n the glorious rhetoric that once characterised
American leaders, Lyndon B. Johnson made
an impassioned plea to Congress on 8 February
1965 to preserve the nation’s wild places.
It was a time of rapid urbanisation across
the United States, and the President feared
his countrymen’s souls would wither as they moved en
masse from the country to sprawling cities. “Association
with beauty can enlarge man’s imagination and revive
his spirit,” he told the gathered lawmakers. “Ugliness
can demean the people who live among it. What a
citizen sees every day is his America. If it is attractive
it adds to the quality of his life. If it is ugly it can
degrade his existence.”
This was the elegant preamble to a presidential
decree to preserve America’s natural beauty for the
enrichment of its citizens. Johnson proposed the
creation of a national network of hiking trails and
the preservation of existing ones. “The forgotten
outdoorsmen of today are those who like to walk,
hike, ride horseback or bicycle,” he said. “For them
we must have trails as well as highways.”
The National Trails System Act was passed three
years after his historic speech. In 1965 the nation had
141,600 kilometres of hiking trails; 50 years later, that
distance had more than doubled to 311,408 kilometres.
These include the Continental Divide Trail, which
bisects the nation from Mexico to Canada; the Pacific
Crest Trail on the West Coast, celebrated in Cheryl
Strayed’s bestselling book, Wild; and the mighty
Appalachian Trail, stretching 3,524 kilometres along
the spine of the Appalachian Mountains through
14 states, from Georgia to Maine.
Johnson’s outdoorsmen are no longer forgotten,
but they need to be serious about their tramping to
enjoy many of the network’s finest moments. The
US trails system can be difficult to access without a
well-stocked backpack, a tent and a solid couple of
months off work. In his bestselling memoir about
the Appalachian, A Walk In The Woods, Bill Bryson
grumbled that many of the country’s main trails are
inconveniently remote and tricky to visit without a
full-blown commitment to roughing it. The Appalachian
Trail, he wrote, “was designed for pushing on, ever
on, not for dipping in and out of”.
There’s some truth in his complaint, yet with
planning it’s possible to hike sections of the

140 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 Appalachian Trail on a road trip that balances
wilderness with comfort, without resorting to tents,
two-minute noodles or long-service leave.

CONNECTICUT
My trip begins in New York City, just the sort of place
President Johnson would have considered detrimental
to my soul. On a fine summer morning in Brooklyn,
we toss suitcases – rather than hiking packs – into the
boot of our car and head north on Interstate 684.
Our destination is the town of Kent, Connecticut,
all jaunty American flags and flowerboxes bursting
with petunias and echinacea.
At Annie Bananie, an ice-cream parlour in the
town’s general store, we meet Ray Bracone for hot
dogs and iced tea. Bracone operated heavy equipment
at Ground Zero after 9/11, and has formed a volunteer
task force that maintains the Connecticut stretch
of the Appalachian Trail and encourages visitors to
minimise their environmental impact. “The outdoors
are a wonderful way to find peace,” he says, as he
drives us to one of the region’s famous covered
bridges, Bull’s Bridge. It’s the trailhead of a sedate
seven-kilometre round-trip hike to Ten Mile Hill. This
is my first footfall on the Appalachian Trail, confirmed
when I see a white blaze, an identifying daub of paint
on a cottonwood tree. There’s romance in imagining
we could follow these marks for 1,174 kilometres north
to Mount Katahdin, in Maine, or for 2,349 kilometres
in the other direction before staggering to the southern
terminus, Springer Mountain, in Georgia. On the way
we’d see some of the most beautiful woodland in the
world, filled with maples and black cherry, trout and
deer. “The mountains are calling and I must go,” wrote
the 19th-century American naturalist John Muir, and
it’s hard to ignore the urge to keep walking just to see
where the next blaze leads.
Instead we detour to the Ten Mile River Lean-To,
one of about 250 shelters that dot the trail. It’s well
named, no more than a raised wooden platform and
roof. Nearby is a blue plastic container draped with
chains and marked “bear box”, a safe place to store
provisions overnight. It’s an insight into the regimen
of a “thru-hiker”, the thousand-odd hardy individuals
Clockwise
from top left: the
who walk the entire trail each year, taking five to seven
track near Bull’s months at a steady clip. They walk. They sleep. They
Bridge; beware try to avoid being eaten by bears. Repeat.
of moose, on the
road from New
Our daytrip takes us to a pretty lookout, known in
Hampshire to these parts as an “overlook”, with broad views across
Maine; hot dogs New York state and the Connecticut countryside. Here
and popcorn at
we meet a couple of rangy thru-hikers who started their
Annie Bananie,
Kent; Ray trek in Georgia four months ago. They’re mechanically
Bracone (right) consuming squashed granola bars, glassy-eyed with
with fellow Bull’s exhaustion. With my daypack beside their labrador-sized
Bridge Task Force
volunteers; Kent, packs, I feel both fraudulent and secretly relieved that
Connecticut. I’m about to turn around and trot back to my car. ➤

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 141
 In Kent that night we have dinner at Swyft,
a restaurant in a restored 18th-century historic
house run by Joel Viehland, an alumnus of Noma
in Copenhagen and Gramercy Tavern in Manhattan.
We eat grassy green gazpacho and pizza topped with
clams, with American IPAs from Kent Falls Brewing
Company. It’s fresh and sourced locally – and a
merciful upgrade from a granola bar.

WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS
The next morning we head 120 kilometres north
to North Adams, a creative community in Western
Massachusetts. It’s best known for the Massachusetts
Museum of Contemporary Art, and Tourists, an
abandoned roadside motel that’s been transformed
into a hip resort by a group of investors including John
Stirratt, the bassist of alt-rock band Wilco.
The most popular hike in these parts takes walkers
to the top of Mount Greylock; at 1,064 metres, it’s
the highest point in Massachusetts. On a clear day,
summiteers can see more than 140 kilometres in all
directions, and across five states. The mountain’s
elongated shape is said to have been the inspiration
for the white whale in Herman Melville’s Moby Dick.
A Mount Greylock trek is as tough as you want
it to be. Thoughtful trailblazers have carved a couple
of routes to its summit – the longest takes about
a day, while the shortest begins close to the top
and takes just 90 minutes.
Today, in pouring rain, the mountain is true
to its name. Its peak is locked in a grey haze of fog,
so instead of walking we drive to the top. Here we
have roughly the same visibility as Jonah, mid-whale.
Disappointed, we’re about to head back when
a lone thru-hiker appears, wraith-like, from the
mist. Her face is set grimly as she pulls a rain hood
tighter and trudges on stoically. She reaches the
peak and unceremoniously turns and starts her
descent. Not for the last time I’m grateful for the
promise of a hot shower, a cooked meal and a place
to dry soaked gear.
All that and more is waiting in the nearby town
of Great Barrington, where I unpack in a bright,
retro-Scandi room at the Briarcliff Motel, an updated
1960s roadhouse. “There were bears outside the other
morning,” another guest confides in an unruffled tone,
though the wildlife fails to appear during our stay.
We finish our day at Prairie Whale, a bar and
restaurant owned by New York chef Mark Firth,
formerly of Marlow & Sons. He walked away from
his Brooklyn restaurant empire in 2012 and started
cooking local produce, American-style, in small-town
Massachusetts, prompting hordes of New Yorkers
to follow on long weekends. A cocktail of grapefruit
juice, agave and locally distilled Greylock Gin is as close
as we’ll get to the elusive Mount Greylock tonight. ➤

142 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
The Ammonoosuc
River. Left, from
top: Briarcliff
Motel in Great
Barrington;
clam pizza and
gazpacho at
Swyft, in Kent.
Clockwise
from top left:
kolam patterns
underfoot at
Ekambareswarar
Temple; balconies
and courtyard
pool at Palais
de Mahé;
the gateway
façade at
Brihadeeswarar
Temple,
Thanjavur;
etched panels
at Svatma’s
restaurant,
Aaharam.

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 143
 A lone thru-hiker appears, wraith-like, from the mist. She
pulls a rain hood tighter and trudges on. Not for the last time
I’m grateful for the promise of a hot shower and a cooked meal.

144 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

“I don’t really miss New York,” Firth tells us above
the din of a big crowd for a Monday night. “Life’s
pretty good out here.”
NEW HAMPSHIRE
New Hampshire folk are the archetypal “forgotten
outdoorsmen”; seemingly everyone hikes, fishes,
skis or hunts. Their resilience is summed up by
the state’s motto: “Live Free or Die” – though recent
tourism campaigns in this state, which has some of
the most lax gun laws in the country, have dropped the
latter sentiment.
Thru-hikers both love and hate the Appalachian
Trail in New Hampshire. Its huts, in which hikers
can rest overnight, are considered some of the most
comfortable on the trail. But its terrain, which passes
through the imposing White Mountains, is some of
the toughest. Beyond the trail, the state is notable
for its pretty woodland, grand old hotels, country
inns and treacherous Mount Washington, at the
confluence of three weather systems that generate
the kind of storms that claim the lives of a handful
of hikers every year.
Not far from Lincoln, a colonial-era town of
weatherboard houses and ski lodges, we set out on the
most enchanting hike of our journey, the Lonesome
Lake Hut hike in Franconia Notch State Park, in the
heart of the White Mountains.
It’s only 2.5 kilometres from the car park to the
pristine glacial lake named Lonesome, but the walk is
entirely uphill, and it raises a sweat. Thickets of birch,
beech and sugar maple line the track, their thick roots
twisting treacherously across the path. The lake is
still and serene, capped by a wisp of fog and circled
by an uneven path and boggy banks bristling with
carnivorous sundew and pitcher plants.
I’m met by Whitney Brown, a member of the
New Hampshire Appalachian Mountain Club High
Hut “Croo”. The mountains are in her family’s blood;
her grandfather took part in mountain search-and-
rescue missions in the 1940s, and she’s employed
to maintain the huts and share her knowledge of the
area with visitors. Lonesome Lake Hut is one of the
eight “high huts” of the White Mountains, some of the
most comfortable along the Appalachian. A central
octagonal wooden building has a kitchen and rustic
dining room, surrounded by bunkhouses.
Brown offers us bowls of thick lentil soup that are
comforting and taste just right out here in the woods.
Beside us are Tyler from Massachusetts and Ben from
New Hampshire, college graduates who are hiking the
trail from north to south, an approach that only about
one in four thru-hikers attempt. We exchange trail
tales and share more soup. They turn in early ahead
of a long day’s walk tomorrow, while we backtrack to
a dinner of Maine lobster and comfortable four-poster
beds at the Adair Country Inn, near the town of
Littleton, by the Ammonoosuc River.
Littleton’s main street is lined with cheerful diners,
a 1920s Italian deli and an old-fashioned candy store.
“Our town has won awards for being a typical American
main street,” says Cathy Bedor, born in Littleton and
the co-owner of our inn. In 2003 the town won a Great
American Main Street Award for its “exceptional and
attractive main-street community”. President Johnson
might have had more time for man-made beauty if
he’d spent some time in Littleton.
MAINE
We cross the state border and the first thing I see
is a moose. This is as it should be – Maine has about
70,000 of them, the largest moose population in
Clockwise
the US besides Alaska. It peers, bemused, at passing
from top left: cars on Highway 16, at the edge of the Umbagog
Schilling Beer National Wildlife Refuge, a moose stronghold that
Co cellarman
Jeremy Wolf;
spans the states of New Hampshire and Maine.
hikers Tyler and It’s a fitting introduction to wild and woodsy Maine.
Ben at Lonesome Appalachian hikers know this state for the trail section
Lake; Omni Mount
called the Hundred Mile Wilderness: 100 miles of trail
Washington
Resort in Bretton with no access to food or medical help. We’re headed
Woods; Flume instead to Carrabassett Valley at the foot of the Bigelow
Gorge, Franconia Ranges, which thankfully has both.
Notch State
Park; Littleton’s We plan our approach over oysters and lobster
Main Street. bisque at the Coplin Dinner House, in the village ➤
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 145
 of Stratton. The Carrabassett Valley is ski country,
which, by definition, means it’s hard hiking country
– vertical more often than not. “You in good hiking
shape?” asks a man at an adjoining table when I ask
for advice. He’s Jeff from Georgia, and he’s been hiking
the Appalachian Trail every year for 18 years, a week at
a time. I estimate that he’s in his 60s, and he says he’ll
continue the ritual for three more years. “What will
you do with yourself when you’re finished?” I ask.
“Be thankful it’s over,” he chuckles.
I’m not in the greatest hiking shape, I admit to Jeff,
I don’t have walking poles, and, yes, I’ll probably polish
off these fried oysters and then a few beers at a barbecue
joint down the road called The Rack. Jeff pauses for a
moment and suggests a hike to Horns Pond. “It’s hard,”
he says, eyeing me doubtfully as I order another cocktail,
“but you can always turn around when it gets too much.”
We drive to the start of the 12-kilometre round-
trip trail. The sun seeps through the thick canopy and Clockwise:
scatters like glitter on a shallow beaver brook, and Omni Mount
I trot easily over a narrow wooden bridge. Toadstools Washington
Resort; Mount
erupt from logs at awkward angles, as though a fairy Washington
has sat on them too hard, and squirrels dart up and Cog Railway;
down the spruce and firs. shishito peppers
with brown butter
Wearing headphones while hiking is not considered and parmesan,
trail etiquette – it inhibits the communion with nature. beetroot and
But I have Bill Bryson’s A Walk In The Woods as an blueberry salad,
and lobster
audiobook, which surely gets special dispensation. I
mac-and-cheese
bounce along rather confidently until, as Jeff predicted, at 20 Railroad
the going gets quite tough. The Maine Trail Finder Public House in
website labels this hike “advanced, strenuous” and Great Barrington;
The Rack in
I start to wonder why I didn’t take more heed of Carrabassett
a man who’s hiked the Appalachian for 18 years. Valley, Maine.
I trudge a few more miles, but from my recollection
of Jeff’s description the pond is still a long way off.
Reluctantly I retrace my steps until I find the little
beaver brook at the trailhead. The sun is still dancing
across its rippled surface. I sit with my legs swinging
over the edge of the bridge and dispense with the
headphones. I watch the water, and the squirrels,
and the dappled beauty of the woods. The spirit can
be revived by simply looking at nature rather than
conquering it, I discover.

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS
Boston, when we arrive, is all freeways and traffic jams.
Taylor Swift is playing tonight at Gillette Stadium, the
Red Sox have a big game at Fenway Park, and the blaze
of horns from every side suggest most people are trying
to get to one or the other. We pull up at the Boston
Park Plaza as valets shout instructions to each other,
or us. Tired, unwashed and wearing the dirtiest shoes
this elegant lobby has ever seen, I’m swept up in a sea
of well-dressed people and jostled into their slipstream.
Perhaps only now, fresh from the Appalachian but far
from it, do I feel like a forgotten outdoorsman. ●

146 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

Tr i p
notes
GETTING THERE
Virgin Australia and partner Delta Air Lines
fly from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to
New York City and Boston via Los Angeles.
Walking there
The 3,524-kilometre Appalachian Trail
stretches from Georgia in the south to Maine
in the north. It’s threaded with hundreds of
side trails that can be accessed by road
and walked in tandem with stays at good
lodgings, particularly in New England
where the trail intersects many towns.
See The Appalachian Trail Conservancy
(appalachiantrail.org) and the Appalachian
Mountain Club (outdoors.org).
S TAY
Troutbeck This newly remodelled
18th-century estate in New York’s Hudson
Valley has hosted naturalist John Burroughs
and writers Mark Twain and Henry David
Thoreau. It’s an easy drive to the Ten Mile
Hill hike at Bull’s Bridge. 515 Leedsville Rd,
Amenia NY, +1 845 789 1555, troutbeck.com
Briarcliff Motel The Brady Bunch house
meets colourful Scandinavian cheeriness at
this revamped roadside motel. Stay here for
access to Mount Greylock. 506 Stockbridge
Rd, Great Barrington, MA, +1 413 528 3000,
thebriarcliffmotel.com
Omni Mount Washington Resort Built in
the early 20th century, the last remaining
White Mountains grand hotel was once
the summer playground of railroad barons
from New York and Boston. It has 200 rooms
and suites, a golf course and, allegedly,
occasional visits by the ghost of one of
its original owners. Take a daytrip to the
imposing Mount Washington – there’s
a popular cog railway to the top if the
hike is too challenging. 310 Mount
Washington Hotel Rd, Bretton Woods, NH,
+1 603 278 1000, omnihotels.com/hotels/
bretton-woods-mount-washington
Adair Country Inn Expect flocked wallpaper,
floral bedspreads and no-fuss country
food such as bowling ball-sized popovers,
a cross between a croissant and a Yorkshire
pudding. Stay here to access the Lonesome
Lake Hike. 80 Guider La, Bethlehem, NH,
+1 603 444 2600, adairinn.com
ail
Tr
a n
c hi
a
l
a
pp
A
Augusta
Boston
New York City
Philadelphia
Hostel of Maine Forget everything you think Washington DC
you know about hostels; this welcoming,
woodsy log cabin run by Justin and Melanie
Atlantic Ocean
Steele holds pop-up dinners with local chefs
and stocks Maine-brewed craft beers.
Make this your base for hiking to Horns
Pond and other trails in the Bigelow Ranges. Atlanta
3004 Town Line Rd, Carrabassett Valley, ME,
+1 207 237 0088, hostelofmaine.com
Boston Park Plaza There can be few better
places to wash off the wilderness than
the Plaza, which had a $130-million
renovation in 2017. The adjacent Strip by
Strega does upscale steak and seafood.
50 Park Plaza at Arlington St, Boston, MA,
+1 617 426 2000, bostonparkplaza.com
E AT
Swyft Chef Joel Viehland crafts his
sourdough pizze from a 30-year-old starter
and tops them with local heirloom tomatoes
and house-made burrata. 3 Maple St, Kent,
CT, +1 860 592 0404, orehillandswyft.com
Prairie Whale A little bit of New York in
the Berkshires backcountry. This hotspot
is packed day and night. 178 Main St,
Great Barrington, MA, +1 413 528 5050
20 Railroad Public House No reservations
here, but the short-rib and brisket burgers
or the artery-plugging lobster mac-and-
cheese are worth the wait. 20 Railroad St,
Great Barrington, MA, +1 413 528 9345,
20railroadpublichouse.com
Schilling Beer Co On the banks of the
tumbling Ammonoosuc, this former 18th-
century gristmill serves fancy flights – the
spicy Belgian-style Erastus is our pick –
and wood-fired pizza. 18 Mill St, Littleton,
NH, +1 603 444 4800, schillingbeer.com
Coplin Dinner House Owners Heidi
Donovan and Tony Rossi source seafood
from the Gulf of Maine and meat, eggs
and vegetables from their own farm.
8252 Carrabassett Rd, Stratton, ME,
+1 207 246 0016, coplindinnerhouse.com
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 147
WE NEED

Photography JESSICA WYLD

Margaret River has long been a place where fine wine meets coastline,
but the latest wave of operators brings new breadth to the popular
Western Australian region, writes MAX VEENHUYZEN.
T O TA L K
ABOUT
 Clockwise from above: the Arimia
dining room; Voyager Estate; Arimia
chef Evan Hayter feeds the pigs;
and his pork ragù tagliatelle.
PREVIOUS PAGES Left: Wyadup
Rocks, Yallingup. Right: barbecued
kangaroo with rosella and muntries
at Voyager Estate.

150 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 Left: snacks at
Voyager Estate,
including crisp
chicken skin with
duck-liver parfait,
smoked duck
breast and
quince (right),
potato churros
with shallot
purée, Manchego
and smoked
paprika (bottom
left), and
kombu crisps
with marron
rémoulade,
pickled daikon
and trout roe
(top left).

T
hree hours’ drive south of one of the world’s
most remote capitals, Margaret River is blessed
with surf, sunshine, world-class wines and an
edge-of-the-Earth freshness. Add increasingly
good food, and the deal is sealed. Canny
winemakers have long understood the value
a good cellar-door restaurant brings to their
business, but a batch of new eateries is raising
the bar across the region, bolstered by an influx of sea-changing
young families, more international travellers, and the continued
success of Margaret River Gourmet Escape, the region’s annual
November long weekend of food and celebration.
Some lament the growing number of fast-food outlets
on Bussell Highway, the town’s main drag, but family-run,
owner-operated businesses still outnumber the chains. The
diversity of options available is encouraging, with Korean,
Japanese and modern Chinese in the mix – there’s even a food
truck serving Chinese dumplings throughout the region. In
short, eating in and around Margaret River has never been more
exciting, whether you’re here for an international food festival
or plotting a weekend getaway during the off-season. We hope
you’re hungry – there’s some exploring to be done.
ARIMIA
Evan Hayter might well be Margaret River’s most influential
chef. With the support of estate owner Ann Spencer, he
leads the region in sustainable, self-sufficient thinking, raising
his own pigs, breeding trout in creeks, and overseeing Arimia’s
biodynamic practices. Best of all, Hayter has the kitchen smarts to
make all this virtue taste good, whether curing his own smallgoods,
transforming pork shoulder into an intensely rich ragù, or serving
a tofu-like ginger milk pudding with estate honey. 242 Quininup
Rd, Wilyabrup, (08) 9755 2528, arimia.com.au
V OYAG E R E S TAT E
This showpiece estate has meticulously manicured grounds, a
Cape Dutch-inspired cellar door, and an ambitious, well-resourced
winemaking program. More is more at Voyager, doubly so when
it comes to the cooking of Spanish-born chef Santi Fernandez.
Whether you program your own four-course menu or surrender
to the dégustation, lunch is a leisurely afternoon starring well-
drilled sommeliers, wine postcards and technique-driven dishes
such as marron, chicken skin and XO sauce in suquet, the
Catalan seafood stew. Polished, and then some. 41 Stevens Rd,
Margaret River, (08) 9757 6354, voyagerestate.com.au ➤

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 151
 GLENARTY ROAD
William “Aussie” McDonald had a farm; grandson Ben and
his wife Sasha opened it to the public. Established in the
1930s, the family’s 83-hectare mixed-used property comprises
vineyards, vegetable gardens, orchards, sheep and – as of
last year – a cellar door. As well as providing the McDonalds
with an outlet for their wine, produce and grass-fed lamb, the
expansion gave a voice to chef Ricky Mandozzi, a MoVida
alumnus who arrived in Margaret River via the Fremantle small
bar, Strange Company. His menus reflect the day’s pickings and
might include imaginative house-made pasta – red Russian kale
gnocchi, say – alongside roast lamb, wood-fired cabbage and
other models of farmhouse comfort. 70 Glenarty Rd, Karridale,
0475 085 305, glenartyroad.com.au

A M E L I A PA R K
After success at Piari & Co and Studio Bistro in the region,
husband-and-wife team Blair and Renee Allen (he’s in the
kitchen, she’s front of house) are applying
their energy to this contemporary, anvil-
shaped restaurant adjacent to the Amelia
Park cellar door (not to be confused
with the Amelia Park Lodge on Bussell
Highway). The menu is big on wood-grilled
meat – Amelia Park produces beef and
lamb, as well as wine – and strong on
seafood. Start with crisp kingfish wings
spiked with chilli salsa. Continue with
pink snapper served with Jerusalem
artichoke cream and curried carrots.
3857A Caves Rd, Wilyabrup, (08) 9755 6747,
ameliaparkrestaurant.com.au

MIKI’S OPEN KITCHEN

“Specialist tempura restaurant in a
former beauty salon at the back of an
arcade.” There could only be one place
fitting such a description. Book ahead at
this bijou Japanese eatery to nab one of the counter seats ringing
Mikihito Nagai’s kitchen and be rewarded with close-up views
of chefs giving Western Australian seafood the royal treatment.
Crisp Shark Bay whiting accented with shiso salt, perhaps,
or Exmouth rankin cod coated with crisp rice-cracker pebbles.
Bargain-priced sake and Margaret River wines further underscore
Nagai’s mission to unify East and West. Shop 2, 131 Bussell Hwy,
Margaret River, (08) 9758 7673.
Clockwise from
C H OW ’ S TA B L E top: Chow’s
The scent of frying garlic fills the air at this six-month-old Table; Glenarty
Road co-owners
restaurant. Modern Chinese has long been popular with local Ben and Sasha
diners; Malcolm Chow (ex-Tetsuya’s, Vue de Monde and, locally, McDonald with
Studio Bistro) takes it up a notch in this airy, spacious dining their dog, Bob, and
room. While the terrazzo floor, blond timber furniture and lambs Gnocchi
and Rosemary;
bushland views are classic south-west, the menu celebrates Miki’s Open Kitchen
Chow’s Chinese-Malay heritage. Gingery cuttlefish emerges ➤ chef Mikihito Nagai.

152 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 At Chow’s Table, gingery cuttlefish emerges from the wok
tender and smoky and siu mai are a masterclass in juiciness.

Clockwise from top:

dishes at Chow’s
Table, including
(from left) green
beans with minced
pork, pork and
shiitake siu mai,
Chinese-style roast
duck, and cuttlefish
with chilli and green
onion; on the way
to Dunsborough;
pink snapper
with Jerusalem
artichoke, curried
carrot and roasted
cabbage at Amelia
Park; Amelia Park.

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 153
from the wok tender and smoky, siu mai enriched with pork
aspic are a masterclass in juiciness, and star anise and mandarin
peel lend a Sino accent to roast duck. A range of Asian beers
suits the relaxed, all-in vibe. 12/5 Quininup Rd, Yallingup,
(08) 9755 2681, chowstable.com.au
BUNKERS BEACH HOUSE
“The view’s pretty good.” This used to be the simplest way to
sum up this beachfront café, but following the appointment of
chef Ben Day in January, patrons are now talking enthusiastically
about what’s on the plate. Kombu soy and chips of fried garlic
enliven rags of kale, char-grilled quail and sweet beetroot are
a winning combination, and a crab and celeriac rémoulade
demonstrates a proficiency with seafood. The service and setting
are beachside breezy, and well-priced wine (and the offer of
steamed golden-syrup pudding) encourage longer lunching. Farm
Break La, Naturaliste, (08) 9756 8284, bunkersbeachhouse.com.au
VASSE FELIX
Despite the departure of long-serving chef Aaron Carr (see
Yarri, right), it’s business as usual at this pioneering Margaret
River estate. The service remains polished, the dining world-
class, and Carr’s successor, Brendan Pratt (The Fat Duck,
The Ledbury), is a young go-getter who brings both humility
and serious kitchen experience to the role. After a year
in the hot seat, Pratt has made the menu his own. Grilled
marron is paired with bonito cream and crunchy farro,
puréed corn with mushroom XO sauce demonstrates
respect for vegetarians, and bigoli with hazelnut, pecorino
and shavings of truffle exemplifies the kitchen’s broad
reach. Cnr Caves Rd & Tom Cullity Dr, Cowaramup,
(08) 9756 5000, vassefelix.com.au
WILLS DOMAIN
Since arriving at this scenic cellar-door restaurant in 2013,
Melbourne expat and Cumulus Inc alumnus Seth James has
been confidently refining his modern Australian style. The
share-friendly carte (house charcuterie, larger cuts of meat)
suits drop-in dining, but booking ahead for the chef’s tasting
menu is the way to go. Pickled abalone sheathed in chicken
skin is typical of a strong snack menu and a dainty tartlet of
stracciatella and ripe zebra tomatoes shows off the kitchen
garden’s growing influence. Cnr Abbey Farm & Brash Rds,
Yallingup, (08) 9755 2327, willsdomain.com.au
YA R R I
It’s a restaurant. It’s a bar. It’s a cellar door. It’s a casual all-day
eatery by veteran south-west chef Aaron Carr. But don’t mistake
casual for slapdash: Carr’s standards are as high as those he set
during his 21 years at Vasse Felix, whether he’s wood-roasting
prawns and dressing them with burnt miso butter, or teaming
torched scallop with discs of crisp Jerusalem artichoke. The
pasta is handmade, the service is switched-on, and the wine list
offers regional and international benchmarks alongside wines
from Snake + Herring, Carr’s partner in this fresh-faced venture.
6/16 Cyrillean Way, Dunsborough, (08) 9786 5030, yarri.com.au ●

From left: corn

with mushroom
XO sauce, daikon
and dried seaweed
at Vasse Felix;
Sugarloaf Rock
at Cape Naturaliste.
Opposite, clockwise
from top: whipped
marron mousse
tartlet with pickled
marron, fried gai lan
and gai lan petals
(top), and marron
grilled in kombu
with bone-marrow
emulsion and fried
beef jerky at Wills
Domain; Bunkers
Beach House;
Wills Domain.
 Tr i p
notes

In town
While winery restaurants remain a diner’s
best bet in the region, options grow ever
more varied in the township of Margaret River
(regular population, about 14,000; number of
traffic lights, still zero). Among recent openings
are Pizzica (73 Bussell Hwy, 08 9758 7361), a
pizzeria and charcoal grill that serves pliable,
elegant and sparsely topped pizza; and small
bar Yonder (124 Bussell Hwy), a neon-lit fantasy
of ’80s rock and Australiana. Brew Shack
(2/124 Bussell Hwy, 08 9758 8338) serves the
town’s best coffee, while Burger Baby (1/115
Bussell Hwy, 08 9757 9991) is your destination
for buns. The Margaret River Farmers’
Market (272 Bussell Hwy, 08 9757 9095) runs
every Saturday morning at the Margaret
River Education Campus. Yallingup Woodfired
Bread, meanwhile, has begat Margaret River
Woodfired Bread (cnr Boodjidup & Burton Rds,
08 9758 7979) just south of town; drop by from
3pm for loaves still warm from the oven.

Around town
On 16-18 November, Margaret River Gourmet
Escape spans 45 food-and-wine events in
more than 25 locations, from a pop-up Mexican
cantina and a traditional kaiseki, to a vegan
Italian feast and a Chinese banquet. There
will be barbecues on beaches, feasts in the
forest and tea parties in the vineyards. Much
of the culinary action is centred at Leeuwin
Estate, where 120 WA producers, winemakers
and restaurateurs will share stories.
gourmetescape.com.au

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 155
City hitlist

Don’t
miss

Fondation Beyeler
The gift of bookseller
turned art collector
Ernst Beyeler and his
wife, Hildy, is the city’s
best-known art gallery
and one of the most
influential in Europe.
Located in Riehen
on the outskirts of
Basel, its collection
comprises about
200 modernist works,
ranging from Monet
to Francis Bacon, in a
pavilion-style building
by celebrated Italian
EAT
Bonvivant
The wealth generated by the
city’s pharmaceutical giants
sustains an inordinate number of
starred restaurants. Among them
is two-starred Bonvivant (above),
in a former silk-ribbon factory.
Chef Andreas Schürmann offers
A ferry on the tasting menus that change daily,
Rhine. Above left: and wine pairings showcase new
Tulips by Jeff Koons Swiss wines. His dishes are at once
at Fondation Beyeler. robust and refined: perch fillets
with cucumber, sesame, ginger and
coriander, say, or a chicken salad

Basel
architect Renzo Piano. spiked with pepperoni and risoni.
Baselstrasse 101, Basel, Zwingerstrasse 10, bon-vivant.ch
fondationbeyeler.ch/en
Stucki
Though the interiors at two-
The Swiss city borders France and Germany, but its spirit star Stucki in the residential
neighbourhood of Bruderholz are
and style is all its own, writes LUKE SLATTERY. elegant and muted, German-born
chef Tanja Grandits keeps her
menus experimental and on-trend.
She turns out Japanese-influenced
dishes inspired by the seasons;
kingfish with verbena oil, fennel
and lime ponzu, perhaps, or veal
with almond miso, eggplant and

PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES (FONDATION BEYELER), LAURIAN GHINITOIU (DREISPITZ),

shallot granola. Bruderholzallee
42, tanjagrandits.ch/en

SEE
Dreispitz Basel’s cultural dynamism is
best appreciated at Dreispitz, an urban
renewal project in the city’s south. This
quarter bristles with new buildings by
high-profile architects such as Herzog
& de Meuron, and Bjarke Ingels Group,
whose Transitlager development (above)
adopts the angles of a cruise ship. Also
in the district are galleries, a school of
electronic arts and a design faculty.
Volkshaus Basel
STAY Getting This 1920s-inspired brasserie and
INGOLF POMPE (THE RHINE) & PETRA M VON GUNTEN (BONVIVANT).
there bar designed by local powerhouse
Der Teufelhof The devil is in the detail Basel is one of Herzog & de Meuron is part of
at Der Teufelhof, which translates as “the 15 cities along a former workers’ hall that dates
the Rhine that
devil’s house”. A four-storey 1850s villa is to the 14th century. Come for
feature in Scenic’s
the heart of the hotel’s historic section in new European traditional fare – Wiener schnitzel,
which nine rooms are styled as “habitable river cruises for steak frites – and stay for the shows
works of art”; another 24 rooms occupy a 2019, including and events. A meal or drinks in the
more sedate modern section. The popular a 15-day Romantic cobbled and shaded beer garden
Rhine and Moselle
hub includes two restaurants, a café- cruise from Zurich
is a chance to watch the volk – or
bar, wine shop, brewery and theatre. to Amsterdam. folk – of Basel at play. Rebgasse
Leonhardsgraben 49, teufelhof.com/en scenic.com.au 12-14, volkshaus-basel.ch/en

Stroll the banks of the Rhine, which twists through Basel, on a walk named after
the renaissance philosopher Erasmus, who is buried here. Pass pop-up bars lining the
northern bank and ascend to the cathedral, on one of Europe’s most beautiful squares.
156 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
Your next great food experience.

gourmettravellergiftcard.com.au
Tr a v e l m e m o i r
UNPACKING
Out of luck
In the Cuban town of Trinidad, the comforts worth
travelling for are en la casa, writes JOHN IRVING.
J
ulio is waiting for me at the huge
blue door of a colonial-era house
in Trinidad, on the south coast
of Cuba. It’s a casa particular,
or B&B, and Julio is the grandson of
Señora Riselda Miranda Gomez, the
owner. He’s dressed in army camouflage
and a Fidel Castro cap. If it weren’t
for the fact that he’s only five years
old, you’d think he’d just come down
from the Sierra Maestra.
Once inside, I nickname him
“pequeño Comandante Julio”, little
commander, and everyone laughs:
Riselda, her daughter Jamylady – Julio’s
mother – and her son Roberto, a guitarist
who spends his days strumming in
the rear courtyard and his nights
158 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
performing at the Casa de la Música
on the other side of town.
For centuries Trinidad was relatively
isolated from the rest of the island – the
railway arrived here as late as 1919 – and
the town still keeps very much to itself
and its traditions.
Take cocktails. Havana has the
Daiquiri, the Mojito and the Piña
Colada; Trinidad has Canchánchara, a
blend of rum, soda water, lime juice and
honey served in an earthenware copa.
It’s named after the place that invented
it, the taberna La Canchánchara, just
off the Plaza Mayor, which is where I’m
headed after a morning’s sightseeing.
“Una Canchánchara, por favor,” I ask
the waiter. His muttered reply includes
the words “limón” and “malo”. The limes
are off, and so is the Canchánchara.
For lunch, I’m looking forward to
another Trinidad speciality, the signature
chicken dish at the Restaurante El Jigüe, at
the end of the same street as the taberna.
“¡No hay pollo!” declares the waiter
with disarming candour. We’re out of
chicken. Never mind: since pollo El Jigüe
apparently consists of shredded chicken
in tomato sauce with cheese on a bed
of spaghetti, maybe skipping lunch is
a blessing in disguise.
I’ve booked dinner at the Trinidad
Colonial restaurant, which, according
to one guide, is known for its “renowned
international cuisine”. Housed in the
pretty Casa Bidegaray, a 19th-century
patrician palacio, it looks like a dream but
turns out to be a nightmare. My filete de
pescado a la criolla, which I imagine as
tropical and fragrant, instead turns out to
be scraps of an unspecified fish in a red
glop. The glum waiter’s attention appears
to be on other things. Maybe she’s more
concerned with making it home in the
dark – it’s raining, and the cobbled
streets are pockmarked with potholes.
I catch a glimpse of a man wearing a
toque in the kitchen. I presume he made
the meal but I wouldn’t bet he was a chef.
I ask for the fruit salad. “¡No hay
frutas!” I’m told.
It’s an unforgettable evening.
Back at the casa, Señora Gomez
is watching television – the usual nightly
archive footage of La Revoluciòn. Her
impressions are more Hollywood
than Havana.
“How handsome they were,” she says
of the barbudos on the screen. ‘‘I once saw
Fidel in the flesh. He got married here in
Trinidad. Muy guapo!” Very handsome.
The next morning, she prepares a
breakfast of dazzling variety: disquito
ILLUSTRATION LIZ ROWLAND/ILLUSTRATION ROOM.
de queso blanco, a cream-cheese toasted
sandwich, with scrambled eggs, followed
by guayaba jelly, manì, or peanut butter,
pineapple juice, plantains, bread, honey,
and café de montaña, mountain coffee,
from the Sierra del Escambray nearby.
And, later, Jamylady mixes me a proper
thirst-quenching Canchánchara with ice.
The matriarchs treat me to a
masterclass in hospitality, and I learn a
little something about Cuba. Here, it
seems, home is where the heart is. ●
 A GOURMET TRAVELLER PROMOTION

Gourmet shopping
They’re the flavours of the month, so put these items at the top of your wish list.

1 2 3

Qantas Business Rewards Let your
business spending help fund your next
holiday with the American Express® Qantas
Business Rewards Card. Find out more at
amex.com.au/QBR
De’Longhi Primadonna Elite Experience
creates new coffee recipes and offers
complete freedom to discover a world of
personalisation. The connected app also
gives sage advice. $3,199. delonghi.com/en-au
Birch Restaurant As one of the newest
culinary highlights of the Southern Highlands,
Birch offers a dining experience stamped with
innovation and packed full of personality.
birchrestaurant.com.au

4 5 6

Falcon’s Nexus 110cm Dual Fuel Upright
Range Cooker offers a unique feature –
a bread-proving drawer that also doubles
as a storage drawer. Available in induction
and dual fuel. andico.com.au
A La Cornue cooker is entirely handmade
by craftsmen in Paris. With customisable
choices of configuration, colour and trim, you
can design your bespoke cooker to suit your
appetite. lacornue.com/en-GB
Tyrrell’s Wines Hunter Valley Shiraz With
barbecue season upon us, what better wine
to serve than Tyrrell’s Hunter Valley Shiraz –
it’s perfect on a balmy summer evening. $25.
tyrrells.com.au/product/hunter-valley-shiraz

7 8 9

Riedel An extension to the Fatto a Mano range,
the Pink Champagne Wine Glass combines the
style of ancient Venetian tradition with the latest
glass-making technology. $129.95 per piece.
Stockists: David Jones and Peter’s of Kensington.
Ekornes Bring elegance to the dining table
with the new Stressless Dining collection –
the world’s first reclining dining chair. Dine in
comfort with a seat that adjusts automatically
to your body. From $550. stressless.com/en-au
Nespresso The revolutionary Vertuo machine
suits everyone’s coffee preference. Able to
recognise both capsule and cup size, and make
five different sizes of coffee, Vertuo caters for
all coffee lovers. nespresso.com/vertuo
Style
4

2
1 5

Visit

Le Flandrin,
Paris

15

Gold rush
14

This party season pair

13 metallics with a little 9

sparkle for extra glamour.

1 Erdem midi dress, $2,938, from Matches
Fashion. 2 Attico belt, $595, from Harrolds.
3 Laminated Suede Ankle Boots, $1,950,
from Chanel. 4 Temperley London skirt,
$876.85, from Net-a-Porter. 5 Calvin Klein
Prom Dress, $3,665, from Parlour X.
6 Jennifer Behr hairclip, $205.07, from
10 Net-a-Porter. 7 Erdem blouse, $1,346, from
Matches Fashion. 8 Tiffany Paper Flowers
PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES. STYLING LIZ ELTON.

Diamond Cluster Ring, $22,100, from

Tiffany&Co. 9 Clutch, $486, from Mehry
Mu at Farfetch. 10 Spot Silk Cami, $129.95,
from Witchery. 11 Erdem Mathilde mules,
$12,44.49, from Net-a-Porter. 12 Shoulder
12
bag in black suede and python, $3,770,
from Gucci. 13 Tiffany Paper Flowers
Diamond Cluster Earrings, $11,900, from
Tiffany&Co. 14 Trésor Perdu choker,
$1,100, from Christian Dior. 15 Datejust
Erdem A/W ’18

31 in White Gold and Diamonds, $56,500,

11 from Rolex. Stockists p168.

160 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
GET
FOR CHRISTMAS
Beauty

moves 2
Night

4
12

11

Please extend
the background
where it’s yellow
7
5

+ include bleed 6

10
9

Get party-ready with statement scarlet lips, a beach-bronzed

glow and bright pops of shimmering eye-colour.
STYLING LIZ ELTON. PHOTOGRAPHY ROB SHAW.

1 A full-coverage concealer that masks post-party dark circles under the eyes. Charlotte Tilbury Magic Away liquid concealer in 3 Fair, $49, charlottetilbury.com
2 The name says it all. Acting like a second skin, this foundation offers full coverage and will stay put all night long. Bobbi Brown Skin Long-Wear Weightless
Foundation SPF15 in Warm Ivory, $70, bobbibrown.com.au 3 These 10 bright shades come in a limited-edition colour-blocked palette from fashion designer
Proenza Schouler. Lancôme x Proenza Schouler Chroma Eye Palette in Cold Chroma, $120, lancome.com.au 4 This cult favourite adds a creamy, pearlescent layer
to cheeks. Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter in Vanilla Quartz, $64, sephora.com.au 5 With three tones for blending, this subtle bronzing powder
adds a sun-kissed just-back-from-the-beach glow. Guerlain Terracotta Light bronzer in 00 Clair Rosé, $76, davidjones.com 6 This dramatic eyeliner adds a
glossy, vinyl effect that won’t shift or smudge. Giorgio Armani Beauty Eyes to Kill Liner in 1 Onyx, $48, giorgioarmanibeauty.com.au 7 Said to be the first of its
kind, this revolutionary mascara features a 3D-printed brush that gradually builds the volume of lashes without having to recharge in the tube between strokes.
Chanel Le Volume Révolution mascara, $56, chanel.com 8 Available in strong hues inspired by the city of Tokyo, the lipsticks in this range won’t budge for hours.
GUTTER &CREDIT

Shiseido VisionAiry Gel Lipstick in 225 High Rise, $42, shiseido.com.au 9 Offering 12-hour high-impact colour, this lipstick has a lightweight feel. Bobbi Brown
Luxe Matte Lip Color in Cheeky Peach, $56, bobbibrown.com.au 10 Four blendable essentials in the one clever, clutch-friendly palette. Dior Backstage Glow
Face Palette, $76, sephora.com.au 11 An intensely hydrating lipstick with an irresistible fruity fragrance. Estée Lauder Pure Color Desire Rouge Excess Lipstick
WORDS

in Creme Seduce, $60, esteelauder.com.au 12 Celebrate through the day or night with this lip colour, which lasts for hours. Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet Extrême
lipstick in 114 Épitome, $53, chanel.com

162 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

Japan - A Culinary & Cultural Adventure
with Lyndey Milan    14-25 May 2019
You are invited to join Lyndey Milan on a
culinary & cultural immersion on the island of Honshu in Japan.
Starting in the bustling metropolis of Tokyo, some of your highlights include
learning the art of rolling sushi & making soba noodles, strolling through
bustling local food markets, exploring ancient temples, traditional towns &
villages whilst delighting in Japan’s delectable cuisine all along the way!
For more information & itinerary visit www.maryrossitravel.com/lyndey-milan-japan
www.exoticlankaholidays.com.au I info@exoticlankaholidays.com.au
1800 815 067
www.maryrossitravel.com
TRAVEL OVERSEAS & ACCOMMODATION
They say , there is no other country
in the world, like Sri Lanka!
Come travel with us and explore this magical island.
At Exotic Lanka Holidays we understand that everyone’s idea of a dream
holiday is different. Our dedicated team of travel consultants are experts in the art
of itinerary planning and execution. Our exceptional knowledge and attention to
detail will ensure your tour is fully personalised to your specific requirements.
Tailor Made Private Tours To Sri Lanka
1300 374 734 I +61 2 8677 1500 I ATAS Accredited
EXOTIC LANKA HOLIDAYS
We are the No. 1 Australian Travel Agent to Sri Lanka

BIKE & BARGE CYCLING CRUISES

Gourmet Traveller Marketplace

FRANCE ITALY HOLLAND BELGIUM GERMANY AUSTRIA ROMANIA CROATIA GREECE TURKEY SCOTLAND

Join us for a week of easy to moderate cycling with river, canal or coastal island
cruising. Regular departures from March to October - choice of comfortable
barges - cabins with own bathroom. Talk to the Bike & Barge experts:

To advertise phone 02 9282 8369

 LUXURY DINING AND FINE ARTS

a fine dining experience
DINNER WEDNESDAY–SATURDAY // LUNCH THURSDAY–SUNDAY
2/249 ARGYLE STREET, MOSS VALE, SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS, NSW
TELEPHONE 02 4868 1817 // @birch_restaurant
WWW.BIRCHRESTAURANT.COM.AU
Gourmet Traveller Marketplace
COOKING SCHOOL
Heart of Hall is a cooking school, cafe and store,
a culinary hub bringing people and food together
in both practical and entertaining ways 
17 HALL STREET, NEWPORT, VIC 3015
www.heartofhall.com.au • 03 9939 5819

To advertise phone 02 9282 8369

 TRAVEL OVERSEAS AND RESORT ACCOMMODATION
The Specialists for Spain, Portugal & Morocco

• Expert advice
• Tailor made travel
• Gastronomic experiences

harboursideapartments.com.au
IBERTOURS.COM. AU Tel + 61 2 9963 4300
travel@ibertours.com.au I 03 9867 8833

PORT DOUGLAS CAIRNS PALM COVE DAINTREE

Expect to be delighted as our small group
TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND tours introduce you to little- known secrets
and take you off the beaten track to parts
in luxury of Italy that most tourists never see.
in paradise
in the ‘Art of Tropical Living’ April/May 2019
Exclusive Holiday Accommodation THE GREAT GARDENS OF ITALY
Special Event and Wedding Venues May 2019

The Great
Gourmet Cooking Schools THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED, PUGLIA

Freecall 1800 631 566 June 2019

MILAN AND THE ITALIAN LAKES

Gardens Italy TOURS IN THE ITALIAN AUTUMN

ALSO AVAILABLE!

Book your 2019 tour now!

Luxury holiday accommodation 02 9358 4923
In House Catering Weddings Book Direct ciao@italiantours.com.au
italiantours.com.au
FREECALL 1800 631 566
www.executiveretreats.com.au www.executiveretreats.com.au

NEW SELF-GUIDED WALK: Puglia 1 exploring Gargano Peninsula

Hidden Italy is pleased to introduce our latest tour: an 8-day self-guided

walk in southern Italy:
The ‘spur’ on the boot of Italy, the Gargano peninsula is an expansive promontory
covered by the Foresta Umbra, one of Italy’s oldest national parks, recently

You’re only one click away from

World Heritage listed. It is surrounded by sparkling waters, white limestone cliffs
and pretty fishing villages. With its strategic position, Gargano has a rich history:

the perfect Italian holiday !

Neolithic, Greek and Roman, but it was under Norman rule during the Crusades
that Gargano reached its greatest glory when Monte Sant’Angelo became one of
the most popular religious sites in Medieval Europe.

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 TRAVEL OVERSEAS
CRUISE I TASTE I DISCOVER I RELAX

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One of the most incredible ways to see and taste your way through France and beyond.
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town. In
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232 Bay
Bay Street,
Street, BRIGHTON
BRIGHTON VIC
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*Terms & Conditions apply. Contact Bayview Travel. Photos © PONANT P. Plisson, F. Lefebvre, E. Laignel, Fotolia. ABN: 35 166 676 517.
*Terms & Conditions apply. Contact Bayview Travel. Photos © PONANT P. Plisson, F. Lefebvre, E. Laignel, Fotolia. ABN: 35 166 676 517. info@bargevacations.com.au
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FRANCE I BELGIUM I THE NETHERLANDS I ITALY I ENGLAND

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To advertise phone 02 9282 8369

 Almond and hokey-
pokey ice-cream
sponge roll
p 126
Cook’s notes
Measures & equipment
• 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 kaffir lime leaves.
• Unless specified, neutral oil means
any of grapeseed, canola, sunflower
or vegetable oil.
• To dry-roast spices, cook in a dry
pan, stirring over medium-high heat
until fragrant. Cooking time varies.
• 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.
• RSPCA Australia’s advice for killing
crustaceans humanely is to render
them insensible by placing them in
the freezer (under 4°C) until the tail
or outer mouth parts can be moved
without resistance; crustaceans must
168 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
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.
• 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 off the clear butter
and discard the milk solids. You will
lose about 20 per cent of the
volume in milk solids.
Stockists
Alex and Trahanas alexandtrahanas.com Anna Karina
annakarinastudio@gmail.com Bargeek bargeek.com.au
Bauwerk bauwerk.com.au The Bay Tree (02) 9328 1101,
thebaytree.com.au Bonnie and Neil (03) 9384 2234,
bonnieandneil.com.au Chanel 1300 242 635, chanel.com Desa
Creative 0417 227 191 Dior (02) 9295 9022, dior.com EdenEve
edeneve.com.au Epicure Trading epicuretrading.com.au
Fenton & Fenton (03) 9533 2323, fentonandfenton.com.au
The Flying Fork theflyingfork.com.au Francalia (02) 9948 4977,
francalia.com.au Georg Jensen 1800 536 736, georgjensen.
com.au Gucci 1300 442 878, gucci.com Hale Mercantile
Co halemercantileco.com Hermès (02) 9287 3200, australia.
hermes.com Iittala iittala.com Jam Factory jamfactory.com.au
Jardan (02) 9663 4500, jardan.com.au Kate Spade New York
1300 852 022, katespadechina.com.au The Lost and Found
Department thelostandfounddepartment.com.au LuxeWalls
luxewalls.com.au Matches Fashion matchesfashion.com
Matt Blatt 1300 628 825, mattblatt.com.au Montmartre
Store (02) 9969 5456 Nachtmann (02) 9966 0033,
nachtmann.com.au Net-a-Porter net-a-porter.com Nikau
Store nikaustore.com Papaya (02) 9386 9980, papaya.com.au
Parlour X (02) 9331 0999, parlourx.com.au Peter’s of
Kensington (02) 9662 1099, petersofkensington.com.au
Poppies for Grace poppiesforgrace.com Pottery Barn
potterybarn.com Riedel (02) 9966 0033, riedelglass.com.au
Rolex rolex.com Royal Doulton 1300 852 022, royaldoulton.
com.au Salt & Pepper 1800 246 987, saltandpepper.com.au
Seletti 1300 730 244, seletti.com.au Space Furniture
(02) 8339 7588, spacefurniture.com.au Spence & Lyda
(02) 9212 6747, spenceandlyda.com.au Studio Tetatet
studiotetatet.com Teranova Tiles (02) 9386 0063,
teranova.com.au The Works 0416 172 061, worksshowroom.com
Tiffany & Co 1800 829 152, tiffany.com.au Topshop
(02) 8072 9300 Top3 by Design 1300 867 333, top3.com.au
Wedgwood 1300 852 022, wwrd.com.au West Elm
westelm.com.au Williams-Sonoma williams-sonoma.com.au
Witchery 1800 640 249, witchery.com.au
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 Fare exchange
Lettuce leaves and freshly ½ onion 2 For braised pork, place
shucked oysters, to serve 3 spring onions, white ingredients, except pork, in a
Blanched soybean sprouts part only large plastic container with 1 litre
dressed with sesame oil, 3 star anise water and season with salt.
salt, garlic and spring 2 fresh bay leaves Submerge pork and refrigerate,
onions, to serve 1 cinnamon quill covered, to marinate overnight.
PEAR AND RADISH KIMCHI 1 kg piece pork belly Transfer pork and liquid to a
200 gm daikon, cut into julienne SSÄMJANG large saucepan and cover with
2 tbsp caster sugar 120 gm doenjang (see note) water. Bring to the boil, reduce
3 tsp rice wine vinegar 50 gm gochujang (see note) heat to low and simmer until
1 nashi pear, cut into julienne 25 gm brown sugar pork is tender (1½ hours).
1 tbsp fish sauce ½ small white onion, finely 3 For ssämjang, stir ingredients
Bo ssäm 2 tbsp gochugaru (see note) chopped in a bowl to combine.
SERVES 6 // PREP TIME 30 MINS 5 garlic cloves, crushed 2 spring onions, finely chopped 4 When pork is cool enough
// COOK 1 HR 30 MINS (PLUS MARINATING, 15 gm piece ginger, finely 4 garlic cloves, crushed to handle, slice and serve with
FERMENTING) lettuce leaves, oysters, kimchi,
chopped 1 tbsp sesame oil
The ssämjang and kimchi aren’t 3 tsp roasted pine nuts, plus 1 tsp roasted sesame seeds ssämjang, soybean sprouts
hard to make, but they’re also extra to serve and extra pine nuts.
easy to buy from your favourite BRAISED PORK 1 For kimchi, combine daikon, Note Doenjang, Korean
Asian grocer. Begin this recipe a 120 gm doenjang (see note) sugar, vinegar and 1½ tsp salt fermented soybean paste,
day ahead to marinate the pork 125 ml (1⁄2 cup) mirin in a bowl and stand, covered, gochugaru, Korean chilli flakes,
and prepare the kimchi. 200 ml soju or sake (see note) at room temperature to ferment and gochujang, Korean chilli
100 ml light soy sauce overnight. Drain, squeeze paste, are available from Asian
Restaurant Shik, 30 Niagara Ln, 1 tsp brown sugar out liquid, then combine with grocers. Soju is available from
Melbourne, Vic, (03) 9670 5195 5 garlic cloves, bruised remaining ingredients. select bottle shops. ●

Recipe index
GLUTEN-FREE ADVICE ACCREDITED DIETITIAN & NUTRITIONIST NICOLE SALIBA (EAT-SENSE.COM.AU).

STARTERS, SNACKS AND SIDES MEAT AND POULTRY DESSERTS AND SWEETS DRINKS AND EXTRAS
PHOTOGRAPHY CHRIS CHEN. STYLING GERALDINE MUÑOZ. FOOD STYLING LISA FEATHERBY.

Betel leaves with
accoutrements ●......................... 110
Char-grilled capsicum with
sherry vinaigrette ●● .................68
Corn tortillas ●●●●...................... 104
Grilled eggplant salad
with prawns ● ...............................113
Hor mok ●......................................... 116
Prawn and avocado
with lime ●●● ............................ 103
Stir-fry of young angled gourd
and tendrils ●............................... 112
Tonnato with asparagus ● .............68
PASTA AND NOODLES
Penne with ginger and
tomato ●● ....................................... 72
Bo ssäm ............................................ 169
Carne asada tacos with arbol
chilli salsa ● ................................. 104
Chicken tinga tacos ●................... 105
Green curry of chicken .................. 115
Grilled steak with gochujang
butter ●● ........................................ 71
Spiced chicken skewers ●● ......... 72
SEAFOOD
Calamari and corn tacos
with salsa verde ● ..................... 106
Fish burgers ● ..................................69
Ocean trout with harissa
and yoghurt ●●............................ 70
Sour orange fish curry ● ............... 115
Almond and hokey-pokey Black tea syrup ●● .........................131
ice-cream sponge roll ●● ....... 126 Melbourne Fruit Cup ●● ..............132
Berry bundt cake ●●●................. 120 Michelada ●● ................................. 102
Carrot cupcakes with Pink Margarita ●●● ...................... 102
cream-cheese icing ●● ........... 126 Sherbet Punch ● ..............................131
Choc-orange cake with Summer of Vermouth ●................ 130
Jaffa buttercream ●● ............... 120 Sweet Tea Soda ● ..........................132
Fairy-bread cake ●●......................127 Vermouth Brings the Funk ●● ....133
Pandan, tapioca and young
coconut pudding ●● ..................117
Pretzel brittle with
ice-cream ●●● ............................ 73
Raspberry and coconut
layer cake ●● ..............................123
Rocky-road cake ● .........................124
Tres leches cake with roasted
peaches ●●● ............................. 106

SIMPLE GLUTEN-FREE VEGETARIAN CAN BE PREPARED AHEAD

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 169
Chefs’ recipes

Bo ssäm
“The bo ssäm at Restaurant Shik
is one of the best I’ve had. Could
you please print the recipe?”
Renae Griffith, Carlton, Vic

p 169

RECIPE PETER JO. PHOTOGRAPHY CHRIS CHEN. STYLING GERALDINE MUÑOZ. FOOD STYLING LISA FEATHERBY.
Fare exchange
Recipes you’ve requested from Australia’s
leading restaurants.

Bo ssäm Tile from Teranova

Tiles. All other props stylist’s
own. Stockists p168.

REQUEST A RECIPE // TO REQUEST A RECIPE, EMAIL FAREEXCHANGE @ BAUER-MEDIA.COM.AU

170 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 THE OYSTER PERPETUAL
Representing timepieces in their purest form,
the Oyster Perpetual is a distinctive symbol of universal style.
It doesn’t just tell time. It tells history.

oyster perpetual 39

official rolex retailers:

sydney j farren-price (02) 9231 3299 • kennedy rolex boutique (02) 9236 0411; kennedy the star (02)  9518  9499
swiss  concept Sydney (02) 9221 6288; swiss  concept hurstville (02) 9580 8826 • Swiss Watch Gallery international AIRPORT
rolex boutique (02) 9669 1175 • the hour glass (02) 9221 2288 melbourne kennedy rolex boutique (03) 8614 1160
kennedy chadstone (03) 9108 0633 • the  hour  glass (03)  9650  6988 • watches  of  switzerland (03) 9663 3303
Watches  of  switzerland International Airport (03) 9338 0882 adelaide j farren-price (08) 8223 2787 brisbane langfords jewellers
rolex  boutique (07)  3210  0614 • the  hour  glass (07) 3221 9133 gold  coast langfords  jewellers rolex boutique (07) 5575 5858
perth kennedy rolex boutique (08) 6169 3690 • smales jewellers (08) 9382 3222 • watches of switzerland (08) 9322 8800