CULT CLASSICS UNCOVERING AUSTRALIA’S BEST-LOVED BITES

Chef recipes
Josh Niland
& Nik Hill

Classic
desserts
rebooted

PICCALI
& L

74
S

LI
H EGG

MODERN
p
TC
O

SC

CLASSICS
AUG 2020 AU $9.99 NZ $10.99
 The
classics
issue

78 NOSE TO SCALE
Chef Josh Niland continues to
make waves with his innovative
approach to seafood.

Crumbed garfish, yoghurt

tartare and herb salad.......80
Poached hapuka, artichokes
and garlic mayonnaise......84
Barbecued swordfish chop
with tomato and peach
salad.......................................84
Raw diced yellowfin tuna,

Food
sour onions and endive ....85
Fish collar cutlet ......................87

68 PUTTIN’ ON THE FITZ

Chef Nik Hill brings fine-dining
finesse to pub classics at The
88
Old Fitzroy Hotel in Sydney.
Cauliflower cheese tart .......... 71
Longfin eel pâté with scones
and cream…........................... 71
Fitz fish supper ........................72
Scotch egg and piccalilli ...... .74
Black pudding toad in the
hole.........................................75
Banoffee trifle...........................76
LET’S DO THE TWIST
It’s time to refresh your dessert
repertoire with twists on classic
dishes like sacher torte and
tarte Tatin.
Pineapple and cardamom
tarte Tatin ..............................90
Spiced orange sacher
torte ........................................90
Affogato cakes.........................93
Butterscotch snowball
bombe ...................................94
PHOTOGRAPHY BENITO MARTIN (THE OLD FITZ).

Churros cake............................97
 Contents

AUGUST 2020

ON THE COVER
Scotch eggs and piccalilli (p74)
Features
Recipes Nik Hill
Photography Benito Martin
Styling Olivia Blackmore

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Details p64

Regulars 50 LOVE BITES

We celebrate some of Australia’s cult classic
dishes as determined by those in the know.
PHOTOGRAPHY DEANNA GERLACH (BANGALAY LUXURY VILLAS). ILLUSTRATIONS HANNAH BLACKMORE, JEANNEL CUNANAN, KELSIE WALKER & LAURA JACOBS.

13
29
UPFRONT Editor’s letter, contributors, six dishes and news.
FIVE OF A KIND Cocktail garnishes. 57 FROM LONDON TO SYDNEY
Acclaimed chef and restaurateur Clare Smyth
is bringing her modern fine dining to Sydney.
31 HOW I EAT River Cottage Australia host Paul West.
32
34
HOW I TRAVEL Actor Miranda Tapsell.
COMMUNITY X KYLIE Maggie Beer.
60 LIGHTS, CAMERA, SNACK-TION!
Hannah-Rose Yee pairs cinematic classics
with a fun and complementary side dish.

39 FAST Simple, everyday meals.

COVER ROLEX OYSTER PERPETUAL 39 IN OYSTERSTEEL FROM KENNEDY.COM.AU. ALL OTHER PROPS STYLIST’S OWN.

47 ANATOMY OF A DISH Mapo tofu.

48
114
MASTERCLASS Parisian flan.
A CHEF’S GUIDE Leslie Hottiaux on Auckland, New Zealand.
Travel
116
118
THE ART OF TRAVEL Rediscovery.
CHECKING IN Ovolo Nishi, Canberra. 100 CLOSE TO HOME
There couldn’t be a better time to explore regional
Australia. GT hits the road in New South Wales.
124 HOME Kitchen update.
128 BEAUTY Cult classics.
129 STYLE Timeless elegance.
130 OBJECTS OF DESIRE Party glassware.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY
Gourmet Traveller acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation as the
traditional custodians of the place we now call Sydney, where this magazine
is published. Gourmet Traveller also pays respects to Elders past and present.
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 Editor Joanna Hunkin
Creative Director Hannah Blackmore
Deputy Editor Karlie Verkerk

Art
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Words
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Hannah-Rose Yee, Claudia Stephenson

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@fromagerdaffinois

O
ne of the things I missed
most during lockdown was
an afternoon at the pub.
Long Sunday lunches spent
solving the world’s problems and
laughing away your own. The first
time I went to Sydney’s Old Fitzroy
Hotel was one of those afternoons.
It came just two weeks after my
husband and I had moved to Australia
last year, when our friend Will arrived
on our doorstep, ready to show us
something special. His friend Nik Hill
PHOTOGRAPHY ALANA LANDSBERRY (PORTRAIT) & BENITO MARTIN (BANOFFEE TRIFLE).
had taken over the kitchen earlier
in the year and was reinventing the
historic hotel as Sydney’s home of
English pub classics. Knowing my
husband’s love of a good pint and
my exacting standards when it comes
to a Scotch egg, Will was certain we
would love The Fitz. He wasn’t wrong.
When it came time to plan this
issue and celebrate modern classics,
I immediately thought of Nik and
The Old Fitz. In my head, I was already
planning a reunion lunch at the pub
to celebrate the coming together of
good friends and good ideas.
Crushingly, Will died the day Nik
filed his recipes, following a short
EMAIL ASKGOURMET@BAUER-MEDIA.COM.AU // FOLLOW @ GOURMETTRAVELLER // ONLINE GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
Banoffee trifle
76
but devastating battle with cancer.
Will spent most of his life working
in the wine and hospitality industry
and was passionate about both. He
loved to share good food and good
wine with his friends and to support
those who made it.
Returning to The Old Fitz to shoot
our cover story was bittersweet – but
I knew Will would be tickled to know we
were there. He was enormously proud
of his mate Nik and would be thrilled
to know he had played such a central
role in making this issue happen.
So this one is for Will. Vale, my friend.
SUBSCRIBE NOW
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Details p64
Editor’s letter
What we’re
drinking…
Domaine de Sulauze, Hyper Modeste
I’ve been dreaming about this biodynamic
pet nat since I first tried it. Fresh, fruity
and fragrant, it was the perfect drop to
end a Sunday lunch. Georgie Meredith,
writer & editorial coordinator
Tash Sultana cocktail, Eileen’s Bar
Gin aficionados, rejoice! Four Pillars have
opened a gin haven in Sydney’s Surry Hills
complete with a bar and laboratory. Stop
by for a fun and sophisticated cocktail.
Karlie Verkerk, deputy editor
Finger lime cerveza, Sobah
These zippy alcohol-free brews from
Burleigh Heads-based, Indigenous-owned
label Sobah are convincingly hoppy and
make for a refreshing drink alternative.
Jordan Kretchmer, writer
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 13
Contributors
Salami-spiked
penne alla vodka
p 44
OLIVIA BLACKMORE
stylist
Puttin’ on the Fitz, p68
After studying visual arts,
fashion and costume design,
Olivia Blackmore fortuitously
came across the world of food
styling and has never looked
back. For this issue, she took
to our cover shoot with gusto.
“This shoot was a dream
brief for me: fun, nostalgic,
’80s-esque dining, coupled
with a fantastic team,” she
says. “Also, chef Nik Hill and
I realised we both share
a love of paper doilies!”
14 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
NIK HILL
chef
Puttin’ on the Fitz, p68
For our cover feature we called
upon Nik Hill, whose classic
pub fare draws on fine-dining
sensibilities (courtesy of his time
working at Quay, Sepia and
The Ledbury in London). Hill
respects the rules of classic
cooking and time-honoured
flavours, serving up Scotch
eggs and eel pâté in one of
Sydney’s favourite pubs, The
Old Fitz. “I didn’t want to keep
doing the tasting menus and
tweezers sort of stuff,” he says.
JESSICA BROOK
food editor
Fast, p39
Jessica Brook’s adventures
in eating started when she
was first taken to the Sydney
Fish Markets to try crab with her
dad. She’s been exploring food
ever since, having worked as
a professional chef, food editor
and recipe writer. Brook’s
easy-going style permeates
our Fast recipe collection, which
is centred around classic yet
casual dishes. “Food should
be as easy to cook as it is
impressive to eat,” she says.
CLAUDIA STEPHENSON PHOTOGRAPHY JAMES MOFFATT (PENNE), HANNAH BLACKMORE (OLIVIA), BENITO MARTIN (NIK).
interiors stylist
Kitchen update, p124
Claudia Stephenson’s eye
for beautiful design has been
honed over a decade-long
career in the world of interior
design. We asked Stephenson
to curate this month’s home
design feature, focussing
on timeless kitchen design.
She scoured homeware shops
and designer boutiques to
find the best pieces to grace
the pages. “I wanted to create
a sensory departure from the
mundane,” she says.
Six dishes
What we’re eating
The Gourmet Traveller team shares their favourite plates of the moment.
CONFIT SQUID, Cupitt’s Estate
A long Sunday lunch is one of life’s true
pleasures and this one started on a delicate
high, thanks to this elegant salad, where
butter-soft confit squid met the tart crunch
of pickled garden vegetables, grown just
a few metres away. Paired with a glass of
fruit-driven arneis. Heaven. 58 Washburton
Rd, Ulladulla, NSW. JOANNA HUNKIN, EDITOR.
SEAFOOD TERRINE, House of Prime Rib
What happens when a young-gun chef and
a bunch of her industry pals put on a pop-up
lunch for 30 people? Ephemeral, inventive
deliciousness. The first course was this
delicately pressed terrine, which showcased
denizens of the deep at each layer, with
perch, trout and prawns. 10 Hats pop-up,
Chippendale, NSW. JORDAN KRETCHMER, WRITER
16 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
KINGFISH SASHIMI, Chin Chin
Chin Chin’s signature kingfish sashimi with
lime, chilli and coconut was already picked
for us as part of the “feed me” menu. Not
only was this one of the prettiest dishes of
the night but the zingy marinade and drizzle
of coconut cream was a refreshing way to
start the meal. 69 Commonwealth St, Surry
Hills, NSW HANNAH BLACKMORE, CREATIVE DIRECTOR
CAULIFLOWER SALAD, Stanbuli
Stanbuli’s flirtatious atmosphere is fuelled by
its vibrant sharing menu and colourful mezze
plates. The salad of cauliflower, roast carrots
and Brussels sprouts is seasoned perfectly
and underpinned by a swipe of nutty, velvety
tahini. We teamed it with with dips and smoky
eggplant. 135 Enmore Rd, Enmore, NSW.
GEORGIE MEREDITH, WRITER & EDITORIAL COORDINATOR
SAM WONG DAN, Ho Jiak
“Three types of steamed eggs” doesn’t
capture the elegance of this silky platter
of duck, chicken and century eggs finished
with soy and shallots. Chef Junda Khoo knows
how to dial Malaysian food to 11 – see his
packet mi goreng with lobster – but knows
how to kick it home-style too. 92 Hay St,
Haymarket, NSW. YVONNE C LAM, DIGITAL EDITOR
PHOTOGRAPHY JULIAN LALLO (KINGFISH SASHIMI).
PEARL MEAT, Flower Drum
A by-product of the pearl industry, Paspaley
pearl meat is sliced into slivers then briefly
wok-fried with spring onion, asparagus tips
and a thickened chicken-based master
stock. It’s a sophisticated, refined dish
and a favourite of mine from pre-eminent
Cantonese restaurant Flower Drum. 17 Market
Ln, Melbourne, Vic. KARLIE VERKERK, DEPUTY EDITOR
Orange Wine Festival
October 2020

orangewinefestival.com.au
 NEWS
Gimlet,
Melbourne

p 20

SLIDING DOORS
New restaurant openings from some of
Australia’s best talent, truffle adventures,
a feel-good food-delivery service, and the
classic cookbooks you need on your shelf.

Edited by JORDAN KRETCHMER

PHOTOGRAPHY SHARYN CAIRNS.
 T H E L AT E ST F R O M C H E F S A N D R E STAU R A N TS A R O U N D AU ST R A L I A
R E S TA U R A N T N E W S
SYDNEY
With a touch of normality returning to the
Harbour City comes a suite of new openings.
Sekka in St Leonards has former Ichibandori
chef Hideto Suzuki cooking down a rich
15-hour-cooked tonkotsu broth and snacks
inspired by his hometown of the Akita
Prefecture; while Surry Hills has welcomed
slick new charcoal chicken shop Henrietta,
from the crew behind the nearby Nour.
Sydneysiders love of Italian continues,
as the CBD scores a new small-scale
trattoria Restaurant Leo in Angel Place by
LuMi Dining’s Federico Zanellato and
Oscillate Wildly’s Karl Firla; while Maurice
Terzini’s CicciaBella is set to open in
Parramatta come September. Also, long-
standing Italian favourites are set to reopen
after longer post-Covid closures, including
Icebergs Dining Room and Bar (August 1),
Darlinghurst’s A Tavola (August 5),
20 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
while Ormeggio has reopened with a totally
refreshed interior and a dedicated gelato
bar. Paddington’s Saint Peter has reset its
experience, with two new lunch and dinner
menus, and a fully redesigned dining room.
Aria has also announced it will transform part
of its restaurant into a wine bar, showcasing
its hefty cellar with a wine list curated by Alex
Kirkwood, accompanied by snacks from head
chef Joel Bickford. No reservation required.
MELBOURNE
As we go to print, Melbourne has returned
to lockdown. We salute the new venues that
have managed to open and reopen despite
trying times. This includes Chibog, a Filipino
restaurant in West Footscray, which has had
to bounce between being closed and open,
yet is still serving up crisp sisig and warming
bowls of kansi to take away.
Other openings (albeit brief) include
Clockwise from far left: Oysters and
martinis at Gimlet; the bar at Gimlet;
Aria’s executive chef Joel Bickford
(left) and head sommelier Alex
Kirkwood; bar details at Ormeggio;
garlic chive ramen at Sekka.
Gimlet (Andrew McConnell’s latest Euro-
bistro-bar within Cavendish House), cafe
Maverick (the first taste of new 80 Collins
PHOTOGRAPHY SHARYN CAIRNS (GIMLET) & WILL HORNER (ORMEGGIO).
food precinct) and Tacos y Liquor (Igni chef
Aaron Turner’s red-hot taco stop in Geelong),
which are all posed to reopen on the other
side of lockdown. Also, chef-restaurateur
Scott Pickett has taken ownership of
Longrain, and is set to work with the
existing team to celebrate long-standing
signature dishes and create new ones too.
ADELAIDE
Shosho is the new sister restaurant to
Shôbôsho by Adam Liston at the old
Joybird site. Yumi Nagaya is on the pans
with a focus on tempura and dumplings.
The Summertown Aristologist has also
opened its own cellar door and mini larder,
a pipeline plan that finally came to fruition
during lockdown.
 News

The pool at Pullman

Bunker Bay Resort
in the Margaret River
Region, WA.

NEW HORIZONS
Australians still have a fierce taste
for adventure, but their destinations
of choice are ever changing, not
surprisingly. Research undertaken
by online travel company Luxury
Escapes reveals Australians’ desire
for a destination vacation has not
waned as a result of the pandemic,
with 46 per cent of Australians
reporting they are more likely to
travel and 40 per cent just as likely
to travel in the next 12 months.
Domestic travel desires are focused
on exploring Queensland, Western
Australia and Tasmania. Travelling
somewhere new is the top priority
for respondents, while enjoying
downtime, getting immersed in
nature and trying new restaurants
and dining options are all on the
agenda. luxuryescapes.com.au

Voyager Estate has just released their second Pet Nat. The naturally fizzy drop
Ready to is made from 100 per cent merlot fruit, and sings of raspberries on the nose.
depart reality
with some
immersive art?
The Queensland
Art Gallery
is open and Truff dog millionaire
the Gallery Wild Food Adventures is bringing its annual
truffle forage back to the NSW’s Southern
of Modern Art
Highlands. On the day-long jaunt, you’ll wander
will reopen through iles and robur oak trees to watch Zazu
on Friday 7 the truffle dog (pictured) sniff out the black gold.
The forage is followed by a lunch in the old
August with
homestead on the property, with a three-course
free timed- truffle-inspired, Italian-leaning menu from chef
entry tickets. Stefano Marvello, accompanied by four cool-
climate wines. $175 per person, Saturday
August 1 & 8. wildfoodadventures.com.au

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 21
News

w i t h A L A N N A S A P W E L L , E S M AY
O N T H E PA S S

Transport yourself to vacay mode with Jacoby’s

new cocktail tinnies. The ready-mixed Trader
Vic’s Mai Tais are produced by the Enmore tiki
bar in collaboration with Curatif, and combine
aged and unaged rums, Pierre Ferrand Dry
Curacao, Crawley’s Orgeat syrup and Angostura
Bitters with limes sourced from the New South
Wales Central Coast. $45 for four, curatif.com

Tell us about your new pop-up, Esmay. I’m going to be taking over the
space at Wasabi for three months. I love Noosa – I did my apprenticeship
there. After time off [during lockdown], I have a renewed purpose and
I think it’s going to be a good learning curve for me to see the
restaurant as a whole, not just from the kitchen.

Itʼs Mabu, itʼs the vibe

How’s the menu going to be structured? More than ever people don’t
Cafe Mabu Mabu is passionate about celebrating
have deep pockets, but we still want good food and wine. I’ve used that
native ingredients and now chef and owner Nornie
as my base, then structured it backwards from there. We’re going to
Bero, who is from Mer Island in the Torres Strait, is
break it down into just two or three courses – we want to give people
encouraging punters to follow suit at home with her
that restaurant experience, where they taste a lot of different things,
new line of house-blended salt and spice mixes.
but at a cost that’s still approachable. There will also be an ever-
There are nine to choose from, including saltbush,
changing selection of hyper-seasonal snacks.
a desert herb mix, ground wattleseed and
pepperberries. $12.50 each, mabumabu.com.au
And what will that look like on the plate? Given it’s right on the water,
I’d be crazy not to do seafood. Something like a big John Dory on some
mushrooms and Geraldton wax. There are a few iso meals that I will
PHOTOGRAPHY KARA HYNES (ALANNA SAPWELL).

be bringing into the restaurant, with some fine-tuning, like roasted

spatchcock with black garlic stuffed under the skin, with bread sauce.
I’d forgotten how delicious that sort of comfort food can be!

You also have access to Honeysuckle Hill Farm, tell us about that.
Wasabi’s Danielle [Gjestland] has her Honeysuckle Hill Farm around
30 minutes from the restaurant. She had said she didn’t replant As Melbourne returns to
anything and really undersold it but it’s amazing – all these native lockdown, restaurant delivery
Australian ingredients are already there, and so many unique Japanese
service Providoor continues
ingredients. So there will be things on the menu from there, which
we will only have on for two or three days. Esmay Pop-up at Wasabi, to add top-tier venues to its
2 Quamby Place, Noosa Heads, Qld. esmaypopup.com.au platform. providoor.com.au

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

Emerald Waterways has

announced it’s launching
operations in Australia. The
river cruise company will
commence cruises in 2021,
pending travel rules.

PIZZA PIE, THAT’S AMORE

Chef Julian Cincotta of Sydney’s Butter x Thievery has created a new
hybrid “pizza” for the home. He uses the inverted commas, courtesy of its
globe-trotting influences. “It has a different texture to a traditional pizza.
It’s kind of a cross between a Roman or Naples pizza, with mannoush and
focaccia. We ferment our dough for 48 hours and add yoghurt and milk for
texture, richness and depth,” says Cincotta. The dough is topped and charred,
before being vacuum-sealed, so it can be stored at home for a week in the
fridge or months in the freezer. Opt for the greens and gorgonzola (herbs,
mild green-chilli XO, gorgonzola, ricotta salata, parmesan and baby cavolo
nero) or get a taste of one loaded with LP’s Quality Meats mortadella and
cheese. Heat, eat and repeat. thethievery.com.au Is it time to upgrade your cutlery to match
your freshly honed cooking skills? KROF’s
new brushed-gold sets will do the job.
$349 for 24-piece set, krof.co
PHOTOGRAPHY COLE BENNETTS (PIZZA) & JAMES HORAN (HANNAH NUNGARRAY).

Artist Hannah Nungarrayi with her

work, Grounded, Parrtjima festival,
Alice Springs.

BRIGHT LIGHTS
The Red Centre is set to be one of the first places
to welcome back a large-scale arts festival, with the
rescheduled Parrtjima – A Festival in Light set to take
place from September 11-20. The annual art-focused event
weaves history, colour and technology together, with the
vast landscapes of Mparntwe (Alice Springs) serving as
a backdrop for light installations by Indigenous artists.
Along with the outdoor installations, there are also artist
talks, film nights and music performances, most of which
are free to attend. parrtjimaaustralia.com.au

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 23
News

Fire and stone

You can now have a slice of one of Australia’s most
lauded restaurants in your home permanently with
the launch of Attica Studio Ceramics. The pieces
are each hand-thrown, shaped and fired in the kiln,
all within a studio at the back of the Ripponlea
restaurant. For the best part of a year since they
started making their ceramics in-house, the pieces
were used exclusively within the restaurant, but now
the launch of Attica’s online store means you can
buy your own pottery piece to keep. The collection
includes two ranges; From the Dining Room features
the ceramics designed for specific tasting-menu
courses such as a terracotta-coloured pillar bowl,
which typically serves honey ants (it can also be
used as a salt bowl, if you don’t happen to have
the green delicacies on hand). While The Attica at
Home range features practical butter- and white-
hued stoneware pieces, which have been made
with the Attica pick-up and delivery menus in mind,
and include a lasagne tray, an ice-cream scoop
and a full dining set. shop.attica.com.au

Pepe Saya has created the ultimate pancake or crumpet

accompaniment, with the debut of its own maple butter. Balls of
the cultured butter are rolled in vanilla bean before being dunked
into pure Canadian maple syrup. $12 for 200g, pepesaya.com.au

MITEY FINE SPREAD

Reinventing a classic isn’t easy – but when
it’s done by two foodies, who count chefs as
some of their closest friends, the process is
a little easier. This is how Oomite came to
be, a new miso-based “mite” spread, created
by Katie Graham and Magdalena Roze out
of Byron Bay. “A couple of years ago, we
both had the idea of creating a 100 per cent
natural savoury mite spread, and we both
told Darren (Robertson) about it. We didn’t
know each other then, so Daz connected us
and then we decided to collaborate,” says
Oomite co-creator, Katie Graham. “Thank
goodness, because it turns out that it’s one
of the most challenging products to make.”
Since then the pair have tested and trialled
many iterations of the spread. The final
product – an organic, natural miso-based
spread – draws inspiration from a certain
ubiquitous breakfast spread, but ditches
any artificial preservatives and thickeners.
For now, you can only get a taste of Oomite
in cafés and restaurants, with chefs getting
creative with the salty umami-packed paste
in both savoury and sweet dishes. “We see Food Store in Brunswick Heads has put
it as a really great opportunity to support Oomite in cheese and ham scrolls, and
hospitality in these changing times,” Graham even chocolate biscuits. Bondi’s Rocker
explains. Byron Bay’s Barrio is using it as and Three Blue Ducks are simply spreading
a marinade for a smoked beef brisket it on sourdough toast (with butter, of course).
(pictured), while David Lovett from Ethel oomite.com.au

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

Our annual event series Gourmet Institute

has been cancelled this year, due to ongoing
Coronavirus restrictions. We look forward Clockwise from left:
to returning next year with a new line-up salt and gin-vinegar
of top Australian chefs. chips and Our
Favourite G&T at
Eileen’s Bar; Four
Pillars’ James Irvine
and Matt Wilkinson;
Innerbloom cocktail
at The Gin Lab.

Tipple tales
Award-winning writer and long-time Gourmet
Traveller contributor Max Allen has upsized to long
form with his new book, Intoxicating. Exploring
WORDS YVONNE C LAM (FOUR PILLARS). PHOTOGRAPHY STEVEN WOODBURN (FOUR PILLARS) & COLIN PAGE (ATTICA).

10 tipples that helped shape Australia, Allen delves

into the national psyche and our storied producers
to explore our complex drinking history from barrel
to still, glass to nose. His personal deep dive is
steeped in history, characters, colour and of course,
drinks, from the fermented sap of the Tasmanian cider
gum – enjoyed by Indigenous people long before
European invasion – to 150-year-old Champagne
rescued from a shipwreck. Allen also shares recipes
for classic cocktails to try at home. Intoxicating by
Max Allen (Thames & Hudson, $32.95).

The team at Porkstar know
a thing or two about making
bacon (and more). Head online
to check out their winter-ready
recipes, like Louis Tikaram’s
spicy smoked speck and chilli
noodles. porkstar.com.au
PILLARS OF STRENGTH
Victoria-born distillery Four Pillars has set up shop in Sydney’s Surry Hills,
opening the Four Pillars Gin Laboratory. It’s a three-in-one venue combining
a gin retail shop, a “lab” for masterclasses, and a cocktail bar. The Gin Lab
features an experimental still, while the destination cocktail bar (Eileen’s Bar)
has tipples curated by drinks director James Irvine (who you may recognise
from his time behind the bar at Hubert). The bar menu features bites with
elements of gin or botanicals left over from the Four Pillars’ production line.
See the salt and gin-vinegar chips, the seasoning rendered from dehydrated
gin botanicals; plump anchovies, sprinkled with gin-salt, on a sliced baguette
with Pepe Saya butter; and whipped taramasalata with focaccia and smoked
Atlantic salmon caviar – the cured fish eggs are rinsed with Four Pillars’ Rare Dry
Gin, then smoked with pellets made from compressed iron bark and gin
botanicals. fourpillarsgin.com

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 25

RIPE FOR HARVEST
Harvest Bites is the swanky meal-delivery
service from the always evolving and ever
altruistic OzHarvest. Chefs from some of
Sydney’s top restaurants take turns at
cooking two-course delivery-ready menus
for home diners, usually comprising a hearty
main with a side, plus dessert. The proceeds
go directly to OzHarvest where every order
feeds at least 40 people in need.
On Monday August 3 Tal Buchnik (head
chef at Jimmy’s Falafel in Sydney) will lead
the charge with ras el hanout lamb neck
with date molasses, and couscous with
almonds and raisins, followed by pistachio
baklava for dessert. Matt Moran will be
drawing on his time at North Bondi Fish to
serve a spinach and potato fish pie, followed
by spiced sticky date pudding with toffee
on August 10. Next up on August 17 is Sam
Young of Lotus, who will serve Cantonese-
26 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
style brisket with rice and vegetables, and
you can also add a serve of his famous
dumplings. Mitch Orr will also take part
on August 24, with a yet-to-be-revealed
menu (but we’re crossing our fingers for
his handmade pasta), followed by Butter
x Thievery’s Julian Cincotta on August 31.
Home diners can choose between a meal
for two from $63 or a four-person family
meal from $105 (prices include delivery).
Orders need to be placed by Thursday
ahead of a Monday delivery.
OzHarvest kickstarted the project in late
May during the worst of Covid-19 restrictions.
“Harvest Bites grew from the idea of not
Clockwise from left: Bennelong’s
Rob Cockerill served coq au vin with
potato purée and raspberry Swiss
roll for Harvest Bites in June; Otto’s
Richard Ptacnik made braised beef
cheek and polenta; and Quay’s Peter
Gilmore offered lasagne for the
Harvest Bites delivery.
only raising money to help support the
growing number of people suffering food
insecurity, but also to get our amazing
chef ambassadors back in the kitchen
PHOTOGRAPHY CHRIS CHEN (HARVEST BITES).
WORDS GEORGIE MEREDITH (HARVEST BITES).
doing what they love,” says Ronni Kahn,
founder and CEO of OzHarvest.
Now the team is working on solidifying
the service into the future. “Our goal is for
Harvest Bites to be an ongoing program,”
says Kahn. “With restaurants reopening, our
ambassador chefs are busy preparing their
restaurants and diners are able to venture
out of their homes. However, we hope there
is definitely a place for Harvest Bites to
continue in the space.” harvestbites.com.au
 News

Natural selection
TS Makers is a timber-focused design project from husband-and-
wife duo, Tim and Sarah Ford. The couple sources reclaimed
timber from construction sites, word-of-mouth finds and reclaimed
wood yards in Sydney. “The timber that started it all came from
old library countertops we estimate were from the ’70s,” explains
Sarah. They have also used mahogany, jarrah, mountain ash and
maple across their ranges of wood boards, trivets and coasters.
“Finding the perfect timber is a big part of our process and when
we start working on a new range we pair them to accentuate their
natural beauty.” Round serving board and tortoiseshell cheese
knife set, $199, tsmakers.com.au

THREE OF THE BEST MODERN CLASSIC COOKBOOKS

1 2 3
Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi How to Eat a Peach by Diana Henry Beyond Nose to Tail: A Kind of British
These days, if you say “I’ll bring an Rather than simply writing recipes, Cooking: Part II by Fergus Henderson
Ottolenghi salad,” to any party host, Diana Henry crafts seamless menus and Justin Piers Gellatly
you’ll be greeted with both understanding and creates lasting memories. This book, They’re the pair who are likely to have
and praise. It’s the book that launched the comprised of 25 menus, not only casts influenced every other chef in this magazine,
PHOTOGRAPHY NIGEL LOUGH (TS MAKERS).

London-based, Jerusalem-born chef to
global prominence, and for 120 good
reasons. The ever-practical guide to salads,
bowls and bakes approaches vegetables
and grains with care and pizazz. With
sections devoted to a rainbow of produce,
this book is a classic for vegetarians and
meat-eaters alike. Just don’t forget to add
pomegranate molasses to your shopping
list. Ebury Press, $39.95.
your mind to cooking but creates a mood,
imparts a talking point and transports you
to another time and place, be it the seaside
in Brittany or a mystical evening in Istanbul.
As an avid food writer, Henry’s musings are
truly a form of globetrotting, without ever
leaving your kitchen and dining table. This
is the kind of cookbook you’ll have on your
shelf and cherish forever. Octopus
Publishing Group, $39.95.
and the faces of modern British cuisine.
Henderson tackles beasts not just by their
horns, but their ears (see his recipe for
pressed pig’s ear), insides (there’s a bunch
of ways to make the most of sweetbreads
and livers) and almost every other part. It’s
not all meaty treats – there’s also puddings,
sourdough loaves and cakes. Sweet or
savoury this book is a must-own for
carnivorous cooks. Bloomsbury, $35.

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 27
News

LO C A L STAYS A N D G E TAWAYS F R O M AC R O S S AU ST R A L I A

HOTEL NEWS

NSW
Sydneysiders are flocking to coastal
stays and hinterland retreats,
following the lifting of personal travel
restrictions. Marramarra Lodge has
both luxury bungalows and tents
overlooking the Hawkesbury River,
and is located just one hour from
Sydney. Add in Budyari Restaurant,
where chef Meyjitte Bougenhout
sources seafood directly from local
fishing trawlers and produce from
the kitchen garden; and the Iyora
Day Spa, where body wraps, facials
and hot stone massages can help
you float even further away, and
it’s easy to see why Marramarra is
a hot ticket for a relaxed getaway
Byron Bay welcomes The Surf
House, a refreshed hotel housed
within the heritage-listed Byron
Council Chambers building. While
it’s not a luxury stay, its central
location, nautical fit-out and the fact

PHOTOGRAPHY AMY WHITFIELD (THE SURF HOUSE) & AARON CITTI (SEQUOIA).
it boasts Byron Bay’s only open-air
rooftop bar makes it an attractive
accommodation option for those
wanting to chill out and get into
the groove of Byron.
ADELAIDE
Sequoia, the new ultra-luxury
$15-million addition to Mount Lofty
House is set to open in November.
The lodge will sit on Mt Lofty’s
30-acre estate, located within an
hour’s drive of South Australia’s
Clockwise from leading wine regions: Adelaide Hills,
top left: The Surf Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Eden
House at Byron and Clare Valley. Guests will have
Bay; activities exclusive access to a number of
abound at The
Surf House;
bespoke activities, including lunch
Sequoia’s modern with top winemakers and private
bathroom design. wine-tastings and tours.

28 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

MARY VALLEY
FOOD CO
PHOTOGRAPHY & STYLING HANNAH BLACKMORE.
DRIED ORANGE
The vibrant jewel tones of
a dried citrus wheel will
brighten any drink and
add a professional flourish.
The dehydration process
intensifies the flavour and
ensures the delicate slices
will last for months in the
pantry. Try adding one to
your next G&T or negroni.
$14.90 for 70gm
twoprovidores.com.au
Cocktail garnishes
Shaken or stirred, no cocktail is complete
without a carefully considered garnish.
LUXARDO
MARASCHINO
CHERRIES
Dark and glossy, Luxardo
maraschino cherries are
a far cry from the neon red
plastic of other brands. The
Italian company has been
preserving the stonefruit for
more than a century, soaking
the fruit in a rich mascara
syrup that leaves them plump
and bursting with flavour.
$20.95 for 400gm
danmurphys.com.au
GT
TE
A M FA
VO
URITE
DELICIAS
GUINDILLAS
These piquant little peppers
will fire up any drink but are
especially good in a Bloody
Mary. Pickled in white wine
vinegar, these small Spanish
chillies bring equal parts
texture and tang to a classic
cocktail. The experts at
Sydney’s Maybe Sammy
suggest using the pickle
juice to dirty-up a Martini.
$6.95 for 280gm
essentialingredient.com.au
ESSENTIAL
INGREDIENT
CORNICHONS
Small but mighty, these
tarragon and mustard
infused cornichons pack
a big flavour punch, thanks
to a vinegar infusion that
balances the sharp acid tang
with a subtle sweetness.
This jar contains a few
surprise pickled onions, too
– great for a Gibson Martini.
$7.55 for 350gm
essentialingredient.com.au
Five of a kind
THE OLIVE BRANCH
GREEN OLIVES
Whether shaken or stirred,
classic or dirty, the perfect
Martini calls for the
perfect olive, and these juicy
green gems are just the
ticket. Preserved in brine,
these plump, whole olives
are firm yet meaty with
a salty, savoury flavour that
lingers on the palette.
We’ll take three, please.
$6.29 for 335gm
harrisfarm.com.au
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 29
 Life tastes better with a Liebherr
Your elegant solution for preserving wine & food

Quality, Design and Innovation

home.liebherr.com.au

EATING WITH
Paul West
The River Cottage Australia
host on slow cookers, growing
produce and apprentice diets.
You grew up in the small rural town of
Murrurundi in New South Wales. What did
INTERVIEW KARLIE VERKERK. PHOTOGRAPHY CHRIS MIDDLETON.
food mean to your family? My mum and
dad ran a small business together selling
firearms and chainsaws, so food for us
was a very utilitarian affair. It was meat
and three veg every night of the week.
Mum would get home at 5.30pm and
dinner would be on the table no later
than 6.30pm. She didn’t have time to
relish in the kitchen, but that’s not to say eat a full meal. There was a lot of
we didn’t eat well. I had a very narrow
culinary world view growing up; I didn’t
eat olives or yoghurt until I left home.
Where did your love of food stem from?
When I was a 21-year-old backpacker
I stayed on a WWOOF farm
in Tasmania, which stands for
Willing Workers On Organic
Farms. The premise is that you
work on the farm in exchange
for food and accommodation.
The property I stayed on was run
by a lovely French gentleman by
the name of Giles, and he was the
picture of health. The connection
he had with the land and his
community resonated with me
on a deeper level. So I guess that started
me on the horticultural path.
You did your chef apprenticeship at
Vue de Monde in Melbourne. Did you
eat well while you worked there?
The diet of an apprentice chef working
100 hours a week is subhuman. I’d taste
every sauce and other bits of food during
service, but I would rarely sit down and
Vegemite toast and cigarettes.
How did you wind up being the host on
River Cottage Australia? I was living back
in Tasmania, minding my own business,
growing vegetables in my backyard and
How I eat
working as a chef, and a family friend
told me about the casting. I applied
and out of about 1300 applicants I was
lucky enough to get the nod. I received
the news as I was going into a busy
dinner service one Friday afternoon –
that was probably the hardest dinner
service I’ve ever done, just trying to
digest the information.
You also contribute to food-focused
episodes of Catalyst on the ABC. What’s
the most interesting thing you’ve learnt?
What is involved in feeding a nation.
Agriculture is almost “back of house”
to the average punter. We go to the
supermarket, we buy our food, we go
home, we cook it. And that’s most
people’s experience with food. But
the mechanisms that exist to get that
food to your supermarket are huge
and complicated. We live in an age
of abundance and plenty but our
food system is fragile.
How has your cooking style evolved
since having kids? I used to try and
impress my wife with extravagant meals
– I’d cook for hours and use every
single dish in the kitchen. Now I’m
a hyper-efficient one-pot cook. When
I was a chef, I scoffed at the notion
of slow cookers. Ours sits on a little
pedestal and I lay floral wreaths around
it every morning; we cherish it!
In your opinion, where are the best
farmers’ markets in Australia? The Sage
Farmers Market in Moruya in New South
Wales. They were one of the first markets
to be ruthless in their application process,
so they’ve ended up with a very high
calibre of produce.
What’s your number-one tip for people
wanting to grow their own produce?
Start small. I also recommend registering
your patch on Grow It Local, which is
a social media platform for food growers.
It will connect you with people in your
community that can offer advice or share
information – it’s a fantastic initiative.
People will be tripping over themselves
to help you learn how to grow. ●
Paul’s book, The Edible Garden Cookbook
& Growing Guide (Plum; $39.99) is available
now. River Cottage Australia is currently
showing on SBS on Demand.
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 31
 I feel very grounded
whenever I go back home
to Darwin. It’s not only
the change of pace but
the whole mentality of
the people there.

My last trip… Vietnam.

On the cards... Darwin to see my family.

TRAVELLING WITH
Miranda Tapsell
The actor, author and podcast host shares her love of
Darwin, memories of seminal road trips and travel tips.
I live in Melbourne with my husband, James. While
I love how close-knit Melbourne can be, I feel very
grounded whenever I go back home to Darwin. It’s
not only the change of pace but the whole mentality
of the people there. It forces you to slow down and
take stock of your life. It’s important for me to go back
there – I find that it really benefits my mental health.
Recently we went to the Mornington Peninsula
– my husband took me there because he knows
I’m a saltwater girl. It was such a beautiful place
and it’s really made me appreciate living in Victoria
– it’s nice to know that I can get out of the city and
enjoy these road trips.
One of the most special road trips I’ve taken was
when I was a part of the Actors at Work program for
the Bell Shakespeare. We’d visit regional schools and
Aboriginal communities to perform. We all drove
together from Alice Springs up to Darwin – just seeing
the landscape of the desert change was really special.
INTERVIEW JORDAN KRETCHMER. PHOTOGRAPHY JOHNNY DIAZ NICOLAIDIS.
One of my tips for when you’re exploring the Top End
is to have a bit of a Spanish mentality when it comes
to how you spend your day. When you’re visiting places
like Nourlangie Rock, Katherine Gorge in Nitmiluk
or Yellow Water (Ngurrungurrudjba) in Kakadu you
have to make sure you get up really early. The light is
different, the wildlife is out and it’s so peaceful and
tranquil, plus the sun isn’t as harsh. Then, you can
get most of your bushwalking and exploring done
before the middle of the day. After this you go back
to wherever you’re staying and chill out or have a siesta
until you can come out again in the late afternoon.
The Tiwi Islands are also special for me. Last time
I went there, I was on the ferry over to Wurrumiyanga,
and all these people came up to me and told me they
watched my film, Top End Wedding, and it made them
want to go there. What makes the Tiwi so special is the
art, the song and the knowledge they have to share.
How I travel
My friend and co-star Ursula Yovich gave me a handy
travel tip – whenever you’re travelling for work, ask if
you can push your flight back further and stick around
afterwards to explore. I did that after The Sapphires
went to the Toronto Film Festival. It was great because
I got to go to Broadway shows and just wander around
the city. It really reinvigorates you personally as well as
enhancing you professionally.
I’ve always wanted to do the full-day drive from Darwin
to Broome. When I was younger I remember missing
out when friends did this trip because I was auditioning
for drama school. I also really want to visit New Zealand.
I’ve never really considered myself a foodie, but recently
I’ve started to realise that with all of the beautiful
South Asian food that I grew up with, I actually am
a bit of a food snob. When I went to Vietnam for my
honeymoon, the food was so amazing. I loved visiting
the places Anthony Bourdain went to in Hanoi. We
also went to the restaurant where he and Barack
Obama had dined and ate bun cha with some beers
– there was such a vibrant atmosphere there.
For our podcast, Debutante, my co-host Nakkiah
Lui and I travelled to Minnesota and met some
local Ojibwe and Dakota women. They are the
traditional owners of that area. What was amazing
was we found so much common ground with native
American women and African American women.
It’s not to say that our experiences are exactly the
same, but it was still so emboldening. There were
moments where our hearts were breaking but
opening at the same time. There was something
really solidifying in who we are as Aboriginal women,
to feel validated because our experiences resonated
with these women. I can’t wait to go back. ●
Miranda’s memoir, Top End Girl (Hachette; $32.99) is out now.
Her podcast with Nakkiah Lui, Debutante: Race, Resistance
and Girl Power, is available on Audible Original.
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 33
 Maggie Beer
Kylie Kwong celebrates some of her hospitality heroes
and the individuals helping to grow a stronger community.
This month, we meet cook, producer and restaurateur Maggie Beer.
 I first met Maggie Beer 20 years ago at
a fundraising dinner in Sydney, where
we were both cooking. Her big heart,
effervescence, delicious cooking and
natural way with food made an enormous
impression. White-cooked chicken was
one of our Billy Kwong staples and being
able to cook the classic dish using the best
quality birds was essential to its success.
I met Maggie’s family and began using her
daughter Saskia’s delicious Barossa Farm chickens on my menu,
where they remained until we closed last year. Maggie has taught
so many of us the importance of cooking with instinct and following
the seasons. Watching Maggie cook in her country kitchen is one
of life’s true joys and her approach to food and flavour is timeless.
WORDS JOANNA HUNKIN (MAIN) & KYLIE KWONG (INTRODUCTION). PHOTOGRAPHY PENNY LANE (KYLIE KWONG) & DRAGAN RADOCAJ (MAGGIE BEER).
W
ith a career spanning more than four
decades – and very much still going
strong – Maggie Beer holds a special
place in Australia’s culinary landscape,
introducing many to the joy of cooking with fresh,
seasonal produce.
That seasonal approach is par for the course these
days but 40 years ago, Beer was wildly ahead of her
time. Speaking from her home in South Australia,
Beer laughs when asked if she ever considered herself
radical, before turning serious as she explains how
moving to the Barossa Valley
changed her life. “That very hard
“The gift of coming to live
here and what I learnt to value
childhood
from the first moment that we huge amount
got here was living the rhythm of
the seasons. In the western suburbs of Sydney, I’d
never seen that. Seasonality didn’t mean as much
because things were so limited,” she explains.
“In the 60s, you didn’t see basil. I’d never seen
basil or zucchini. Coming here, it was all about the
seasons. Our neighbour would bring down almonds,
which he had picked and cracked that night. I’d never
eaten a fresh almond.”
Beer was 25 when she met and married her
husband Colin, after a whirlwind 16-week romance.
The couple were living in Sydney, where Beer had
a series of high-flying jobs, when they decided to
move south and take up pheasant farming.
Beer had originally planned to study oenology
and become a winemaker when they moved to South
Australia. Instead, pregnant with her eldest daughter
Saskia, she found herself cooking pheasants to try
and boost sales.
“No one would buy the pheasants a second time
because they would use some old recipe book that had
no relevance,” she recalls.
With no formal training, Beer believes her instinct
for food and flavour is in her blood. Her paternal
grandmother was an excellent cook, she says, as was
her father. “I inherited his instinct, definitely. As Sassy
did mine. I can see the lineage.
“My first memories of food were always that even
when we had no money, the food was good. We
went through times of affluence and times of real
hardship but the money for food was always put
before anything else.”
Those times of hardship included the family
business going bankrupt, which led to Beer being
withdrawn from school at 14. “That very hard
childhood gave me a huge amount of grit because my
older brother and I just went out to work. My aunt
rented a house for us and we kept the family together.
I suspect that’s what made me such a driven individual.
But I was always searching for what it was I wanted to do.”
Beer spent 20 years in the workforce before
realising she could turn her passion for food into
a livelihood. After several years of struggling to sell
their pheasants, she and Colin opened the Farm Shop
in 1979, before opening Pheasant Farm Restaurant.
Beer ran the kitchen, following her instincts and
guided by the seasons, turning it into the country’s
leading restaurant – as declared
by Gourmet Traveller in 1991, when
it won Restaurant of the Year.
gave me a Two years later, Beer closed
of grit.” the restaurant at the height of its
popularity, a move she repeated in
2009 when she ended her popular television series,
The Cook and The Chef.
“Walking away at the height of our fame was the
best thing to do. Just as we had with the pheasant
farm as well. You go out on such a high and there
are no regrets.”
That success has come from a classic combination
of hard work and determination.
“It’s been a long journey over 40 years and it’s
been a great journey. It’s just been one foot in front
of the other. Hard work never scares you if you enjoy
the work. It can be exhausting but if you’re moving
forward and if you’re doing something that you love
then hard work is just what is needed and you never
think twice about it.” ●
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 35
 PERFECT
PARTNERS

They are two of life’s simplest pleasures and make for a perfect
match, when properly paired. Wine expert BANJO HARRIS PLANE
guides us through the basics of pairing cheese and wine.
 SOFT CHEESE
Ripe, soft and ultra-creamy cheeses like double-cream
brie are often the first we reach for on the cheese board.
Pinot noir is a remarkably flexible grape when it comes
to food pairing, thanks to its fresh acidity and drinkability
– and a juicy-yet-restrained drop with a soft cheese is
especially good. “As a winning match for the rich, velvety
texture of white-mould fromage, opting for a really silken
pinot can work wonders. It’s typically a smooth varietal,
with a lovely mix of red fruits and earthiness,” says Good
Pair Days’ co-founder Banjo Harris Plane.
Banjo’s suggestion: 2019 Fetherston ‘Fungi’ Pinot Noir,
Yarra Valley
FRESH CHEESE
Milky, young, soft – what ricotta and goat’s cheese lack
in depth of flavour, they make up for in freshness and
a lovely creamy texture. “The best wine matches here
will be youthful, acidic whites that can cut through the
creaminess and balance any tangy notes in the cheese.”
Banjo’s suggestion: 2019 Unico Zelo Jade & Jasper
Fiano, Riverland
WORDS JORDAN KRETCHMER. PHOTOGRAPHY & STYLING HANNAH BLACKMORE.
HARD CHEESE
Firmer cheeses can be wonderfully salty,
in a way that make you crave another slice.
However, finding the perfect wine pairing
isn’t always easy. “That firm, crumbly
texture, the savouriness and the surprisingly
high acidity combine to make a tricky match,”
says Harris Plane. “Sparkling wine actually
works a treat. The acidity is enough to
handle the wine, and the texture created
by the bubbles mirrors the crumbly nature
of the cheese.” Try a delicately spritzed
number with the likes of a clothbound
cheddar, pecorino or parmesan.
Banjo’s suggestion: 2019 Meadowbank
Harvest Sparkling, Tasmania
BLUE CHEESE
Blue cheeses such as Fromager d’Affinois
Bleu are the strongest flavoured, thanks to
the blue mould (penicillium roqueforti) that
breaks down fat and protein in the cheese
and raises its pH. “Aromatic, piquant and
salty, they are wonderfully contrasted by
a sweet wine that balances the saltiness
and has viscosity to round out the
mouthfeel,” says Harris Plane.
Banjo’s suggestion: 2016 Nicosia
‘Balanubi’ Zibibbo, Sicily ●
From left: Fromager d’Affinois
Bleu and Le Fromager d’Affinois.
Queso manchego and Jasper
Hill clothbound cheddar, all from
David Jones. All wines from
Good Pair Days.
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 37
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 FAST
AUGUST

Create simple, flavourful meals in less than

30 minutes with these everyday recipes.

VEGETARIAN GLUTEN FREE Recipes & food preparation JESSICA BROOK

Photography JAMES MOFFATT Styling STEVE PEARCE
 Fish and fennel pot pies
50 gm butter, plus extra melted
for brushing
2 medium fennel bulb,
finely chopped
200 gm crème fraîche
2 tbsp baby capers
2 long green chillies, seeds
removed, finely chopped
55 gm (1/4 cup) plain flour
1.2 kg skinless firm-fleshed
white fish, cut into 3cm
pieces
2 sheets butter puff pastry
40 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
SERVES 4
1 Preheat oven to 220°C. Melt ramekin. Brush with extra
butter in a frying pan over high melted butter and sprinkle
heat. Add fennel and cook, with cracked pepper.
stirring occasionally, until golden 3 Place pies on a baking tray
and caramelised (5 minutes). and bake until golden and
Remove from heat, add crème puffed (15-20 minutes). Serve.
fraîche, capers and chilli, season
to taste and stir to combine.
2 Toss fish in flour and divide
among four 1½-cup-capacity
ovenproof ramekins. Pour over
cream mixture. Cut pastry
sheets to cover the top of each

Crushed colcannon potatoes
800 gm waxy potatoes,
scrubbed and
cut into 5cm pieces
150 gm streaky bacon,
coarsely chopped
60 ml (1/4 cup) extra-virgin
olive oil
150 gm cavolo nero
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
80 ml (1/3 cup) single cream
3 spring onions, thinly sliced,
to serve
Finely grated fresh
nutmeg, to taste
PRODUCE TIP
Kipfler or Dutch cream
potatoes are best for this
recipe. Leave the skin on and
scrub well before boiling.
SERVES 4
1 Preheat oven to 220°C.
Place potatoes in a saucepan,
cover with cold salted water,
then bring to the boil and cook
until just tender (10 minutes).
Drain, lightly crush with a fork,
then place on a large roasting
tray. Add bacon and oil, season
to taste and toss to combine.
Roast until golden (15 minutes).
Fast
2 Add cavolo nero and
toss to combine. Roast until
warmed through (3 minutes).
3 Meanwhile, place mustard,
cream and nutmeg in a small
saucepan over medium heat.
Bring to a simmer; cook until
slightly reduced (2 minutes).
4 Serve potatoes drizzled
with mustard cream, topped
with spring onions and a little
extra grated nutmeg. ➤
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 41

Crisp duck à l’orange
4 duck breasts (200gm each),
fat scored
2 mandarins,
halved horizontally
90 gm (¼ cup) honey
60 ml (¼ cup) sherry vinegar
80 ml (1/3 cup) mandarin juice
2 star anise
1 cinnamon quill
1 small sprig fresh bay leaves
1 Heat a large frying pan over
medium-high heat. Season duck
breasts with 1 tsp salt flakes,
place skin-side down in pan
and reduce heat to low. Cook
until skin is golden and crisp
(10 minutes), draining off fat
COOKING TIP
Place the duck skin-side
down over a low heat
to slowly render the fat,
resulting in a crisp skin
without overcooking
the meat.
SERVES 4
as it renders (reserve 1 tbsp fat).
Turn duck, increase heat to high
and cook until browned and
medium-rare (3-4 minutes).
2 Remove duck from pan and
transfer to a warm plate to rest,
loosely covered with foil. Return
pan to medium-high heat. Add
reserved rendered duck fat.
Add mandarin halves, cut-side
down, and cook until golden
(1-2 minutes). Add honey,
vinegar, mandarin juice, star
anise, cinnamon and bay
leaves, and cook until reduced
and sticky (3-4 minutes). Return
duck and any resting juices to
pan, season and serve.
 Fast

Quick cheesy biscuits

MAKES 18

1 tsp caraway seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black sesame seeds
¼ tsp chilli flakes
120 gm (1 cup) coarsely grated
vintage cheddar
240 gm (2 cups) coarsely grated
smoked cheddar
2 tbsp fine polenta

1 Preheat oven to 200°C. Line

3 large baking trays with baking
paper. Place caraway, cumin,
sesame seeds and chilli flakes
in a bowl and stir to combine.
2 Place cheeses and polenta
in a bowl and combine well.
Add 1 tbsp of the seed mixture
(reserve remainder for sprinkling)
and stir to combine. Working in
batches, spoon 2 tbsp portions
of cheese mixture onto prepared
trays, leaving enough room for
the mixture to spread.
3 Sprinkle each portion with
a little reserved seed mixture.
Bake until golden and bubbling
(12-15 minutes). Set aside to
cool on trays before serving. ➤

SERVING SUGGESTION
Try these alongside a creamy
soup for a simple supper or
impress impromptu guests with
your homemade biscuits and dip.

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 43
 MIX IT UP
A hot spiced salami packs
much of the punch in this
dish but you can easily
shake things up with
other flavoured salami.

Salami-spiked penne
alla vodka SERVES 4
150 gm hot cacciatore salami,
chopped
50 gm unsalted butter,
chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
400 gm tomato passata
125 ml pouring cream, plus
extra to serve
80 ml vodka
400 gm penne rigate pasta
Rosemary sprigs, to serve
1 Place salami in a food
processor and process until
finely chopped. Melt butter in
a saucepan over medium heat.
Add salami and onion, and
cook, stirring occasionally, until
onion is soft (5-6 minutes).
2 Add passata, cream and
vodka, season to taste. Bring
to a simmer and cook, stirring
occasionally, until slightly
reduced (5 minutes).
3 Meanwhile, cook penne
in a saucepan of salted
boiling water until al dente
(10-12 minutes), then drain,
reserving 125ml pasta water.
4 Fold pasta and reserved
cooking water through sauce
and serve sprinkled with
rosemary and cream.

Brussels sprout salad
60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin
olive oil
800 gm Brussels sprouts, halved
and blanched in boiling
water for 1 minute
1 tbsp finely chopped chives
2 golden shallots,
finely chopped
60 ml (¼ cup) red wine vinegar
100 gm red-vein sorrel leaves
25 gm (¼ cup) roasted walnuts,
coarsely chopped
Finely grated parmesan,
to serve
Fast
SERVES 4
1 Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying
pan over medium-high heat.
Add Brussels sprouts and
cook, tossing occasionally,
until tender and starting to
char at the edges (6 minutes).
Season to taste.
2 For the dressing, combine
chives, shallots, vinegar and
remaining oil in a small bowl.
Season to taste.
3 Combine warm Brussels
sprouts with sorrel and walnuts
in a bowl. Spoon over dressing
and serve with parmesan. ➤
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 45
Lamb moussaka tray bake
2 small eggplant (280gm
each), halved
2 small garlic bulbs
60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin
olive oil, plus extra
for frying
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cumin
400 gm lamb mince
95 gm (1/3 cup) tomato paste
½ bunch flat-leaf parsley
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 Preheat oven to 240°C.
Grease a baking tray. Brush
eggplant with 2 tbsp oil, season
SERVES 4
and place, cut-side down,
on prepared tray. Wrap garlic
bulbs in foil and add to tray.
Roast until eggplant is soft
(20 minutes).
2 Unwrap garlic, remove
and peel cloves from 1 bulb
and crush with a fork. Heat
remaining oil in a large frying
pan. Add lamb, crushed garlic,
cinnamon and cumin, and
cook, breaking up mince with
a wooden spoon, until golden
(6 minutes). Add tomato paste
and 60ml water and cook until
reduced and sticky (2 minutes).
3 Meanwhile, preheat a grill
to high. Grill eggplant cut-side
up until golden and lightly
blistered (2-3 minutes).
4 Heat 2cm vegetable oil in
a small frying pan over medium
heat. Pat parsley dry with paper
towel, then fry, in batches, until
crisp (30 seconds). Be careful,
hot oil may spit.
5 Serve eggplant topped with
lamb mince, remaining garlic
and fried parsley. ●
ON THE SIDE
For a cheat’s yoghurt sauce, combine ½ cup
Greek-style yoghurt with 40gm burnt butter.
 Anatomy of a dish

Mapo tofu
This Sichuan classic is silky, spicy
THE SAUCE
and addictively mouth-numbing. Doubanjiang – or broad bean paste – is
combined with Sichuan peppercorns, fermented
black beans, chilli oil and chilli flakes to create
a powerful heat and rich, umami flavour.
Water and cornflour are then added, creating
a thick, silky coating for the tofu. The result is

I
a salty sauce with a powerful hit of spice.
f there’s a single dish that defines
the flavours of Sichuan, it’s this fiery
classic. Mapo tofu, like most Sichuan
dishes, relies on a harmonious balance THE MEAT
of sweet, salty and spicy. A blend of aromatic An essential element, meat is used to bring both
Sichuan peppercorns and facing heaven texture and richness to the sauce. Traditional
chillies deliver an intense colour and tingling mapo recipes feature minced beef, however,
or numbing sensation, while the addition pork is also a popular option. In either case, the
of soft tofu and fragrant herbs or crunchy mince is marinaded in soy sauce and Shaoxing
greens helps offset the bold flavours. The wine to create a sweet and salty flavour.
name mapo translates to “pock-marked old
woman” – a somewhat unflattering tribute
to the woman who, according to Chinese
legend, created the dish during the Qing
Dynasty. Her unique combination of flavours
quickly became popular in Chengdu and
beyond as word of this fiery delight spread.

THE TOFU
While some variations
favour hard tofu,
traditional mapo
features a soft, textured
beancurd. The ratio
of meat to tofu varies,
however Tony Tan
recommends five parts
bean curd to one part
meat. The tofu should
play a neutral role,
acting as a carrier
for other flavours.
PHOTOGRAPHY ALICIA TAYLOR. STYLING VIVEN WALSH.

For a gold-standard mapo tofu head to Dainty

Find Sichuan in Sydney or Melbourne. Brisbane’s
one Stanley restaurant serves a “Buddhist” version,
with zucchini, silken tofu and fermented chilli.

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 47
 Parisian flan
In his new book, Everyone Can Bake, DOMINIQUE ANSEL
demonstrates how to make the perfect sable tart shell for a flan.
 Masterclass

Pastry cream for flan

A
proper tart shell should be golden brown,
uniformly thin, crisp and have smooth, clean
edges. When you bite into it, it should melt
in your mouth as you chew. I’m practical when
it comes to tart shells. To me, a tart shell must serve a
purpose: it should carry as much fresh fruit as possible.
But a flan is also a classic showstopper.
A flan is a two-component dessert, a sable tart shell
filled with pastry cream, that doesn’t need much else. The
tart shell is best enjoyed the day it’s baked, but can be stored
in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to two
days before filling and serving.
Combine 535ml milk and 65gm caster sugar in a saucepan.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking continuously. Remove
from heat. Combine 65gm caster sugar and 50gm cornflour in a
large bowl. Slowly whisk in one-quarter of the warm milk mixture.
Add 9 egg yolks, one at a time, whisking until each yolk is
incorporated. Pour egg yolk mixture into pan with remaining milk
mixture and cook over medium-low heat, whisking continuously,
until slightly thickened (5 minutes). Remove from heat. Add
110gm unsalted, room-temperature butter and whisk until smooth
and glossy. Strain through a fine sieve and cool slightly. Preheat
oven to 175°C. Pour warm pastry cream into tart shell and bake
until flan is dark brown on top (25-30 minutes). Remove from
oven and allow to cool completely before unmoulding.

2
4
Step by step 2 Preheat oven to 175°C and place
a rack in the centre. Grease tart 3 Line tart shell with a round of
baking paper, fill with uncooked

1
Combine 185gm plain flour, 85gm
icing sugar, 50gm cornflour, a pinch
of salt and seeds from 1/2 vanilla pod
ring with butter. Lightly dust a work rice or dried beans and blind bake
surface and rolling pin with flour then on the centre rack until shell is a light
roll out dough to a rectangle about golden brown (15-20 minutes).
3mm thick. Work quickly so the dough

4
in a large bowl. Add 130gm unsalted doesn’t get too warm. Using a 20cm Remove tart shell from oven and
PHOTOGRAPHY JEVAN SUNG. RECIPE DOMINIQUE ANSEL.

butter, cut into cubes, and mix with
your hands until butter is broken
down into pieces the size of peas.
Alternatively, use a stand mixer. Add
1 large egg and mix with a spatula
until dough is smooth and the egg is
fully incorporated but don’t over-mix.
Gently shape dough into a ball, wrap
in plastic wrap and flatten into a disc.
Refrigerate until cold but still pliable
(30 minutes).
wide x 6.75cm tall tart ring as a guide, set aside to cool for 2-3 minutes,
cut dough into a round that’s 2.5cm then unmould while still warm. Set
wider than the ring (this ensures the aside to cool completely. Your tart
dough will come up the sides of the shell is now ready to be filled with
ring). Gently roll dough over rolling anything you like.
This extract
pin, lift and unroll over tart ring. Using
from Everyone
the side of your index finger gently Tip If the dough is starting to feel Can Bake by
press dough towards the bottom warm, refrigerate for 15 minutes Dominique Ansel
edge of the tart ring. Use your other before baking. Warm or overworked (Murdoch Books,
hand to slightly lift the dough so it dough will shrink as it bakes. ● $49.99) has been
reproduced with
doesn’t stretch. Don’t press too hard, minor GT style
and try to keep the dough an even changes.
thickness so it bakes evenly. Use
a paring knife to trim excess dough.

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 49
 When it comes to food, a cult classic is a dish that inspires
a following beyond its own neighbourhood. Something so good,
it justifies time-consuming detours to sate the deepest of cravings.

Here, we celebrate some of Australia’s best-loved bites that have

earned the esteemed title, as determined by those in the know.

ILLUSTRATIONS HANNAH BLACKMORE, JEANNEL CUNANAN, LAURA JACOBS & KELSIE WALKER.
WORDS FIONA DONNELLY, MICHAEL HARDEN, MAX VEENHUYZEN.
CHARCUTERIE PLATE
from Must Winebar, WA
When Must opened in late 2001, the Beaufort
Street wine bar sold half a dozen of these each
week. Two decades later and the dish – a joint
creation from chef-patron Russell Blaikie and his
Brittany-born charcutier Andre Mahe – is a Perth
classic that introduced the west to the pleasures
of parfait, rillettes and terrine. It also inspired
many chefs to sharpen their boning knives.
“[My wife] Susan and I would go to Must just
to have the charcuterie,” says Melissa Palinkas,
chef at Fremantle bar Young George and
a respected charcutier. “You couldn’t fault any
of it. Being Hungarian-German I grew up eating
a lot of cured meats and pâtés, but this was a lot
more refined.”
Must Winebar, 519 Beaufort St, Highgate
“The bread is what makes it…
It’s crusty, chewy and fluffy
at the same time.”
CONTINENTAL ROLL
from The Re Store, WA
For some people, Western Australia’s Italian-
Australian sandwich is about the roll’s deli meat
and vegetable payload. For others, it’s about the
roll itself. “The bread is what makes it,” says Joel
Valvasori-Pereza, chef-owner of pasta bar Lulu
La Delizia. Like many Italian West Australians, he
grew up with “contis” and the jaw-busting white
rolls they’re made with. “It’s crusty, chewy and
fluffy at the same time. When you get one that
nails the balance between all three, there’s
nothing better.” Valvasori-Pereza’s go-to order
is prosciutto, cheese and artichoke: a winning
combination of salt and acid that evokes
memories of the panini and tramezzini found
at train stations across Italy.
The Re Store, 231 Oxford St, Leederville
XO PIPPIES
from Golden Century, NSW
Like an indie rocker who releases a surprise
chart anthem, Golden Century’s XO pippies
are a Sydney cult classic that has gone global,
earning a legion of high profile fans, from
Momofuku’s David Chang to former Chinese
president Hu Jintao (who once requested the
fiery favourite be delivered to Canberra during
a state visit). Whether dished up at 2pm or 2am,
the ritual remains the same: Fresh pippies are
scooped from the tank and presented to your
table, before returning just moments later,
sizzling in a rich, spicy sauce atop a bed of
crisp vermicelli. The trick is to leave them long
enough for the noodles to start turning soggy
but before the sauce cools completely.
Golden Century, 393 Sussex Street, Sydney ➤
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 51
 A1 Canteen’s muffuletta
is the sandwich to end
all sandwiches.
MUFFULETTA
from A1 Canteen, NSW
Expertly layered with Italian provolone, double-
glazed ham, mortadella and salami, then spinach,
artichokes, olives and sun-dried tomatoes, A1
Canteen’s muffuletta is the sandwich to end all
sandwiches. The intricately pressed work of art
was birthed in New Orleans by Sicilian immigrants,
but was made popular in Sydney by chef Clayton
Wells – and it’s well and truly on its way to being
the most ’grammed sandwich in the world, with
chefs such as Neil Perry and Jowett Yu publicly
declaring their adoration. It’s a classic made new
again, and can be ordered for breakfast or lunch,
seven days a week.
2-10 Kensington St, Chippendale
52 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
SCALLOP PIE
from Jackman & McRoss, Tas
Scallops in a curried white sauce, encased in
pastry, is a combination rarely found outside
of Tasmania and could easily be the stuff of
nightmares if not handled with care. According
to Jo Cook, Hobart-based food writer and the
food curator for Dark Mofo, this is where Battery
Point bakery Jackman & McRoss steps in. “They
make the best scallop pie,” she says. “They’re
actually delicious with really golden flaky pastry.
The filling is lightly curried and thickened with
wakame. They’re generous with the scallops
too – about eight in a $9 pie!”
57 Hampden Rd, Battery Point
LAKSA
from Asian Gourmet, SA
Who knew so much happiness could come from
a bowl so small? Bean sprouts and noodles,
vegetables, protein, and a creamy soup topped
with sambal, all contained in an unassuming
plastic bowl that’s at your table in 10 minutes
or less. It never looks like enough – but it is.
Asian Gourmet has been sating laksa cravings
since the ’80s – including those of famed chef
Cheong Liew, who was a lunchtime regular
during his stint at The Hilton. The vegetables
have crunch, the seafood is fresh and you can
customise it to your exact spice level (and grit
factor) with extra sambal for 50c.
Adelaide Central Market, 44-60 Gouger St
PORTUGUESE TARTS
from Saudade, SA
Saudade specialises in one thing and one thing
only: pastel de nata. This perfectly scorched
Portuguese treat can be inhaled in just three
bites – or two if you have a big mouth – so it’s
advisable to order a few extra. Shatteringly crisp
layers of golden puff pastry encase smooth, rich
custard that has been blistered, almost burnt,
on top. The tarts are baked and sold on the
same day, no exceptions. They’re the best you
can find in Adelaide, and quite possibly the
Southern Hemisphere.
Mitcham Square, Shop 22/119 Belair Rd, Torrens Park
DAMPER & SMOKED BUTTER
by Fervor, WA
Honey ants. Bush coconuts. Catfish baked in
an earth oven. A meal at this roving native food
pop-up is likely to feature rare and unique
ingredients carefully and thoughtfully sourced
from Indigenous communities around Western
Australia and the rest of the country. One
constant, however, is Fervor’s signature flat bread
and lush smoked butter. It was served at Fervor’s
first event in Margaret River in 2013 and continues
to appear on menus to this day. Flour, water and
Australiana never tasted so good or comforting.
fervor.com.au
SAND CRAB LASAGNE
from The Stores Grocer, QLD
When chef Gillian Hirst came up with the recipe
for her original sand crab lasagne in 1989, she had
no idea the luscious crab and abalone boosted
fresh pasta creation would evolve into one of
Brisbane’s best-loved signatures. Three decades
on, the version she perfected working at riverside
Italian, Il Centro, is now sold exclusively through
West End providores, The Stores, and tributes/
interpretations grace menus of many other
restaurants. “I’m quite proud of it,” says Hirst. “It’s
not often in a career you create a dish that gets
so widely copied and yet is still known as yours.”
404 Montague Rd, West End
BANH MI
from N.Lee Bakery, Vic
You can’t really claim to be Melburnian without
having queued for a lunchtime Banh Mi at Smith
Street’s N.Lee Bakery. There are fancier versions
around town but this no-frills joint has been
pumping them out in Collingwood since 1991 and
can set off Pavlovian salivating at the mere sound
of one of their crisp house-baked white rolls being
sawed open, ready to be stuffed with egg-mayo,
butter and pâté, pork cold cuts, pickled carrots
and daikon, hoisin sauce and fresh chilli and
coriander. N.Lee has outlets in the city and South
Melbourne but it’s at the Collingwood mothership
where you’ll earn your stripes.
220 Smith St, Collingwood
LAYERED BUTTER CAKE
from Cake & Bake, QLD
Like any elevated classic, this decadent butter
cake by baking queen Jocelyn Hancock relies
on its core ingredients. Good unsalted butter,
quality eggs, sugar – and a traditional lemon
curd made with Hancock’s own citrus. It’s
appeared in different guises over the past 25
years – starting out as a retro bar cake when
Hancock opened Jocelyn’s Provisions. At Cake
& Bake, her current digs, it’s a multi-layered
affair, decked out with butter cream, that can
be dressed up or down to suit any occasion.
It’s a country-style Queensland cult classic.
58 Commercial Rd, Newstead
POTATO CAKES
from The Agrarian Kitchen Eatery, Tas
One person’s potato cake is another person’s
fritter. Or even a potato scallop. Regardless, these
perfectly crisp morsels from The Agrarian Kitchen
Eatery are good enough to have warring parties
declare “nomenclature be damned!” as they
tuck in. Made from local potatoes (mostly King
Edwards) these are smaller and more irregularly
shaped than your fish and chip shop numbers but
possess a thrilling added level of flavour, thanks
to a sourdough batter and the richly spiced,
kasundi-like sauce that accompanies them.
11a The Avenue, New Norfolk ➤
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 53
 TONKOTSU RAMEN
from Taro’s Ramen, QLD
Is the best ramen an art or a science? Taro’s
tonkotsu combines elements of both. Crowned
with char siu, nori, and a perfect hardboiled egg,
this bowl of creamy pork broth arrives spiked
with black garlic oil and bouncy straight-edge
noodles that are also made on-site. Traditionally
ramen is a cold weather treat but this version is
so superior, it’s topped the must-eat list in steamy
Brisbane for more than a decade. Chef Ben
Williamson, co-owner of Agnes in Fortitude
Valley, is a die-hard devotee. “It’s a dish that’s
stood the test of time – lip-smackingly good,
it’s so rich and unctuous,” says Williamson.
Taro’s Ramen, locations throughout Brisbane
YAKITORI
from Yakitori Yurippi, NSW
Crows Nest has become a bubbling hub for
Japanese expatriates living in NSW, with devoted
grocery stores and restaurants dotted throughout
the area. A hot spot that exudes the charm of
downtown Sapporo is Yakitori Yurippi: a tiny
restaurant that regularly sees waiting diners line
the street outside. Sticks threaded with chicken
hearts and tsukune are kissed with smoke and soy,
rendered soft by the charcoal-lit flames. Lotus head
chef Sam Young is a regular customer. “The heart,
chicken skin and liver are the best,” he says. The
meat is locally sourced and all skewers are made
in-house. “It’s an arduous process and we take
a lot of time and care,” says owner Tin Jung Shea.
7 Falcon Street, Crows Nest
54 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
EMPEROR’S PUFFS
from Emperor’s Garden Cakes & Bakery, NSW
There are very few things you can buy for less
than a dollar these days, which only makes these
cream puffs more enticing. For a gold coin, you
can have three piping-hot puffs in your hot little
hands (or 18 for a fiver), but you’ll have to brave
an inevitable queue, which consistently snakes
it way through Dixon Street Mall in Chinatown.
The tiny hole-in-the-wall has been pumping out
vanilla custard-filled sweets for decades, so it’s
no wonder they have a cult following. But they
come with a word of warning: the freshly cooked
puffs contain molten custard that will strip your
tastebuds if you don’t let them cool first.
96-100 Hay St, Haymarket
VANILLA SLICE
from Bridgewater Bakehouse, Vic
You don’t get to be reigning champion and
two-time winner of the Great Australian Vanilla
Slice Triumph (Australia’s most prestigious vanilla
slice competition) for nothing. That’s certainly
the case for this quiet masterpiece of slicedom
at Bridgewater Bakehouse, outside of Bendigo
in central Victoria. The shiny, white fondant, the
rich, firm but not-too-sweet custard and the
ovation-worthy pastry that breaks rather than
bends all come together to emphatically answer
the question of why the “snot block” is such an
enduring Aussie classic.
6 Main St, Bridgewater on Loddon
SOUVLAKI
from Kalimera Souvlaki Art, Vic
Does Thomas Deliopoulos, owner of Oakleigh’s
Kalimera Souvlaki Art, make the best souvlaki
in Victoria? Many (including us) think so but don’t
take our word for it. Ben Shewry, owner and chef
at Attica, stumbled on Kalimera by chance and
was instantly hooked. “The pork souvlaki blew
me away,” he says. “It was so well seasoned and
so well cooked and they were obviously using
female pigs because the flavour was so clean.
There was also a delicious oregano flavour to
the meat, different to any oregano I’d tasted.
The thing that struck me immediately was that
there were no shortcuts being taken.”
41 Chester St, Oakleigh
BAKED RICOTTA CAKE
from Pasticceria Papa, NSW
Hundreds of cannoli, biscuits and sugar-coated
baked-goods line the display cabinets of this
Haberfield institution, yet the humble baked
ricotta cake is Pasticceria Papa’s crown jewel.
It’s traditionally Italian in style, with a smooth
cream and ricotta centre that’s light, fluffy and just
the right amount of sweet. Encased in the softest,
shortbread-like pastry and dusted with a magical
combination of cinnamon and icing sugar, this
cloud-like cake has been around since the bakery
opened more than 30 years ago and, thankfully,
doesn’t look to be leaving anytime soon.
145 Ramsay St, Haberfield
 For a gold coin, you can have
three piping-hot puffs in your
hot little hands (or 18 for a fiver).

PLAIN PIE BBC DIM SIM

from Yatala Pies, QLD
If you’ve never veered off the Gold Coast
Highway to order a plain steak pie from Yatala
(preferably dialled up with sauce, with a serve
of mashed potatoes and peas stuffed beneath
its flaky top) are you even a Queenslander? The
bakery has changed ownership and location
a few times during its 130-year history, but the
team still fires up their traditional ceramic pie
ovens to turn out those golden-hued, crisp-
bottomed comforters, which sell in their thousands
daily. Nostalgia never tasted so good.
48 Old Pacific Hwy, Yatala
from Ying Chow, SA
Cheap, cheerful and abrupt is how Africola’s
Duncan Welgemoed describes Adelaide’s
late-night dining institution, Ying Chow, heralding
their “BBC” as a hero of the menu. The renowned
Sichuan specialty comprises broad beans, bean
curd and Chinese chutney, stir-fried with garlic,
chilli and pickled cabbage. It’s a nourishing way
to end an evening out on the town.
Ying Chow, 114 Gouger St, Adelaide
from South Melbourne Market Dim Sims, Vic
While there are still annoying purists around
lamenting these dumplings haven’t been the
same since the passing of owner Ken Cheng
in 2006 (he started selling them out of a trolley
at Caulfield Racetrack in 1949 before moving
to South Melbourne Market), they still pack
a punch and draw a crowd. Larger and rounder
than traditional dim sim, they come filled with
cabbage, pork, beef, lamb (yes, three meats)
and spices. You can choose to have them
steamed (better) or fried (if you’re hungover).
322-326 Coventry St, South Melbourne ●

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 55
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 From London to Sydney
PHOTOGRAPHY FOOD STORY MEDIA LTD.

Award-winning chef and restaurateur

Clare Smyth has hit a number of career highs.
Now, she’s bringing her modern fine-dining
to Australia, writes KARLIE VERKERK.
 O
pening a new restaurant on
the opposite side of the world
during a global pandemic is
no easy feat. But if there is
one person fit for the task,
it’s Clare Smyth.
The Northern Irish chef
and owner of two-Michelin
star restaurant Core, in London is currently putting
the finishing touches on her second venue, which is
due to open at Sydney’s newest waterfront development,
Crown, in February. And although she has had to
orchestrate it all from afar, Smyth remains unflappable.
“My plan was never to have lots of restaurants
globally. It’s really about doing things well; things
that I love doing, in locations that I enjoy being in,”
says Smyth. “Sydney is one of the most iconic
locations in the world.”
The Harbour City may be thousands of kilometres
away from where Smyth calls home, but it’s a destination
she feels very familiar with and cannot wait to return
to once coronavirus travel restrictions are lifted.
“I spent a year in Australia when I was in my early
20s, working and travelling, so I have fond memories
and a great connection with the city – it’s a home away
from home for me,” she explains. “I was there for the
Olympics, too, which was a brilliant year.
“I could never have imagined at the time, as a young
commis chef just starting my career, that I’d eventually
open a restaurant in Sydney. I think it’s quite amazing
how life comes full circle.”
Smyth’s calm and controlled nature can be attributed
to the 15 years she spent working in some of the world’s
most acclaimed fine-dining restaurants, under some
of the toughest chefs in the industry, including Alain
Ducasse at Le Louis XV restaurant in Monaco, and
Gordon Ramsay at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, where
Smyth became the first female chef in the United
Kingdom to hold and retain three Michelin stars.
“Alain and Gordon are incredible role models in
the industry. They have always been great mentors for
me and I continue to admire and look up them,” says
Smyth. “I also have a great respect for Thomas Keller
– French Laundry has been successful for many years
and that level of staying power at such a top level
takes stamina and discipline.”
Putting everything she learnt from the industry
greats into practice, Smyth opened her first restaurant “I’ve seen a major shift
in Notting Hill in 2016, which earned two Michelin
stars just over a year later. And to top things off, in in the concept of fine
2018 Smyth was named the world’s best female chef. dining; I have seen it
“When I was coming through kitchens there become more engaging
weren’t very many female role models at all,” says
Smyth. “I can see a big difference now – almost 50 per
and genuine.”
cent of my team are female and it makes for a much
better and balanced work environment. But we still
need to work at breaking those boundaries.”

58 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 It’s clear that Core is no ordinary fine-dining
restaurant. It’s a fine-dining restaurant for modern times.
“I’ve seen a major shift in the concept of fine
dining; I have seen it become more engaging and
genuine,” says Smyth. “At Core, we wanted to strip
away all of the things that people found pretentious
and intimidating about fine dining. It’s about making
people feel comfortable and at home in the restaurant.
Clockwise from Whether it’s writing words on the menu that people
left: Highland
wagyu beef and
recognise, having approachable wine lists, friendly
Porthilly oysters; sommeliers, a real, genuine welcome, no dress codes...”
a dish being This relaxed and contemporary approach to fine
plated up for dining will be transported across the globe and funnelled
service; Chef
Clare Smyth into Smyth’s new venue. Like Core, her Sydney restaurant
outside her – which remains unnamed for now – will ooze
restaurant, Core, sophistication in an understated and approachable way.
in London’s
Notting Hill.
The restaurant will come to life inside the soon-to-be
complete Crown building in Barangaroo. In the main
dining room, a light, cloud-like colour palette will be
accented with polished-brass accents and natural
greenery, while the adjacent bar will boast a more casual
scheme, with jewel tones and soft, welcoming textures.
Both spaces will soak up uninterrupted views
of the iconic Harbour Bridge and Opera House.
However, Smyth won’t be taking in the breathtaking
vistas; her focus will be on the plate and putting
a spotlight on local Australian growers.
“The philosophy of my food is very much
inspired by the producers and the natural
environment,” says Smyth. “One of the things
we have now is a real connection with producers
and suppliers in a way you didn’t have before.
“It’s really about finding someone who is
passionate about what they do and then I start to
create the dish, rather than the other way around.
We want to follow that story all the way from the
producer through to the chef. We also put a bit
of our own culture and history into the food.”
Smyth’s deep respect for ingredients and those
who grow it stems from her upbringing; her father
was a dairy and beef farmer, while her aunty and
uncle grew potatoes. “Farming is 365 days a year,
24 hours a day,” she says. “To do it in an ethical way
and to look after the environment and the land is
so important; it requires generations of knowledge.”
In addition to Smyth’s new restaurant, Nobu and
a handful of beloved Australian chefs, such as Ross
PHOTOGRAPHY FOOD STORY MEDIA LTD.

and Sunny Lusted (The Bridge Room), and Alessandro

Pavoni (Ormeggio at The Spit) are due to open venues
at Crown Sydney early next year. The new development
is aiming to be the city’s hottest dining location.
“The restaurant in Sydney is the next step for my
team. It’s such great timing and we are all ready for
a new challenge,” says Smyth. “We can’t wait to work
with new suppliers and create something new and
vibrant. Australia is a food-loving nation and has such
amazing producers – it’s a very exciting place to be.” ●

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 59
 Lights, camera,
snack-tion!
Make your next movie night an interactive experience by
pairing a cinematic classic with a complementary side dish.
HANNAH-ROSE YEE shares a few of her favourites.
Photography & styling HANNAH BLACKMORE

MARY POPPINS
There are two types of people in this world: those who are lifelong
fans of the Julie Andrews’ singing nanny Mary Poppins, and my
sworn enemies. There’s something magical about this musical
with its technicolour costumes, zany songs and its comic book
vision of London, complete with tap dancing chimney sweeps.
Technically, yes, this is a movie for kids. But the tone is just right,
a canny blend of melancholy and whimsy, courtesy of that
spoonful of sugar. Watch it tonight: you’ll be surprised by how
many of the lyrics to B-side songs you can remember. Pair your
viewing with jugs of lime cordial (for the Janes and Michaels of
your family), rum punch (for all the Mary Poppinses) and a bag
of salt and vinegar chips. Why? Do I really have to say? Because
salt and vinegar chips are practically perfect in every way.
Available to stream on Disney Plus
TITANIC
With its glacial yet luxurious running time of three hours
and 15 minutes, this Oscar-guzzling drama starring
a young Kate and Leo is one of the best films for an
at-home movie night. Titanic has everything: Dastardly
fiancés! Scheming mothers! Poor little rich girls in very big
hats! Steamy hand prints! A door that could definitely fit
more than one person on it... You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and
you’ll be singing along to Celine Dion before the night
is over. Especially if you pair your viewing with an Old
Fashioned or two – sugar, bitters and water muddled
together, topped with whiskey, a slice of orange and an
enormous chunk of ice. Rattle your glass in the movie’s
pivotal scene as you bellow: “Iceberg! Right ahead!”
Available to stream on iTunes

CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON

If it’s been a while since you watched Crouching Tiger,
Hidden Dragon and all you can remember are those
dance-like fight sequences in which stars Michelle Yeoh
and Chow Yun Fat skim the treetops, it might be time to
reacquaint yourself. This 2001 film from director Ang Lee
is not only a high-octane action classic but a sweeping,
epic romance, too. What can you eat to go with a movie
that straddles genres so effortlessly, like a martial arts
maestro’s split kick? Take your favourite nuts – cashews,
pecans, sesame seeds, pepitas, whatever you fancy –
and toast them in the oven with a bit of olive oil, sambal
chilli, maple syrup and salt. The result will be a little sweet
and a lot spicy - just like spending an evening sparring
with your good friends Li Mu Bai and Yu Shu Lien.
Available to stream on iTunes ➤

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 61
 THE SHINING
This pairing may be a little on the nose,
but hey, that’s horror movies for you –
especially ones based on a Stephen King
book. This 1980 classic, starring Jack
Nicholson and directed by Stanley Kubrick,
is the pinnacle of the genre, a film in which
the scares are so creeping and the mood is
so razor-sharp that it gets under your skin
almost immediately. Of course, what you’re
going to want to snack on while you’re
watching this is something red. A Bloody
Mary, maybe, heavy on the tomato juice
and vodka. Or, you could just eat a jam
donut. Crisp and chewy, but also kind of
sticky when you bite into it, with a thick
strawberry jam that oozes all over your
fingers. Fun fact: Did you know that movie
fake blood is made from corn syrup and
red food dye, with a squirt of seedless
strawberry jam squeezed to add texture?
Available to stream on iTunes

62 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
WHEN HARRY MET SALLY
Nora Ephron, the beloved writer and director who penned
the screenplay for this iconic 1989 romantic comedy, was
a woman who knew that the ultimate love language is
getting someone’s preferred menu order correct. Sally
(Meg Ryan) is exacting about food – “I like it how I like it,”
she tells Harry (Billy Crystal), without a skerrick of self
doubt – and that’s why he falls for her. He loves that
it takes her an hour-and-a-half to order a sandwich,
especially an orgasmic turkey one from Katz’s Delicatessen
in New York, and he loves that everything she eats has to
come with sauce, cream or dressing on the side. Watch
this movie with a big bowl of popcorn and a smoked
paprika spice mix - on the side. It’s biting, zingy and
moreish, just like When Harry Met Sally. All together now:
“I’ll have what she’s having.” Available to stream on Stan

LOOKING FOR ALIBRANDI

This perfect teen film turned 20 this year, which means it’s
officially still not as old as star Pia Miranda was when she
made the movie. The Australian actress was 26 when she
played Josie Alibrandi, a 17-year-old whose final year of
high school is derailed by the sudden reappearance of her
dad (Anthony LaPaglia, in a passata red Alfa Romeo) and
a gaggle of boys vying for her attention. Miranda might
have been older than her character, but her performance
was a note-perfect festival of adolescent hormones, right
down to the aggravated hair flips and Josie’s desperate
desire to be liked. In Looking For Alibrandi, Josie works
part-time at Oporto, slinging Bondi burgers and bags of
chicken chips every week to a crowd of hungry customers.
Which is exactly what you should order to accompany
this film: Oporto chips. Available to stream on iTunes ●
 SUBSCRIBE TO

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 FOOD
AUGUST

Original spin
Refined pub classics at The Old Fitz,
Josh Niland’s nose-to-scale recipes,
and timeless desserts with a twist.

Scotch egg
& piccalilli
PHOTOGRAPHY BENITO MARTIN.

p 74
 Recipes NIK HILL

Puttin’
Photography BENITO MARTIN

Longfin eel pâté

with scones
& cream

p 71

on the
Styling OLIVIA BLACKMORE
 Cauliflower
cheese tart

p 71

Fitz
It’s pub grub but not as you know it. Chef NIK HILL
brings fine-dining finesse to English pub classics
at Sydney’s Old Fitzroy Hotel.

Words JOANNA HUNKIN


Head chef, Nik Hill. Below: a cosy
spot at The Old Fitzroy Hotel.
The Old Fitzroy is due to reopen
on August 1. Until then, it is serving
a weekend takeaway menu.
For details, see oldfitzroy.com.au
T
he key to mastering a classic, says chef Nik Hill,
is simple. You just need to follow the rules.
“A Scotch egg is simple but if you don’t follow
the exact technique it doesn’t work. It’s as much
work to make a Scotch egg as it is to do the
latest tweezer dish. You need to have the same
care and focus to get it right.”
The chef, who took over the tiny kitchen at The Old Fitzroy
Hotel in February 2019, has done his fair share of tweezer dishes,
having previously worked at Sydney fine-diners Sepia and Quay.
But it was his time in London that sparked his passion for
pub fare and eventually led him to the iconic Wolloomooloo
pub. While working at The Ledbury, he spent a year living
above the restaurant’s sister pub, The Harwood Arms – the
only pub in London with a Michelin star.
“We used to eat there two or three times a week and every
Sunday lunch. It was like a home for me, I ate there a lot.”
When pub owner Jaime Wirth first approached Hill about
taking over the kitchen at The Fitz, Hill wasn’t sold. Until
Wirth mentioned the hotel was “like an old English pub”. Hill
was intrigued and quickly set to work devising a menu of classic
pub fare, the likes of which has rarely been seen in Australia.
There’s not a parmi in sight on Hill’s menu, which
champions nose-to-tail cooking through a revolving assortment
of pies, terrines, roasts and of course, his signature Scotch egg.
But what really sets The Old Fitz apart is the execution of
each dish. Supported by a small team of fellow fine-dining chefs
(Abigail Amen worked at Quay and Sepia, while Joaquin Gadea
is former LuMi and Ester alum), Hill elevates every dish through
his precise presentation and commitment to quality produce.
“It’s halfway between classic French bistro and English pub
food,” explains Hill. “It takes all the cues from fine dining
because, really, we’re restaurant chefs coming in to do a pub.”
But while Hill’s menu has been quick to capture the hearts
and stomachs of Sydney’s fooderati, the chef insists he’s really
not doing anything new.
“The only cookbooks we look at here are things like the
Women’s Weekly book from 1985. We’re not doing anything that
hasn’t been done before. I’m sure someone has stuck a cauliflower
in a quiche before. We look back for inspiration and then try
to tweak each dish with the knowledge that we have now.”
The Old Fitzroy Hotel, 129 Dowling St, Woolloomooloo, NSW,
(02) 9356 3848, oldfitzroy.com.au
Cauliflower cheese tart
SERVES 8 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 1 HR 10 MINS (PLUS CHILLING)

“Nostalgic, rich and ridiculously simple,” says Nik Hill. “Look for full, tight cauliflower
florets, as the quality of the cauliflower determines the success of this cheesy tart.”

1 medium cauliflower 1 For the cheddar custard, season with salt, drizzle over top (20-25 minutes). Cool
(approx 1.5kg) place 200ml milk, cheddar and 1 tbsp melted butter and roast slightly, then remove tart ring.
1 small cauliflower eggs in a blender, season with until golden brown (20 minutes). 5 Warm remaining milk in a
(approx 1kg) salt and pulse until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly, then small saucepan over low heat.
100 gm butter, melted Transfer to a saucepan and transfer to a blender with eggs, Remove cheddar custard from
3 eggs bring to the boil, whisking cheddar and cream, and pulse fridge, transfer to a blender and
300 gm sharp cheddar, grated continuously. The mixture will to a coarse purée. Season well. pulse until smooth, gradually
150 ml thickened cream scramble and look lumpy, but 4 Place an 18cm tart ring on a adding warm milk. Season to
1 sheet good-quality don’t panic. Pour mixture into baking tray, then line base and taste with pepper and a few
puff pastry a tray and refrigerate until side with puff pastry. Spread drops of sherry vinegar.
Finely grated pecorino, completely cold (4 hours). roasted cauliflower mixture over 6 To serve, place tart on
to serve 2 Steam whole medium base of tart shell, then place a serving plate, spoon over
CHEDDAR CUSTARD cauliflower until florets are just whole steamed cauliflower in custard and top with pecorino.
400 ml milk tender (15 minutes). Set aside. centre. Brush liberally with Note Do not reheat cheddar
250 gm sharp cheddar, grated 3 Preheat oven to 180°C. remaining melted butter. Roast custard, as the mixture will set
5 eggs Roughly chop small cauliflower, until pastry base is crisp and and become lumpy. It’s best
Sherry vinegar, to season then place on a baking tray, cauliflower is dark golden on made fresh before serving.

Longfin eel pâté with scones & cream

SERVES 6 (MAKES 12 SCONES) // PREP TIME 30 MINS // COOK 20 MINS (PLUS INFUSING, RESTING)

“Longfin eel’s history in London pie shops is legendary. It’s generally served jellied in aspic and accompanied
by a pint of cider,” says Hill. “While jellied eels are not everyone’s cup of Earl Grey, eels benefit greatly from
the brining and smoking process, which produces a rich, fatty ‘bacon of the sea’ flavour.”

500 ml (2 cups) pouring cream 1 For the pâté, skin the eel medium heat and bring to a gently (30 seconds). Roll out
Watercress and lemon by gently peeling the skin away simmer (do not boil). Remove until 4cm thick, then, using
wedges (optional), to serve from the flesh. Reserve skin. from heat and set aside to a floured 7cm-round pastry
LONGFIN EEL PÂTÉ Lightly scrape any excess jelly infuse (1 hour). Strain through cutter, cut out rounds and
500 gm smoked longfin eel from the fillets with a butter a fine-meshed sieve, discarding place on prepared baking
(see note) knife. Remove the flesh from solids. Refrigerate until cold. tray. Brush with extra milk,
50 ml extra-virgin olive oil the bones. Reserve bones. 4 Meanwhile, for the scones, then set aside in a warm
150 gm crème fraîche 2 Finely chop eel flesh, then preheat oven to 200°C. Lightly place to rest (10 minutes).
50 gm horseradish relish place in a bowl. Using a fork, grease a baking tray. Combine Bake until scones are golden
Finely grated zest and juice mash eel with oil to form a flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and risen (10-15 minutes).
of 1 lemon paste. Fold in creme fraiche and cream of tartar in a large 6 Whisk chilled eel cream
SCONES and horseradish, and season bowl and whisk to combine. mixture to soft peaks. Serve
900 gm (6 cups) self-raising flour well with pepper and a little Add butter and rub into flour with warm scones, pâté,
75 gm (⅓ cup) caster sugar salt (the eel will be salty from mixture until it resembles fine watercress and lemon wedges.
8 gm table salt brining). Add lemon zest and breadcrumbs. Make a well in Note Smoked longfin eel is
1 tbsp baking powder juice, and stir to combine. Cover the centre and add milk, mixing available to order from
1 tbsp cream of tartar and refrigerate until required. with a spatula until mixture smoketrapeels.com.au and
225 gm cold butter, chopped 3 For the cream, combine forms a dough. select fishmongers.
520 ml cold milk, plus extra cream and reserved eel skin 5 Turn out dough onto a lightly Alternatively, substitute
for brushing and bones in a saucepan over floured surface and knead smoked mackerel. ➤

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 71
 Fitz fish supper
SERVES 2 // PREP TIME 30 MINS // COOK 1 HR 45 MINS (PLUS CHILLING, RESTING)

“Chips with curry sauce has to be one life’s most horrifyingly delicious snacks,” says Hill. “Every chippy
in the UK has its own recipe, generally based on Keen’s curry powder. As far as a fish supper goes, this
ticks all the boxes. To achieve perfectly crisp, crunchy chips, you need to cook them twice, leaving them
for up to two hours in between.” Start this recipe a day ahead to make the curry sauce and chips.

Vegetable oil, for frying
8 large sebago potatoes,
washed, cut and pre-cooked
(see note)
1 whole flounder (800gm),
cleaned and scaled
50 gm butter, chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 sprigs curry leaves
Zest of ½ lemon
Lemon wedges, sliced white
bread and soft butter,
mushy peas and pickled
onions, to serve
CURRY SAUCE
125 gm butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, sliced
50 gm raisins
1 tbsp Keen’s curry powder
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
5 fresh curry leaves
2 tsp hot English mustard
50 gm Greek-style yoghurt
2 tbsp lemon juice
POTATO SCALLOPS
2 medium Dutch cream
potatoes, peeled
Chicken salt, for seasoning
2 large scallops (without roe),
halved horizontally
180 gm plain flour, plus extra
for dusting
325 ml cold beer (preferably
Resch’s)
1 For the curry sauce, heat
butter in a large saucepan over
medium-high heat. Add onion
and garlic, and cook, stirring
occasionally until mixture starts
to caramelise (6-7 minutes).
Add raisins and stir to combine.
Add curry powder and cook
until fragrant (1-2 minutes).
Add Worcestershire sauce
and 250ml water, stirring to
deglaze the pan. Add curry
leaves and mustard, bring to
the boil, then remove from heat.
2 Cool slightly, then blend until
smooth. Add yoghurt and stir
to combine. Stir in lemon juice
and season to taste. Cover and
refrigerate overnight. Curry
sauce will keep in the fridge
for up to 1 week.
3 For chips, preheat oven to
120°C. Pour 10cm of oil into
a large saucepan and place
over medium heat until it
reaches 190°C. Fry chips, in
batches, until they form a crust
(1-2 minutes). Remove chips
with a slotted spoon (reserve
saucepan with oil), transfer to
a large oven tray and place in
the oven until dried out (1 hour).
4 For the potato scallops, slice
Dutch cream potatoes into four
2.5cm-thick rounds. Using a
2.5cm round pastry cutter (or
the diameter of the halved
scallops) cut a hole in the centre
of each slice. Steam or boil
gently in salted water until just
tender (10 minutes). Season
lightly with chicken salt, cool
to room temperature, then curry leaves to the pan and
refrigerate (30 minutes). fry until crisp (10 seconds).
5 Increase oven to 185°C. Drain and set aside.
Heat an ovenproof frying pan, 10 Warm curry sauce in a small
large enough to fit the flounder, saucepan over medium heat
over high heat. Add 50ml (3 minutes). In a large bowl, add
vegetable oil and heat until just curry sauce to chips, top with
smoking (30 seconds). Season fried curry leaves, lemon zest,
the flounder skin with salt. and flounder pan juices. For an
6 Cook flounder in the hot oil authentic Old Fitz experience,
until golden (3-4 minutes), then serve alongside the flounder
carefully turn and add butter and potato scallops on a platter
and garlic. Transfer pan to the lined with butcher’s paper, with
oven and cook until flesh is just lemon wedges, white bread
cooked through (4 minutes). and butter, mushy peas and
Remove pan from oven and pickled onions.
return to stovetop over medium Note To pre-cook the chips,
heat, basting fish with pan wash and cut potatoes into
juices until golden and crisp thick chips. Steam or boil in
(1 minute). Set aside to rest a saucepan of salted water
in the pan juices (6 minutes). until just tender but not falling
7 Meanwhile, for the batter, apart (10 minutes). Place on
gently stir flour and beer in a clean cloth or tea towel in
a bowl until just combined. the fridge to dry overnight. ➤
Set aside to rest (5 minutes).
8 Reheat the oil in the reserved
saucepan to 190°C. Push a
scallop half into the hole of
each potato round. Toss potato
scallops in extra flour, then,
working one at a time, dip into
batter. Remove with a slotted
spoon and lower into the hot
oil. Fry until the batter is deep
golden (2-3 minutes). Drain on
paper towel. Season well with
chicken salt and keep warm.
9 Fry chips, in batches, for a
second time until golden and
crisp (5 minutes). Remove with
a slotted spoon, drain season
and keep warm. Carefully add

72 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 “Our piccalilli is more
of a vegetable pickle
than the traditional
canary-yellow sludge
I recall eating as a kid.”

Scotch egg & piccalilli

SERVES 6 (MAKES 6 SCOTCH EGGS) // PREP TIME 25 MINS // COOK 30 MINS (PLUS PICKLING, RESTING, CHILLING)

“Our piccalilli is more of a vegetable pickle than the traditional canary-yellow sludge
I recall eating as a kid,” says Hill. “I do love the sludge, but its sweetness doesn’t cut
the mustard here.” Start this recipe at least two days ahead for the piccalilli.

8 large eggs, at room
temperature
200 gm minced pork shoulder
(see note)
100 gm minced bacon (see note)
1 tbsp hot English mustard
1 tsp dried sage
300 gm pork sausage mince
125 gm (1½ cups) panko crumbs
100 gm rolled oats
Plain flour, for dusting
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
PICCALILLI
20 gm (1 tbsp) table salt
1/2 small cauliflower (about
400gm), cut into small florets
1 telegraph cucumber, seeds
removed and chopped
1 small fennel bulb,
finely chopped
2 tsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp hot English mustard
300 ml white wine vinegar
½ tsp cornflour
1 For the piccalilli, combine
salt, cauliflower, cucumber and
fennel in a large bowl and mix
with your hands until vegetables
begin to release their juices.
Heat oil in a small frying pan
over medium heat. Add onion
and season with salt. Cook,
stirring occasionally, until onion
is translucent (4 minutes). Add
turmeric, mustard and vinegar,
then remove from heat and pour
directly over vegetables, stirring
to combine well. Transfer to
a sterilised 1-litre mason jar,
seal and set aside at room
temperature for 48 hours.
2 Strain vegetables, reserving
liquid. Place cornflour and
125ml reserved pickling liquid
in a small bowl and stir to
combine. Add remaining liquid
to a small saucepan and bring to
the boil over medium heat. Add
cornflour mixture. Whisking
briskly, return to the boil and
cook for 10 seconds. Pour
mixture over the pickled
vegetables, stir to combine,
then season with salt and
pepper. Seal and refrigerate
until required (see note).
3 For the Scotch eggs, bring
a large saucepan of water to
the boil. Carefully add 6 eggs
and cook until soft-boiled
(5 minutes and 20 seconds
precisely). Drain and refresh
in a bowl of iced water. Set
aside to cool (10 minutes), then
carefully peel. Drain on paper
towel, then refrigerate until
firm (20 minutes).
4 Place minced pork, bacon,
mustard and sage in a large
bowl and combine well. Add
sausage mince and beat
vigorously. Divide mixture into
6 equal portions and press
each portion into your palm to
create a pancake large enough
to cover the egg. Place an egg
in the centre and mould the
mince mixture around it to seal
completely. Place on a tray
and return, uncovered, to
the fridge to firm up (1 hour).
5 Combine panko and oats
in a large bowl. Lightly whisk
remaining eggs in a bowl.
Dust each wrapped egg in
extra flour, then coat in egg
wash, then breadcrumb mixture.
Refrigerate until required.
6 Heat oil in a deep-fryer or
deep-sided frying pan to 160°C.
Deep-fry the eggs, in batches,
until golden (6 minutes). Rest for
3 minutes, then test the yolk by
sliding a skewer into the centre
and testing the temperature on
your wrist. It should be warm to
the touch. Season and serve
with plenty of piccalilli and
a pint of Old Fitz draught.
Note Ask your butcher to mince
the pork shoulder and bacon
for you; otherwise, use a food
processor to produce a fine
mince. Piccalilli will keep in
the fridge for up to 1 month.

74 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 and divide remaining dripping
Black pudding toad in the hole among muffin holes. Return
SERVES 6 (MAKES 12) // PREP TIME 25 MINS // COOK 20 MINS (PLUS RESTING) to oven until hot (5 minutes).
7 Working quickly, pour
“Black pudding is the working-class luxury of British cooking and has recipes dating back centuries,” pudding batter into muffin
says Hill. “It’s custard-like texture makes it an ideal partner for the Yorkies. This rendition of toad in the holes, keeping the stream of
hole is the perfect starter for a winter supper.” Start this recipe a day ahead so the batter is well rested. batter as central as possible.
Place a piece of black pudding
1 golden shallot, 1 For the pudding batter, whisk 3 Preheat oven to 220°C. in the centre of each filled hole,
finely chopped eggs thoroughly. Place flour in Combine shallot and vinegar then bake until puddings are
2 tbsp malt vinegar a bowl and make a well in the with a pinch of salt in a small golden brown and at least
3 black puddings (200gm centre. Add eggs and whisk, bowl and set aside to pickle. tripled in size (15 minutes). Keep
each), each cut into 4 equal gradually adding milk while 4 Place a non-stick frying pan oven door closed while they are
lengths (see note) whisking to ensure there are over medium heat and cook baking to ensure they puff up.
500 ml (2 cups) beef gravy, no lumps. Pour batter through blood puddings, in batches, 8 Remove tin from the oven,
preferably homemade a fine-meshed sieve into a bowl, on both cut sides until sealed brush puddings with extra
150 gm beef dripping, melted, then cover and refrigerate (1 minute). Set aside. dripping and top with grated
plus extra to serve overnight. The next day, remove 5 Place gravy in a saucepan horseradish. Serve immediately
Fresh horseradish (see from the fridge at least 1 hour over medium heat. Add pickled with a jug of gravy and
note), grated, to serve before using. Add 1 tsp fine salt shallot with its liquid and 2 tbsp horseradish cream.
YORKSHIRE PUDDING and whisk to combine. dripping, and season with Note Black pudding is available
300 ml whole eggs 2 For horseradish cream, whisk pepper. Bring to a simmer, from select butchers. Fresh
(approx 6 eggs) horseradish relish, sour cream, then set aside. Keep warm. horseradish is available from
130 gm plain flour milk and oil in a bowl. Season 6 Place a 12-hole ½-cup select greengrocers and
300 ml milk well with salt and pepper. It capacity muffin tin on a large farmers’ markets in winter. The
HORSERADISH CREAM should be thick and runny. baking tray and preheat in the Tracklements range is available
50 gm Tracklements Refrigerate until required. oven (10 minutes). Remove tin from simonjohnson.com ➤
Horseradish relish (see note)
200 gm sour cream
1 tbsp milk
1 tbsp olive oil

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 75
 Banoffee trifle
SERVES 12-14 // PREP TIME 25 MINS // COOK 1 HR (PLUS COOLING)
“The famed banoffee pie originated in Sussex in the early ’70s and has been bastardised
ever since,” says Hill. “This recipe is no different. The flavour of the dark caramel helps
balance the sweetness of the bananas and sponge, while the addition of rum gives it
a boozy trifle vibe and is a great way to round off a long Sunday lunch.”
4 bananas, thickly sliced 1 For the sponge, preheat oven
100 gm dried banana chips to 175°C. Grease and line an
Cocoa powder, for dusting 18cm round cake tin with baking
VICTORIA SPONGE paper. Beat butter, sugar and
170 gm butter, softened vanilla in an electric mixer until
170 gm caster sugar light and fluffy (6 minutes),
1 tsp vanilla paste occasionally scraping down
3 eggs side of the bowl with a spatula.
170 gm self-raising flour Reduce speed to low and add
25 ml whole milk eggs, one at a time, beating
RUM SYRUP well after each addition.
100 gm soft brown sugar 2 Using a spatula, gently fold
100 ml dark rum in flour, then milk, being careful
BUTTERSCOTCH not to overwork the batter.
300 ml cream Pour into the prepared tin and
125 gm caster sugar bake until sponge is golden
50 gm butter diced and centre springs back when
3 gm sea salt gently pressed with a finger
CHANTILLY CREAM (1 hour). Allow to cool to room
500 ml (2 cups) pouring cream temperature in tin, then turn
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds out onto a wire rack.
scraped, pod reserved, 3 Meanwhile, for the rum syrup,
for serving combine sugar and 200ml
75 gm icing sugar water in a small saucepan over
high heat and bring to the boil.
Remove from the heat and add
rum. Set aside to cool.
4 For the butterscotch, place
cream in a small saucepan over
medium heat and bring to 85°C
(2-3 minutes). Remove from heat.
5 Meanwhile, preheat a medium
saucepan over high heat.
Sprinkle over a third of the
caster sugar and cook until a
caramel forms (1 minute). Add
remaining sugar and cook,
without stirring, until a deep
76 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
golden caramel forms,
swirling the pan occasionally
(2-3 minutes). Remove pan from
heat and carefully pour a third
of the warmed cream into the
caramel (the mixture will spit
and bubble). Return to the heat
and bring to the boil, whisking
to dissolve any sugar crystals.
Repeat with remaining cream
until incorporated. Whisk in
butter and salt. Strain through
a fine sieve; set aside to cool.
6 For the chantilly cream,
whisk cream, vanilla and icing
sugar to stiff peaks.
7 To assemble the trifle, slice
sponge horizontally into three
rounds. Spoon a quarter of the
butterscotch into the bottom
of a 3-litre (preferably glass)
serving bowl. Top with a layer
of banana. Place a sponge
round over banana and drizzle
with rum syrup. Add a layer
of butterscotch, then a layer
of banana. Pipe or spoon a
layer of chantilly cream on top.
Repeat layering and drizzling
with remaining sponge rounds,
butterscotch, banana and
chantilly cream, finishing
with a layer of chantilly.
8 To serve, dust trifle with
cocoa powder and arrange
a few banana chips on top
before placing the split vanilla
pod front and centre. ●
 Chef JOSH NILAND continues to make waves with his innovative
approach to seafood, as showcased in The Whole Fish Cookbook, which
became an instant classic this year, winning publishing’s top prize.

Recipes JOSH NILAND

Photography ROB PALMER

Styling STEVE PEARCE

 J
osh Niland describes his award-winning
debut cookbook as a “brain dump”. The
humble head chef and co-owner of Sydney’s
esteemed Saint Peter restaurant wrote The
Whole Fish Cookbook in just eight weeks, all
while running one of Australia’s top kitchens
and planning for the arrival of his third child.
“I was flat out,” says Niland. “I would start writing
before work and then again when service finished. The
manuscript was due on January 14, 2019, so when we Crumbed garfish, yoghurt tartare
shut for two weeks over Christmas I just worked from & herb salad
7 in the morning to 7 in the evening.” SERVES 4
The hard work paid off. In May, Niland became
the first Australian ever to claim the world’s most “I absolutely love crumbed fish – I think it’s partly due to growing
prestigious publishing prize, winning the James Beard up eating fish fingers and mashed potato as a kid,” says Josh Niland.
Book of the Year Award (he also won the restaurant “I love, too, that crumbed fish needn’t be limited to fillets of unknown
and professional category). white fish but can be as luxurious as this boneless, butterflied garfish.”
“It’s hugely flattering and it kind of feels like I’m
not worthy of it,” says Niland. “It shouldn’t be seen as 4 x 200 gm garfish, scaled, 1 For the sauce, combine all
an individual award either. I know that sounds cliché, gutted, gilled and reverse ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
but the amount of work that went into the book, from butterflied 2 Preheat oven to 100°C.
the photography, to the design, to editing, was a monster 150 gm (1 cup) plain flour 3 Holding the fish by the tail,
effort. Although, we felt like the controlled chaos and time 4 eggs, lightly whisked coat in flour, then dip in egg
pressures produced the best work, so I’m extremely proud.” 120 gm (2 cups) white panko and coat in breadcrumbs. Place
Niland’s deep passion for seafood, commitment to breadcrumbs on a baking tray and repeat
sustainability and attention to detail is cemented in each 400 gm ghee with remaining fish.
chapter, from tips on sourcing and storing seafood, to recipes Lemon wedges, to serve 4 Heat one-third of the ghee
for fish offal, such as smoked spleens and glazed throats. YOGHURT TARTARE SAUCE in a large frying pan over high
There’s a section on pickling, one on approaching 375 gm (1½ cups) natural yoghurt heat. When hot, fry two fish until
fish as meat and another for “fissues” – issues that can 3 large French shallots, diced crisp and golden (2 minutes),
occur when dealing with fish. 1 tbsp small salted capers, then turn and cook the other
rinsed, dried and finely side for a further minute. Place
“The main agenda of the book is to minimise the
chopped on a baking tray and keep warm
amount of fish going into the bin and to bring some
60 gm (1/3 cup) coarsely in oven. Wipe pan, then repeat
desirability to a protein that is normally feared, especially
chopped cornichons with remaining ghee and fish.
in the west,” says Niland. “I’m trying to be provocative
2 tbsp finely sliced flat-leaf 5 For the herb salad, combine
and bring forward a conversation we’ve never had before.”
parsley leaves sugar and shallot in a small
Niland hopes the book will result in a deeper
HERB SALAD bowl with a pinch of salt. Leave
understanding of fish, and a greater awareness of the
1 tsp caster sugar for 10 minutes, then stir in olive
parts going to waste. 6 French shallots, finely sliced oil and vinegar. Combine herbs,
“I know not every fish shop is going to produce into rings watercress, rocket and lettuce
39 cuts from a bass grouper, but I want them to look 14 ml extra-virgin olive oil in a separate large bowl. Toss
at it and think: ‘We normally throw that in the bin, 50 ml chardonnay vinegar or with enough of the dressing
maybe we should try frying and serving that’.” white-wine vinegar with to lightly coat the leaves (any
The book also endeavours to bring context to Niland’s a pinch of sugar leftover dressing will keep
extraordinary work at Saint Peter and Fish Butchery. 1 bunch each of flat-leaf refrigerated in an airtight
“What we do at Saint Peter looks really simple,
WORDS GEORGIE MEREDITH (INTRO).

parsley, dill, chervil and container for up to a week).

but there’s actually a lot of work in simplicity,” he says. French tarragon, leaves 6 Season fish liberally and
“I think we showcased that really well in the book.” picked serve with lemon wedges,
Here, we share five of Niland’s recipes from The Whole 30 gm (1 cup) watercress generous spoonfuls of sauce
Fish Cookbook – a bible for chefs and home-cooks alike, leaves and herb salad on the side. ➤
and a tome that’s already tracking to become one of the 35 gm (1 cup) wild rocket
great culinary classics of our time. leaves
Saint Peter, 362 Oxford St, and Fish Butchery, 88 Oxford St, 2 large butter lettuce, torn
Paddington, NSW. saintpeter.com.au; fishbutchery.com.au into bite-sized pieces

80 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 Poached hapuka,
artichokes & garlic
mayonnaise

p 84

82 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 Barbecued
swordfish chop
with tomato &
peach salad

p 84
 Poached hapuka, artichokes
& garlic mayonnaise
SERVES 6
“As an apprentice I would eat out in Sydney’s restaurants as
frequently as I could, and one of the best dishes I tried was
a simple poached kingfish with artichokes cooked in sauce
barigoule at Bistrode,” says Niland. “Here is my interpretation.”
6 x 180 gm hapuka, bass
grouper or bar cod fillets,
skin on and pin-boned
BARIGOULE
1 tbsp coriander seeds
½ tbsp fennel seeds
½ tbsp black peppercorns
1 fresh bay leaf
4 thyme sprigs
300
½
ml extra-virgin olive oil
onion, finely sliced
½ carrot, finely sliced
½ celery stalk (taken from the
heart), finely sliced
½ garlic bulb
500 ml (2 cups) dry white wine
500 ml (2 cups) water
1 kg Jerusalem artichokes,
halved
GARLIC MAYONNAISE
2 egg yolks
½ tbsp dijon mustard
2 tsp white-wine vinegar
250 ml (1 cup) grapeseed oil
Juice of ½ lemon
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
TO SERVE (OPTIONAL)
½ bunch each French
tarragon, flat-leaf parsley
and chervil, leaves picked
3 sorrel leaves, sliced
½ bunch dill, sprigs picked
1 For the barigoule, tie spices
and herbs together in a muslin
cloth to make a bouquet garni.
2 Heat olive oil in a large,
wide-based saucepan over
medium-low heat and cook
onion, carrot, celery and garlic
until tender, without colouring
(7 minutes). Add wine and
bouquet garni and bring to
the boil. Add water and return
to the boil, then set aside.
3 For the mayonnaise, rest
a bowl on a tea towel draped
84 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
over a saucepan (this helps
to stabilise the bowl). Add
egg yolks, mustard, vinegar
and a pinch of salt and whisk
to combine. Continue whisking,
slowly drizzling in oil to form
a thick emulsion. Add lemon
juice, garlic and salt to taste.
It should be the thickness of
softly whipped cream; adjust
with a little warm water if
necessary. Set aside.
4 Place 500ml (2 cups) of the
barigoule liquid and the cooked
vegetables in a large saucepan
and set aside. Place remaining
barigoule liquid in a large,
heavy-based saucepan and
bring to the boil. Add artichokes
and cook until just tender
(10 minutes), then remove with
a slotted spoon and set aside.
5 Remove pan from heat, add
fish, cover and set aside until
flesh is opaque (7-8 minutes).
Using a slotted spoon, carefully
transfer fish to a plate and
gently peel away the skin.
6 Combine tarragon, parsley,
chervil, sorrel and dill, if using,
and set aside.
7 Bring reserved 500ml
(2 cups) barigoule liquid and
all the vegetables, including
artichokes, to a simmer then
spoon over fish. Add a spoon
of the mayonnaise and serve
with reserved herbs.
Note Traditionally a barigoule
is used to poach and preserve
artichokes. This stock has a
generous layer of oil on top,
but don’t discard it, as it acts
as a vinaigrette for the dish.
The aromatics and vegetables
also make a beautiful garnish
for the finished dish.
Barbecued swordfish chop with
tomato & peach salad
SERVES 4
“When butchering swordfish we leave a quarter of the top loin
on the bone and remove the other three loins,” says Niland.
“By leaving a quarter on the bone, you then have a unique cut
of fish, which essentially becomes a standing rib of swordfish.”
1 x 1.5 kg swordfish steak 4 To grill the swordfish steak,
on the bone (ideally aged start by placing the chop on
20 days) a wire rack set inside a tray.
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil Brush flesh with a little olive
TOMATO & PEACH SALAD oil and season liberally with
175 ml extra-virgin olive oil sea salt. Gently warm in oven
50 ml chardonnay vinegar or until the internal temperature
white-wine vinegar with is 35°C when measured with
a pinch of sugar a probe thermometer. The
½ vanilla bean, seeds scraped fish should still look very rare.
3 large ox heart tomatoes 5 Transfer steak to grill rack
(beef tomatoes), sliced and cook over a very high heat
3 white peaches, sliced for 2 minutes on each side,
including the skin and bone
1 To prepare the charcoal grill, side, being careful not to burn
make sure the grill is hot and the skin. Check the internal
the charcoal has cooked down temperature, it needs to reach
to hot embers. Alternatively, 55°C. Leave to rest for 5 minutes.
preheat barbecue to high. Once rested, brush steak with
2 To make the salad, combine a little more olive oil, season
olive oil, vinegar and vanilla in with sea salt and pepper, then
a bowl and whisk to combine. carve the eye of the muscle
Season tomatoes with salt and from the bone. Slice steak into
pepper and arrange on a thin slices then arrange on
serving plate with peaches. a plate with the bone. Serve
Spoon dressing over tomatoes with tomato and peach salad. ➤
and peaches. Set aside.
3 Preheat oven to 100°C.
Raw diced yellowfin tuna,
sour onions & endive 1 Dice tuna into 1cm x 1cm
SERVES 3 cubes and place in a large bowl.
Add shallots, pickled onions,
To achieve a more savoury flavour, Josh suggests using yellowfin chives and an egg yolk and mix
tuna that has been aged between seven and nine days, which can to combine. Add enough olive
be purchased from Fish Butchery in Sydney’s Paddington. However, oil to coat ingredients well, then
fresh tuna will also work perfectly well in this recipe. enough pickled onion juice to
bring desired amount of acidity.
250 gm trimmed centre-cut 2 egg yolks Season with salt and pepper.
yellowfin tuna loin (ideally 60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin 2 Assemble mixture on a plate,
aged 7-9 days) olive oil top with remaining egg yolk
2 banana shallots, finely diced 2 tbsp pickled onion juice then arrange witlof leaves
80 gm shop-bought pickled from the jar around the fish. Thin slices
onions, diced 2 yellow witlof heads, of crisp sourdough are also
1 bunch chives, finely chopped leaves separated great additions to this dish. ➤
86 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
Fish collar cutlet
SERVES 4
“From species to species, it never ceases to surprise me just
how much flesh can be found in the collar of a fish,” says Niland.
“I’ve suggested serving these with a fennel mayonnaise, but any
garnish that would traditionally be paired with a pork or chicken
cutlet would work perfectly with this dish.”
4 red emperor collars
2 tbsp fennel seeds
120 gm (2 cups) panko
breadcrumbs
150 gm (1 cup) plain flour
4 eggs, beaten
80 gm ghee
WILD FENNEL MAYONNAISE
2 egg yolks
½ tbsp dijon mustard
2 tsp white-wine vinegar
250 ml (1 cup) grapeseed oil
Juice of ½ lemon, to taste
1 tbsp fennel pollen, celery
seeds or ground fennel
This extract from The Whole
Fish Cookbook by Josh
Niland (Hardie Grant Books;
$55) has been reproduced
with minor GT style edits.
1 For the mayonnaise, rest
a bowl on a tea towel draped
over a saucepan (this helps
to stabilise the bowl). Add egg
yolks, mustard, vinegar and
a pinch of fine salt and whisk
to combine. Continue whisking,
slowly drizzling in oil to form
a thick emulsion. Add salt,
lemon juice and fennel pollen
to taste. It should be the
thickness of softly whipped
cream; adjust with a little warm
water if necessary. Set aside.
2 Place fish collars, skin side
down, on a chopping board.
Using a short, sharp knife,
cut bones out of the collar.
Using a coarse meat mallet,
lightly tap the collar out into
the shape of a cutlet or chop.
3 Add fennel seeds to panko
breadcrumbs. Dust collar with
flour, then coat in egg and
breadcrumbs. Make sure to
keep the wing uncrumbed.
4 Heat a frying pan over high
heat, add ghee and wait until
there is a light haze. Shallow-fry
two collar cutlets at a time for
until golden (1½ minutes each
side). Drain then season well.
5 Leave cutlets whole or slice
into pieces and serve with wild
fennel mayonnaise or lemon
halves for squeezing.
HOW TO SELECT FRESH FISH
A fish with a firm mucus covering and shiny coating is
the first sign of a good-quality fish. The mucus provides
protection to the fish in the open ocean by trapping
pathogens that would cause disease. Antibodies and
enzymes in the mucus actively attack those pathogens
to protect the fish. Any visual damage or imperfections
on a fish can suggest poor handling, prolonged direct
ice contact or variable temperature control.
The eyes of a fish are a determining factor of a healthy,
fresh fish. A fish’s eyes should look bulbous, be risen
slightly from the head and look moist, bright and clear.
There are times when a fish that looks spectacular in
every other way can have cloudy, slightly foggy eyes.
This is predominantly due to the fish being chilled
too quickly post-harvest.
A fresh fish should not smell fishy. The only smells
a fish should have are a light ocean water smell sometimes
comparable to mineral driven aromas, such as cucumber
or parsley stems. If a fish smalls “fishy”, with an odour
comparable to that of ammonia or oxidised blood,
then it is best to avoid it.
Iridescent, bright red gills are an almost guaranteed
indicator of the freshness of a fish. Fish force water
through their gills, where it flows past lots of tiny blood
vessels. Oxygen penetrates through the walls of those
vessels into the blood, and, in turn, carbon dioxide is
released. The redder the gills, the fresher the fish. Where
slime and mucus are desirable on the outside of a fish,
the gills should be slightly drier and clean of debris. ●
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 87
 Styling SOPHIA YOUNG
& EMMA KNOWLES

Photography LOUISE LISTER

do

the
 Spiced orange
sacher torte

p 90
T
I
S
T
From classics like sacher torte and tarte
Tatin to affogato and churros, it’s time
to reinvent your dessert repertoire.
 Pineapple & cardamom tarte Tatin
SERVES 6 // PREP + COOK TIME 1 HR (PLUS COOLING, CHILLING, STANDING)
One of the benefits of upside-down cakes and tarts is that,
because the fruit sits on the base where the heat is highest,
the sugary juices caramelise, adding a wonderful depth of
flavour. Use a cast-iron frying pan for this recipe.
1 medium ripe pineapple
(1.25kg)
90 gm butter, coarsely chopped
165 gm (¾ cup firmly packed)
brown sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cardamom
Pinch ground cloves
Whipped cream or
ice-cream, to serve
PASTRY
225 gm (1½ cups) plain flour
1½ tbsp caster sugar
125 gm chilled unsalted
butter, coarsely chopped
1 egg, lightly whisked
1 tbsp iced water
1 For the pastry, process flour,
sugar and butter until mixture
is crumbly. Add egg and water,
processing until large clumps
start to form. Turn out onto a
lightly floured surface and form
into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap
and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2 Preheat oven to 200°C. Line
a 26cm heavy-based ovenproof
frying pan with baking paper.
3 Trim top and base from
pineapple and remove skin.
Cut pineapple into 5mm-thick
slices. Using a pastry cutter,
cut centre core from each slice.
4 Add butter, sugar and spices
to a large frying pan over
90 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
medium heat and stir until
sugar dissolves (2 minutes).
Add half the pineapple slices,
bring to a simmer and cook,
turning, until just tender
(3 minutes). Using a slotted
spoon, transfer pineapple
to a tray and set aside to
cool. Repeat with remaining
pineapple. Reserve syrup.
5 Arrange pineapple slices,
slightly overlapping, in lined
ovenproof frying pan. Add
pineapple juices left on the
tray to reserved syrup in pan.
6 Roll out pastry on a lightly
floured surface to a 27cm
round, place over pineapple
and tuck in the edges.
7 Bake tart until pastry is
golden and cooked through
(25 minutes). Leave in pan for
10 minutes. Carefully invert
tart onto a rimmed platter
and peel away lining paper.
8 Reheat reserved syrup
mixture in pan over medium
heat, stirring until thickened
slightly (2 minutes). Drizzle or
brush syrup over pineapple
and serve tart immediately with
whipped cream or ice-cream.
We’ve taken it up a notch
with this aromatic twist on
a time-honoured classic.
Spiced orange sacher torte
SERVES 12 // PREP + COOK TIME 2 HRS (PLUS COOLING)
Chocolate and orange is a no-fail combination, but we’ve taken
it up a notch with this aromatic twist on a time-honoured classic.
200 gm dark chocolate
(70% cocoa)
150 gm butter, softened
8 eggs
150 gm (2/3 cup) caster sugar
110 gm (¾ cup) plain flour
2 tsp mixed spice
85 gm (¼ cup) orange
marmalade, warmed
CHOCOLATE GLAZE
300 gm dark chocolate
(70% cocoa),
coarsely chopped
300 ml pouring cream
1 Preheat oven to 180°C.
Grease a 20cm springform
tin and line base and side
with baking paper (see note).
2 Place chocolate and butter
in a heatproof bowl over
a saucepan of simmering
water (do not let the water
touch the base of the bowl)
and stir until melted and smooth
(3 minutes). Cool slightly.
3 Whisk eggs and sugar in
a large bowl of an electric
mixer until tripled in volume
(8 minutes). Sift over flour
and spice and gently fold
with a whisk to combine.
4 Transfer chocolate mixture
to a large bowl. Fold in egg
mixture in two batches, then
pour mixture into tin and
smooth the surface.
5 Bake cake until a skewer
inserted into the centre comes
out clean (50 minutes). Stand
cake in tin for 20 minutes
before transferring, top-side
up, to a wire rack to cool.
6 For the chocolate glaze,
place chocolate in a heatproof
bowl. Place cream in a small
saucepan and bring to the boil.
Pour hot cream over chocolate
and stir until smooth.
7 Trim top of cake to level.
Cut a round of baking paper
slightly larger than the cake
and place on a wire rack. Turn
cake upside-down onto the
baking paper. Cut cake in
half horizontally, spread base
layer with warmed marmalade
then top with remaining cake
layer. Place cake on a rack
over a tray, then pour glaze
over, using a palette knife
to spread glaze evenly.
Note If you can, lock in the
base of your springform tin
upside-down, so the base is
level. This will make it easier
to slide the cake off the base. ➤
 Pineapple
& cardamom
tarte Tatin
Affogato cakes
MAKES 10 // PREP + COOK TIME 50 MINS (PLUS COOLING, STANDING)

Affogato, meaning “drowned” in Italian, is an instant dessert, made by dousing ice-cream

with a shot of hot espresso and liqueur. This version is almost as simple – a hazelnut-based
cake topped with a scoop of ice-cream, drenched with a hazelnut liqueur and coffee syrup.

185 gm (1¼ cups) self-raising
flour
1 tbsp cocoa powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
90 gm (¾ cup) hazelnut meal
275 gm (1¼ cups) caster sugar
100 gm butter, melted
3 eggs
2 tbsp milk
125 ml (½ cup) strong espresso,
cooled (see note)
1 litre (4 cups) vanilla bean
ice-cream
COFFEE SYRUP
220 gm (1 cup) caster sugar
80 ml hazelnut liqueur
(see note)
125 ml (½ cup) strong espresso
1 Preheat oven to 180°C.
Grease 10 holes of a 12-hole
mini cheesecake tin with
removable bases; line bases
and sides with baking paper.
2 Sift flour, cocoa and soda
into a large bowl, then stir
in hazelnut meal and sugar.
Add butter, eggs, milk and
coffee, and whisk until smooth.
Spoon mixture into holes.
3 Bake cakes until a skewer
inserted into the centre comes
out clean (25 minutes).
4 Meanwhile, scoop ice-cream
into 10 balls; place on a chilled
tray. Freeze until ready to serve.
5 For the coffee syrup,
combine sugar and liqueur in
a small saucepan over low heat
and stir until sugar dissolves
(2 minutes). Bring to the boil
and cook, without stirring, until
syrup thickens (3 minutes).
Cool slightly, stir in coffee
then cool to room temperature.
6 Stand cakes in tin for
5 minutes before transferring
to a large plate. Drizzle with
half the syrup. Serve cakes
topped with ice-cream and
remaining syrup.
Note We used Frangelico
in the syrup. Cakes and syrup
can be made up to 2 days
ahead; keep refrigerated
separately. Warm cakes
and syrup before serving. ➤
 Butterscotch snowball bombe
SERVES 10 // PREP + COOK TIME 1 HR 20 MINS (PLUS COOLING, FREEZING)
This spectacular cake is surprisingly simple to make. It incorporates two store-bought ingredients
(ice-cream and dulce de leche) with a homemade brownie base and an Italian meringue frosting. Start
this recipe a day ahead to freeze the bombe (and make sure you clear enough space for it in the freezer).
2 eggs, separated
55 gm (¼ cup) caster sugar
90 gm dark chocolate, melted,
cooled slightly
¼ tsp cream of tartar
3 litres vanilla-bean
ice-cream, plus 1 cup extra
4 x 45gm chocolate-coated
coconut bars (see note),
coarsely chopped
250 gm dulce de leche
(see note)
FROSTING
440 gm caster sugar
4 eggwhites
94 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
1 Preheat oven to 180°C.
Grease a 23cm springform
tin and line base and side
with baking paper.
2 Beat egg yolks and half
the sugar in a small bowl of
an electric mixer until pale
and thick (5 minutes). Stir
in chocolate.
3 Beat eggwhites in a clean
small bowl of an electric mixer
until just beginning to aerate
(30 seconds). Add cream of
tartar and beat until soft peaks
form (3 minutes). Gradually add
remaining sugar, beating after
each addition until sugar is
dissolved and mixture is thick
and glossy (5 minutes). Using
a large metal spoon, fold
meringue into chocolate mixture
in two batches. Pour mixture
into tin and smooth the surface.
4 Bake cake until set in the
centre (15 minutes). Turn out
cake onto a wire rack covered
with baking paper and set
aside to cool.
5 Place scoops of ice-cream
in a large bowl, allow to soften
slightly, then fold chopped
chocolate bars through. Spoon
ice-cream mixture into a 21cm
2-litre-capacity bundt cake tin
and smooth the surface. Top
with chocolate cake to cover
the ice-cream and bundt tin
hole, forming a base for the
cake bombe. Cover and
freeze until firm (3 hours).
6 Combine the extra ice-
cream and dulce de leche.
7 Dip bundt tin in warm
water for 10 seconds. Turn out
ice-cream onto a chilled plate.
Spoon dulce de leche mixture
into the hole. Cover and freeze
until firm (2 hours).
8 Meanwhile, for the frosting,
stir sugar and 160ml water in
a small saucepan over medium
heat, without boiling, until
sugar dissolves (2 minutes).
Bring to the boil and cook
without stirring until syrup
reaches 115°C on a sugar
thermometer (5 minutes).
Allow bubbles to subside.
9 Meanwhile, beat eggwhites
in a clean bowl of an electric
mixer until soft peaks form
(3 minutes). With motor running,
slowly add hot syrup to
eggwhites in a thin, steady
stream, beating until firm
peaks form (10 minutes).
10 Spread frosting over cake,
mounding up in the centre and
swirling with the back of a large
spoon. Just before serving, use
a kitchen blowtorch to lightly
brown the frosting.
Note Use a chocolate bar of
your choice. Dulce de leche
is available from delicatessens
and select supermarkets. If you
can, lock in the base of your
springform tin upside-down,
so the base is level. This will
make it easier to slide the
cake off the base. ➤
Churros cake 4 Bake cakes until golden 8 Meanwhile, beat cream in
SERVES 12 // PREP + COOK TIME 1 HR 30 MINS (PLUS COOLING) brown and cakes spring back the bowl of an electric mixer
when pressed lightly with until firm peaks form (3 minutes).
This cake takes its inspiration from Spanish churros – fried dough your finger (35 minutes). 9 To assemble, place a cake
strips dusted in cinnamon and sugar that are customarily dipped 5 Meanwhile, combine layer, sugared-side up, on a
in rich hot chocolate or a thick caramel. remaining 75gm sugar and cake plate. Spread with half the
cinnamon in a small bowl. dulce de leche, then half the
4 eggs 1 Preheat oven to 160°C. Sprinkle half on a large rimmed cream. Repeat layers, finishing
515 gm (21/3 cups) caster sugar Grease 3 deep 20cm-round plate. Sprinkle 3 sheets of with cake. Spread ganache
2 tsp vanilla extract cake tins and line bases and baking paper with remainder. over top of cake, allowing it
150 gm (1 cup) self-raising flour sides with baking paper. 6 Turn hot cakes onto to drip slightly down the side.
110 gm (¾ cup) plain flour 2 Beat eggs in the bowl of cinnamon-sugared paper and Note Dulce de leche is
35 gm (¼ cup) cornflour an electric mixer until foamy set aside to cool (10 minutes). available from delicatessens
250 ml (1 cup) milk (30 seconds). Add 440gm sugar Brush sides of warm cakes with and select supermarkets. ●
100 gm butter, plus 40gm and vanilla, and beat until pale extra melted butter and roll in
extra melted and thick (5 minutes). Transfer remaining cinnamon sugar on
1 tsp ground cinnamon mixture to a large bowl, then plate to coat sides. Sprinkle any
300 ml thickened cream gently fold in triple-sifted flours. leftover cinnamon sugar over
450 gm dulce de leche 3 Heat milk and butter in a top of cakes. Cool on wire racks.
(see note) small saucepan over low heat 7 For the ganache, heat cream
GANACHE until butter melts (2 minutes). in a small saucepan until almost
125 ml (½ cup) pouring cream Whisk 1 cup of the cake batter boiling. Add chocolate, remove
200 gm dark chocolate, into milk mixture until smooth. from heat and stir until melted
finely chopped Fold milk mixture into remaining and mixture is smooth. Set aside
cake batter. Divide mixture until mixture cools and thickens.
evenly among pans. (20 minutes).

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 97
 Go behind the cellar door and uncover the
six unique wine regions of Victoria's High Country.
 TRAVEL
AUGUST

In with the old

Exploring regional NSW, the timeless allure
of a grande dame hotel, chef Leslie Hottiaux’s
guide to Auckland, and the art of rediscovery.

Belmond Copacabana
Palace, Rio de Janeiro

p108
PHOTOGRAPHY FRAN PARENTE.
 C L O S E

PHOTOGRAPHY PAULINE MORRISSEY (FRUIT TREE) & DEANNA GERLACH (BANGALAY LUXURY VILLAS).

With international travel temporarily off the cards, there couldn’t be

a better time to pack a weekender and explore Australia’s regional towns.
GT hits the open (and sometimes windy) road in New South Wales.
to H O M E
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Village people
The South Coast is home to 47 separate villages, each with
a distinct personality. JOANNA HUNKIN visits Shoalhaven Heads,
where a new property is celebrating the town’s individual charm.
S
tylish, sophisticated and discreet. That was the brief
when it came to designing Bangalay Luxury Villas in
Shoalhaven Heads, on a site nestled between Seven Mile
Beach and the native Bangalay Sand Forest, from which
it takes its name.
The coastal forest, which borders the white sand beach, is
teeming with native flora, including banksia, lilly pilly and, of
course, bangalay trees – a type of eucalypt. It’s a protected habitat
that is unique to the South Coast and just one of the things that
makes the location so special, says owner and developer Michelle
Bishop, who first eyed the site in 2005 before eventually opening
the luxury accommodation in 2018.
Originally a holiday camp for the Australian Postal Workers’
Union, the seaside cottages had been abandoned for decades and
left to rot. “It was completely derelict and a real eyesore,” recalls
Bishop, who developed the project alongside her builder
husband Tom, winning a Master Builder award in the process.
Each of the 16 private villas feature fully equipped kitchens,
including an oven and dishwasher, along with open-plan living
and dining areas, separate from the bedrooms. They are sleek,
spacious and understated, inviting you to relax in a way that
more formal hotels and resorts rarely do.
Keeping things informal was essential for Bishop, who grew
up in the area and wanted to stay true to Shoalhaven Heads’
laid-back spirit. “We wanted to celebrate what this community PHOTOGRAPHY KONRAD KASISKE & DEANNA GERLACH (BANGALAY).
has to offer,” she explains. “It’s very down to earth. Growing
up here, that’s something I really appreciate.”
The challenge was to create a space that lived up to
international standards of beach-side luxury, whilst also
welcoming locals into the fold.
“A lot of places that you go are off the beaten track. Wineries
and resorts are usually quite remote. We’re right in the village so
getting a sense of the local way of life is something special. We
want the locals to enjoy Bangalay as much as the guests do,” says
Bishop, who worked as an interior designer in Sydney for several
years before returning to the South Coast.
“When you’re designing a guest experience you have to take
that into consideration. We’ve got people coming here every
single day for coffee, alongside guests who are here for really
special occasions. We don’t want to exclude anyone.”
 A former member of the Shoalhaven Tourism Board, Bishop
also wanted to showcase what makes the region special and sets
it apart from other popular holiday spots.
“The South Coast has lots of different things to offer. There
are 47 small villages and every single one of them is unique.
What’s special about where we are is that we’re bound by
National Park and the Bangalay Sand Forest. We’re right on the
coast, we’ve got the estuary and the river, which is the first place
you can harvest Sydney rock oysters out of Sydney. We’ve got
wineries and dairy farms to our west. All of those things are so
easy to work with – it’s a dream when you’re trying to formulate
a concept for a restaurant and accommodation.”
The restaurant, Bangalay Dining, is another thing that makes
the spot so special. Head chef Brent Strong, a fellow Shoalhaven
local, is passionate about championing native ingredients and
local produce. His six-course tasting menu is peppered with Neighbours
native botanicals, including bunya bunya, saltbush, muntries
and an assortment of different wattleseed, amongst others. BERRY
A palate-cleansing sorbet comes sprinkled with green ants. Just 15 minutes’ drive from
Each course comes paired with a carefully considered wine Shoalhaven Heads, the small
match – or co-ferment in the case of the first course – designed to country town of Berry is
showcase the best of the region. Cupitt’s sangiovese co-ferment teeming with homewares
is paired with a smoked kangaroo and bunya bunya cream entrée. and sweet treats, including
Strong, who earned his international stripes at Christian the Famous Berry Donut Van,
Puglisi’s acclaimed Danish restaurant Relæ, strikes a solid where hungry hoardes line
balance between introducing diners to new ingredients and the street waiting for the
flavours, whilst keeping his menu accessible for both locals and golden rounds, which are
guests alike. For those not ready to tackle a full six courses, fried fresh to order. Milkwood
a native cocktail experience with matching canapés makes for an Bakery offers a more
easy introduction. A green ant gimlet is an excellent sundowner. expansive selection of baked
It’s been a rough ride for both Bishop and Strong this year, goods, while IV Coffee will
with a series of ever-worsening disasters affecting the region. In keep you caffeinated.
December, bush fires wiped out their peak holiday season, before
MOLLYMOOK & MILTON
floods in February, which saw Shoalhaven River burst its banks
The drive to Mollymook
and cause widespread damage throughout the village. And then,
provides a sobering reminder
of course, came Covid.
of just how devastating the
But despite it all, the pair remains positive and committed to
recent bush fires were, with
sharing what the South Coast has to offer. Their June reopening
nearly half the hour-long
has been a fresh start, says Bishop. “We just need people to keep
drive spent passing through
coming and keep supporting the region. The South Coast has so
fire-scarred landscape before
much to offer.” ●
you reach the historic town of
Milton and its coastal
neighbour, Mollymook. Both
now returned to bustling
Clockwise from left: hives of activity that make
Cupitt’s Wines; for a charming day trip.
Bangalay Luxury Villas;
a banksia flower in the
Bangalay Sand Forest;
CUPITT’S ESTATE
a golden treat from Nestled in the hills behind
Berry’s Famous Donut Mollymook, Cupitt’s Estate is
Van; chef Brent Strong the perfect spot to wile away
at Bangalay Dining.
an afternoon, whether you
keep it casual with a drink
on the lawn or enjoy lunch
on the terrace, where you
Getting
there can enjoy a tasting menu
with matching wines. Be sure
Shoalhaven Heads
is a 2-hour drive to check out the cellar door
from Sydney and and fromagerie as well.
a 3-hour drive
from Canberra.

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Ripe for the picking
The burgeoning wine region of Orange offers much more than
world-class drops. KARLIE VERKERK explores with glass in hand.
W
hen it comes to picturesque wine regions,
Australia is blessed. Emerging among them
quietly but confidently is Orange in the
Central Tablelands of New South Wales.
Home to an impressive number of boutique and family-owned
wineries, breweries and acclaimed restaurants, the historic
town and surrounding wine region is cementing its status
as a must-visit food and wine destination.
Set at more than 600 metres above sea level, the region’s high
elevation and rich volcanic soils make it perfect for producing
cool-climate wines, with shiraz, chardonnay and cabernet
sauvignon the most common varietals. There are also small
pockets of newer varieties, such as arneis, sangiovese, barbera
and tempranillo, proving the region’s grape-growing versatility.
Orange experiences four very distinct seasons throughout
the year, although spring, with its warm days and crisp nights,
is an ideal time to plan a rural escape. Also on the calendar
at this time of year is the annual Orange Wine Festival, which
highlights the region’s wines at a series of events throughout
October. There are more than 40 cellar doors to choose from
in Orange, but here’s our pick of the bunch…
Nashdale Lane Wines
Situated at the foot of Mount Canobolas is Nashdale Lane Wines,
a perfectly manicured vineyard run by affable husband and wife
team Tanya Ryan-Segger and Nick Segger. The pair moved to
Orange from Sydney in 2001 with dreams of building an ethical
winery to produce premium wines. The spacious cellar door –
a 60-year old converted apple packing shed – boasts panoramic
views of the manicured vineyard. It’s a cosy spot to sample their
New World wines, including a bright and juicy rouge and crisp
fumé blanc, accompanied by a cheese and charcuterie platter.
If you plan to savour more than a glass, you can book to stay the
night at one of the vineyard’s luxury glamping cabins, complete
with a wood fire, four-poster bed and sunken outdoor lounge.
125 Nashdale Lane, Nashdale; nashdalelane.com
Hoosegg by Philip Shaw
Legendary winemaker Philip Shaw has been instrumental in
putting Orange on the map. Shaw spent 11 years building his
eponymous wine label Philip Shaw Wines, but recently handed
it over to his sons so he could start his new brand: Hoosegg.
Crucial to the Hoosegg venture is Shaw’s Koomooloo vineyard
where he personally plucks, pinches and polishes the chosen
grapes, and oversees every step of the winemaking process.
The property, which rises to an altitude of 900 metres, is also
where Shaw lives and hosts private wine tasting sessions. Be sure
to book in advance to sip top drops with one of Australia’s
most-awarded wine producers.
45 Caldwell Lane, Borenore; hoosegg.com
 Where to stay
Located in the heart of
Orange’s heritage precinct,
Byng Street Boutique Hotel
seamlessly combines an
original homestead with
a new, ultra-contemporary
extension. Each space is
decorated with playful pops
of colour and whimsical
touches, including artworks
by local artists. Guests can
choose to stay in the modern
wing or heritage wing. From
$290 a night incl breakfast;
byngstreethotel.com.au

What to eat
Visit The Schoolhouse
Restaurant for refined,
home-style dishes, including
handmade pasta, Italian
sausage with white beans,
and mini apple empanadas.
Printhie Wines The service is friendly and
If Australian sparkling is your wine of choice, this is the cellar door wine list heroes local labels.
for you. Made to the traditional French method, Printhie Wines’ Head to Charred for casual
Swift sparkling range is considered one of Australia’s best, picking dining underpinned by
up 15 awards over the last two years. Owned and operated by serious technique. Chef
Clockwise from top left:
brothers Ed and Dave Swift, Printhie comprises four vineyards at The cellar door at Nashdale Liam O’Brien creates elegant
differing elevations. The winery’s new cellar door is located at the Lane Wines; the sun sets over modern-Australian dishes
Millwood vineyard, which is set amidst a fully operational heritage the vines; wine tasting and using local ingredients
glamping at Nashdale Lane
apple orchard. On a crisp afternoon, set yourself next to the fire Wines. Opposite: Orange’s
and a hint of smoke from
pit and watch the sun cast shadows over the dam. scenic landscape. a wood-and-charcoal oven.
208 Nancarrow Lane, Nashdale; printhie.com.au Stop by Spilt Milk Bar for
a sweet treat, day or night.
Heifer Station Wines Grab a scoop or two of
PHOTOGRAPHY JAMES WANT (NASHDALE LANE WINES & SUNSET) & PAULINE MORRISSEY (MAIN).

Marked by a Morris Minor ute, Heifer Station Wines is situated Getting

luscious gelato made with
on the North West slopes of Mt Canobolas on undulating there hyper-local produce.
terroir. The vineyard, which is located on an old Cobb & Co
Qantas now
property, presents plenty of spaces indoors and out to sample offers a direct
the label’s elegant, cool-climate wines. If you’re with a group, service from
opt for a table in the sprawling garden and order a tasting plate Sydney to Orange
while you soak up the sunshine and sip award-winning shiraz. three times per
week. Orange is
Alternatively, reserve a comfortable spot in the cellar door, a 3.5-hour drive
which is located inside a charming 100-year-old converted from Sydney.
woolshed. Book a vineyard tour or roaming tasting, then
make friends with the winery’s resident pigs and goats.
1034 The Escort Way, Borenore; heiferstation.com

Ross Hill Wines

As Australia’s first and only certified carbon-neutral winery,
Ross Hill Wines stands out among the crowd. In addition
to sublime wines, the family-owned and run label produces
limited-release olive oil pressed from hand-picked Spanish
and Italian olive varieties grown on the estate. The winery’s
cellar door, which offers sweeping views of the rolling property,
is particularly delightful during the warmer months when the
nearby cherry trees are bursting with plump fruit.
134 Wallace Ln, Orange; rosshillwines.com.au ●

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Revisiting
the Riverina
After a challenging start to the year,
NSW’s Riverina is ready once again for
visitors, writes KARLIE VERKERK.

M
any regional Australian towns rely on tourism
to flourish, and due to recent bush fires and
Coronavirus restrictions, places such as the
Riverina region in south-western New South
Wales have experienced a dramatic decline in visitors. But after
a challenging start to the year, the Riverina is rising from the
ashes better than ever. Its award-winning wineries, breweries,
orchards, providores and farmers’ markets are back open for
business and welcoming visitors with open (sanitised) arms.
Spanning from Deniliquin to Tumbarumba, and intersected
by the majestic Murrumbidgee and Snowy Rivers, the Riverina
presents an array of food trails, natural wonders and charming
towns waiting to be explored. Gourmet Traveller visited the region Take a scenic drive
earlier in the year and, with some guidance from locals, we have With so much ground to cover, a road trip is the perfect way to
rounded up the best things to see and do there right now. experience everything the Riverina has to offer. Start in Griffith
and head south to Nerrandera and Wagga Wagga, then make
your way through the alpine wilderness of the Snowy Mountains
to Tumut and Tumbarumba. Along the way, sample handmade
cheese in Coolamon, or visit the licorice and chocolate factory
in Junee. The journey is a 3.5-hour drive without stops.

Meet the region’s winemakers

The Riverina is the largest wine-producing region in NSW,
so it’s guaranteed there’s a drop to suit every palate. Standout
PHOTOGRAPHY GUY WILLIMENT FOR DESTINATION NSW.

cellar doors close to Griffith include Calabria Family Wines,

McWilliam’s and Yarran Wines. While south, in Tumbarumba,
you’ll find Johansen Wines and Courabyra Wines.

Book a serene staycation

From eco-huts to cottages, there are a wide range of places
to enjoy a relaxing weekend. Located between Gundagai and
Tumut, and situated next to the tranquil Nimbo Creek, is the
Clockwise from left: distinguished Nimbo Fork Lodge. The boutique accommodation
Courabyra Wines; features a main lodge – complete with a cosy lounge bar and
wine from Tumblong
fine-dining restaurant – five deluxe suites, plus six luxury
Hills; Nimbo Fork
Lodge. Opposite: creek-side cottages where you can be soothed by the sounds
The Snowy River. of trickling water. It’s the perfect place to practice self care. ●

106 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 Getting
there
Wagga Wagga is
a 4.5-hour drive
from Sydney and
a 5-hour drive
from Melbourne.
 A GRAND
OLD DAME
PHOTOGRAPHY CARRIE SOLOMON (GARDEN) & RAY MAIN (SUITE).

Never mind the new kids on the block,

ANNA HART raises a glass to hotels with history
and the timeless allure of a grande dame hotel.
 I
t is only human to be dazzled by the new,
drawn to shiny hotels and captivated by slick
concept restaurants. We are on a lifelong quest
for the surprising and the novel, mainly because
it gives us something to talk about. As epicurean
adventurers, we’ll brave waiting lists and queues in
order to sidle up to a much-hyped hotel or newly-
opened restaurant, basking in the glow of this young
hospitality starlet, enjoying what might turn out to
be just 15 minutes of fame.
Our collective fetishisation of newness means
we should be even more in awe of the historic grande
dame hotel who has quietly charmed travellers for
decades. The tough old bird who has weathered the
storms history hurled her way – wars, recessions,
pandemics – with dignity and grace. Who has an
endless stream of scintillating stories and star-studded
anecdotes, but knows when to lean back demurely
and provide a decorative backdrop. And the ultimate
marker of a classy hotel: the knack of putting anyone
in the room at ease.
Like Claridge’s, in London, which welcomed my
two male companions and I into our suite without
batting an eyelid. “We’re just friends!” I insisted,
but Claridge’s was too classy to care. I’ll admit I was
worried they might find my request – a sleepover with
my two best friends – unusual, but here’s the thing
about a central London hotel that dates back
to 1812: They’ve seen it all.
Claridge’s is the decadent Mayfair address where
Joan Collins threw a wedding party, Kate Moss
celebrated her 30th birthday, Mick Jagger racked
up a $1.5 million bill and Brad Pitt and Angelina
Jolie bunked up shortly after Pitt’s split from Jennifer
Aniston. A platonic threesome in the Empress
Eugenie Suite was nothing.
A bottle of champagne greeted us – just one of the
36,000 bottles of champagne consumed by Claridge’s
guests every year – along with three champagne flutes
in a row. (Throughout our short stay, Robbie and
Ryan were both addressed as “Mr Hart”, to my great
delight.) I’d considered booking theatre tickets, but
when you’re in a historic hotel like this, it seems
a shame to miss a moment. After all, we were already
in one of the best places in London. Why go out in
search of somewhere second-best? A grande dame
hotel offers sweet respite from this sort of exhausting
traveller’s guilt. So we clattered down the sweeping
staircase into the glittering Art Deco lobby, before
sinking into the soft leather seating in The Fumoir,
a sexy, shadowy 1930s jewellery box of a cocktail bar,
with original Lalique crystal panels, aubergine walls
and a marble horseshoe bar top.
Much of the hotel’s character is owed to
a spectacular Art Deco makeover in the early 1930s
overseen by Oswald Milne, who transformed the
lobby from a slightly old-fashioned carriage driveway
into a gleaming centrepiece with mirrors, a revolving
door and decadent lighting. Nearly a century later,
Claridge’s is considered an Art Deco gem in the
heart of Mayfair, the London hotel of choice for

110 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 good old-fashioned glamour without
a hint of fusty formality or fuss.
So what was the big occasion?
My departure to Los Angeles for
several months on a writing
assignment. Getting rid of me is
something worth celebrating in
style, and I’d decided to treat my
two best buds to a fairly spectacular
final hurrah. It was just a regular
Wednesday night, and we all
had work in the morning, but
Claridge’s has the magical ability
to turn even the drabbest of winter
Wednesdays into a glittering
Saturday. I can see how the endless
Saturdays at Claridge’s could prove
addictive, and entertainers who
used the hotel as their regular
London address throughout the
1950s include Cary Grant, Audrey
Hepburn,
Katharine
Hepburn and It’s this ability
Bing Crosby. time well, to navigate
Why go to stormy waters with
another hotel
and have to grace, that is the
live through alluring quality of the
Mondays and grande dame hotel.
Tuesdays, when
it’s always
Saturday at Claridge’s?
The next morning, we splashed
out on $80-a-head Chinese
breakfasts, complete with
delectable prawn dim sum, pork
gyoza and chicken congee. You
can tell a lot about a hotel by its
PHOTOGRAPHY RICHARD BOOTH (THE FUMOIR) & JAMIE MCGREGOR SMITH (MAYFAIR SUITE).
breakfast menu, and I stubbornly
clung to the menu after the waiter
took our order, studying it like
a horoscope. There were hipster
favourites such as açai bowls and
green juices, but also classics such
as scrambled eggs on toast. But the
Middle Eastern, Japanese, Chinese
and European set menus are by far
the most exciting. It was reassuring
to think of all the celebrity
hangovers that had been cured
by this venerable international
breakfast menu; if the Chinese
breakfast can fix fuzzy-headed
diplomats and business magnates,
surely it could fix me. I wondered
what Soviet statesmen Nikita
Khrushchev and Marshal Nikolai
Bulganin had for breakfast after
their rowdy cocktail party in the
Royal Suite in 1956.
I felt part of a long, historic
tradition of hungover hotel guests,
praying and braying for a remedy.
Back when Kate Moss celebrated
her 30th here in 2004, the cure
was a Bloody Mary. Today, it’s
turmeric juice.
Admittedly our evening of
cocktails and card games wasn’t
quite as momentous as the time
Queen Victoria visited Empress
Eugenie of France in her “winter
quarters” here in 1860. That royal
visit cemented Claridge’s status as
the favourite hotel of royals and
aristocrats, and since then, visiting
heads of state have regularly
hosted banquets there, earning
Claridge’s a reputation as an
annexe to Buckingham Palace.
During World War II, the hotel
remained open,
hosting many
to wear exiled heads of
state, who were
invited to
make use
most of the hotel’s
specially-built
bomb shelter.
In 1945, at the
request of
Winston Churchill, suite 212 was
declared Yugoslavian territory so
that Crown Prince Alexander II
could be born on his own
country’s soil.
The previous night, as he’d
mixed our drinks, the bartender
recalled a more recent tale of the
London 2012 summer Olympics,
when no fewer than seven heads of
state were in residence. Staff joked
at the time about recreating a classic
episode in Claridge’s lore that
dates back to 1947, just before
the wedding of the then Princess
Elizabeth. A stressed diplomat
telephoned Claridge’s asking to
speak to the King. “Certainly sir,”
was the response, “but which one?”
The summer of 2020, however,
has seen Claridge’s welcome an
altogether different clientele.
Forced to close in late March
owing to the Covid-19 outbreak,
Claridge’s swiftly reopened to host
40 NHS doctors, nurses and other
key staff from the nearby St Mary’s
Hospital in Paddington. Many
NHS workers in the UK were
Right: The
Mayfair suite
at Claridge’s,
London.
Opposite: The
Fumoir bar at
Claridge’s and
the hotel’s
main entrance.
Previous pages:
The Empress
Eugenie Suite
at Claridge’s;
The Ritz, Paris.
forced to search for emergency
accommodation during the
outbreak as they live with relatives
in high-risk groups, and Claridge’s
was the most high-end hotel to
offer up their $1200-a-night rooms,
along with breakfast and dinner.
It is six months since my taste of
Claridge’s superlative hospitality,
and as I type, the hotel is still
graciously operating as a sumptuous
crash pad for deserving doctors
and nurses – while the kitchen
contributes daily pre-packed meals
for workers across London hospitals.
Perhaps it’s this ability to wear
time well, to navigate stormy waters
with grace, that is the most alluring
quality of the grande dame hotel.
Claridge’s looks fabulous and
treats every guest like a royal. But
having the nerve and the nous to
turn a humanitarian and economic
crisis into a chance to offer charity?
This is the sort of strength of
character that only develops
through time.
While the summer of 2020
for this grand old dame might
be a surreal season of skeleton
staff, hospital scrubs and
shuttered spaces, Claridge’s
has never looked classier.
claridges.co.uk ➤
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 111
 Grande Dames around the world
The Ritz, Paris
This 18th century townhouse hotel
was founded in 1898 by the Swiss
hotelier César Ritz, one of the first
hotels in Europe to offer an ensuite
bathroom, electricity and a telephone
in each room. But these amenities
weren’t what drew politicians, royals,
writers, film stars and musicians to
The Ritz; the big draw was the other
guests. This 159-room icon has the
starriest heritage of them all.
Couturier Coco Chanel called the
Above, from hotel home for 34 years, until her
left: The Ritz, death. Writer Marcel Proust ate dinner
Paris; The Grand
Lobby at Raffles, here almost every night. And the
Singapore. cocktail bar still bears the name of
Opposite, from legendary imbiber and writer Ernest
left: The Plaza,
Hemingway. The Ritz also plays
New York; the
view from one a starring role in many Lost Generation
of the suites works of fiction, such as F. Scott
at Belmond Fitzgerald’s Tender Is The Night,
Copacabana
Palace, Rio de
Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises
Janeiro. and Noel Coward’s play Semi-Monde.
112 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
Not all of the Ritz’s history has
been glitzy; in 1940 the Nazis took over
several floors when they occupied
Paris, generously giving themselves
a 90 per cent discount. In 1997, it was
out the back door of the Ritz that
Diana, Princess of Wales, and Dodi
Al-Fayed (son of the owner, Mohamed)
fled, attempting to avoid the paparazzi,
the night of their untimely deaths.
Twentieth century history would
look very different without the Ritz.
ritzparis.com
Belmond Copacabana Palace,
Rio de Janeiro
With its neoclassical wedding cake
facade, this 1923 hotel is the most
iconic building on Rio’s most iconic
beach, Copacabana. Designed by
the French architect Joseph Gire
expressly to rival the European and
North American grande dame hotels,
it immediately set a new standard
for South American luxury hospitality.
But among this cadre of grande dame
hotels, the Copa is the one that lets
her hair down, that refuses to stand
on ceremony, and has no time for
pretension or ostentatious formality.
One year after opening, in 1924,
it hosted Rio’s inaugural Carnival Ball,
a tradition it has maintained every
year, drawing quite the party crowd,
including Orson Welles, Ginger
PHOTOGRAPHY CARRIE SOLOMON (THE RITZ) & RALF TOOTEN (RAFFLES).
Rogers, Mary Pickford, Joan Fontaine,
Lana Turner, Rita Hayworth, Brigitte
Bardot, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Kim Novak,
Kirk Douglas and, more recently,
Gerard Butler and Christian
Louboutin. Rock royalty including the
Rolling Stones and Queen famously
stayed here for performances that
went down in rock history, giving
interviews on the roof. For nearly
a century, the Copacabana Palace
has been synonymous with
hedonism, high society and
international jetsetters. Yet staff
extend precisely the same welcome
to a returning rock legend as they will
to an octogenarian couple that visit
 every year from São Paulo for
Carnival. The Copacabana Palace
doesn’t care who you are; she cares
how much fun you are.
belmond.com
The Plaza, New York
When this 20-storey Beaux-Arts
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF THE PLAZA NEW YORK & BELMOND COPACABANA PALACE.
landmark opened its doors in 1907,
the Upper East Side immediately
became Manhattan’s most sought-
after address, and the place to be
during the heady days of the Jazz
Age. In 1964, The Beatles were
denied a reservation by the hotel’s
manager, Alphonse Salomone, who
felt it would be disruptive to other
guests. Salomone only changed his
mind when his 12-year-old daughter
threw a tantrum. The Beatles’ New
York arrival became a moment in
rock history, and although the
thousands of screaming fans were
a headache, the Fab Four themselves
behaved like absolute gents.
Even today, it’s one of those grande
dame hotels that makes guests feel
like they’ve stepped onto a movie
set the moment they enter the lobby,
bedecked with gilded chandeliers,
gleaming marble and elaborate floral
arrangements. This surreal cinematic
sensation is only reinforced by the
fact that virtually every angle
glimpsed in the hotel has been
rendered on screen.
Cary Grant sipped a Martini in
the Oak Bar in North By Northwest,
Alfred Hitchcock’s 1959 hit, and you
can expect flashbacks of everything
from Crocodile Dundee to Bride
Wars to The Great Gatsby, at every
turn. Modern Manhattan is not
short of gleaming landmark hotels
clamouring for the title of “icon”
but none of them can snatch the
crown off this Queen Bee’s head.
theplazany.com
Raffles, Singapore
There are a few worthy Southeast
Asian contenders, perhaps most
notably Bangkok’s Mandarin Oriental
or The Peninsula in Hong Kong. But
no other hotel in the region inspires
quite as much loyalty as Raffles, one
of Asia’s oldest hotels, and one that
has charmed the socks off guests
since it opened its doors in 1887,
originally as a 10-room bungalow.
Named after British statesman Sir
Thomas Stamford Raffles, the founder
of colonial-era Singapore, it has
textbook architectural flourishes to
match, and has evolved steadily over
the years to its present incarnation
as a 115-room luxury hotel.
Queen Elizabeth II, Charlie
Chaplin and Michael Jackson are
among the most notable guests,
but Raffles has an impressive
literary history. The writer Somerset
Maugham was a regular in Long
Bar (where the national cocktail,
the Singapore Sling, was created
by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon in
1915), while Joseph Conrad was one
of the hotel’s first guests. In 1889,
Rudyard Kipling wrote about the
hotel in From Sea To Sea. But it
was Maugham who gave Raffles its
most famous epitaph and secured
its place in the imaginations and
hearts of travellers and locals alike:
“Raffles stands for all the fables
of the exotic East.”
rafflessingapore.com ●
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 113
 A CHEF’S GUIDE TO…

Auckland,
New Zealand
Chef and wine bar owner LESLIE HOTTIAUX shares
her top tips for eating and drinking in NZ’s biggest city.

PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES (MAIN), JOSH GRIGGS (SIDART),

I
EMILY RAFFERTY (CAZADOR) & TEZ MERCER (LILLIUS).

t’s fitting that Kiwi chef and one-time San
Pellegrino Best Young Chef Pacific winner
Leslie Hottiaux talks so much about community
and neighbours. Apero, the Auckland wine bar
she opened with maître d’ partner Ismo Koski, is
a cosy hangout that welcomes and comforts guests
and locals with homely French flavours. Hottiaux
believes that the people you break bread with are as
important as the bread you break, as demonstrated
by her guide to New Zealand’s City of Sails.
Refined Japanese
Cocoro is my absolute favourite
restaurant. Makoto Tokuyama is
such a talented chef who cooks
refined Japanese cuisine – the
sashimi platter is next level. It has
an amazing wine and sake list,
which turned me into a sake drinker.
I love that you can go here for
a big-splurge and celebration
or just pop in for a low-key lunch.
It really is my special place.
A French affair
If chefs are visiting me in Auckland,
I’ll take them to lunch at Maison
Vauron. The chef – one of my old
head chefs – is from France, but
he loves to cook old-school dishes.
Terrines, rillettes, whatever the
plat du jour may be on that day;
everything on the menu is awesome.
While you eat, you’re surrounded
by wine which you can literally pull
off the shelf and drink with lunch.

Korean made modern
Han offers a contemporary take on
Korean food, and it’s amazing. You
can go there and eat modern dishes,
like a Korean pancake with honey-
buttered squid, or you can have
traditional Korean barbecue, which
is great fun with kids. Han’s kimchi
is so delicate – it’s spicy but subtle.
Wild game in a
refined setting
Cazador has a totally unique
approach to food and the cuts it
uses. My favourite dish is the venison
heart – it’s simply grilled and served
almost rare with gremolata. It’s like
butter in your mouth. Chef Dariush
Clockwise from
right: Sidart’s
delicately plated
duck; taxidermy
at Cazador; the
bright and bold
dining room at
Lillius. Opposite:
Auckland’s
harbour.
Lolaiy’s charcuterie game is really
strong and he loves to hunt and
display taxidermy on the walls in
the restaurant. It used to be his
dad’s place, so it’s been around for
a long time. They’ve also recently
opened a deli where you can buy
cured meats and wild game pies.
Polished cooking
minus the pretence
Lillius is a new-ish restaurant that
does everything right without any
pretence. It serves beautiful food
in a beautiful room, created by
a beautiful couple. The food is
polished and is made with a lot of
passion and technique. It’s elevated
but the service is nice and relaxed.
K-Road cool
Coco’s Cantina is such a special
restaurant run by great people, who
are also our neighbours. I had my
first date with my partner there many
years ago, and it’s still really special,
even after 10 years. In my opinion,
it’s the coolest joint in town. You
definitely go there for the ambiance.
It’s super-relaxed, super-friendly, and
the type of place where you always
run into someone you know.
A neighbourhood fave
The Engine Room is a local gem that
continues to be amazing and is worth
the trip over the [Auckland Harbour]
bridge. It’s run by a couple that just
keep going. I have a lot of respect
for what they do and also how
A chef ’s guide
they do it. It’s super-classic French
cooking. The blue-cheese soufflé
is famous, and the veal schnitzel
is delicious. The staff also have
incredible wine knowledge.
Modern Indian
with a view
I have special memories of fine-
dining restaurant Sidart. Eating
chef Sid Sahrawat’s food is an
exciting and memorable experience.
It’s modern-Indian cooking that’s
also highly technical and incredibly
creative. The view of Auckland’s
skyline is pretty incredible, too.
Late-night tipples
After service, we like to go to GG
x Flamingo, which is across the road
from Apero. Sammy the owner is
such a wonderful host and the drinks
are on-point. Pro-tip: Next door is
Satya Chai Lounge, where you can
find some of the tastiest Indian
street food around. There’s also
Caretaker: a cosy bar serving
bespoke cocktails in Britomart.
The best supper spot
If we’re going to get something to
eat after service, Chinese dumpling
restaurant New Flavour on Dominion
Road is the one. It’s BYO and it’s
open until 4am. I always order the
beef and coriander dumplings, and
dried tofu skin with cucumber and
crisp pork – my guilty pleasure.
O u r w i n e b a r, o u r w a y
In a kind of an ironic way, my partner
and I created Apero for ourselves.
If we were to go out, we’d want to
go to a place like Apero. We wanted
to create something casual and
relaxed – the kind of place you
can stop by for a glass of wine and
a piece of terrine, or stay and spend
the night. I’m French, so I cook
French food, and my partner takes
care of the floor and the wine list.
It’s not a brasserie; it’s not fine dining.
We’re just Apero food and wine. ●
As told to Jessica Rigg for
The Local Tongue. For more
chef’s guides from around the
world, see thelocaltongue.com
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 115
Wondering what the future of travel looks
like? A lot like the past, says ANNA HART.
 The art of travel

The art of… from it. The travel and hospitality

rediscovery
sector is going to have to hustle
like never before, adapting to
a new business model and
attracting new customers. But
as consumers, this is the time

A
s learning experiences
go, it turns out there
is nothing quite like
a global pandemic that
confines us all indoors for months,
tests our personal relationships
to the extreme, and reconfigures
daily life as we know it. I can’t be
the only one who feels like I’ve
chalked up about a decade’s worth
of life experience and personal
development in recent weeks.
During the first few weeks of
lockdown, I could practically hear
the clunking in my soul as my
priorities reshuffled; as I realised
who my real friends were (the wise,
the compassionate, the hilarious),
what really mattered to me
professionally (the pure joy of
communication, nothing involving
Instagram), what I needed in my
daily routine to feel content
(a barefoot walk on the beach,
something hot for lunch,
a heartfelt chat with a friend).
The pandemic changed my
taste in music, TV, books and
films, with much of my usual pop
culture intake suddenly becoming
hopelessly irrelevant or unbearably
depressing. Almost overnight,
I stopped being remotely attracted
to mopey, misunderstood musician
types, and realised the only men
I was interested in are the ones
working in wards, delivering
food, or building chicken coops
in their gardens. And of course,
in recent weeks, as I began
ILLUSTRATIONS GETTY IMAGES.
to rediscover forgotten classics,
need to be a picture of bleakness. to celebrate what we have on
If you can just apply a sepia tint our doorstep, and to make sure
to the future, it all looks pretty we support and rebuild the sort
charming. Because it looks rather of travel landscape we want
like the past. to inhabit.
Travel in 2020 will inevitably Come to think of it, most of
be a simpler, stripped-back affair, my lockdown lessons aren’t exactly
with big, lavish international epiphanies; for the most part, I’ve
breaks off the menu. Travel in remembered things about myself
2020 will almost certainly be more I’d forgotten I knew. In my
nature-oriented, with glamp-sites frenetically-paced pre-Covid life,
and remote lodges I was in danger
currently looking of forgetting what
a lot more safe and This is a time I loved, what really
sane than jam- to rediscover mattered, what
packed resorts or made me content.
busy city festivals.
forgotten classics, During lockdown,
Travel in 2020 to celebrate what I fell back in love
will be a more we have on our with 1960s French
intimate affair, with cinema and 1970s
doorstep.
smaller gatherings soul music.
of close friends and I remembered the
families. And travel in 2020 will satisfaction of making Irish stew.
be much more regional, a year I rediscovered the joys of long,
of staycations and backyard solo bike rides. Phone calls to
explorations, which we should family members became more
celebrate, because the regional important than work calls.
retail and hospitality industries Sure, some of us have shiny
desperately need our support. new habits thanks to the lockdown;
Right now, we’re not being a new yoga obsession, an infallible
distracted by dazzling discount banana bread recipe, a few words
flights to cities across the world, of colloquial Spanish. But for
or “unmissable” offers to exotic many of us, the main legacy of
beach spas. Instead, we have the this time will be that we became
opportunity to remember forgotten reacquainted with ourselves,
travel daydreams. It’s a time to with all distractions removed.
reassess what we really crave from As travellers, this means we’re
a holiday, and rethink how far taking a break from chasing the
we need to travel to satisfy this “new”, and instead celebrating and
craving. It’s a chance to revisit that supporting what we have in front

tentatively daydreaming about
travel, I realised my tastes have
turned radically retro.
I think we’ve all accepted that
the travel landscape is going to
look fairly different for the next
few months, but this really doesn’t
childhood holiday spot, or return
to that honeymoon hotel, or finally
make that pilgrimage to the wine
region we’ve been supporting,
bottle by bottle, for years.
I’m not saying that we won’t
see any innovation this year. Far
of us – the classic hotels, restaurants
and regional destinations that were Anna is a travel
squeezed off our travel agenda by and lifestyle
glitzier international offerings. journalist, and
author of the
We’re embarking upon a collective travel memoir
voyage of discovery, and it’s going Departures.
to be quite the adventure. ● @annadothart

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 117
 Canberra,
ACT

CHECKING IN

Ovolo Nishi, Canberra

We take the guesswork out of local travel with our tips on where to
stay, eat, drink and play. This month, GT hits the nation’s capital.

Quick
look

Where
25 Edinburgh Ave,
Canberra

Facilities
Set in an energetic dining, cultural and entertainment precinct, the architecturally designed Ovolo Prices from $239
Nishi (formerly Hotel Hotel) is a destination in itself. The foyer, complete with open concrete fireplaces, per night for a
restored 20th-century furniture and original artworks, makes an excellent first impression and presents standard room
myriad nooks to cosy-up with a book and hot tea, or glass of vino and snack from the in-house restaurant, Gym Yes
Monster Kitchen + Bar. The moody, laid-back ambience continues through to the boutique hotel’s 85 Hotel bar Yes
S T A Y

rooms, where exposed concrete and natural textures combine to great effect. But it’s the considered Restaurant Yes
touches that leave a lasting impression, such as the all-inclusive minibar and takeaway “loot bag” filled Room service Yes
with nuts and sweet treats to snack on, day or night. The hotel also has complimentary bikes that you Concierge 24hr
can use at your leisure – that’s if you want to leave the premises at all. ovolohotels.com
 Checking in

Pop your art glasses on and meander through the

impressive halls at the National Gallery of Australia.
See the famous Blue Poles abstract expressionist painting
by Jackson Pollock, Sidney Nolan’s Ned Kelly series, and

M U S T - D O
the vast Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander collection, which
comprises more than 7,500 works and is the largest in the
world. Step outside and explore the manicured gardens
to find American artist James Turrell’s Within Without
Skyspace – a viewing chamber that affects the way you
perceive the sky. It’s most dramatic and complex at dawn
and dusk, marking the transition between night and day.

Clockwise from top left:

A cosy spot in Ovolo Nishi’s
foyer; Pilot’s roast chicken;
a modern ensuite design at
Ovolo Nishi; Bar Rochford’s
parfait and edgy interiors.
Opposite: Ovolo Nishi.
WORDS KARLIE VERKERK. PHOTOGRAPHY ANTHONY BASHEER (OVOLO NISHI), MARK ROPER (BAR ROCHFORD) & ASHLEY ST GEORGE (PILOT).

D R I N K
E X P E R I E N C E Capital Brewing
Co in Fyshwick
For picture-perfect views of Canberra is equal parts
and its national attractions, walk, cycle production and
or drive to the Mount Ainslie Lookout hospitality, with
and soak up panoramic views across a brewery out
Lake Burley Griffin to Parliament House the back and bar
and the expansive Brindabella mountain up front. Find
range. Walter Burley Griffin, who won a sunny spot in
the international design competition for the beer garden
the capital in 1912, described the site and sample the
as an “irregular amphitheatre”. By foot, craft-beer range
the round-trip only takes an hour, but or book a tour
will give you the opportunity to see an of the brewery.
abundance of wildflowers and native capitalbrewing.co
animals. Mount Ainslie is open daily.

Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Leave your slippers on and enjoy
a relaxed complimentary breakfast
at the hotel, or take a short stroll
to Morning Glory – a contemporary
café set in a warehouse-style space.
Here, you’ll find unexpected Asian
twists on breakfast classics, such
as a bacon and egg roll featuring
char siu-glazed bacon and kewpie
E A T
Sunday lunch at Pilot. in Ainslie
is elevated to new heights with its
$70 set menu. You might expect to
see a cold-smoked chook expertly
stuffed with mushroom duxelles,
accompanied by glossy gravy and
steamed white bread, similar to
a bao bun. The dining room is bright
yet intimate, and the wine list puts
Good vibes flow at Bar Rochford. Hidden away
in the iconic Melbourne Building, this natural wine
and cocktail bar is more than just that. Start with
a plate of charred padron peppers, labne and
a generous sprinkling of chicken salt, or liver parfait
with plum jam and waffles, then move to something
more substantial, such as braised short-rib with
onion and beer mustard, or house-made pasta.
Perch at the bar and watch cocktail making in

mayo, and soft-boiled eggs with a focus on the region with a drinks action or cosy up in a candle-lit booth and let the
kaya toast. morning-glory.com.au pairing available. pilotrestaurant.com sounds of vinyl sooth your soul. barrochford.com ●

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 119
 ACCOMMODATION I FOOD I GALLERIES I TRAVEL OVERSEAS

eat • stay • drink

HIDDEN VALLEYS:
Gourmet Getaways in Australia
Every cloud does have a silver-lining…. given the uncertainty of international travel
at the moment, Hidden Italy has been able to bring forward our plans to develop
some new one-week gourmet getaways in Australia: excellent accommodation,
great walks, fine food and wine, good company, all with an Italian twist. So far, the
destinations include the lower Hunter Valley and the King Valley/Victorian High
Country, as well as a fully supported one-week self-guided walk following the
Bondi to Manly trail, an urban walk that rivals the Cinque Terre as ‘one of the most
spectacular in the world’. sleep with us

Launceston, Tasmania • www.stillwater.com.au

Nina’s Pathways
Small group tours of Sri Lanka

While our adventures are currently postponed, my heart is with my friends and
their families in Sri Lanka. When safe to do so, I look forward to once again
FULL DETAILS: exploring their beautiful country and culture with you. Until then, stay up to date
www.hiddenitaly.com.au/tailor-made-tours with our news on our website, and I wish everyone good health and humour.
Call Nina: 0419 213 327 • ninaspathways.com.au •
Gourmet Traveller Marketplace

TO ADVERTISE PHONE 02 9282 8369 I HOMESTOLOVE.COM.AU/DIRECTORY

 ACCOMMODATION I FOOD I TRAVEL OVERSEAS
FALL IN LOVE WITH
THIS CAPTIVATING VIEW

Luxury Holiday Homes, Apartments and Villas

Creating exceptional holidays for more than 25 years
BOOK DIRECT I SUPPORT AUSTRALIA
w w w. e xe c u t i v e r e t r e a t s. c o m . a u

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barGEEK I online barware store E: info@hawthorntravel.com.au

W: hawthorntravel.com.au

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/hawthorntravel hawthorntravel

At Mary Rossi Travel we believe in the allure of travel.

Travel enriches lives, broadens horizons
and creates lifelong memories.
These uncertain times are not here forever and
we will be exploring our backyard and the world again.
Gourmet Traveller Marketplace

In the meantime, keep dreaming.

Your Mary Rossi Travel advisor is ready when you are.

dogboyknives

1800 815 067

www.maryrossitravel.com
Artisan knives hand forged
from recycled materials DBK
Dogboy Knives
dogboyknives.com

TO ADVERTISE PHONE 02 9282 8369 I HOMESTOLOVE.COM.AU/DIRECTORY

 ACCOMMODATION I FOOD I TRAVEL OVERSEAS

The Pons family dedication to olive oil originated in 1945. The

ancestral tradition of four family generations, imported into Australia
exclusively by Simon Johnson.

Morella Grove is a family operated

farming business established
by the Dal Bon family from the
Griffith and Riverina area.
Morella Grove produce award
winning ExtraVirgin Olive Oil and a
range of other delicious products.
morellagrove ☎ 0421 918 955
Shop Online
See website for stockists morellagrove.com.au

Primum Oleum Truffle Condiment Green EVOO Saffron

Woollahra 55 Queen St 02 8244 8255

Alexandria 24A Ralph St 02 8244 8200
Northbridge Plaza Shop 25, 79 - 113 Sailors Bay Rd 02 8244 8290
Toorak 471 Toorak Rd 03 9644 3633
Subiaco 169 Rokeby Rd 08 9489 3888

Visit us in store or online to shop the extended PONS range. harboursideapartments.com.au

www.simonjohnson.com  Tel + 61 2 9963 4300

SRI LANKA
No. 1 Travel destination for 2019 nominated by Lonely Planet
L
TRADITIONAINE
ITALIAN CUIS E IN,
OPEN FOR DINE AWAYS
R TAK
DELIVERIES O 57 or drop by
shop.
ll 02 9516 08
For PICK UP ca r through
DELIVERY orde .
OR for HO E
M
Food A pp
your favorite
Gourmet Traveller Marketplace

WINNERS AT INNER WEST LOCAL BUSINESS AWARDS Tailor Made Private Tours To Sri Lanka
2018 Best Restaurant. 2019 Best Restaurant and Best Business
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
Satisfy your pasta, chicken, Long queue out the front of itinerary planning and execution. Our exceptional knowledge and attention to
veal and rissotto appetite with us, detail will ensure your tour is fully personalised to your specific requirements.
THE ITALIAN BOWL. Pick and
choose your meal to your taste. www.exoticlankaholidays.com.au I info@exoticlankaholidays.com.au

We also offer stunning Italian 1300 374 734 I +61 2 8677 1500 I ATAS Accredited
cuisine catering.
theitalianbowl.com.au open 7 days EXOTIC LANKA HOLIDAYS
255 King St, Newtown NSW • 02 9516 0857 We are the No. 1 Australian Travel Agent to Sri Lanka

TO ADVERTISE PHONE 02 9282 8369 I HOMESTOLOVE.COM.AU/DIRECTORY

 A G o ur m e t Tr av e lle r p r o m o t i o n

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

1 2 3

AGA The eR3 160i combines cast-iron radiant
heat and conventional cooking. Featuring
a two-zone induction hob, warming oven and
conventional fan oven for added flexibility.
$25,990, agaaustralia.com.au
Longines Presenting new timepieces that
are a testimony to the brand’s pioneering
spirit and a tribute to the legendary aviators
and explorers who have left their mark on
history. $4,500, longines.com.au
Seppelt The leading Australian still and
sparkling wine makers have released their
2020 Luxury Collection. Led by St Peters
shiraz, a wine paying tribute to the pedigree
of Grampians shiraz. $80, seppelt.com.au

4 5 6

Printhie Wines Winner of Best Sparkling
Trophy at the NSW Wine Awards 2019,
pinot noir adds richness and a pink rosé
blush to this sparkling wine. Printhie Wines
NV Rosé #3, $40, printhiewines.com.au
Harvey Norman The Bosch 900mm Series 8
5-Zone Induction Cooktop adds cutting-edge
convenience to your daily cooking. With
5 cooking zones, it accommodates a variety
of pot and pan sizes. harveynorman.com.au
Sub-Zero & Wolf The Sub-Zero PRO 36
refrigerator/freezer is a culinary hero with
its statement design. Crafted with stainless
steel inside and out, it’s luxurious and
professional. subzero-wolf.com.au

7 8 9

Liebherr Germany’s leading manufacturer
of premium wine cellars combine beautiful
design with technological innovation. Store
wine in optimal conditions for long-term or
immediate use. home.liebherr.com.au
Calabria Wines Who doesn’t love an Italian
feast? Pull out the olives and homemade
pasta and top it all off with an award-winning
Nero d’Avola red wine, bellissimo! $90
including postage, calabriawines.com.au
Feast High Country Be spoilt for choice
in Victoria’s High Country with six diverse
wine regions offering unparalleled
experiences for the most discerning
wine lover. feasthighcountry.com.au
 Kitchen update
Refresh the hub of your home with inspiration 1

from these four classic kitchen designs.

13

12

11

10

Tamarama home
designed by
Tamsin Johnson.

N a t u r a l b e a u t y 4
Simplicity is key in this neutral kitchen, where a pared-back colour palette,
organic finishes and geometric shapes create a warm yet minimal look.

1 Iittala Kuru glass bowl, $71.15, from Finnish Design Shop. 2 Benchtop coffee machine
in Lotus White, $2099, from Miele. 3 Float Hole barstool in Natural, $844, from Satara.
4 Polar bowl in n Nero & Bianco, $280, from Greg Natale. 5 Tom Dixon washing-up liquid,
$40, from Collector Store. 6 Braided Abaca charger, $24, from Pottery Barn. 7 Smoky
amber salad servers, $79, from Kip & Co. 8 Ferm Living Bon wooden tray in Black Stained
Oak, from $150, fro om Designstuff. 9 Terracotta Small Checkers tea towel, $39, froom 5
Bonnie and Neil. 10 0 Plissé electric
elect kettle, $250, from Alessi. 11 Vietri Incanto Plea
ated
berry bowl, $105, from Via Rustica. 12 Zafferano Perle glass tumbler, $89 for two, from
Via Rustica. 13 Norrweigan Rose e Marble tile, $329 sq/m, from Tera Nova.
9

6
124 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 Home

C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t D e c o 1
Create a super-luxe, inviting kitchen with a statement marble benchtop
and splashback, elegant curves and textural touches in muted tones.

1 Casanova ceiling lamp with Brass base, POA, from Stu dio ALM. 2 Katarina Wells
2
Big Belly vase in Burnt Charcoal, $800, from Curatorial+Co. 3 Smartline Element
cooktop, $2699, from Miele. 4 Sabre Natura Steel Blue cutlery set, $59, from Via
Rustica. 5 DiLorenzo Supreme tile in Naturale, $110 sq/m, from Di Lorenzo. 6 Merci
plate, $29, from In The Roundhouse. 7 Nina Norgaard glass caviar bowl and spoons
$295, from matchesfashion.com. 8 Holland backless counter stool, $449, from West
Elm. 9 Nathalee Paolinelli shell mirror porcelain bowl, $577, from matchesfashion.
com. 10 Manhattan kitchen mixer in Polished Nordic Brass, POA, Brodware. ➤ 3

Paris apartment
designed by
Joseph Dirand.

6
PHOTOGRAPHY ADRIEN DIRAND (PARIS) & ANSON SMART (TAMARAMA).

10

9
8

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 125
Home
4

C o o l c o a s t a l
For a breezy beach-side vibe, pair a light and bright Scandinavian-inspired 5
scheme with raw timber, coastal motifs and subtle pops of cobalt and amber.

1 Vintage shell plafoniere, POA, from The Vault Sydney. 2 Staub Cocotte in Graphite, $319,
from Peter’s of Kensington. 3 Small amber jug, $85, from Hay. 4 Vietri Incanto stone stripe
square-handle platter, $295, from Via Rustica. 5 Brodware Halo marble kitchen set, $1194,
from Mimicoco. 6 Artek rocket stool, $550, from Anibou. 7 Themisz dinner plate, $69, from
matchesfashion.com. 8 Bondi Tan encaustic tile, $135 sq/m, from TileCloud. 9 SKBes4360
fridge, POA, from Liebherr. 10 Artek tea trolley 900, $5855, from Anibou. 11 Medium Beetle 6
marbled resin bowl, $200, from Dinosaur Designs.

Byron Bay
residence
designed by
Tamsin Johnson. 7

PHOTOGRAPHY ANSON SMART (FITZROY) & COURTESY OF TIGMI TRADING (BYRON BAY).
8

11
12

126 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 2

3 1

Fitzroy home
designed by
Flack Studios.

I n d u s t r i a l c h i c
A utilitarian polished-concrete floor underpins this handsome kitchen, where minimal
lines, sleek finishes and brushed-copper cabinets combine to striking effect.

1 Wall-mounted rangehood, $4699, from Miele. 2 Arabescato marble slab, POA, from CDK Stone.
3 Richard Sapper kettle, $569, from Alessi. 4 Moni extra-large double-brass pendant, POA, from
Articolo. 5 Earth glass dinner plate, $17, from Vietri. 6 Rev stool, $554, from Cult. 7 Barrique wine
cellar, POA, from Liebherr. 8 Dante etched-brass platters, from $59.95, from Papaya. 9 Yokato wall
basin set in Bronze, POA, from Brodware. 10 Staub cocotte in Black, $319, from Peter’s of Kensington.
11 The Lacquer Company X Rita Konig Belles Rives lacquer tray, $568, from matchesfashion.com. ●

11

10

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 127
Beauty

GT team
favourite

1 4

8 7

11

10

Cult classics STYLING, MERCHANDISING & PHOTOGRAPHY HANNAH BLACKMORE.

From skincare to fragrance, these best-sellers have stood the

test of time and earned their place in the beauty hall of fame.

1 Byredo Gypsy Water EDP, $332, mecca.com.au 2 La Prairie Skin Caviar Liquid Lift, $1005, laprairie.com 3 Eve Lom Cleanser, $177, mecca.com.au
4 Chanel Rouge Coco Flash Lipstick in Dazzle $56, chanel.com/au 5 Mecca Cosmetica To Save Face SPF50+ Superscreen, $40, mecca.com.au
6 Chanel N°5 EDP 100ml, $240, chanel.com/au 7 Dr. Barbara Sturm Night Ampoules, $530.30, net-a-porter.com 8 Kevyn Aucoin The Volume Mascara
in Rich Pitch Black, $45, mecca.com.au 9 Nars Blush in Orgasm, $48, mecca.com.au 10 La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Eye Cream, $560, laprairie.com
11 Sarah Chapman Skinesis Overnight Facial, $75, net-a-porter.com

128 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 Style
14

1
Inspired
by

Paris, France
13

Timeless elegan
Pair shapely silhouettes with classic tones
for a look that will stand the test of ttime. 5

12
9

11
1 Psychedelia
y blazer,, $475,
$ , from Aje.
j
2 Gucci Off The Grid GG Supreme canvas
pouch, $1300, from Farfetch. 3 Jil Sander
Sleeveless Ribbed Knit top, $1252, from
Farfetch. 4 Rock With You jeans, $345,
from Alice McCall. 5 Loewe Hammock
Crossbody bag, $2990, from Farfetch.
6 Balenciaga Floral Jacquard Asymmetric
skirt, $1815, from Farfetch. 7 Skin Mathilde
Striped top, $124.43, from Net-a-Porter.
PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES (PARIS).

8 Oyster Day-Date 36 watch in White Gold,

$54,950, from Rolex.com 9 Theodore
MERCHANDISING KELSIE WALKER.

Knit top, $420, from Camilla and Marc.

10 Freedom Ankle boot, $395, from Aje.
11 Matin Longsleeve Wrap top, $420, from
10 The Undone. 12 Alaïa D-Frame Acetate
sunglasses, $474.64, from Net-a-Porter.
13 Lanvin Rib Knit Jumper dress, $1859,
from Farfetch. 14 All Blues Fat Snake
earrings, $770, from The Undone.

7 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 129
Objects of desire

PHOTOGRAPHY KRISTINA SOLJO/BAUER-MEDIA.COM.AU. STYLING NATALIE JOHNSON.

Party glassware
An elegant glass turns every drink into a celebration.

Clockwise from top left: Lee Broom Half Cut champagne coupe with square base, $165, Space. Tom Dixon Tank low-ball glass in Black, $125 for two, Top3
By Design. R&D Collection Calla wine glass, $149 for two, Royal Doulton. Lee Broom On the Rock glass with Carrara marble base, $190, Space. Bubble wine
glass, $7.99, H&M. Ultima Thule sparkling wine glass, $99.95 for two, Iittala. Banks tumbler, $12.95, Country Road. Sukat Makkaralla glass, $59, Marimekko.

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