SUOUN & T

Y
M G R HE
M ED NE
ER S T W
DRO P SPRI
INOUR TZ
K I NO
NG W
EXCLUSIVE
RENÉ
TEXAS-STYL T, SPICY MALAYSIAN REDZEPI
CHICKEN, TEQUILA-SOAKED MEXICAN AT HOME

HIDDEN
GEM
THE SAPPHIRE
COAST

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INSIDER’S
GUIDE TO
MALLORCA

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N OT A L L D EV I C ES WI L L B E C OMP A T I B L E. F U N C T I ON A L I T Y V A R I ES D E P E NDI NG O N DE V I C E .
 AN AUSTRALIAN GOURMET TRAVELLER PROMOTION

CELEBRATE IN
STYLE THE 45TH
ANNIVERSARY OF
RANGE ROVER WITH
THIS INDULGENT
DINNER.

THE MENU
R E A D E R E V E N T
Alkoopina
Potato damper and lamb butter
Macadamia and native thyme
Mussel, custard and seablite
Saltbush, black garlic
and crème fraîche
Mulloway, pandanus
mother and ice plant
Prawn and Davidson plum
Palm heart, native honey
and green ants
Kangaroo tendon and native peppers
Land Rover, in association with Gourmet Traveller, invites Pipis, marshcress and samphire
Crab and yoghurt sorbet, Neptune’s
you to dine with us at Adelaide’s Restaurant Orana, part of the pearls and sea purslane
Indulgent Dinner Series celebrating 45 years of Range Rover. Cullen Sparkling Chardonnay, 2009

Marking four-and-a-half decades of exceptional off-road performance, combined with quality design Kohlrabi, quandong, Dorrigo
and luxury, Land Rover is hosting a series of equally premium dining experiences in association with pepper and lemon myrtle
Gentle Folk Field Blend, 2015
Gourmet Traveller. Since unveiling the first Classic model in 1970, widely referred to as an exemplary
work of industrial design, Range Rover has continued to innovate, pioneering technologies that have Charred kangaroo, gubinge,
become industry standards and developing into what has today become the world’s most desirable SUV. grasses and wild garlic
Ochota Barrels The Fugazi
Vineyard Grenache, 2015
BOOK YOUR PLACE AT THIS EXCLUSIVE
GOURMET TRAVELLER READER EVENT Marron, Geraldton wax
and watercress
To book your place for this special dinner at Resturant Orana and celebrate Domaine Lucci ‘Jims Chardonnay’, 2015
in style the 45th anniversary of Range Rover, call (08) 8232 3444. Places are
limited so be quick to secure your place. Magpie goose, ruby saltbush,
smoked potato and leek
Date Wednesday 17 February, 6pm for a 6.15pm start BK Wines ‘Mazi’ Syrah, 2014
Food photography by Jock Zonfrillo

Location Restaurant Orana, upper level, 285 Rundle St, Adelaide

Cost $150 per head, including snacks and five courses with matching wines. Set buttermilk, strawberry
and eucalyptus
Please be aware the location and menu is subject to change depending on availability. “Kissing the Pink” Rosé, 2014

gentle folk wine

FOR INFORMATION ON LAND ROVER’S RANGE, PLEASE GO

TO LANDROVER.COM.AU OR VISIT YOUR LOCAL DEALER.
 CONTENTS

January
FOOD TRAVEL
82 SLOW BURN 132 THE REAL MALLORCA
Curtis Stone puts on a cracking barbie There’s more to this Balearic Island
with 12-hour beef brisket as the gem than its party reputation. Discover
centrepiece and trimmings to match. Mallorca’s charismatic culture, cuisine
and pretty mountain villages.
90 THE REDZEPIS AT HOME
Ahead of opening Noma Australia, 142 GOING COASTAL
René and Nadine Levy Redzepi give Roadtripping on the NSW Far South
us a taste of the laid-back approach Coast reveals the magic of one of the
they enjoy at home. country’s best-kept secrets.

98 CLOSE TO THE BONE 152 DROP IN THE OCEAN

Chops, cutlets, call them what you A tiny private island off Fiji is the
will – meat grilled on the bone makes emerald setting for a resort that
for the juiciest of barbecue eats. tropical daydreams are made of.

106 DOWN MEXICO WAY

At Hartwood in Tulum, Eric Werner
and Mya Henry have a restaurant
fired by wood and canopied by stars.

114 PUTTING ON THE SPRITZ

The Spritz specialists at Sydney bar
This Must be the Place have put a new
spin on the long, cool classic.

120 OUT OF AFRICOLA

When Africola braai meister Duncan
Welgemoed fires up a barbie at the
property of winemaker Taras Ochota,
it can only mean good times.

98

9
CONTENTS

120 152

82

January
REGULARS 50 Fergus’s table
Fergus Henderson’s ideal summer
FEATURES
holiday is a far cry from surf and sand.
12 Perfect matches 53 Melbourne review 47 Time and tide
Menus from this month’s issue. At Oakridge, Matt Stone deliciously Paulette Whitney savours
17 Editor’s letter promotes ethical food concepts. the seaside.
Plus this month’s contributors. 57 Sydney review 60 Called to the bar
19 Gourmet news The Continental refreshes the deli, Meet Damian Griffiths, the
The latest from the food scene. and its bistro ain’t bad either. man transforming Brisbane’s
24 On the table 72 Drinks hospitality scene.
Tumblers. Max Allen is drowning in “smashable” 65 Long game
25 Gourmet online young reds. Australia’s most respected interpreter
See what we’re dishing up online. 74 AA Gill is away of Thai food, chef David Thompson,
26 Viewa Beaches are about beginnings talks about his new restaurant in Perth.
The viewa app brings GT to life. and endings, writes AA Gill. 66 Cult sweets
27 Reader dinner 78 Subscribe Delicious, yes, but these desserts are
Join us at Regatta in Sydney as chef Receive stylish salt and pepper mills. also the most snapped in Sydney.
Damien Pignolet takes the reins. 163 Travel news 71 Alessi is more
30 Fare exchange Where to be and what to see. Alberto Alessi discusses design and
Chefs’ recipes you’ve requested. 169 City hitlist poetry, and his signature chicken.
35 Gourmet fast Rio is alive with pre-Olympic energy.
Midweek meals made in no time. 170 Travel style
40 Pantry raider
Quinoa. 174
Summer lovin’ beach-ready pieces.
Next month
EVENTS
42 Masterclass What’s coming up in February.
Ayam percik. 175 Stockists 76 Silver linings
44 Grow your own Plus our privacy notice. Sixties glamour set the scene at the
Turn your attention to basil. 176 Recipe index Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation’s
48 Cheese Plus our cook’s notes. Silver Style cocktail party.
Artisan cheesemaking in the US 178 Last bite
has come of age, writes Will Studd. Prosecco jelly with melon and
buttermilk granita.

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PERFECT MATCHES
menus
JANUARY 2016
We’re throwing prawns, corn, and juicy chops on the barbie this month
and bringing the coleslaw and slushies, too.
32
SEAFOOD BARBECUE
Barbecued prawns with brown
butter and tamari (PICTURED; RECIPE P32)
Grouper with white bean salad
and coriander crema (RECIPE P113)
Grilled corn with whipped
sesame butter, lime and
coriander (RECIPE P39)
Lime tart with lime caramel
(RECIPE P113)
C The choice of drinks depends
You could play it safe and choose
familiar, foolproof whites for this
barbecue such as a lime-juicy young
Clare riesling, a classic match for
prawns. Or be adventurous and try
orange or skin-contact whites:
they’re delicious with nutty or
umami-rich ingredients such as
sesame and tamari.
12 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
DRINK SUGGESTIONS MAX ALLEN
105
AUSTRALIA DAY
BARBECUE
Burgers with pickled beetroot
(RECIPE P36)
Barbecued tomahawk with
tomato relish (PICTURED; RECIPE P105)
Coleslaw (RECIPE P88)
Blueberry and coconut ice-cream
sandwiches (RECIPE P39)
C
Straya Day barbie, ma-aate! Chuck
a few stubbies of VB in the Esky
and a nice bottle of moscato for
the sheilas when the ice-cream
sangers come out and she’ll be
right... Oh, and Uncle Barry’ll be
wanting some red wine for his
steak. Barossa shiraz, I reckon.
Nothing says Straya Day like a big
glass of Barossa shiraz.
36
SUNSET BARBECUE
Pisco, lime and strawberry
slushies
(PICTURED; RECIPE P36)
Malaysian barbecued
chicken (RECIPE P43)
Cast-iron peach cobbler with
buttermilk ice-cream
(RECIPE P89)
C
on the location of your sunset.
On the beach? An Esky stuffed
with cold beers and moscato
(see Australia Day barbecue). On
the deck of the holiday house?
With the chook, try some fruity
rosé – all the better for catching
the last rays of the sun – then
with the cobbler a sweet golden
Sauternes (ditto).
 EDITOR
Anthea Loucas
Deputy Editor Pat Nourse
Travel Editor Helen Anderson

FOOD
Food & Style Director Emma Knowles
Senior Food Editor Lisa Featherby
Food Editor-at-Large Alice Storey
Contributing Food Editors Nick Banbury,
Rodney Dunn & Brigitte Hafner

ART
Art Director Anna Vu
Deputy Art Director Brooke Donaldson
Designer Emma Chu

COPY
Chief Subeditor Toni Mason
Deputy Chief Subeditor Krishna Mathrubutham
Subeditors Suzanna Chriss, Katie Stokes
Staff Writer Maggie Scardifield
Editorial Coordinator Emma Hutton

DIGITAL
Digital Group Managing Editor Rosie Squires
Online Producer Robert Maniaci
Acting Art Director (iPad) Daryl Lee

CONTRIBUTORS
Catherine Adams (food); Max Allen (wine); Guy Dimond (London);
Fiona Donnelly (Brisbane); Sue Dyson & Roger McShane (Hobart);
George Epaminondas (Los Angeles); AA Gill (travel); Michael Harden
(Melbourne); Fergus Henderson (columnist); Kendall Hill (senior writer);
Rob Ingram (senior writer); Rosa Jackson (Paris); Mat Pember
(gardening); Damien Pignolet (food); Emma Sloley (New York);
David Sly (Adelaide); Will Studd (cheese); Tony Tan (food);
Max Veenhuyzen (Perth)
Interns Krisna Pradipta, Laksha Prasad, Isabella Waugh

Editorial office GPO Box 4088, Sydney, NSW 2001, Australia

phone +61 2 9282 8758
email askgourmet@bauer-media.com.au
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Published by Bauer Media Pty Limited. ABN 18 053 273 546. 54-58 Park St, Sydney, NSW 2000, (02) 9282 8000.
The trade mark Australian Gourmet Traveller is the property of Bauer Media Pty Limited and is used under licence.
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Vol 16 No 1 ISSN 1034-9006
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 EDITOR’S LETTER

We’re so spoilt for choice with big-ticket tourist

WHAT
attractions in Australia that it’s easy to miss or WE’RE
forget about the hidden gems. We’ve just put our EATING
inaugural Chinese edition to press – it’s out in time for Lunar New Year – and while
planning the issue we were reminded of not only how diverse and exciting the travel OUR FAVOURITE
experience to Australia is, but that some of the most precious memories waiting to PLATES OF THE MONTH
be made lie beyond a visit to the Sydney Opera House or the Great Barrier Reef.
Take the Far South Coast of New South Wales. This remarkable part of the GRILLED LOBSTER
world, including the “beautifully uncivilised” Sapphire Coast, is home to pristine At Aussie-Chinese chef Lance
Seeto’s new restaurant at Fiji’s Mana
beaches that run into lush dairy land and national parks, and in recent years it has Island Resort there’s no gas or
flourished, becoming one of the emerging food destinations in the country. Helen electricity, just fire. At WAR (Wild
and Raw), Seeto creates brilliant
Anderson travelled from Narooma to Eden to report on the renewal of this special modern dishes like this: slivers of
region – in time for the summer holiday rush. Her story begins on page 142. lobster meat are grilled quickly over
There’s a sand-between-the toes vibe throughout the pages of this month’s charcoal, then teamed with lobster
ice-cream made with coconut
issue. Bryce Corbett tackled the enviable assignment of travelling to Fiji’s Dolphin cream, and topped with pickled lime.
Island to report on what it’s like to holiday on your own private island (sublime Heavenly. WAR, Mana Island Resort,
Mana Island, Fiji. +679 665 0423.
was the answer) and Dominique Afacan immersed herself in the charms of MICHAEL HARDEN
Mallorca for her piece on page 132. RATHER A LOT OF COW
In food, we’re all about the flame this month. Curtis Stone shows us his favourite There was lots of good stuff to eat
at the latest Rootstock outing in
American-style barbecue recipes (page 82), Tony Tan leads a masterclass on spicy
PHOTOGRAPHY PAUL SUESSE (CORBETT) COVER: ALL PROPS STYLIST’S OWN

Sydney, but the most memorable

Malaysian chicken (page 42) and we drop in on an enigmatic open-air restaurant dish was undoubtedly the whole
belted Galloway cooked over
in Mexico’s Tulum, which has become famous for its wood-fired simplicity charcoal for 22 hours by Africola chef
(page 106). And, in a very exciting exclusive, Noma’s René Redzepi shares Duncan Welgemoed. It’s not often
a family barbecue menu inspired by his visits to Australia (page 90). enough you see a forklift put to good
use in cooking, but that’s the magic
of Rootstock. rootstocksydney.com
Happy New Year, PAT NOURSE
IBURI KATSUO NIGIRI
Roppongi sushi bar Isana is slowly
SUOUN & T
Y
M G R HE
M ED NE
ER S T W

gaining traction in food circles, and

DRO P SPRIT
INOUR Z
K I NO
NG W

understandably so. The mood is

Brilliant
BARBECUE
relaxed – chef Junichi Onuki enjoys
EXCLUSIVE
IDEAS RENÉ
talking to guests in fluent English
Anthea Loucas
TEXAS-STYLE BRISKET, SPICY MALAYSIAN REDZEPI
CHICKEN, TEQUILA-SOAKED MEXICAN AT HOME

HIDDEN
GEM
THE SAPPHIRE
as well as Japanese – while gently
COAST

smoking skipjack tuna over rice

ON THE COVER Grilled corn with whipped sesame butter, lime and +
INSIDER’S
GUIDE TO
MALLORCA
straw is just one tasty trick in our
man’s extensive repertoire.
coriander (recipe page 39) Recipe Lisa Featherby Photography Ben Isana, 1F 1-11-6, Nishi-Azasbu
Dearnley Styling Emma Knowles Merchandising Rhianne Contrera Minato-ku, Japan, +81 03 6434 9194.
Grilled corn with
whipped sesame butter,
lime and coriander
MAX VEENHUYZEN

CONTRIBUTORS
OLIVER STRAND DOMINIQUE BRYCE CORBETT
Oliver Strand regularly AFACAN The hardship assignment
writes for The New York Writer, editor and in this issue went to
Times and Vogue, and sunseeker Dominique Sydney journalist and
is the author of Clean, Afacan often takes the author Bryce Corbett.
Bright, Sweet, and short flight from her Dispatched to a private
co-author of Hartwood: London home to Palma, island in Fiji, he quickly
Bright, Wild Flavours the pint-sized capital grew accustomed to
from the Edge of the of Mallorca, to soak up beach butlers and freshly
Yucatán. His work was the island’s year-round caught crabs for dinner
included in Best Food Writing in 2010, 2014, and cheerful weather. “I’ve been travelling to the under the swaying palms of Dolphin Island.
2015. In this issue he writes about Hartwood, Balearics for over a decade, but in the past year “Seclusion is a new frontier in luxury travel,” he
a restaurant where, he says, chef Eric Werner or two I’ve noticed a new energy on Mallorca,” says. “The idea that you can go to a resort and
“destroys himself each night” to maintain his she says. “Thankfully the island never loses its have the place entirely to yourself has become
high standards. Read more on page 106. easy Mediterranean charm.” See page 132. a new benchmark.” See his report on page 152.

17
HAUTE
CUISINE
ON THE
HIGH SEAS
EPICUREAN VOYAGES FOR GOURMET TRAVELLERS
They are a feast for foodies and oenophiles alike, luxury food
and wine voyages that combine some of the world’s most
flavourful destinations with a delectable array of culinary talents.
Innovative menus crafted by world-renowned chefs. Private
tastings in the most distinguished wine regions of the planet.
An interactive, onboard gastronomic experience presented by
esteemed culinary partner, Relais & Châteaux®.
Many may claim to understand the gourmet lifestyle, but
only Silversea can boast an Italian heritage that has culinary
excellence at its very soul. Combine this with the unadulterated
pampering that can only result from a service ratio of nearly one
to one, and no more than 540 guests onboard. Welcome to a
degustation of the senses. Welcome to the world of Silversea.

AN UNMATCHED CULINARY PEDIGREE. SMALL SHIP EXCELLENCE.

• Exclusive partnership
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• The only Slow Food
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• Menu specialities designed
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by Relais & Châteaux
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Intimate Ships Œ Ocean-view Suites Œ Butler Service Œ Complimentary Beverages Œ Menu by Relais & Châteaux Œ Included Gratuities

For more information or a copy of the 2016 Silversea brochure, please see
your Travel Professional, call Silversea on 1300 306 872 or visit silversea.com
 gourmet NEWS
FOOD CULTURE DINING DESIGN
EDITED BY PAT NOURSE & MAGGIE SCARDIFIELD

BEACH PATROL
Australia’s coastal
plants are making
waves in the kitchen.

2
1

HIGHLY STRUNG SNACKS

Up your picnic table or party game
7
these holidays with DOIY’s bite-
sized Yummy Bunting ($17.95 for 15
metres). Burgers, icy-poles, pizza
or doughnuts? Our vote is for the 6
whole tasty spread. until.com.au 5
4

TREND
Know your beach greens
Wild coastal greens are popping up on plates in restaurants all around Australia.
But do you know your warrigal greens from your barilla? Let’s hit the beach.
“It’s amazing how much food and medicine you can come across below your feet,” says
winemaker and market gardener Tim Webber. “It’s no wonder Australian chefs are using
what’s right before our very eyes more and more often.” Webber was one-half of the team
that opened Sydney wine bar Love, Tilly Devine; he has cooked at Sean’s Panaroma and
foraged for restaurants including Africola and Ester. He and his partner, Monique Millton,
now make Manon wine in the Adelaide Hills. When it comes to identifying coastal greens,
Webber suggests familiarising yourself with a key half a dozen plants to start.
“Try before you buy,” he says. Samphire is a salty green with a bitter edge – “the
beachside wine-drinker’s pickle of choice”. Together with seablite, it shares its habitat with
warrigal greens, an iron-rich spinach abundant along the east coast of New South Wales
and into Victoria, where it’s gradually replaced by barilla. You may have seen samphire
tossed through Kylie Kwong’s yabbies and XO sauce, or seablite atop stracciatella at
Automata, but you can keep beach-plant cooking far simpler at home by tossing them into
SMALL BEER a fish pan at the very last minute with nothing more than olive oil and lemon.
PHOTOGRAPHY JAMES EVANS (PLANTS) & RODNEY MACUJA

There are bar fridges, and then there’s the FAB 5 Another go-to among chefs such as Jock Zonfrillo and David Moyle is the robustly
from Smeg. Less than a metre high and with flavoured saltbush, which is great fried and served over beef or kangaroo. “It’s from the
two shelves for beers, what this summer same family as quinoa, amaranth, beets and chard and is amazing with an ice-cold beer,”
(CHARCOAL) STYLING AIMEE JONES (PLANTS)

saviour lacks in height it certainly makes up for says Webber. Karkalla’s succulent banana-shaped leaves have a beautiful lemony tang,
in personality. Available in red, black and cream while sea parsley is “like celery intensified by 100, then dipped in salt”. Sounds like
for $1,990. smeg.com.au summer to us. For a list of distributors, visit outbackpridefresh.com.au
> 1 Seablite. 2 Warrigal greens. 3 Marsh samphire. 4 Karkalla. 5 Saltbush. 6 Barilla. 7 Sea parsley.

LOW AND SLOW Pok Pok Thaan’s Thai-style all-natural charcoal ($17.95
for 2.27kg) can burn at 650C for more than four hours with little ash or
smoke, so it’s just the ticket for slow cooking. productdistribution.com.au

19
 31

CALENDAR
GUTS AND GLORY
Fungi, fermented
food and scientists
talking microscopic
critters are all part of
the gut-themed plan
for the MONA
Marketplace, MoMa,
which opens in
conjunction with
Hobart’s Mofo festival
PET PROJECT (13-18 January) and
runs each Sunday
Hartshorn Distillery 11am-4pm until 27
and Grandvewe March. mona.net.au
STAGE RIGHT
Cheeses make You won’t starve at
vodka ($105 for the Sydney Festival
700ml) using (7-26 January) with
restaurants including
sheep’s whey. Sokyo, Regatta and
Say cheese. La Rosa The Strand
MEET YOUR MAKER spirit-people.net
rocking out a choice
of $30, $55 and other

Malfatti Glass special à la carte

(BOTTLE OPENER, VODKA & SODA STREAM) ILLUSTRATION (LAUREN HAIRE STYLING AIMEE JONES (MEET YOUR MAKER)
menus as part of
Two glass artists find beauty in the strangely seductive off-centre, one vessel at a time.

PHOTOGRAPHY YIANNI ASPRADAKIS (PRODUCER PORTRAIT), JAMES EVANS (MEET YOUR MAKER) & RODNEY MACUJA
the Fast Festival
Daniel Spitzer and Jill Reynolds are glass artists living in Beacon, New York. Spitzer is an established glassblower
Feasts program.
and Reynolds, a flameworker, produces glasswork on a much smaller scale. Together, the duo produce Malfatti Glass:
sydneyfestival.org.au
a collection of delicate-looking yet surprisingly sturdy tableware made using only hand tools and their breath. From
CRUSHING HARD
whimsical sake sets to test tube-like prosecco glasses, there’s an off-kilter magic to Malfatti (which means “misshapen”
From 22-24 January
in Italian). Each piece is made from borosilicate, a type of glass more commonly reserved for laboratory ware.
34 wineries in the
How does a Malfatti Glass piece come to be?
Adelaide Hills
Unlike furnace glass, which starts from a vat of molten material, we start with glass tubes of different sizes purchased
(Mt Lofty Ranges
from scientific glass suppliers. These are heated, stretched and broken down into sections, heated again until malleable,
Vineyard, Tomich and
then inflated into the size and shape of the glass. The bottom is then flattened and the lip opened up. Voilà.
Petaluma among
You use borosilicate to produce your pieces. Why this particular material?
them) will open their
We rely less on tools using it and have found the process more intimate – we’re able to get so close to the material.
cellar doors for the
A lot of flameworkers use soda-lime glass [which is used in most bottles and windows] because it’s available in many
Crush festival.
more colours. We were more interested in the conceptual possibilities of borosilicate and its transparency.
crush festival.com.au
> Malfatti Glass prosecco glasses (top left), $150 a pair; Malfatti Glass sake pitcher (top right) and cups, $230 for a set with
four cups, are available at sorrythanksiloveyou.com in Sydney or direct from malfattiglass.com MAGGIE SCARDIFIELD

IN January
REWIND
1995...
WE CHILLED WE GRILLED WE EXPLORED
Beetroot soup with Vermouth-marinated chicken The Great Ocean Road
dill pickles with blood orange salsa

20 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
 ASK
THE
EXPERTS
JOHN SUSMAN,
SEAFOOD EXPERT
How can we make the
most of cooking seafood
over an open flame?
As much as I love seafood
steamed, roasted and
fried, for me the best
method of cooking a fish
is over a fire. You can
barbecue whole fish and
fillets with equal success.
It really is magnificent
and easy to do, too.
Briquettes might seem
the very definition of
one-touch convenience,
but they tend to burn too
bright, too fast, meaning
you don’t get that steady,
intense heat so desired
when cooking over coals.
Instead, start by using
good-quality charcoal;
it’ll last longer, cooks
with a more consistent
heat and imparts a
BRASS IN POCKET
You’re going to want to keep this
solid brass bottle opener close ($110).
Graphic, practical and, yes, highly
pinchable. criteriacollection.com.au
gourmet NEWS
beautiful flavour that’s
neither tannic or harsh.
Before cooking your fish,
always allow all flames to
die down until you’re left
GET YOUR GOAT
with white ash. Choosing Mr Goaty’s Daniel
the right type of fish is Hughes at Bondi
Farmers’ Market.
important; some don’t
work as well over coals,
like fillets of flounder,
whiting or garfish. The
best fish for the barbecue
are those with a firm,
dense and ideally oily or
fatty flesh – species like
salmon, mackerel,
sardines, swordfish or
kingfish. When cooking
whole fish, dry it well
before putting it on the
grill. For a lovely, smoky
flavour, you can place an
upturned casserole dish
over the top and stoke
the coals with rosemary
and thyme. The fish is
done when it lifts off the
bone with ease. I like
mine a little underdone
THE PRODUCERS
so the flesh is just
translucent at the core. Mr Goaty Gelato
Most important of all, Chef Dan Hughes swaps Three Blue Ducks for selling gelati by the beach.
WHO After hanging up his chef’s whites in February last year, Dan Hughes (formerly
relax while the fire does
of Sydney’s Three Blue Ducks) started experimenting with goat’s milk. “It’s no secret
the work.
I love goats,” says Hughes. “I grew up with them, drinking fresh goat’s milk and
eating loads of cheese. I’m also a big fan of gelato, so combining the two seemed
like a good idea.”
WHAT The current Mr Goaty range includes four signature flavours: honeycomb and
lavender; lemon curd; cacao and coconut; and raspberry and pistachio. “I wanted the
flavours to be a bit different, and also reflect and complement the goat’s milk,” he says.
The UK-born chef got the inspiration for the popular lavender flavour when he was
travelling in Morocco. “We had a beautifully soft fresh goat’s milk yoghurt with lavender
honey. It’s such a great combination.”
HOW Hughes sources the lavender and the fruit from neighbouring stalls at the
Bondi Farmers’ Market each week, and the goat’s milk comes from either a farm in
Victoria’s West Gippsland or a small dairy near Newcastle, depending on the season.
“The wilder the goat the stronger the taste of the milk.” The gelato-making takes place
at Hughes’ purpose-built gelato kitchen in Redfern. “We churn five litres at a time.
Small hand-packed batches allow us to keep the freshness and quality consistent.”
WHY Mr Goaty isn’t a traditional gelato; it’s more like a cross with ice-cream. “It has less
sugar than most gelati, and because I use goat’s milk instead of cow’s, the butterfat
content is lower. We’ve taken the best of both to create a light but still creamy gelato.”
WHERE Hughes and his gelato can be found at Bondi Farmers’ Market every Saturday
from 9am. Mr Goaty, mrgoatygelato.com.au LAKSHA PRASAD

CLUB SODA Spike your water with sea buckthorn, yuzu and mandarin,
and 10 other syrups thanks to New York chef Paul Liebrandt’s flavour line
for SodaStream. Sparkling Gourmet, $4.95 for four. sodastream.com.au

21
gourmet NEWS
ON THE PASS
Colin Barker,
The Boathouse EXPLAINER
on Blackwattle Bay
What’s your mission at The Boathouse, Colin?
STRANGE
We’re trying to push the envelope with a lot of the FLAVOUR
lesser-known Australian species like gurnard and As far as dish descriptors go,
ocean jacket. We see the boats come in each day “strange flavour” isn’t exactly a
so we’ve got unequalled access to the catch. It’s marketer’s dream, but that
what gets the day rolling. hasn’t stopped it from gaining
What are you most looking forward to dishing traction locally. Named for the
up in January? “strange” yet seamless way
The mahi mahi season is getting into full swing. contrasting tastes like hot,
numbing, sour and fresh meld,
We’ll do a sashimi or ceviche with the small ones
the sauce can be traced back
and we’ll roast the big 15 to 20-kilo models over
to China’s Sichuan province,
yellow polenta – it gives them an amazing crust.
where it’s partnered with
Then there’s the bycatch of longline fishing like everything from meat to
Ray’s bream, which we pan-fry and serve with peanuts. While Melbourne’s
zucchini flowers, basil and crustacean vinaigrette. Gingerboy and Master in
What will you be barbecuing over the break? Sydney are among the
My family has a house on the Hawkesbury with an restaurants serving strange-
old fire-pit out the back. We grill what we catch: flavoured dishes, Neil Perry
blue swimmer and mud crabs, prawns and local was one of the method’s early
squid with olive oil and lemon juice. Dead simple. adopters with Spice Temple’s
dish of strange flavour
Is there a hero on the menu at The Boathouse?
white-cut chicken. “The flavour
There’s nothing more perfect than a freshly
comes from the combination of
shucked oyster. It’s nature at its best. We get Wooli
black vinegar and Chinese
oysters from the north coast exclusively and roasted sesame paste,” says
they’re one of my favourites. We serve them old Spice Temple Sydney’s head
school: on ice, shucked to order, and with dark rye chef, Andy Evans. “On paper
bread, good butter and mignonette dressing. these two ingredients wouldn’t
Any shucking tips you can share with us? normally be found together;
It’s not about horsepower. however, used this way, the
The Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay, 123 Ferry Rd, result is extraordinary.”
ROCKING THE BOAT Glebe, NSW, (02) 9518 9011, boathouse.net.au MAX VEENHUYZEN
The Boathouse on
Blackwattle Bay’s EMMA HUTTON
Colin Barker.

GARDEN VARIETY
For her first collection as Marimekko’s new
creative director, Swedish-born Anna Teurnell
¡VAMOS VALENCIANA! (previously of & Other Stories) covers the
Throw your prawns into a paella for a homewares line with watermelon-green
change with this Spanish-made El Cid poppies and ’70s navy swirls. Garden parties
a-go-go. Sonaatti tea towel, $24.50; Pieni
gas burner, pan and tripod. $257.30 for Unikko oven mitt, $32. marimekko.com
all three. essentialingredient.com.au
 HOT
Our restaurant critics’ picks
of the latest and best eats,
updated weekly on
our website:
gourmettraveller.com.au
JULIEN ROYER
SINGAPORE
The National Gallery
Singapore’s former
Supreme Court building
has welcomed chef Julien
Royer (previously of Jaan)
& PAUL SUESSE (ON THE PASS) STYLING AIMEE JONES (SIGNATURE DRINK). ALL PROPS STYLIST’S OWN.
to its dining precinct.
Odette is Royer’s 32-seater
modern French fine-diner,
which takes its name from
his grandmother. Open for
lunch and dinner and
PHOTOGRAPHY JAMES EVANS (SIGNATURE DRINK), JASMINE POOLE (PAELLA PAN)
offering four-, six- and
eight-course tasting menus,
Odette dishes up the likes
of beef tartare with smoked
bone marrow, pickled
kohlrabi and grain mustard
ice-cream.
HONG KONG
Hong Kong-based
Vietnamese-Australian chef
Bao La has swapped Ho
Lee Fook for Le Garçon
Saigon, a new Saigonese
grillhouse in Wan Chai. The
new digs remixes French
brasserie charm (tiled
floors, banquette seating,
French wines) with La’s
family recipes and
traditional southern
AMOR Y AMARGO’S
BLACK ROCK
CHILLER
Vietnamese flavours such
as whole red snapper with
SIGNATURE DRINK
rice paper and pickled
daikon, his mother’s cha Amor y Amargo’s
gio and sides of wok-fried
snake beans.
Black Rock Chiller
A fortifying summer cocktail that’s as portable as it is potable.
SYDNEY
No ice? No problems. The Black Rock Chiller is an invigorating pick-me-up that can be
The Surry Hills noodle bar
enjoyed anywhere – even in the Nevada desert. “Gizmodo asked me to make a drink for
Salaryman pays tribute to
the “work hard, play hard” their writer who was going to Burning Man,” says Sother Teague of bitters-centric New
mentality of white-collar York cocktail bar Amor y Amargo. “The brief was ‘cooling and refreshing’, but the caveat
workers in Japan with it’s was that they’d have no access to ice.” So how does this Negroni-ish elixir manage to
grungy subway-like fit-out. taste cold without being chilled? The secret, says Teague, is a beloved Italian liqueur.
Flying Fish chef Stephen “The bracing menthol of Branca Menta immediately cools the senses while the peppery
Seckold is in the corner and slightly citrusy tequila delivers the punch.” Amor y Amargo, 443 E 6th St, New York,
office fixing seasonal ramen
NY, USA, +1 212 614 6818, amoryamargony.com MAX VEENHUYZEN
(tsukemen with a coconut-
> In a glass (or bucket), combine equal parts Branca Menta, reposado tequila and Suze
based dipping sauce in
summer, say) with street (for a sharp bitter note). Stir and serve neat without ice or garnish.
food-inspired plates such
as chicken wings stuffed
with sea-plant butter.
LONDON
A short walk from London’s
Soho Square, Hoppers is
a new Sri Lankan eatery
from the same team who
brought the city two of its
best Indian diners, Trishna
and Gymkhana. The room
GET OUR
is styled like a rustic lodge
LATEST PICKS
OF THE BEST
in country Ceylon, where
IN AUSTRALIAN PLASTIC FANTASTIC
appam (crisp-shelled rice
pancakes), idiyappam
EATING Just in time for the pool party
Use the free viewa app
(vermicelli crumpets), dosai and scan this page to season, Bodum’s double-walled
and roasted meats form get the lowdown on the
the basis of the menu, next newest restaurants on
“Pavina” tumblers ($45 for six)
to a sharp list of cocktails. your mobile device. now come in plastic. bodum.com
GRAPE RENOVATION McLaren Vale winery Hardys’ Tintara is undergoing
a multimillion-dollar revamp that brings together a winemaking viewing platform
and a state-of the-art cellar door, slated to open in 2018. hardyswines.com
23
ON THE TABLE
It’s summertime and the drinking is easy – just add smart glassware
14
1 Serax rocks glass in green,
$17.25, from The Bay Tree.
2 Mist tumbler, $11.95, from
Country Road. 3 Downtown
Blooms Poppy Gold tumbler,
$16, from T2. 4 Malaga Graffiti
glass tumbler in blue, $12,
from The Country Trader.
5 Salt & Pepper Barcart
tumbler, $49.95 for a set of
four, from Bambis. 6 Yellow
tumbler with coloured base,
$45.90 for a set of six, from
Francalia. 7 Eva Solo tumbler
in blue, $35 for a set of four,
from Top 3 By Design.
24 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
Tumblers
to dress up your favourite holiday refreshments. Cheers.
3
4
6
12
PHOTOGRAPHY JAMES EVANS STYLING AIMEE JONES
13
11
10
8
8 William Yeoward “Bunny”
crystal glass, $180, from
The Bay Tree. 9 Green
striped tumbler, $51.90 for
a set of six, from Francalia.
10 Time & Style “Moon”
glass, $45, from Ginkgo
Leaf. 11 Dressed Up water
glass in Quad Smoke,
9
$18.95, from Villeroy &
Boch. 12 Band tumbler,
$12.95, from Country Road.
13 Diamond highball, $48
for a set of four, from West
Elm. 14 Fresco “Solito”
glass, $59, from Ginkgo
Leaf. Stockists p175. #
 GOURMET ONLINE

Gourmet plus
We’re dishing up more of the good stuff on your tablet, phone and online,
from bonus recipes and breaking news to videos and photo galleries.

OUR
GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU

APPS HOLA MEXICO

Love the recipes
from Hartwood
(see p106)? We’ve
got more Mexican HOT
online, including
mole poblano and Our restaurant critics’ picks
of the latest and best eats,
corn soup with updated weekly on
crushed avocado. our website:
gourmettraveller.com.au

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iPHONE FREE AT THE APPLE APP STORE

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+ Interactive and THE LIVING IS EASY
Whether you’re after more barbecue-friendly plates
made for iPad
or grab-and-go picnic staples, you’ll find a collection
+ Video content and of fuss-free al fresco recipes on our website. Picnic
step-by-step rugs and Eskies at the ready.
demonstrations

+
+ Extra images in
our photo galleries SUMMER CHEERS
+ Landscape Looking for some bright
cook-mode for easy and refreshing summer
cooking cocktail ideas? Hop
online for everything
from Campari and
Watermelon Spritzes
to Mango, Rum and
S E A R C H F O R G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R Mint Slushies.
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GOURMET ONLINE

OUR
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From rosemary-spiked tomahawks to
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soft feta, meat cooked on the bone has
superb flavour. Hop online for more than
two dozen of our favourites.
this issue
36
S C O O P Check out our restaurant critics’ hot
new picks. Turn to page 23.
SHOP Keep it easy. See page 39 for a shopping list
for our Gourmet Fast recipes and pick up more than
150 recipes with our Gourmet Fast App.
C O N N E C T Get the full menus from this
month’s reviewed restaurants, Melbourne’s

57
Oakridge (page 54) and the Continental in
Sydney (page 57), and contact them at the
touch of a fingertip.
WATCH Luke Ashton from Sydney bar This Must
be the Place shows us how to make Spritzes (page
117), Will Studd talks about clothbound cheddar in
Vermont (page 48) and Mat Pember has advice on
making a wicking bed (page 44).
Videos
Luke Ashton from This Must be the
Place makes classic Spritzes, Will DOWN LOAD VI EWA FRE E FROM
Studd talks clothbound cheddar in
Vermont and The Little Veggie Patch
Co shows how to make a wicking bed.
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 READER DINNER

CONTACT
Scan this page with the free
viewa app to contact Regatta
and make your booking.

Sea change
Join us at the new Regatta in Rose Bay with acclaimed REGATTA
chef and GT contributor Damien Pignolet at the helm.
2009 Gembrook Hill Blanc de Blancs,
Yarra Valley, Vic
Get ready for a sea change, Rose Bay. Regatta,
the latest incarnation of the culinary holy ground that is
Rose Bay marina, has a new chef, and it’s someone we’re * Poached alpine salmon, Endeavour
confident you’re going to welcome: Damien Pignolet.
prawns, green apple, parsley and
Few chefs can claim to have so positively influenced
red peppers, with fresh tomato
the dining culture of Sydney’s leafy east as Pignolet.
and tarragon sauce
His time at Butler’s in Potts Point and Bistro Moncur 2014 Crawford River Riesling, Henty, Vic
and Claude’s in Woollahra showed a generation (or
two) what it meant to dine rather than simply eat.
This month Pignolet takes the reins at waterfront * Salad of baby beetroot, green and
brasserie Regatta, and classical elegance will be the yellow beans, frisée and mâche, toasted
name of the game when he hosts a very special reader walnuts and their vinaigrette
dinner. Pignolet plans to kick things off with poached 2015 Frederick Stevenson Rosé,
Mount Cook alpine salmon served in a stock jelly with Barossa Valley, SA
green apples, parsley and red peppers, and a bean and
baby beetroot salad topped with Mount Irvine walnuts.
“I want to start with something that’s summery, * Roasted red emperor, sauce pinot noir,
fresh and clean,” he says. brandade ravioli, confit fennel
Roasted red emperor with salt cod ravioli and a and carrot purée
light pinot noir sauce with thyme follows for the main 2013 Quest Farm Grand Central Pinot
course, and the finale is a sablé pastry of almond Noir, Central Otago
cream, poached peaches and summer berries.
“I’ve always believed that balance is the most
important thing,” says Pignolet, “and here you have
* Peach and berry sablé tart,
a menu of pretty colours, different flavours and frangipane cream
textures – it’s absolutely 100 per cent me.”
2009 Gembrook Hill Blanc de Blancs,
Join us for dinner at 6.30pm on Monday 1 February
Yarra Valley, Vic
WORDS EMMA HUTTON

at Regatta, 594 New South Head Rd, Rose Bay, NSW.

The cost of $145 per person includes four courses,
wines by the glass and a $10 donation to the
BAY OF PLENTY
Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation. To book,
* Coffee with Domingo chocolate cake
Regatta at Sydney’s Rose petits fours
Bay, and Damien Pignolet. call (02) 9327 6561. For more on the OCRF, call
1300 OVARIAN or visit ocrf.com.au. #

27
 Alfresco
E N T E R TA I N I N G
Planning a summer soirée? With the Tefal Cuisine Companion
by your side in the kitchen you’ll be the host with the most.
 AN AUSTRALIAN GOURMET TRAVELLER PROMOTION

Main
Light and easy
Steamed salmon salad with béarnaise
Prep time 20 mins, cook 15 mins
Serves 4
4 skinless salmon fillet (125gm each),
pin-bones removed
100 gm mixed salad leaves (such as witlof,
mignonette, buttercrunch lettuce)
1 bunch radish, thinly sliced
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed, blanched
1½ cups dill sprigs

Entrée
Caperberries, to serve
Béarnaise
150 gm butter, diced

Perfect savoury parfait 4 egg yolks

¼ cup white wine or lemon juice
Brandied duck liver pâté ¼ cup white wine vinegar
Prep time 20 mins, cook 15 mins Entertaining family 1 tbsp chopped tarragon (optional)
Serves 6 and friends has never 1 Trim salmon and season. Set aside, covered.
60
300
gm butter
gm duck livers, trimmed
been easier thanks to 2 Pour water into the Cuisine Companion bowl
up to the 0.7-litre marker. Place half the salmon in
100 gm button mushrooms, sliced the Tefal Cuisine the steam basket, place basket in the bowl and
¹⁄³ cup brandy Companion. launch the Steam Program for 8 minutes. Set aside
2 spring onions, finely chopped covered. Repeat with remaining salmon. Set aside.
The Tefal Cuisine Companion 3 Meanwhile, for the béarnaise, place butter,
1 garlic clove, crushed
is an all-in-one wonder machine yolks, wine and vinegar in the bowl fitted with
125 gm cream cheese, chopped, softened
that performs the functions of the whisk and season to taste. Launch the
2 tsp chopped chervil, plus baby chervil to serve Sauce Program at speed 6 at 70C for 8 minutes.
a food processor, stand-mixer,
Melba toasts, pickled Spanish onion and Fold in tarragon if using.
slow-cooker, steamer, blender and
cornichons, to serve 4 Arrange leaves on a serving platter and scatter
more, allowing you to whip up with flaked salmon, radish, asparagus, dill sprigs
1 Place butter, livers, mushrooms, brandy, onion an incredible array of dishes and caperberries, drizzle with béarnaise, season
and garlic in the Cuisine Companion bowl fitted
at the touch of a button. to taste and serve.
with the mixer. Launch P1 Slow Cook program
It replaces up to 10 appliances, TIP if your béarnaise sauce become too thick, thin
for 12 minutes. Remove and set aside. Rinse
bowl in cold water. plus makes light work of manual it down with a little hot water or lemon juice.
2 Replace the mixer with the Ultrablade. Return tasks such as kneading, stirring and
liver mixture to bowl along with cream cheese whisking, with precise timing and
and chervil and season to taste. Mix at speed heat control. The result?
12 for 30 seconds. Using a spatula, scrape down Success, every time.
sides, bringing mixture to the middle, then mix
again for 20 seconds to form a smooth paste.
3 Place in a small serving dish and chill, covered, The Tefal Cuisine Companion
for at least 2 hours. Top with baby chervil and is made in France and comes
serve with Melba toasts (see tip), pickled Spanish with a two-year warranty. $1.699.
onion (see tip) and cornichons.
TIP For Melba toasts, cut the crusts from slices
of white bread and roll out the bread until very
thin. Cut each slice in half or quarters. Place on
a baking tray and bake in a moderate oven (180C)
for 5-10 minutes until lightly browned. For pickled
Spanish onion, thinly slice 1 Spanish onion,
sprinkle with 1 tbsp sugar, salt and pepper and
drizzle with white wine vinegar. Set aside for at
least 1 hour before serving.

Discover what it means to cook with confidence

this summer with the Tefal Cuisine Companion.

SEE MORE AT CUISINECOMPANION.COM.AU

 Fare exchange
Recipes you’ve requested from Australia’s leading restaurants.

ESTER Barbecued prawns with brown butter and tamari

FRANK Charred sweet potato, goat’s curd and almonds
GAS-LIGHT IZAKAYA Barbecued lamb ribs with yuzu-sesame yakiniku sauce
THE TAMARIND Pineapple with ginger beer sorbet and coconut mousse

Ester’s barbecued prawns with

brown butter and tamari (RECIPE P32)

30 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
PRAWNS Timber RIBS Canister (with
stool from Loft. succulent) from
Hanging planter Country Road.
from Luumo Design. Timber stool from
Plates from Lived in Loft. Ikat fabric from
Coogee. Canister No Chintz. All other
(with succulent) props stylist’s own.
from Country Road. Stockists p175.

Gas-Light Izakaya’s barbecued

lamb ribs with yuzu-sesame
yakiniku sauce (RECIPE P32)
CHEFS’ RECIPES
“Ester’s long been a favourite local of mine, and I’d love
to cook Mat’s prawns on the barbie at home.”
Guido Di Lizio, Redfern, NSW
Barbecued prawns with brown
butter and tamari
Chef Mat Lindsay usually cooks the prawns in a
wood-fired oven, but a barbecue works well, too. Use
your hands to eat these, and don’t throw away the
shells and heads – they add great crunch.
Prep time 35 mins, cook 10 mins (plus cooling)
Serves 4 (pictured p30)
12 large king prawns
125 gm unsalted butter, diced
3 tsp tamari, or to taste
Grapeseed or sunflower oil, for deep-frying
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
10 gm (2 tsp) baby salted capers, rinsed,
drained, and dried on paper towels
Lemons wedges, to serve
1 Make a covered barbecue (see note) as hot as
you can. Carefully cut along the back and belly of
each prawn shell from tail to head using small,
thin-tipped scissors (try to avoid cutting into the
flesh) and discard one side of shell. Split the
underside of the head open with scissors and
butterfly, then set aside.
2 Melt butter in a heavy-based saucepan over
medium heat until light brown (4-6 minutes; don’t
overcook or it will become bitter). Briefly dip base
of saucepan in a bowl of cold water to cool
slightly, leave for 30 seconds, then add tamari.
3 Meanwhile, heat 2cm of grapeseed oil to 180C
in a small saucepan. Add capers and deep-fry
until crisp (30-40 seconds; be careful, hot oil will
spit). Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on
paper towels.
4 Brush prawns with olive oil and barbecue
shell-side down and with cover closed until
heads are crisp and flesh is just translucent
(1½-2 minutes). Serve with brown butter, fried
capers, a grind of fresh black pepper and
lemon wedges.
Note If you don’t have a barbecue with a lid, place
an upturned metal bowl over the prawns.
Frank’s charred
sweet potato, goat’s
curd and almonds
“I’m hoping you can acquire the recipe for charred
sweet potato, goat’s curd, almonds, garlic and coriander
Scott Heffernan serves at Frank.”
Anneliese Farmer, Sandy Bay, Tas
Charred sweet potato, goat’s curd
and almonds
Prep time 30 mins, cook 1¼ hrs
Serves 4
3 large sweet potatoes (about 500gm
each), unpeeled
Olive oil, for brushing
40 gm (¼ cup) roasted almonds,
coarsely chopped
¼ cup coriander, stems and leaves,
thinly sliced
100 gm goat’s curd
Lemon dressing
100 ml grapeseed oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 small garlic cloves, crushed
1 Heat a barbecue to high and char-grill sweet
potato, turning once, until blackened (4-5 minutes
each side). Spread out embers or reduce heat
to low, cover with a lid, and grill sweet potato
indirectly, turning occasionally, until tender
(50 minutes to 1 hour).
2 Meanwhile, for lemon dressing, combine all the
ingredients and ½ tsp sea salt in a jar, seal and
shake to mix.
3 Slice sweet potato 2cm-3cm thick, brush
with olive oil, season to taste and grill, turning
once, until caramelised (2-3 minutes each side).
Transfer to a platter, top with almonds, coriander
and dollops of goat’s curd, spoon lemon dressing
over and serve.
“The guys at Gas-Light Izakaya know a thing or two
about barbecuing: their lamb ribs are tops. Can they
fill us in on their trade secret?”
Michael Moore, Fitzroy, Vic
Barbecued lamb ribs with yuzu-
sesame yakiniku sauce
Gas-Light Izakaya chef Adam Liston uses Suffolk
lamb ribs. Begin this recipe a day ahead to dry
the lamb.
Prep time 45 mins, cook 4 hrs 20 mins
(plus drying, cooling)
Serves 4 (pictured p31)
1.5 kg trimmed lamb rib racks (about 4)
2 litres (8 cups) chicken stock
80 ml (1/3 cup) light soy sauce, plus extra
to season
8 spring onions, 6 cut into batons, 2 cut
into julienne
½ head of garlic, cloves halved
30 gm ginger, thinly sliced
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 long red chillies, sliced
2 tbsp gochujang (see note)
2 tbsp sake
 PINEAPPLE Side plates
from Freedom. Fabric
from No Chintz.
SWEET POTATO Platter
from Adairs. Marble
chopping board, hanging
planter and tumbler
1½ tsp white (shiro) miso paste (see note) (with dressing) from
1 tbsp yuzu juice, or to taste (see note) Luumo Design. All other
Toasted white sesame seeds, to serve props stylist’s own.
Steamed rice (optional), to serve Stockists p175.

1 Place lamb ribs uncovered on a wire rack in the

refrigerator overnight. This dries the meat,
intensifies the flavour and helps with rendering.
2 Bring stock to the boil in a large saucepan. Add
soy sauce, spring onion batons, garlic and ginger
and season to taste with white pepper. Reduce
heat to low-medium and simmer for 30 minutes
to develop flavours. Add ribs, weight with a small
plate so ribs are submerged and simmer until
very tender (2½-3 hours). Transfer ribs to a tray
and refrigerate until cold (1-2 hours). Strain stock
through a fine sieve and reserve 125ml (freeze
remaining stock for another use).
3 Meanwhile, heat a barbecue to medium-high.
Slice lamb ribs into 2-rib portions, place in a
disposable foil tray, cover with foil, place on
barbecue and cook until excess fat renders
(30-40 minutes).
4 Meanwhile, heat oil in a large frying pan over
medium heat (you can also do this on the
barbecue). Add onion and chilli and stir until
onion softens (6-8 minutes). Add gochujang and
stir until fragrant (1 minute). Add reserved lamb
stock, bring to a simmer and simmer until
reduced by half (3-4 minutes). Add sake and
miso paste, and simmer until reduced but still
saucy (2-3 minutes). Add yuzu juice, season to
taste with extra soy sauce and set aside. The Tamarind’s
5 Remove ribs from tray and grill on barbecue, pineapple with ginger
turning occasionally, until charred (1-2 minutes). beer sorbet and
Drizzle ribs with sauce, scatter with julienned coconut mousse
spring onions and sesame seeds, and serve with
steamed rice.
Note Gochujang (Korean chilli paste), white miso
paste and yuzu juice are available from select Ginger beer sorbet down, until caramelised (2-3 minutes). Scatter top
supermarkets and Asian grocers. 500 ml (2 cups) ginger beer side with sugar, turn over and grill until caramelised
125 gm liquid glucose (2-3 minutes). Repeat grilling once more on each
55 gm (¼ cup) caster sugar side to caramelise more deeply (1 minute per side).
2 tbsp ginger refresher (optional; see note) Serve pineapple with ginger beer sorbet and
“The grilled pinepple dessert at The Tamarind, Spicers 2 tbsp lemon juice coconut mousse, and scatter with extra mint leaves
Retreat, is so refreshing: I’d love to make it at home.” 1 eggwhite, lightly whisked until just foaming and lime rind.
Emily Shipp, Brisbane, Qld (see note) Note Buderim ginger refresher is available
from select supermarkets. Eggwhite gives
Pineapple with ginger beer sorbet 1 For coconut mousse, warm coconut cream and sorbet a lighter texture; leave it out if you’d
and coconut mousse sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until prefer it eggless. #
PHOTOGRAPHY WILLIAM MEPPEM STYLING EMMA KNOWLES

At Tamarind they serve this dish with ginger and lime
curd, pineapple jewels and dehydrated pineapple.
Prep time 40 mins, cook 20 mins
(plus setting, cooling, chilling, freezing)
Serves 8
125 gm white sugar
Finely grated rind of ½ lime, plus extra
FOR RESTAURANT DETAILS SEE P175
mixture reaches 60C on a sugar thermometer.
Squeeze excess water from gelatine, add to pan
and whisk to dissolve. Transfer to a container and
refrigerate until set (4-6 hours).
2 For ginger beer sorbet, combine ginger beer,
glucose, sugar and ginger refresher in a small
saucepan and stir over medium heat until sugar

to serve dissolves (1-2 minutes). Set aside to cool briefly

6 mint leaves, plus extra to serve
1/8 long red chilli, seeds removed
1 ripe pineapple (about 1.3kg), peeled,
quartered lengthways, cored
Coconut mousse
500 ml (2 cups) coconut cream
50 gm caster sugar
1 titanium-strength gelatine leaf, softened in
cold water for 5 minutes
(10 minutes), then refrigerate to chill (1-2 hours).
Add lemon juice and eggwhite, churn in an
ice-cream machine and freeze (1-2 hours).
3 Heat a barbecue with a lightly oiled flat plate to
medium heat (heat a frying pan over medium
heat). Blend sugar, lime rind, mint and chilli in a
small blender until combined. Slice pineapple
lengthways into 1.5cm-wide pieces. Scatter 1 tsp
sugar mixture on each piece and grill, sugar-side
REQUEST A RECIPE
To request a recipe, write to
Fare Exchange, Australian Gourmet Traveller,
GPO Box 4088, Sydney, NSW 2001, or
email fareexchange@bauer-media.com.au.
Please include the restaurant’s name and
address or business card, as well as your
name and address.

33
PEACH SALAD
Tumbler from Liberty
Trading Co. Tile from

Quick meals
Teranova. Napkin from
Citta Design. All other
props stylist’s own.
Stockists p175.

Summer entertaining is a breeze with these no-fuss

dishes for speedy barbecues from Lisa Featherby.

1 Peach, basil, jamón and pumpernickel salad

2 Mussels with beer and bacon
3 Pisco, lime and strawberry slushies
4 Burgers with pickled beetroot
5 Barbecued chicken with blackened okra
6 Lamb with lemon, mint and shanklish
7 Grilled corn with whipped sesame butter, lime and coriander
8 Jerk snapper with pineapple and lime
9 Blueberry and coconut ice-cream sandwiches

1 Peach, basil, jamón

and pumpernickel salad
(RECIPE P36)

35
GOURMET FAST
1 Peach, basil, jamón and
pumpernickel salad
Serves 4, or 6-8 as a side (pictured p35)
60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil
90 gm pumpernickel, cut into 5mm dice
70 gm thinly sliced jamón Ibérico
3 each white peaches, sliced
3 each yellow peaches, sliced
1 cup (loosely packed) mint,
coarsely chopped
¼ cup each (loosely packed) purple and
Greek basil (or regular basil)
Hazelnut vinaigrette
Juice of 1 lemon
60 ml (1/4 cup) extra-virgin olive oil
40 gm (¼ cup) roasted hazelnuts,
coarsely chopped
1 Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat,
add pumpernickel and fry, turning with a spatula,
until crisp (6-8 minutes). Drain on paper towels
and leave to cool.
2 Wipe pan clean, then cook jamón in batches,
turning once, until crisp (2-4 minutes). Cool
briefly, then break into shards.
3 For hazelnut vinaigrette, whisk lemon juice
and oil in a bowl and season to taste, then stir
in hazelnuts.
4 Place peaches in a bowl, add half the dressing
and toss to combine, then layer on a serving
platter with pumpernickel croûtons, jamón,
mint and basil. Drizzle with extra dressing over
or serve it to the side.
2 Mussels with beer and bacon
The flavour of this dish depends on the beer – choose
a pale ale or lager that doesn’t overpower the mussels
and serve with grilled bread and a cos salad.
Serves 4
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 bacon rashers, diced
1 tsp finely chopped thyme
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
150 ml pale ale or lager beer
1 kg black mussels, scrubbed, debearded
20 gm butter, diced
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 Heat a barbecue or char-grill pan to high heat.
Place a rondeau or wide shallow saucepan on the
barbecue and heat until hot. Add oil, onion, bacon,
thyme and garlic, and stir until onion is tender and
bacon browns (3-5 minutes). Add beer and bring
to a simmer, then add mussels, close the barbecue
lid or place a lid on pan and cook, shaking pan
occasionally, until mussels open (4-8 minutes).
Stir in butter and parsley and serve.
3 Pisco, lime and strawberry
slushies
Makes 4
500 gm frozen sliced strawberries
150 ml pisco (see note), or to taste
Juice of 2 limes, or to taste
200 ml ginger ale, or to taste to top
1 Place 4 tall glasses in the freezer. Blend
ingredients in a blender until smooth, add extra
lime juice, pisco and ginger ale to taste, pulse
again to combine, then serve in chilled glasses.
Note Pisco, a brandy produced in Peru and
Chile, available from select liquor shops. If it’s
unavailable, substitute vodka or gin.
4 Burgers with pickled beetroot
By all means open a tin of your favourite pickled
beetroot to make this even faster.
Makes 4
600 gm coarsely minced beef
4 burger buns, halved
Lettuce leaves and sliced tomatoes,
to serve
Pickled beet
100 ml each malt vinegar and white wine vinegar
130 gm raw sugar
½ tsp each coriander seeds and
white peppercorns
Pinch of dried chilli flakes
2 beetroot, peeled and thinly sliced
on a mandolin
½ Spanish onion, thinly sliced
Blue cheese and gherkin sauce
1 dill pickle (preferably Polish), finely
chopped, plus 1 tbsp dill pickle juice
2 tbsp whole egg mayonnaise
1 tbsp sour cream
20 gm Roquefort or other blue cheese,
crumbled
1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley
1 golden shallot, finely diced
1 Heat a barbecue or char-grill pan to high heat.
For pickled beet, place vinegars, sugar, spices and
100ml water in a saucepan over medium-high
heat and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve
sugar. Place beetroot and onion in a bowl, pour
in hot pickling liquid, stir to separate the layers
of beetroot, then place on a bowl of ice for
10 minutes to cool and lightly pickle.
2 Shape beef into 4 patties about 2cm-thick and
grill, turning once, until cooked medium (about
3 minutes each side). Set aside on a warm plate
to rest (2 minutes).
3 Meanwhile, for blue cheese and gherkin
sauce, combine ingredients in a bowl and
season to taste.
4 Toast bun halves cut-side down on grill
(1 minute), then assemble burgers from the base
with lettuce, tomato, beef patty, a good dollop of
sauce and beetroot, and serve.
5 Barbecued chicken with
blackened okra
We’ve served the chicken with a simple mix of rice
and beans; a green salad would also be nice. Mop
sauce, a Southern barbecue favourite, is brushed onto
meat while it’s grilling to baste it and add flavour.
Serves 4
300 gm (1½ cups) long-grain rice
400 gm canned red kidney beans,
drained and rinsed
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 butterflied chicken (about 1.6kg),
at room temperature
1 kg okra
Lime juice and coriander, to taste
Mop sauce
60 ml (¼ cup) malt vinegar
PHOTOGRAPHY BEN DEARNLEY STYLING EMMA KNOWLES
½ small onion, finely grated
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp molasses
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 Heat a barbecue or char-grill pan to high heat.
Place rice in a saucepan, cover with cold water by
2cm, bring to the boil, then reduce heat to lowest
setting, cover and cook until all water is absorbed
(15-20 minutes). Set aside covered for 10 minutes.
Mix with red kidney beans and spring onion,
season to taste and keep warm.
2 For mop sauce, combine ingredients in a bowl.
3 Make a few slashes in the chicken breast and
legs and grill chicken, starting bone-side down,
brushing occasionally with mop sauce, until
chicken is half-cooked (12 minutes).
Turn chicken, baste well, and grill,
basting occasionally, until charred and
cooked through (5-7 minutes) and
internal temperature is 74C. Add okra
to the grill when you turn the chicken
and cook, turning occasionally, until
tender (7 minutes). Chop chicken into
pieces, squeeze on lime juice and
serve with okra, and rice and beans
topped with coriander.>
 SLUSHIES Linen throw (used
Enamelware throughout) from
tumbler from West Adairs. MUSSELS
Elm. Plate from Marble board from

3
Hayden Youlley Loft. All other
Design. Dish from props stylist’s own.
Bison Australia. Stockists p175. Pisco, lime and
strawberry slushies

2 Mussels with beer

and bacon

CHICKEN Enamelware bowl

4 Burgers with
pickled beetroot
5 Barbecued chicken
from West Elm. BURGERS
Glass from Lived in Coogee.
TEXT PAGE Glass with rattan
with blackened okra cover from Lived In Coogee.
Dish from Bison Australia. All
other props stylist’s own.
Stockists p175.

37
 LAMB Blue bowl
from Bison Australia.
CORN Aqua jug from

7 Grilled corn with whipped sesame

butter, lime and coriander
Pure and General.
Coaster from West
Elm. Napkin from
Citta Design. All other
props stylist’s own.
Stockists p175.

6 Lamb with lemon, mint

and shanklish

8 Jerk snapper with

pineapple and lime
ICE-CREAM
Small jug from Bison
Australia.
TEXT PAGE Linen
throw (used
throughout) from
SNAPPER White Adairs. All other
plate from Hayden props stylist’s own.
Youlley Design. Stockists p175.

9 Blueberry and coconut

ice-cream sandwiches

SHOPPING LIST
& RECIPES APP
Scan this page with the free viewa app to
download a list of all the ingredients you’ll need
to make these Gourmet Fast recipes or to pick up
our Gourmet Fast App with more than 150 recipes.
6 Lamb with lemon, mint and
shanklish
A butterflied leg or shoulder of lamb is a great way
to feed a crowd. Obviously the thicker the lamb, the
longer it will take to cook, so when you butterfly the
meat, make sure it’s no thicker than a steak – you
can ask your butcher to do this for you.
Serves 4-6
1 boneless lamb leg (about 1 kg)
1 tbsp grapeseed oil
1 tsp each ground cumin and ground
coriander
½ tsp hot paprika
Cracked wheat, lemon and mint salad
200 gm coarse cracked wheat
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tbsp finely chopped oregano, plus extra
leaves, to serve
1 cup (firmly packed) mint, torn
80 gm dried black olives (see note), pitted,
coarsely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon and flesh of 1 lemon, diced,
plus wedges to serve
80 ml (1/3 cup) extra-virgin olive oil
125 gm (½ ball) chilli shanklish (see note),
crumbled
1 Heat a barbecue or char-grill pan to high heat.
To butterfly lamb, start from the centre and cut
outwards halfway through the thickness of the
lamb with a large sharp knife on each side and
open out to one large flat piece about 2cm thick.
Drizzle lamb with oil and scatter with spices, sea
salt flakes and pepper, then rub seasoning all over
the lamb and grill, turning occasionally, until lamb
is charred and pink and internal temperature
reaches 63C (10-15 minutes). Transfer lamb to
a plate, cover loosely with foil and set aside to
rest (10 minutes).
2 Meanwhile, for salad, cook cracked wheat
in a saucepan of boiling water until al dente
(10-11 minutes). Drain well in a sieve, shaking to
remove excess water, and spread out over a tray
to cool and dry (10-15 minutes). Place in a bowl,
add remaining ingredients and season to taste.
3 Thickly slice lamb and serve with cracked
wheat salad scattered with oregano leaves and
lemon wedges to the side.
Note Dried black olives are available from
delicatessens, if they’re unavailable, substitute
other black olives. Shanklish, a hard cheese
coated in za’atar and spices, is available from
Middle Eastern grocers. If it’s unavailable,
substitute feta.
7 Grilled corn with whipped
sesame butter, lime and coriander
Serves 6 as a side
6 corn cobs, soaked in cold water for
10 minutes
1 tbsp grapeseed or vegetable oil
180 gm butter, at room temperature
2 tbsp unhulled tahini
2 tbsp fish sauce, or to taste
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander
Juice of 1 lime, plus lime cheeks, to serve
Dried chilli flakes or ground chilli
(optional), to serve
1 Heat a barbecue or char-grill pan to high heat.
Peel back the corn husks but don’t detach them
(if the corn has a lot of husks, discard some of the
outer leaves), remove silk and drizzle corn with
oil, season to taste, then fold the husks back
over the corn. Grill corn, turning occasionally,
until charred and tender (10-15 minutes).
2 Meanwhile, beat butter in a bowl until pale and
fluffy, then stir in remaining ingredients.
3 To serve, peel back corn husks and top each
cob with a dollop of sesame butter and a squeeze
of lime juice and season with chilli to taste.
8 Jerk snapper with pineapple
and lime
Jerk spice is traditionally made with Scotch bonnet
chillies; substitute habaneros or small hot chillies.
You want a good hit of chilli heat.
Serves 4
4 snapper (about 600gm each), cleaned
Olive oil, for drizzling
Shaved fresh coconut, to serve
Jerk spice paste
6 habaneros or small red chillies,
coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 spring onions, finely chopped
Juice of 2 limes
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp allspice
2 tsp finely grated ginger
1 tsp finely chopped thyme
Pineapple-lime salad
1 small pineapple, peeled, cored and diced
1 jicama (see note), cut into matchsticks
½ Spanish onion, thinly sliced
1 cup coarsely chopped mint
Juice of 2 juicy limes
Olive oil, for drizzling
GOURMET FAST
1 Heat a barbecue or chargrill pan to high heat.
2 For jerk spice paste, pound chillies and garlic
to a paste with a mortar and pestle, then stir in
remaining ingredients and 1 tsp sea salt flakes.
3 Slash fish a few times each side, then rub all
over with jerk spice paste. Drizzle with oil, then
barbecue, turning carefully every few minutes,
until fish has a nice crust and is cooked through
(about 15 minutes). Transfer to serving plates and
keep warm.
4 Meanwhile, for pineapple-lime salad, combine
ingredients in a bowl, season to taste, drizzle with
olive oil, and serve scattered with coconut
alongside fish.
Note Jicama, or yam bean, is available from Asian
grocers. If it’s unavailable, substitute kohlrabi.
9 Blueberry and coconut
ice-cream sandwiches
If you can, buy the ice-cream in a one-litre cylinder
tub and remove the ice-cream whole so you can slice
it and cut it into discs to fit the biscuits. You can cut
the discs and leave them in the freezer until ready to
serve, or assemble the sandwiches up to two hours
ahead of serving.
Makes 6
300 gm blueberries (about 2 punnets)
50 gm caster sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
12 large Anzac biscuits (see note)
1 litre toasted-coconut ice-cream
1 Place blueberries, sugar and lemon juice in a
saucepan over medium-high heat and simmer
until glossy (4-6 minutes). Transfer to a bowl
placed over ice and stir until chilled and syrup
is thickened (4-6 minutes), then coarsely crush
berries with a fork.
2 Meanwhile, place the biscuits on a bench and
cover with a damp, hot tea towel for 4-5 minutes
to soften slightly (you don’t have to do this, but it
makes them easier to eat).
3 Sandwich discs or scoops of ice-cream
and a spoonful of blueberries between
biscuits and serve.
Note Large Anzac biscuits are available from
delicatessens and select supermarkets, or see our
website for recipes (gourmettraveller.com.au). #
39
 PANTRY RAIDER
Quinoa keeps well and lends its nutty goodness
In the not-so-distant past,
quinoa was an obscure ingredient
with a name we struggled to
pronounce (that’s “keen-wah” if
you’re still not sure), best known
as a staple food of Latin American
countries such as Peru and Bolivia.
Despite its relatively recent
arrival to our pantries, quinoa’s
cultivation dates back to the time
of the Aztecs and Incas. These days,
it’s easy to find in supermarkets,
delicatessens and health food shops,
and comes in white, black or red, or
in mixed packets of all three. It has a
good shelf-life when stored in a cool,
dark place in an airtight container.
Quinoa is often touted as a
superfood, but supposed super-
powers aside, it’s just damn tasty.
Used as a grain, though it is in fact
a seed, it has a distinctive nutty
flavour, and is quick to prepare,
while for the gluten-intolerant,
it has the added benefit of being
gluten-free.
We love quinoa for its versatility.
It’s excellent in summer salads to
serve at barbecues, adds body to
soups, and makes for a beautifully
fluffy pilaf. It’s also surprisingly good
in sweets – instead of making a rice
pudding, simmer quinoa in lightly
sweetened coconut milk, then chill
it and serve it with tropical fruits, or
whip up a batch of the raspberry-
studded quinoa pancakes here;
served with yoghurt they pass for
a relatively healthy breakfast, but
we love ours with ice-cream and
maple syrup for dessert.
Quinoa and
broccolini salad
40
Quinoa
to salads, snacks and sweets.
Quinoa and broccolini salad
Serves 4 as a light meal or side
Cook 200gm quinoa in a large
saucepan of boiling salted water until
tender (15-20 minutes), drain well and
spread on a tray to cool (30 minutes).
Combine in a bowl with 1 bunch finely
chopped broccolini, ½ cup chopped
mint, ½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley,
½ cup chopped rocket and 2 thinly
sliced spring onions. In a separate
bowl, combine the finely grated rind
and juice of 1 lemon, 1½ tbsp red wine
vinegar and 1 finely chopped garlic
clove, stand for 5 minutes, then whisk
in 120ml extra-virgin olive oil and
season to taste. Drizzle over salad,
toss to combine and serve.
Quinoa pancakes
Serves 4
Sieve 150gm wholemeal flour,
75gm plain flour, 2 tsp baking powder,
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda and 1 tbsp
caster sugar into a bowl, stir in a pinch
of salt and make a well in the centre.
Crack 2 eggs into well, add 375ml
well-shaken buttermilk and 2 tsp
vanilla extract, and whisk until smooth.
Stir in 1 cup cooked quinoa and rest
for 20 minutes. Heat a little vegetable
oil in a large frying pan over medium
heat, add ¼-cupfuls of batter, scatter
each with 3-4 raspberries and cook
until golden on the bottom and
bubbles appear on the surface
(2-3 minutes). Turn and cook other
side (1-2 minutes). Transfer to a tray,
wipe out pan with paper towels and
repeat with remaining batter. Serve
warm with maple syrup, extra
raspberries and vanilla ice-cream.
Quinoa and haloumi fritters
Serves 4 as a snack
HOT
TIP
Cook 200gm quinoa in a large
saucepan of boiling salted water until
tender (15-20 minutes), drain well and
spread on a tray to cool (30 minutes).
Transfer to a bowl, stir in 75gm plain + Quinoa contains
a high level of
flour, 70gm coarsely grated haloumi,
saponin, which can
½ cup chopped mint, 2 thinly sliced
give it a bitter, soapy
spring onions, 2 eggs, finely grated flavour, so rinse it
rind of 1 lemon and a good pinch of well before cooking
smoked paprika. Season well, mix – tip it into a fine sieve
WORDS, RECIPES & STYLING EMMA KNOWLES PHOTOGRAPHY WILLIAM MEPPEM
to combine, then form ¼-cups and hold it under
of mixture into patties. Heat 1cm cold running water
vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry for a few minutes,
patties, turning once, until golden then drain it well.
brown (1-2 minutes each side). Drain
on paper towels, season to taste and
serve with lemon wedges.
Corn and quinoa soup
Serves 4 as a light meal
Sauté ½ finely chopped Spanish
onion and 1 finely chopped garlic
clove in 2 tbsp olive oil in a large
saucepan until tender (4-5 minutes).
Stir in 180gm quinoa to coat, then add
1 litre chicken or vegetable stock and
750ml water, season to taste, bring to
the boil, then reduce heat and simmer
until quinoa is tender (15-20 minutes).
SALAD HK Living
bowl from Our
Meanwhile, drizzle 3 corn cobs with
Corner Store.
olive oil and grill until tender and Canister from
lightly charred (6-8 minutes). Slice Freedom. Napkin
from Spence & Lyda.
kernels from cobs and add to soup,
All other props
then squeeze in lime juice to taste. stylist’s own.
Check seasoning, ladle into bowls, Stockists p175.
scatter with halved cherry tomatoes,
crumbled feta and coriander sprigs
and serve with extra lime wedges. #
 Pancakes.

Now available in Coles and independent supermarkets.

www.ballantyne.com.au
MASTERCLASS
Ayam percik
Malaysia’s favourite barbecued chicken, served with a savoury coconut sauce, is quite possibly
the most fragrant bird you’ll meet, writes Tony Tan, and a cinch to make to boot.
In Malaysia, the state of Kelantan,
on the north-east coast of the peninsular, is
known for its beautiful beaches and laid-back
lifestyle. Isolated from the rest of the country
until a few decades ago, it’s also the most
conservative; the food, however, is anything
but. Coconut milk reigns supreme and sugar
takes on more than a passing role in dishes
that feel vaguely Thai (the state was once a
part of Thailand). Think red coconut curry
with prawns and vermicelli, for instance.
More importantly, the state has come
up with a dish that is seductive and sublime.
An unsung hero, it’s the most fragrant
chicken you’ll ever come across. Ayam percik
(pronounced “per-chayk”), or chicken with
percik sauce, is a street food cooked over
CHICKEN Side plates
from Freedom. Tea
towel from Samambaia.
All other props stylist’s
own. Stockists p175.
coconut embers that pops up at night
markets and roadside stalls in that state.
It’s the first thing that springs to mind when
I want to throw something on the barbie.
Ayam percik (in Malay “percik” means to
splash) is simply a marinated chicken grilled
over an open fire. But what sets it apart from
other grilled chicken is the sauce used for
basting the bird. Fragrant and smoky, the
dish became so popular that it swept through
the country like wildfire – so much so it’s
now served at Kuala Lumpur’s high-end
restaurants. Along the way, the flavours and
cooking techniques changed.
According to chef Azlan Juri of Kuala
Lumpur’s Concorde Hotel, the sauce of the
original Kelantan version is much sweeter
Kerabu rice salad
Malaysian
barbecued chicken
and packed with lemongrass and coconut
milk flavours. Now, he says, most cooks give
a spicier twist to the original by adding
cardamom, cloves and chillies, and they call
it ayam percik utara (“utara” means north).
My recipe here is the spicier version.
It’s a straightforward dish. All you need
is a great free-range chicken – I use Milawa
chooks – and a sauce to pep up the grilled
bird, and that’s it. But, as with all things
simple, it’s the details that matter. For starters,
it’s best to butterfly the chicken so it grills
evenly, although in Malaysia most street stalls
tend to offer barbecued legs wedged between
bamboo sticks. Some vendors also precook
the legs in the sauce before grilling to speed
things up, but I find it robs the dish of its soul.
There are two other elements to consider:
you need to marinate the bird well ahead
of grilling and the sauce needs to be not only
creamy but also a little spicy and tangy
without the chilli heat dominating. Candlenuts
are used to thicken the sauce and an unusual
ingredient, asam gelugor, a sour fruit of the
mangosteen family also known as asam
keping, adds tang. Sold sliced and dried, it
can be difficult to find – Asian grocers are
your best bet (you’ll find it’s often mislabelled
as tamarind but will have “asam keping”
on the packet). Asam gelugor offsets the
sweetness of the sauce; at a pinch, you
could use tamarind.
Use quality charcoal to perfume the
chicken with its subtle smoky aroma. Back in
Malaysia, most cooks use coconut charcoal.
I prefer to use binchotan, the Japanese white
charcoal made from oak – it’s the Rolls-Royce
of charcoal, giving off a steady heat and
making for a cleaner finish. You’ll find it at
Japanese suppliers such as Chefs Armoury
(chefsarmoury.com). You could use an
electric or gas barbecue, but it just doesn’t
taste the same; nothing beats the flavour of
chicken charred over coals. Once you’ve got
the charcoal burning, leave it to reduce to

1 2
6 7
glowing embers before popping the chicken
on. I like to give it a slow char over low to
medium heat so the chicken remains juicy yet
still forms the crust from constant basting.
Just to gild the lily, ayam percik is served
with nasi kerabu, an exquisite rice salad
traditionally tinted blue with butterfly pea
flower and packed with herbs and greens such
as young cashew and turmeric leaves. These
are difficult to source, so I’ve come up with
a recipe that’s pretty close to the real thing.
This recipe is quite flexible so adjust the
hot, spicy and sour notes to suit your palate.
I also like to serve it with a simple tomato
and cucumber salad with coriander and a
squeeze of lime. Enjoy this excellent meal
with a beer or a glass of wine. Happy days.
Malaysian barbecued chicken
Start this recipe a day ahead to marinate the chicken.
Prep time 20 mins, cook 40 mins
WORDS & RECIPES TONY TAN PHOTOGRAPHY ROB SHAW
STYLING EMMA KNOWLES ILLUSTRATION LAUREN HAIRE
(plus marinating, resting)
Serves 4
1 chicken (about 1.6kg)
60 ml (¼ cup) vegetable oil
2 lemongrass stalks (white part only),
bruised
2 pieces asam gelugor (see note)
2 kaffir lime leaves
3 cardamom pods
2 cloves
400 ml coconut milk
1 tbsp caster sugar
Spice rub
1-2 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp caster sugar
3 4
8 9
Spice paste
8-10 dried chillies, soaked in hot water until soft,
drained (reserve liquid), coarsely chopped,
5 golden shallots (150gm), peeled, coarsely
chopped
4 candlenuts (see note)
15 gm each ginger and galangal, coarsely
chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 lemongrass stalk (white part only),
thinly sliced
1 To butterfly the chicken,
STEP place it breast side down and
cut down either side of the
BY backbone with a pair of
STEP poultry shears. Discard the
backbone or use it for stock.
2 Turn chicken over and
press down on the breastbone to flatten the bird,
then cut through the cartilage from the neck end
and run your fingers along the sides of the breast
bone and tease it out. Trim off any fat and discard
fat and breastbone.
3 Pat both sides of chicken dry with paper towel
and make a few slashes on the thickest part of the
legs and breasts.
4 Combine spice rub ingredients and salt to
taste in a zip-lock bag. Add chicken to bag, seal
it and shake vigorously to coat chicken with spice
mixture, massaging well into chicken, and
refrigerate overnight to marinate.
5 For spice paste, pound ingredients in batches
with a mortar and pestle to a paste, adding a little
reserved chilli-soaking liquid if needed.
6 Heat oil in a wok or saucepan over medium-
high heat, add spice paste, lemongrass, asam
gelugor, kaffir lime leaves and whole spices and
stir-fry until fragrant (5-6 minutes).
7 Add coconut milk, sugar and 250ml water,
reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring
occasionally, until sauce thickens slightly
5
STEPS Side plates
from Freedom. All
other props stylist’s
own. Stockists p175.
(12-15 minutes). Season to taste with salt and
discard lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves. Allow
to cool, then set a third of the sauce aside to
serve, and reserve remainder for basting.
8 Prepare a charcoal barbecue; it’s ready when
coals have a light coating of ash (40-45 minutes).
Bring chicken to room temperature 20 minutes
before cooking.
9 Place chicken skin-side down first and grill,
basting with sauce and turning occasionally, until
nicely charred and juices run clear when pierced
with a skewer in the thickest part of chicken
(35-40 minutes). Rest chicken for 10 minutes,
then cut into portions and serve with kerabu rice
salad (see recipe below) and reserved sauce.
Note Asam gelugor or asam keping, a dried,
sliced sour fruit, and candlenuts are available
from select Asian supermarkets and grocers.
If asam gelugor is unavailable, substitute 2 tbsp
of tamarind purée.
Kerabu rice salad
Prep time 15 mins, cook 15 mins
Serves 4
500 gm steamed long-grain rice
4 snake beans, finely sliced
1 lemongrass stalk (white part only), finely
sliced
1 golden shallot, thinly sliced
1 Lebanese cucumber, seeded and diced
40 gm (4-5 tbsp) toasted desiccated coconut
15 Thai basil leaves, finely sliced
15 sprigs coriander, leaves picked
10 Vietnamese mint leaves, thinly sliced
10 mint leaves, finely sliced
6 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced
Pinch of sugar
Handful of shredded cabbage (optional)
Handful bean shoots (optional)
1 Toss everything in a large bowl, season with
salt and serve with the barbecued chicken. #
43
GROW YOUR OWN

Essential basil
For Mat Pember life is not complete without basil,
making this heat-loving herb a highlight of summer.

Life is often defined and then separated by

moments, both good and bad. There are pivotal
events that divide your life, be they work, former
partners, even flashy new cars, and anyone with
children could easily describe their existence as
pre-kids and post-kids. I find that each year there’s
a seasonal sliding door that can throw life into
turmoil: the time when there is basil and the time
when there is not.
As a gardener, I’ve broadened my horizons
beyond the tomato and basil man I used to be.
But successfully growing these plants continues
to have a profound impact on me – life seems
brighter, and I’m not discounting the impact my
culture has here, too, being an Italian-Australian.
Basil is one of those charismatic plants that
changes a garden for the better. Each year, around
February or March, my bond with sweet basil
peaks as we push oversized leaves into the VB
bottles we’ve so lovingly prepared for storing
pasta sauce. But it’s not all about sweet basil.
I’ve come to love others, such as the red-leafed
Sapphire or almost bonsai-style Greek – even the
company. Sow basil seeds about 20cm from
your tomatoes. Place two seeds in each hole at
WHAT TO
a depth of one centimetre – giving just enough
cover to keep the birds and wind from dislodging
PLANT
them – and 10 centimetres apart, then keep them
well watered. TEMPERATE
Given the time of the year, it’s likely to be hot, ARTICHOKE
and once the seeds germinate (roughly a week after ASPARAGUS
they’ve been sowed) they’ll need daily watering BASIL
for the first month. Getting the plants and their BEANS
delicate young leaves through the early phase is a BEETROOT
challenge, but once established, they’re known to BOK CHOY/PAK CHOI
survive and even thrive with a little tough love. CAPSICUM
After a month, basil will have found its feet and CARROT
won’t mind a bit of picking to kickstart further CHILLI
growth. Pinch off the top portion of each stem just CUCUMBER
above the next leaf junction. At this stage a little EGGPLANT
less water won’t be as harmful as in the early HERBS
stages. This doesn’t mean it’s okay to leave town LETTUCE
PUMPKIN
for an extended holiday, but if the daily routine
RADISH
slips, basil will hang in there. In saying that, an
ROCKET
irrigation system – drip or wicking (see below) – is
SILVERBEET
advisable, and mulch two to three centimetres deep

PHOTOGRAPHY RODNEY MACUJA ILLUSTRATION LAUREN HAIRE

SPRING ONION
anise-flavoured Thai variety. They all find a place with nitrogen-rich sugarcane, lucerne or pea straw
SQUASH
in my garden. to provide extra food.
STRAWBERRY
Basil can be planted any time from late spring, When harvesting basil, don’t pull off random SWEETCORN
to late summer, but come January the heat is on leaves or attack it with scissors; again, take off sprigs TOMATO
and that’s prime time for basil. It’s also late in the down to the next leaf junction to encourage growth, ZUCCHINI
growing season, so it’s preferable to grow the herb meaning more leaves over the plant’s lifetime.
from seedlings and jump a step closer to harvest, As the season progresses, the plants will begin
but growing it from seed also works fine. to produce seed-heads, but before you make the KEY
When choosing where to plant basil, snuggle obligatory end-of-season pesto, saving the seeds for Seed Seedling
it up to tomato plants if you’re growing them, too. the next season, pinch the seed-heads off to refocus Propagate
Working in small spaces, we don’t often promote he plants’ energy on more foliage. + For cool, tropical and
subtropical climate planting
companion planting, but this is a notable exception. Once the plants’ colour dulls and the seed-
advice and a video on
While we often keep tomatoes apart from most heads start emerging faster, however, it’s time to let making a wicking bed visit
other spring/summer crops, basil is its close go. Basil is over for another season and life loses gourmettraveller.com.au
companion – each is happier in the other’s that little bit of sheen.

TIP OF THE MONTH: WICKING BEDS

By some fluke you have a patch full
of edible plants on the cusp of
delivering their bounty. It’s hot,
you’re tired and about to go on
a long-anticipated holiday. Your
neighbours are fed-up with pulling
your garden through the month yet
again, and instead use an extension
hose from your tap to water their
garden. It’s payback time.
THE SOLUTION This scenario can
easily be avoided by growing your
plants in a wicking bed. A wicking
bed is essentially self-watering;
using a reservoir of water below to
“wick” moisture through the soil to
be used by the plants as they
require it. Ever dipped the tip of a
tissue in a glass of water? The way
the moisture is drawn through the
tissue is called capillary attraction
and the same happens with your
soil in this system.
THE THEORY Some might think of
wicking beds as the inherently lazy
person’s style of gardening, but it’s
the smartest system for busy people
who often don’t have the time to
water their gardens. It’s also the
most water-efficient. #

44 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
 AN AUSTRALIAN GOURMET TRAVELLER PROMOTION

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Some like it
hot
off the grill
Food Safari Fire
Thursdays 8pm

#FoodSafari

Time and tide
In a stolen sea moment, Paulette Whitney savours
the feeling of saltwater fingers and toes in the sand.
There’s a sign on the road to my place.
Sitting there quietly by the highway it could have
no knowledge of the longing it induces in me.
“Cockle Creek”, it says.
If you’re driving home towards mundane weeding
or washing, the urge to keep on driving to that
wonderland of forest and sea can be overpowering
and so, sometimes, we’ll find a minder for our farm,
load up our little car and head south.
That southern road takes us through dark forest
and fecund field. Past dripping limestone caves and hot
springs. The bitumen ends, becoming a long stretch of
gravel and, just when we think the corrugations will
shake us to pieces, we find ourselves in the quiet of
a sycamore forest by a dark tidal stream. I’ve read that
those weedy sycamores can be tapped just like their
relative the sugar maple, and the sap reduced to make
“enough
syrup, but in spring when that sap flows we’re too busy
We take only on the farm for dalliances with sugar-making trees.
to feast Instead, leaving my family on the boat ramp with
upon that night, fishing lines baited, I’ll don my wetsuit and slip into
the mouth of that rainforest stream where it flows
sitting around
to the sea, searching among the rocks for abalone.
our little fire, I’ll only take one or two, a treat to eat fresh by the
skin prickling very ocean they grew in. In shallower water I’ll gather
ILLUSTRATION ADRIANA PICKER
with sand and plump mussels and we’ll pile back into the car, and
head further south to where the road ends and the
scented with
forest opens, revealing the limpid Cockle Creek flowing
smoke, and lazily into the vast Southern Ocean.
fingers tasting Cockle Creek is exactly what its name suggests, and
of the sea.
” at low tide we squat in its shallow waters raking our
hands through the silty sand. A lucky scoop yields
PRODUCE
half a dozen fat cockles, and it doesn’t take long to fill
a bucket. We take our pails of unlucky bivalves across
the sand dunes to the beach, filling them with clean
seawater and leaving them in the shade to purge. We
squelch our way up the shady creek to where the native
pepper tree grows and pick a few of their mentholly,
spicy leaves and berries, then we wander back to the
ocean-facing beach where another bounty awaits.
If we’ve timed our trip right, the pods of the coast
wattle will be fat and green and I’ll harvest a few
handfuls to lay whole on the coals of our campfire.
The seeds steam inside the pods and we’ll pick out
those sweet but tannic morsels, like bitter baby peas.
On the beach we’ll also find samphire and sea celery.
I love to eat both of these with cockles; the sea celery
takes the place of parsley, but with its own earthy,
salty gifts and the samphire, barely cooked, gives a
succulent, refreshing tang.
If these wild herbs are plentiful I find myself fighting
a dark human hoarding instinct to gather all I can.
The plants shelter shorebirds and bind fragile coastlines,
so I try to resist the urge to fill my basket, and watch
where I place my feet, knowing nests of tiny dotterels
could be hiding in plain sight in the soft sand above the
tideline. It can be hard to see ourselves as stewards of
places we visit fleetingly, and so the urge to take the
bounty offered by these wild places can be hard to
control. I try to use my time there with my children to
show them the interconnectedness of things, to share
what I know of the traditional owners of these places
and the way they depend upon and care for this country.
We take only enough to feast upon that night,
sitting around our little fire, skin prickling with sand
and scented with smoke, and fingers tasting of the sea.
We suck cockles from their shells, then throw them
into the fire and watch the last of their juices steam
and hiss, melding with the smoke and rising into the
dark, southern sky. #
47
 CHEESE
AMERICAN WHEY
Cabot Clothbound
Cheddar’s unique
caramel-sweet
flavour is a triumph.
American story
Will Studd finds a thriving artisan cheesemaking scene
in the US, hitherto not known for its cheese culture.
Little more than a decade ago the idea that the
United States could make a cheese that would proudly
sit alongside the great benchmarks of Europe would
have seemed risible. American cheese had a serious
image problem and was considered to be a symbol of
industrial evil in specialist-cheese circles
But in recent years there has been an astonishing
change in how the international community perceives
US artisan cheese. The catalyst for this change was a
cheese from Oregon’s Rogue Creamery being named
best blue cheese in the world in London in 2003. After
some years of diplomatic negotiations, Randolph
Hodgson of Neal’s Yard Dairy was able to import this
raw-milk cheese to the UK. It sold out in weeks.
Today, Vermont is home to about 70 artisan
cheesemakers, more per capita than any other US state.
One of the most inspiring is Jasper Hill in Vermont.
Established in 2002 by brothers Andy and Mateo
Kehler, it ticks all the boxes, producing interesting
farmstead cheese with a genuine sense of place.
When I first visited, it was a small struggling
WATCH & MAKE family enterprise, but it had well-researched plans and
an ambitious vision to make exceptional blue and
Use the free viewa surface-ripened cheese with raw milk collected from
app and scan this page
to watch Will Studd the farm’s herd of 45 Ayrshire cows. To meet Food and
talk about clothbound Drug Administration regulations, these cheeses had to
cheddar in Vermont. be aged for at least 60 days before sale. In a small
maturation room built under the dairy I came across
48 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
a rack of grey mouldy clothbound cheese maturing
in a dark corner. To my surprise I was told they were
an experiment made by the nearby Cabot cooperative,
which is well known in the US for its industrial
vacuum-sealed cheddar.
Ageing this kind of cheese seemed at odds with the
ethos of a farmstead dairy, but this cheddar was clearly
different. For a start the curd had been drained and
formed in old-fashioned round hoops rather than
blocks, and instead of using cooperative milk from
dozens of properties, the cheese had been produced
from the yield of a single farm. The young wheels
had then been transported from Cabot dairy to
Jasper Hill where they were larded and bound with
cheesecloth to seal the surface and prevent it from
drying out during ageing.
It was a novel idea, but it worked. Big time.
The unique caramel-sweet flavour of the moist,
crumbly cheddar was a triumph. It combined the
time-honoured skill of carefully maturing clothbound
cheddar with modern cheesemaking techniques using
selected starter-cultures. The Cabot Clothbound
Cheddar I tried that day marked the beginning of
an extraordinary partnership between an industrial
cooperative and a small farmstead dairy that would
ultimately redefine the cheesemaking reputation of
the state of Vermont.
When I returned to the dairy a few months ago
I was amazed to see the changes first-hand. Mateo
acknowledged that the Cabot cooperative was “the
donkey that does the heavy lifting” and their generous
philosophy that “a rising tide lifts all ships” had been
a catalyst for the development of a thriving local
artisan cheese scene. Most significantly, the success
of the clothbound cheddar had enabled the Kehler
brothers to build one of the world’s most impressive
cheese maturation facilities and to realise their goal
of providing tangible economic benefits to the
agricultural community.
The brothers have plans to expand production to
PHOTOGRAPHY JAMES EVANS STYLING AIMEE JONES. ALL PROPS STYLIST’S OWN
new purpose-built farm dairies using proven cheese
recipes developed at The Vermont Food Venture
Center in nearby Hardwick. At this shared facility,
Jasper Hill currently produces its soft and creamy
spruce-bound Jasper Hill Harbison from pasteurised
local milk and a delicious new hard-cooked cheese
called Alpha Tolman. These are both then transported
to Jasper Hill’s cellars as young cheeses to be expertly
ripened before sale.
The production of raw-milk cheese still lies at
the heart and soul of Jasper Hill’s philosophy and an
impending FDA review of the 60-day ageing rule is an
ongoing concern, particularly for the dairy’s wonderful
spruce-bound seasonal cheese, Winnimere, and its
flagship Bayley Hazen Blue. But despite these threats
the Kehlers agree that their operation is past the
fight-or-flight mode. “We’re just getting started now,”
they told me, “and so many things are possible.”
jasperhillfarm.com #
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FERGUS’S TABLE
Vote for Venice
Suave service and squid-ink risotto, or sand in your
sandwiches? No contest, writes Fergus Henderson.
You’re reading this at the beach, or perhaps by
the swimming pool. My holiday has been by the water,
but of rather a different bent. In place of surfboards
and thongs, here it’s gondolas and Gucci. Sand in your
sandwich isn’t a problem – it’s more a matter of keeping
the squid-ink risotto under control. Ah, Venice, where
“surf’s up” can only be code for another round of
Bellinis, and in place of beach towels, we’re surrounded
by acres of ironed linen napkins and crisp tablecloths.
Our good artist friend Sarah Lucas represented
Britain this year at the Venice Biennale, the end of
which coincided neatly with her birthday, so she
scooped a group of us up and very kindly took us to
Venice for three nights. (Her show included a cast
of my wife Margot’s naked bottom half, and she is
“ In place smoking a cigarette from her bottom, to boot, on top
of surfboards of a trunk freezer, resting her plaster limbs.)
Sarah is an excellent tour guide and after the show
and thongs,
at the British pavilion we checked into massive suites
here it’s in the Bauers hotel over which hangs the musk of
gondolas and Mussolini. You get the feeling that half of the Carrara
Gucci.
” marble reserves must have been used in the
construction of this building.
50 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
Tour leader Lucas then pointed out that those
problems a group can have when trying to agree where
to have supper had been solved by her deciding to
book us all into Harry’s Bar every night. What joy!
Some may pooh-pooh the food, but I love it.
There’s a touch of the nursery about it, but it’s
immaculately delivered. They say there’s one waiter
to every square metre, which seems perfectly probable
when you’re in the thick of things, each of them in
a white jacket so spotless that they’d be a proud
advertisement for any maker of detergents.
So what did we eat? I am happy to admit that I had
the same pasta two nights in a row, the classic tagliolini
with ham and béchamel. And I’d eat it many more
nights without complaint. Then kidneys and risotto,
the kidneys masterfully disciplined, sliced thinly.
Rich, yes, but there’s no way you won’t clear your
plate. This is food that has great eatability.
In the same vein, dessert is perfectly executed:
vanilla ice-cream, freshly churned so it hasn’t had time
to set. The texture is just giving, and it’s simply served
with hot chocolate sauce.
To top it all off I met Arrigo Cipriani – charm itself.
It was one of those moments when you get totally
tongue-tied. I have not, sadly, grown out of this
condition – the inability to speak to your heroes.
I forgot to mention that our group was getting
bigger each night, so we would gather at Harry’s, some
weary from sightseeing, others weary from lunch,
some coming round after an afternoon snooze, but
everyone was taken to the same happy place by the
small but freezing Martinis – a great leveller.
Breakfast definitely deserves a mention, especially
when it’s at Café Florian on St Mark’s Square. But what
about sunbathing, I hear you ask? Well, if the weather
is good enough you sit outside – but on proper
furniture made for the indoors. What could be
more luxurious?
Be warned: such luxuries cost money. The meter
runs very fast and a cappuccino can end up costing
roughly the same as the whole hotel suite. We didn’t
ILLUSTRATION LARA PORTER
spend any time mucking about on lilos, kayaking,
bobbing about in little dinghies or windsurfing. But we
had the roar of the speedboat across the lagoon to have
lunch at Locanda Cipriani. The Locanda is situated on
Torcello, a sleepy island on the edge of the lagoon with
beautiful gardens and pomegranates hanging from the
branches. Who needs palm trees? #

BROOME
MUST DOS
• Catch a breathtaking sunset on one of Cable
Beach’s famous camel trains.
• Experience the unique Horizontal Waterfalls
in a powerful jet boat.
• See how Broome’s iconic pearling industry
operates by visiting a pearl farm.
• Take a 4WD or aerial tour to the magnificent
Windjana Gorge and go for a hike in some
truly dramatic landscapes.
• Take a guided tour at Cape Leveque and learn
about the region’s ancient aboriginal culture.
KUNUNURRA
MUST DOS
• Cruise down the Ord River whilst the sun
sets and discover some of the region’s
most spectacular native flora and fauna
at Lake Argyle.
• Take a scenic aerial tour of Purnululu National
Park and see the famous Bungle Bungle Range
from a truly memorable perspective.
• Immerse yourself in the refreshing waters
at Emma Gorge and soak up its tranquil
surroundings.
Emma Gorge,
El Questro
Wilderness Park
GETTING HERE
The easiest way to get to the Kimberley is to fly.
The Kimberley can be accessed through major
airports in Broome and Kununurra with direct services Ord River
from Perth and Darwin. Direct air services from the east
coast are available into Broome year round from
Melbourne and seasonally from Sydney and Brisbane.
Cable Beach
WHEN TO
EXPLORE
The Kimberley is ideal for both short or longer trips. If you’re short on time, take in the region’s most
You can take a few days, sit back and soak up the sun, spectacular hotspots by air. Fixed wing, floatplane or
or you can spend a few weeks there exploring the helicopter tours are available throughout the region and
region in its entirety. Summer is the wet season in the are truly exhilarating. Kununurra, Broome and Derby
Kimberley. Come from November to April and expect are the main departure points.
fewer crowds, spectacular lightning shows,
breathtaking sunsets and an abundance of wildlife.
WHERE TO STAY
Or come during the dry season, between May and
October. Dry season is the most popular time to visit, The accommodation choices in the Kimberley region
as temperatures consistently stay between 20 and 30 are as plentiful as the attractions and can be as opulent
degrees, with no rain and clear blue skies. or as basic as your budget allows. For a more rugged
experience, you’ll find a wide selection of camping
GETTING options within the national parks, stations and caravan
parks. Or, why not truly immerse yourself in style and go
AROUND ‘glamping’? If you’d prefer to luxe it up there is a range
of resorts and boutique accommodation options that
You can explore the Kimberley by land, air or sea.
will make your Kimberley stay truly memorable.
To plan your Kimberley holiday,
Four wheel driving will get you up close and personal
visit westernaustralia.com and find the latest
with everything the Kimberley has to offer. Several
holiday offers, unique events and suggested
car hire services are available in Broome or Kununurra.
itineraries to download.
Motorhome and camper trailer hire is also available
in Broome.
Or cruise the pristine waters of the Kimberley on
a luxury vessel and venture into one of the last true
wildernesses on earth. Broome, Derby and Wyndham
serve as the main entry and exit points for cruising
the Kimberley coast.
 RESTAURANT & CATERING AWARDS 2015

16 ARGYLE ST, THE ROCKS 2000 | CUTBARANDGRILL.COM | 02 9259 5695


Local hero
A poster boy for ethical food concepts, at Oakridge winery chef Matt Stone
serves dishes that speak deliciously of the cause, writes Michael Harden.
Want to know what’s going on at Oakridge
winery’s restaurant now chef Matt Stone’s in the
kitchen? Look no further than his steamed custard.
A pale yellow beauty with the slightly quivery texture
of silken tofu, made with local eggs (more on those
in a minute) and whey from Yarra Valley Dairy, and
subtly flavoured with crushed dried mountain pepper
leaves. It’s surrounded by peas and broad beans picked
from the Oakridge vegetable patch and tossed quickly
in whey and butter, and then finished with the
bright-green juice of the peas’ shells.
It’s rustic, pretty, local, waste-free. The flavours
are largely left to speak for themselves and the
dish is as much about texture as it is flavour. That’s
how Oakridge rolls these days. And there’s a Joost
Bakker connection.
Matt Stone’s career over the past six or seven
years has been closely linked with Bakker, the florist-
designer-sustainability warrior and recent recipient
PHOTOGRAPHY MARCEL AUCAR
of GT’s Outstanding Contribution to Hospitality
award. The pair has worked together on Greenhouse
restaurant in Perth and associated pop-ups in Sydney
and Melbourne, and the Melbourne cafés Silo and
Brothl, championing concepts like zero waste and
closed-loop composting, while making heroes of locally
sourced produce and whole foods. The environmental
MELBOURNE REVIEW
message from the collaboration has always been loud
and clear, but has often meant that Stone’s talents as a
chef have taken a back seat to the cause.
At his new gig in the Yarra Valley, Stone’s dedication
to the cause is still apparent, but it has become more
a part of the package than the point of it. He’s
committed to sourcing produce locally, and remains
a sworn enemy of food waste and unnecessary food
miles, but what he’s doing with that produce on the
plate is exciting and as interesting as its philosophical
and ethical underpinnings. With his partner, chef-baker
Jo Barrett (formerly of Tivoli Road Bakery) as sous-
chef, there are plenty of other reasons to make the trek
to Coldstream besides feeling virtuous.
There’s another point of difference to Stone’s recent
past: the Bakker connection at Oakridge is not about
Joost, but Joost’s daughters. The school-age girls run
a small egg company called Bakker Chicks from their
parents’ property in Monbulk, about 20 minutes’
drive from Oakridge, and Stone buys the eggs their
100 chooks lay. If the custard is anything to go by, the SOURCE MATERIAL
Bakker girls are natural-born poultry farmers. Above from left: chef
At first glance, though, Stone’s fit with Oakridge Matt Stone with
sous-chef Jo Barrett;
might not appear to be particularly symbiotic. The steamed custard with
winery’s cellar door and restaurant building is a sleek, beans, peas and mint.
geometric structure designed by architects Denton>
53
MELBOURNE REVIEW

Corker Marshall that appears more like it landed in
the middle of a vineyard rather than emerged from
it. Approaching the building from the long driveway
it looks like a glass box topped with a giant red
Cuisenaire rod that cantilevers out over the front door
DOWNLOAD in an impressive, corporate statement-making way.
OR CONTACT It certainly doesn’t immediately speak of the rustic and
the home-grown with its brutally clean lines and
Scan this page with the dark-grey terrazzo floor but once you’re in the main
free viewa app to see a full
menu from Oakridge or to dining room the building begins to recede, making way
contact the restaurant. for the view through the wall of windows.
And it’s a view all right – quintessential Yarra
Valley with vineyards rolling down gently sloping hills
in the foreground, distant mountains framing the
background, rolling pastures in between with a huge,
relaxing expanse of sky adding another level of grand
serenity to the pastoral scene. Once you’re at the table,
Stone’s approach begins to make sense because you
really want to eat stuff that was grown and raised just
out there. And so you do, mostly.
The house bread is a French-style sourdough made
from a mix of local flour and biodynamic wheat
sourced from Western Australia and milled on site at
Oakridge. The dough is fermented for 24 hours, and
the bubbly crust has a gorgeous chewiness.
The hero ingredient of one of the menu’s best
dishes isn’t local, but given that it’s red kangaroo,
shot along the border, its environmental footprint is
otherwise impeccable. More to the point, it’s brilliant.
The loin is seared rare, then thinly sliced and served
with a salad of kaffir lime, Vietnamese mint, coriander,
spearmint, salted cucumber, chilli and bean shoots,
and an exuberant lime-based hot and sour sauce.
The meat is fantastic, not overpowered by gaminess,
and offering texture and tenderness in equal measure.
It’s worth the extra few food miles.
Elsewhere things stay strictly local, even when
taking a vaguely Nordic turn, as with local smoked
trout and local fish roe – earthier, less-salty brook trout
eggs from Yarra Valley Caviar – joined by sour cream,
herbs from the garden and a lovely escargot-shaped
pastry made from croissant dough and potently
flavoured with caraway seeds.
Crumbed and fried fingers of (local) pork cheek
and trotters – braised in chicken stock overnight then
pressed – come served with an XO sauce that ditches
the usual scallop and shrimp seafood elements for
a regionally specific freshwater trout that’s cured,
hot- and cold-smoked, then dehydrated before being
mixed with chilli, garlic, onion and ginger.
The asparagus in the vibrantly flavoured, flaky-
chewy Danish comes from a farm just up the road, while
the grated aged goat’s cheese is made especially for
Oakridge under the Stone and Crow Cheese Company
label at Yarra Valley Dairy.
The smoky sirloin, grass-fed and dry-aged for four
weeks, comes from a farm 15 minutes away and is
teamed with spectacularly good locally grown oyster
mushrooms, which are fried in beef fat. Happy days for
carnivores, the sweet, fresh baby asparagus that also
accompanies the meat is pan-fried in beef fat, too.
No surprise, then, that the ducks are local. The
birds are dry-aged for between two to four weeks,
the breast aged on the bone, then roasted to a pink

ROOM WITH A VIEW

The dining room inside the
Denton Corker Marshall-
designed building (inset).
Right: duck breast, beetroot,
fermented turnip and kale.

54 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
 medium. The skin – crisp, salty and just fatty enough
– is possibly worth the price of admission alone, but
there’s plenty of other good stuff on the plate too,
including a salt-baked beetroot ketchup, fried kale
leaves and turnip sauerkraut with a wattleseed
backbeat of earthy coffee flavour.
Oakridge’s wine list – at present all drawn from the VINE OUTLOOK
The vineyards of
estate – takes the locally produced thing to the next
Oakridge winery and
level. This is not a bad thing when the output of the (right) Aussie red fruits
winery is wide-reaching and includes sparkling wine, with crème fraîche.
aromatic whites (arneis, sémillon), a broad range of
chardonnays, light-bodied reds (the estate bottles four
different pinot noirs), and powerful shiraz and cabernet
sauvignon. It also includes a range of museum releases in a eucalyptus syrup team up with pickled rosella
not available elsewhere. And the wines are often very flowers, jam made from quandong and riberries,
good – like the 2014 Oakridge Sémillon with an crème fraîche mousse and crème fraîche ice-cream in a
elegant structure and subtle oaky hints, or the 2015 pretty, all-Aussie red-fruit version of a classic English
Oakridge Meunier, poured exclusively at the restaurant fool.
and cellar door. Blueberries dressed in blueberry juice, which gives
The sense of captive-audience syndrome that an them an attractive sheen, are teamed with chocolate
estate-only list brings is unavoidable, but plans are mousse, a thin disc of sweet vanilla pastry, liquorice

Oakridge
Stone’s approach begins to make sense because you really
want to eat stuff that was grown and raised just out there. 864 Maroondah Hwy,
Coldstream,
(03) 9738 9900,
afoot to add a small range of Old World labels for those ice-cream (made with Darrell Lea liquorice after oakridgewines.com.au
after a compare-and-contrast experience. relations with the liquorice root grown in the garden Licensed
One of the great things about dining at Oakridge is broke down because the flavour proved too Cards AE MC V EFT
that the service team, led by a relaxed Camm Whiteoak, domineering) and a scattering of coriander flowers that Open Daily 11.30am-3pm
formerly of Attica, is able to point out the particular put a spring in the dish’s step. (limited bar menu
vines where the wine you’re drinking got its start in Matt Stone’s food may not be about carefully 11am-5pm)
Prices Two courses $60,
life. It’s a nice touch and the staff seem genuinely finessed plating and smoke-and-mirror technique,
three courses $74
enthused about waving the flag for local produce. but neither is it an earnest manifesto about the
Vegetarian Two entrées,
Spend some time in the dining room and you’ll see a environment made edible. There’s light and shade one main course
lot of pointing out the windows from the waiters, either here, touches of playfulness, an awareness of texture, Noise Pleasant hum
towards particular vines or in the general direction of very good pastry at every turn, and a great eye for Wheelchair access Yes
the asparagus farm or the butcher where the kitchen quality produce. Minus Estate-only wine list
sources whole pigs or the place that grows strawberries The produce being so local is very attractive in feels a little closed shop
and blueberries that might feature in the desserts. itself, but it’s Stone’s enthusiasm for it, and his gift for Plus Matt Stone embraces
Fruit generally (and seasonally) is a major player presenting it that have really made Oakridge an instant the local
at the sweet end of the meal. Strawberries tossed member of the Yarra Valley’s must-do club. #

AND Made Marion Local legend Vietnamese a-Hoi

ALSO
MARION
Andrew McConnell’s Sean Donovan’s reinvention of Ms Vy, aka Trinh Diem Vy, has
latest venture, Marion, the Fitzroy Town Hall Hotel was opened her first restaurant outside
PHOTOGRAPHY HARVARD WANG (MARION)

next to Cutler & Co completed recently, the pub Vietnam (where she has four
has an elegant fit-out combining emerging with a Nordic-influenced restaurants, a hotel and a cooking
whitewashed brick, concrete floors, look and a menu that speaks of his school in Hoi An) in Melbourne.
leather banquettes and copper preoccupation with cooking meat and House of Hoi An features authentic
details. It’s a great fit for chef Allan seafood over charcoal. Three steaks, flavours in a colourful industrial
Eccles’ menu, which covers the likes including a half-kilo rib-eye served space just off Chapel Street. Shrimp
of sea urchin with finger lime and with radicchio and blue cheese, plus mousse served on sugarcane, prawn
mussels with ’nduja on the one oysters and roast chicken mix it up curry in a fresh coconut and squid
hand, and quality grills on the other. with Indian-spiced mud crab and stuffed with pork, shrimp and
The wine list has around 15 wines Middle Eastern-influenced cauliflower vermicelli noodles are among the
available by the glass. Marion, 51-53 fritters. Fitzroy Town Hall Hotel, 166 highlights. House of Hoi An, 1/40
Gertrude St, Fitzroy, (03) 9419 6262 Johnston St, Fitzroy, (03) 9416 5055 Green St, Windsor, (03) 9078 7448

55
 Introducing the Gourmet Traveller
Signature Collection by Robert Gordon

Handmade ceramics designed and created in Melbourne

The range includes creamers, cake stands, bowls, platters and plates

Available exclusively at selected Domayne stores and at domayneonline.com.au


Continental shift
Elvis Abrahanowicz’s new and improved rendering of the deli puts the tin
in Latin and Martinis in tins. The bistro’s not bad either, writes Pat Nourse.
A reckless friend defines the borders of
Europe by its green beans. A true European, he argues,
would never serve a squeaky bean, and woe betide
anyone who leaves them crunchy. Australian chefs,
he continues, are so fearful of overcooked vegetables
that they invariably err way too far on the under side.
The line is fine, but at the Continental, true to the
name, they’re all about the properly cooked veg, à point
all the way, whether it’s asparagus, peas, peppers or
zucchini. It’s not your everyday rallying cry, but you
have to admit it has a certain charm.
Vegetables are by no means the main game here.
“DELI • BAR • BISTRO” reads the business card,
and that’s roughly the order of priorities. By his own
admission, chef and co-owner Elvis Abrahanowicz has
been obsessed with delicatessens and tinned fish since
he was a sprat, and at the Continental he makes a
fetish of both. The upper floor of the terrace, tucked on
Australia Street handily between the Courthouse Hotel
and Newtown police station, is a two-room bistro, while
the ground floor serves as bar and deli both. If you like
cold cuts with a coldie, things are looking up.
Ten years ago at Bodega, Abrahanowicz, his fellow
PHOTOGRAPHY BEN HANSEN
chef and co-owner Ben Milgate, sommelier and partner
Joe Valore, and style goddess and hostess Sarah Doyle
turned the moribund tapas-bar concept on its head.
They created a thoroughly Surry Hills-styled eatery
that pulled together bold graphics, an eclectic menu,
Bohemian-style etched mirrors and rollicking tunes in
a somehow seamless package that became a magnet
SYDNEY REVIEW
GOOD TIMES
Baked Vacherin with
smoked sausage and
olives. Left: owner-chef
Elvis Abrahanowicz (left)
and chef Jesse Warkentin.
for the neighbourhood’s cool kids, food fans and
cool-kid food fans. At Porteño they doubled down
on size and the Latin side of Abrahanowicz’s Polish-
Argentinian heritage, opening an asado that was
utterly worthy of the Buenos Aires demonym, and yet
not quite like anything you’d ever be lucky enough to
find in Argentina. Against all the odds, too, they found
a way to make it even louder than their first place.
Since then, the chef has become a husband and
father, and at the Continental it’s definitely less “Elvis”
and more “Abrahanowicz”. He still sports metal teeth
and roughly as much ink as any four convicted felons
you can name put together, and you don’t have to look
far around the room for liberty rolls, pin-up bangs and
well-oiled quiffs – this is Newtown, after all – but
everything feels a bit more grown-up nonetheless.
And that goes double for the bistro. “This is like
eating at Yiayia’s place,” said a companion as we settled
into the insistently green dining room upstairs. “Or at
Nonna’s,” said another. It’s a feeling intensified by the
first dinner sitting starting at six (the second is at 8.30).
But Nan probably doesn’t hang her walls with large
framed drawings of pickle jars and lobsters, and unless
she’s a particularly hip nan, is unlikely to decorate with DOWNLOAD
baskets crammed with pineapples. OR CONTACT
There are moments when the menu leans a bit
Scan this page with the
blue-rinse, too. When was the last time you saw free viewa app to see a full
chicken breast listed on a menu by a leading chef? menu from Continental or
But Abrahanowicz roasts it (no sous-vide here) and to contact the restaurant.
puts it on the plate with confit chicken leg, braised>
57
SYDNEY REVIEW
celery in a whopping length, little onions and a sauce
made with chardonnay, the menu proclaims, from
Walsh & Sons in Margaret River.
Ben Milgate, Abrahanowicz’s long-term kitchen
companion and brother-from-another-mother, isn’t
involved with this venture; instead, Canadian chef Jesse
Warkentin shares duties at the stoves. The Continental’s
bistro presents a different palate – somehow with not
so much bass and treble. The accents of intense acid
and spice that typify the cooking at Bodega are largely
absent and, despite the presence of plenty of cheese,
charcuterie and cured stuff in the deli, the food has
little of the smoky, fatty, salty vibe of Porteño (though
it is reminiscent at times of some of the dishes the team
threw down at Popteño, their Rushcutters Bay pop-up,
last summer).
SIDE SHOW It’s certainly rich. A showering of Parmigiano-
Clockwise from top:
Continental’s bistro;
Reggiano shavings is the unusual twist on an
asparagus mimosa; a otherwise tame and correct beef tartare ringed by
tinned Martini. gaufrette potatoes (aka the chips with the crisscross
pattern), while fat rounds cut from a log of goat’s
58 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
cheese top a tall Tatin of roasted shallots. The boldest
of the entrées is a pair of large ravioli swimming in
a cream sauce sharpened with prosecco and tarragon.
The mixture of prawn and lamb’s brains that fills them
is quite probably going to scare off more than a few
diners, but the brains give the stuffing a lightness and
bounce that really make it sing.
Surprisingly few elements of the deli are brought
upstairs. They do a bit of canning in-house downstairs,
and tinned peas, with that luscious not-quite-mealy
texture, make an apt cameo on a plate piled with
unfrenched cutlets topped with yoghurt-dressed
purslane and a handsomely large anchovy fillet.
(Try not to think too hard about the environmental
ethics of canning peas in your restaurant only to open
them up again for one of your main courses.)
Long-cooked veg is given a starring role stuffed,
yemista-style, with aromatic rice. Far from the usual
dreary watery flip-off to vegetarians, this version is
distinguished by the concentrated flavours of the
tomato, pepper and zucchini and the way they and
the short-grain rice are cooked just a shade shy of
too much.
Zucchini comes out on top again, figuratively
speaking, with its nightshade buddies in the rough-cut
ratatouille that underpins the fish of the day: yellowbelly
flounder, the pristine steamed fillets stacked pearly and
full of juice under a wodge of taramasalata. It might be
the dish of the night. It’s the little details, like the way the
taramasalata (replete with scalloped edges) is separated
from the fish by a sliver of croûton, that’s typical of the
undersell, overdeliver ethos that sets Abrahanowicz and
his crew apart from the crowd. The look upstairs hasn’t
quite gelled yet, and some aspects of its concept and
decoration border on the precious, but you don’t have
to look too hard to see these guys aren’t just doing
retro for retro’s sake. The direction and decisions have
come from the gut as much as the brain.
Dessert. Is overproof Bundaberg the best choice
of rum to pour over a big baba? Probably not, but it
surely is flammable. Will the bubbly, uneven finish on
the sides of crème caramel prompt narrowed eyes from
obsessive pastry types? No doubt, but the diced fig
accompaniment is a nice idea.
I’m more sold on the sides. Asparagus, topped
mimosa-style with sieved boiled egg and resting in a
little butter sauce, is a masterclass in how vegetables
ought to be cooked – a worthy entrée in itself. The
boulangère, a very well-browned cross-section of
potato strata, is flat-out brilliant. (Not to bang on
about the prices, but when the sides are $14 each,
they damn well should be a hit; nothing about
Continental is cheap.)
Service is abundant and well-meaning in the
bistro, though they’re yet to master the dark art of
fitting all the food on the tiny marble-topped tables
with finesse. (The key thing is firmly believing it can
 CATCH ON
Fish of the day:
yellowbelly flounder,
be done, whatever else the rules of physics ratatouille and Continental
may insist.) Despite the awkward feel to the taramasalata.
rooms, there’s nothing inherently wrong 210 Australia St, Newtown,
with upstairs – after all, what’s more (02) 8624 3131,
likeable than the idea of a few tables above a continentaldelicatessen.
deli where you can get the good stuff? The challenge The eats are gutsier down here, whether you’re com.au
is getting there. Downstairs is just too much fun. talking the plate of house-cured fish (big, fat mussels, Licensed
It’s okay as a day place – even if they don’t do lush Tommy ruff, sublimely textured hunks of octopus Cards MC V EFT
coffee and the sandwiches are slathered with a bit too tentacle), or the salumi, often cut thick in the French Deli open Mon-Fri
11am-10pm, Sat & Sun
much butter, oil and fat for me to say I truly love them style. Then there’s the barbecue-stopper: a Vacherin
10am-10pm; bistro open
– but as a deli you can drink in, or a bar with a baked whole in its little spruce box. It takes a hard
Wed-Sat 6pm-10.30pm,
radically overdeveloped commitment to quality snacks, heart (or at least some hardened arteries) to resist Sun noon-4pm
it’s one of the best and most fun openings of the season. molten brie accessorised with green olives and rounds Prices Deli plates $30,
Much credit must go to Sarah Doyle here. She’s of smoked Polish sausage on toothpicks. sandwiches $15-$18;
famously exacting when it comes to details and finishes, Garnishes of pickled peppers and fancy potato bistro entrées $24-$26,
and Continental abounds in beautiful touches, whether chips also abound. Nothing beats the treatment for main courses $30-$38,
it’s the careful curation (for once that loathsome word the razor clams, though. The can of Conservas de desserts $14
might actually be justified) of the all-killer-no-filler cans Cambados comes not only with fancy crisps and green Vegetarian Tinned veg
and jars for sale on the shelves, the heavy brass pigs olives spliced with slivers of lemon, but tiny stemmed downstairs, one entrée and
holding down the business cards by the till or the dark glasses of the clams’ canning liquor on ice with dry one main course upstairs
Noise Not quite Porteño
timber joinery on the refrigerators. Barman Mikey sherry and a dash of Lillet Blanc.
noisy, but by no
Nicolian, late of Gardel’s Bar, and co-owner/wine fella A good deli is hard to find. A good deli that does
means hushed
Joe Valore work the floor with gusto, Nicolian popping outlandish, tasty and exciting things with tinned fish Wheelchair access No
the lid on canned Martinis and showing around the and gin is a revelation. Once a familiar part of the Minus Some ironing
sardine tray (like a cigarette girl, only taller and fishier), urban landscape, the deli is a dying breed, But if the needed upstairs
Valore stepping away from his Latin specialisation to butchery can reinvent itself as a hip, new desirable Plus So much joy
pour wines from Australia, Italy and France as well as thing, so too can the delicatessen – at least if Elvis downstairs
stuff with tildes in the name. Abrahanowicz has anything to say about it. #

AND Bar raising Sri city Balmain boon

ALSO The bar menu at
Momofuku Seiobo is
back, and new(ish)
chef Paul Carmichael has rewritten it
with a distinct Caribbean twist.
Notable dishes include snapper
ceviche with jalapeño and macadamia
milk, habanero fried chicken, and a
jerk-spiced pork chop served in a
cloud of lime fragrance conjured by
lime zest, grilled lime wedges and a
bed of kaffir lime leaves. Momofuku
Seiobo, The Star, 80 Pyrmont St,
Pyrmont, (02) 9777 9000
MADUSHAN HERATH AND
DINUSHI PELANARATHNAGE
OF TAPROBANA
The setting isn’t promising: a
hole-in-the-wall in a sort-of food
court between office blocks, and the
plates and cutlery are disposable
plastic. But speak to Madushan
Herath and Dinushi Pelanarathnage,
proprietors of Taprobana, and their
enthusiasm for the food of their
native Sri Lanka is tough to resist.
Chopped roti! Lotus-root curry!
Lamprais! Pickles Malay, Sinhalese
and otherwise! Taprobana, shop 4,
Centennial Plaza, 280 Elizabeth St,
Surry Hills, 0433 371 018
Happy days, Balmain: you’re now
home to the honest, gutsy cooking of
Sam Bennett. He’s been long admired
in the GT office for his produce-first,
no-smears approach. It put him in
good stead at Fix St James and
Bourke Street Bakery, and now it’s
powering One Ford Street. Think
spelt pappardelle dressed with
sausage sauce lifted by gremolata, or
lamb T-bones on a fregola salad rich
with almonds and mint. One Ford
Street, 1 Ford St (cnr 255 Darling St),
Balmain, (02) 9818 4232

59
PROFILE
Called to the bar
Damian Griffiths is one of Brisbane’s most dynamic restaurateurs and
hoteliers, and he shows no sign of slowing down, writes Fiona Donnelly.
When you’ve kept Brisbane’s diners and
drinkers on the edge of their seats for years, what
on earth do you do next to keep them there? If you’re
hyperactive restaurateur and hotelier Damian Griffiths,
the answer is to more than double the size of your
already considerable empire and in the process set
up Australia’s first permanent city winery.
A former immigration lawyer, Griffiths has a gift
for divining what millennials (and their bored boomer
grandparents) want to eat and drink next, and a flair
for opening eclectic venues in offbeat places. His latest
is Les Bubbles, a chic yet tongue-in-cheek Parisian-
style steakhouse in a Fortitude Valley building that
was the Bubbles Bath-House in the ’80s, a massage
parlour and illegal casino. Offering just one choice of
main course – steak with bottomless fries, salad and
baguette – Les Bubbles is a bold gambit, and lots of fun.
Its walls are plastered with images of figures from
the ’80s, former Queensland premier Joh Bjelke-
Petersen and Russ Hinze, the “minister for everything”,
among them. The menu reminds diners that bribes are
no longer accepted, but tips are appreciated. Beneath
Les Bubbles is the Bath-House, a vast late-night bar
with a working 15-person spa in the corner. Cocktails
include the citrus vodka-based Hush Money and The
Full Service, a tropical vodka number for four.
LICENSED TO THRILL Since first appearing on the scene in 2008 with
Above: two heritage the opening of the design-savvy Limes, a hotel in
Queenslanders were
converted into Alfred a once grimy corner of Fortitude Valley, the expansion
& Constance; the lively of Griffiths’ portfolio has been rapid – he has opened
Tunes Bar (inset). venues, some of them hybrids, at a rate of at least one
a year, with yet more under way. “I enjoy work,” he says.
60 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
“People often ask me when’s enough and say,
‘maybe you should stop now’, but I still have the
desire. In hospitality, to continue to attract good staff
you need to expand all the time. The moment you
stop, you don’t let your staff know because that’s
when you lose them.”
Following on from Limes, Griffiths and long-term
silent business partner, barrister Scott Lynch, opened
a string of quirky late-night, seven-day-a-week
destinations catering first and foremost to the needs
of hip hotel guests wanting more than what Fortitude
Valley or indeed Brisbane could offer at the time.
Alfred & Constance, Griffiths’ first hybrid
eatery-drinkery, was a second collaboration with Alex
Lotersztain, the hot Brisbane designer who’d worked
with him on Limes. “I love the challenge of taking on the
property side, taking random, out-of-the-way spaces
and making them into something,” Griffiths says.
Conceived in the throes of the global financial
crisis, Alfred & Constance is the project of which
Griffiths is most proud. “It was just such a struggle to
put the whole development together,” he says. “But we
managed to secure finance and approvals to develop
the heritage houses – and we finished the project.”
Alfred & Constance, emerged out of two heritage
homes on the corner of Alfred and Constance streets
PHOTOGRAPHY AJ MOLLER
as an indoor-outdoor venue that’s pure Queensland in
the best of ways. It packs in plenty – a café and beer
garden, plus the raucous party-hard upstairs tiki bar,
White Lightning (replete with a cocktail list compiled
by New York’s Richard Boccato), and in the basement,
an ’80s-themed downstairs dive channelling Berlin.>
 “I love the challenge of taking on
the property side, taking random,
out-of-the-way spaces and making
them into something.”

DAMIAN GRIFFITHS
PROFILE
Out on the deck of the Vanguard Beer Garden
you’ll find rustic, hearty, updated pub-style fare:
fat slices of pork, carved from the whole hog with
crackling and apple sauce, or lamb cutlets dusted with
cumin and fennel salt then grilled on the Josper.
After Alfred & Constance, the focus shifted to Italy
and Alfredo’s, where a neighbouring late-night pizzeria
was born. Its fleet of good-looking staff in tight tees
toting wood-fired pizze – the Joan Jett topped with
caramelised onion, chilli, black olives, oregano,
anchovies and capers, for instance, or the pepperoni,
tomato and mozzarella of The Boss – all in tune with
the ear-busting soundtrack.
Next came the equally loud, flippantly hip Kwan
Brothers in the old Kwan Wo Noodle Factory next door
to Alfredo’s. Its formula of Scorpion Bowl-style share
cocktails, like the corny Kwan in a Million (a potent
mix of whisky, juices, orgeat, curaçao and cayenne),
coupled with share plates of Kwan’s fried chicken with
pickled daikon, punchy Thai-style crab omelettes and
steamed buns stuffed with slow-cooked beef, kimchi
mayo and pickles struck a chord from day one.
Hong Kong-based Peter Cuong Franklin, then
chef-owner at Chôm Chôm and now running Viet
Kitchen, acted as consultant at Kwan’s, keeping the
focus on big flavours, and not worrying too much
about departing from authenticity in pursuit of a good
time. It’s a recipe that has stood Griffiths in good stead.
The group’s next outing was the dessert-oriented
Chester Street Bakery & Bar in nearby Newstead.
This ticked all the right Instagram boxes, serving
unrestrained sweets such as chocolate cream pie
HAPPY VALLEY and white-chocolate freckle cake. It also gave Griffiths
Punters make merry at a wood-fired bakery and kitchen space to make
Griffiths’ multi-venue doughnuts for Doughnut Time.
Alfred & Constance (top
left); Les Bubbles (top The first tiny doughnut shop was installed in a
right) and a queue at section of the existing Alfredo’s pizzeria space and
Doughnut Time (inset). drew queues around the block when it opened last
February. It’s since turned into a juggernaut, spawning
62 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
a larger sibling in the well-heeled northern Brisbane
suburb of Clayfield, various pop-ups in Topshop stores,
some in Sydney and Melbourne.
Three new kiosks at South Bank will combine
Doughnut Time, a cut-down Chester Street Bakery
selling cake by the slice and Mr Fitz’s Finest Ice-cream,
a new artisan ice-creamery. “Brisbane is a great place to
bring ideas,” says Griffiths. “People are very receptive.”
The future seems equally action-packed, as Griffiths
continues to colonise a fresh chunk of Fortitude
Valley, bordered by Wickham and Little streets. This
development heralds a clutch of fresh venues to sit
alongside Les Bubbles, including the city’s first winery,
on Little Street. “We’ve decided to call the whole
neighbourhood Little Wick,” says Griffiths. “We’re
hoping to have the Little Wick Urban Winery open in
February and to do the rest of the project in stages.”
The first wine vintage was made offsite, and the
unfiltered grenache, pinot gris, and more are already
pouring at Les Bubbles and Griffiths’ other venues. The
plan is for Little Wick winemaker Dave Cush to crush
the first Queensland-made vintage onsite this year.
Griffiths says he wants to position the Little Wick
neighbourhood as a credible culinary destination
servicing the Valley’s cashed-up new residents,
complete with its own night-time food markets similar
to London’s Night Tales – an outdoor pop-up style
affair combining food, music and plenty to drink.
PHOTOGRAPHY OLIVER BLACK (LES BUBBLES)
Thousands of apartment-dwellers are set to move into
luxury developments in the surrounding area over the
next two-and-a-half years.
Little Wick Urban Winery will be located in the
basement of a three-storey brick building and Griffiths
says the project will be a phased development focused
around all things vinous – his major focus for 2016.
Is Griffiths ever likely take his foot off the pedal?
“It’s an addictive business,” he says. “Once you’re in the
bar-restaurant scene you just want to keep doing more.
It’s the excitement of seeing something done well.” #
Your new kitchenhand
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HOT PROPERTY
David Thompson at
Long Chim, his new
Perth restaurant.
Long game
David Thompson is back. And he’s not happy. Yet.
Max Veenhuyzen talks to the chef about all things spice.
David Thompson is looking for a good
root. High-grade turmeric, to be exact. The chillies
and limes he has found in Perth, meanwhile, aren’t as
fragrant as what he’s used to back home in Bangkok,
while the coconuts in the kitchen smell like “an old
man”. In short, the Sydney-born chef has had an
interesting opening month in his first restaurant on
Australian soil in 20 years. “Nothing’s the same,” he
laments. “I don’t have my ingredients. I’m going to die.”
But if anyone can pull it off, it’s David Thompson,
one of the most respected interpreters of the food
of Thailand in the world. At least that’s what his
partners at Long Chim are hoping, anyway. Opened
“It’s not
going to be
in December in Perth’s newly restored State Buildings,
Long Chim – the second restaurant under that name
following the opening of a Long Chim in Singapore
gentrified in February – marks the return of one of Australia’s
cooking, but favourite food exports. And while Thompson might be
PHOTOGRAPHY ANDREW SMITH
food that’s as dissatisfied with some of the contents of his shopping
basket, it’s good to know that compromise won’t be
raw, rude and
on the menu.
robust as what What can diners expect from this homecoming?
you’d find in Space, first and foremost. Seating 170, Long Chim isn’t
Bangkok.
” what you’d call a small or intimate restaurant – and
that’s before you factor in the courtyard.
RESTAURANTS
Although Thompson made his name cooking
royal Thai cuisine at Sydney’s Darley Street Thai
in the 1990s, Long Chim’s menu is grounded in
Thailand’s more robust Chinese-influenced street
food: smoky stir-fries, luscious roast meats and plenty
of things grilled over charcoal, all spiked with no small
amount of spice.
That’s certainly the case with the Chiang Mai-
style larp, an incendiary jumble of minced chicken,
lemongrass, dried chillies, and black and white
pepper. Studded with bitter pea and apple eggplants,
the green chicken curry is equally uncompromising,
although Long Chim is about more than just edible
fireworks. A brilliant red prawn curry, say, or the
house-fermented Isaan sausage. A pork and prawn
soup rich with garlic and pig fat. In short, early
indications suggest that Thompson’s vigorous brand
of Thai cooking has made the journey south of the
equator just fine.
Much of the menu’s savour can be attributed to the
kitchen’s exacting standards. The restaurant makes its
own coconut cream, dried prawns and kanom jeen –
Thailand’s fermented rice noodles and a cornerstone of
the lunch menus at both the Singapore restaurant and
Nahm, Thompson’s flagship restaurant in Bangkok.
“I want Long Chim to be faithful to the streets,
markets and, occasionally, gutters of Bangkok,” says
Thompson. “It’s not going to be gentrified cooking, but
food that’s as raw, rude and robust as what you’d find
in Bangkok.”
Although Thompson has a clear vision of the
restaurant’s direction, it’s very much a case of easing
into things. After opening with a clipped menu, the
restaurant launches its full 50-dish carte this month,
which will include a tasting menu. James Connolly’s
cocktail menu has been designed to go hand-in-hand
with spice while Nahm’s general manager and GT
Sommelier of the Year awardee Greg Plowes has
assembled a wine list brimming with Alsace whites,
light-bodied reds and other apt refreshments.
The kitchen opens from lunch till late seven days,
and Thompson will be calling Perth home until at
least March. He has cancelled commitments in
Europe – including speaking at the Madrid Fusion
culinary conference – to give the new restaurant his
full attention.
“It’s a long commitment, but it’s important to get it
right,” he says.
“I don’t want to f--k around and not put in the right
amount of care and diligence to Perth and Long Chim.
In six months’ time we’ll find our feet. And our roots.”
And what of those tantalising rumours that
Thompson is looking to open additional Long Chims
throughout the country? “I can’t tell you,” he says,
smiling and nodding his head. #
Long Chim, basement, State Buildings, cnr St Georges
Tce & Barrack St, Perth, WA, (08) 6168 7775
65
PHOTO FINISH
Black Star’s watermelon
cake, a contender for
the most-photographed
dish in Sydney.
 TRENDS

Cult sweets
Not only are these treats delicious, they’re also social
media stars in their own right, writes Emma Hutton.
1
LORRAINE’S
STRAWBERRY &
MASCARPONE CAKE

Does social media fan the fires of Sydney’s dessert culture, or vice versa?
Any visit to a pâtisserie in Sydney is likely to include a glimpse into someone else’s
photo shoot with a cult cake while it’s increasingly challenging to get through a quick
look at Instagram or Facebook without coming across a post of perfectly poised and
iced pastry perfection. But it’d be a pretty short-lived phenomenon if there wasn’t some
substance to it, and in Sydney, now seemingly one of the world’s top destinations for
snap-happy diners, the chefs more than come up with the goods. Here’s a rundown
in no particular order of the city’s most essential sweet photo-finishes.

1 LORRAINE’S 3 BOURKE STREET

STRAWBERRY & BAKERY’S GINGER

2
MASCARPONE CAKE BRÛLÉE TART

Combining the best ingredients Surry Hills provides a wealth of

with artistic flair is master choice for the would-be member AQUA S
pâtissière Lorraine Godsmark’s of café society, but if solid brews SOFT-SERVE
PHOTOGRAPHY DIEU TAN (WATERMELON CAKE) & RODNEY MACUJA (SWEETS) STYLING GERALDINE MUÑOZ
(WATERMELON CAKE). CHAIR FROM SPACE FURNITURE. ALL OTHER PROPS STYLIST’S OWN. STOCKISTS P175.

recipe for success. In a shop full and artisan-made treats are on

of temptation, there’s no wrong
answer, but whipped mascarpone,
coconut dacquoise and strawberry
conspire to make a cake that’s
truly sweetness and light.
(And gluten-free to boot.)
Lorraine’s, Shop 5, Palings La, 320
George St, Sydney, (02) 9254 8009,
the agenda (not to mention a truly
local feel), Bourke Street Bakery’s
original branch is a must. The
ginger brûlée tart with spiced
custard and raw pistachios has
become a neighbourhood
favourite with good reason.
Bourke Street Bakery, multiple

3
merivale.com.au locations, including 633 Bourke St,
Surry Hills, (02) 9699 1011, BOURKE STREET
bourkestreetbakery.com.au BAKERY’S GINGER
2 AQUA S SOFT-SERVE BRÛLÉE TART

Temper a scorching summer day 4 FLOUR AND STONE

with a pretty pastel Aqua S
soft-serve. Dress up ocean-blue
swirls of the signature sea salt
flavour with caramel corn,
marshmallows and fairy floss.
Aqua S, multiple locations
including shop 27, Regent Place,
501 George St, Sydney; shop K3550,
Macquarie Shopping Centre,
cnr Herring & Waterloo rds, North
Ryde, (02) 8668 5957, aquas.co
LAMINGTONS
Australia’s favourite chocolatey,
coconut-covered cake adorns
bakery shelves throughout the
country, and deviations from the
standard recipe seldom produce
superior results. Flour and Stone’s
take on the lamington, though, is
the tastiest of exceptions: vanilla
sponge soaked with panna cotta,>
 4
TRENDS

FLOUR AND
STONE
LAMINGTONS

5
BRICKFIELDS’
PERSIAN
LOVE CAKE
Any visit to a pâtisserie in Sydney is likely
to include a glimpse into someone else’s
private photo shoot with a cult cake.
layered with berry compote and
coated with dark chocolate, and
a snowy dusting of coconut flakes.
BLACK STAR’S
Flour and Stone, 53 Riley St,
WATERMELON
Woolloomooloo, (02) 8068 8818,
CAKE
flourandstone.com.au
5 BRICKFIELDS’
PERSIAN LOVE CAKE
Sure, you’re right on sooty
old Cleveland Street, but it’s
nonetheless easy to lose yourself in
a world of silk and spice with one
bite of Brickfields’ love cake. The
soft and fragrant orange-blossom
cake is made from almond meal,
rosewater and yoghurt, and it’s
a fine match with the bakery’s
well-pulled Mecca coffee.
Brickfields, 206 Cleveland St,
Chippendale, (02) 9698 7880,
brickfields.com.au
6 BLACK STAR’S
WATERMELON CAKE
Black Star is a social media
phenomenon in itself – even
pictures of the queues at the
original Newtown shopfront have
become a familiar sight online –
and it’s all about the watermelon
cake, easily one of Sydney’s most
beautiful desserts. It comprises
tiers of watermelon, almond
dacquoise and rose-scented
cream, with a sprinkling of Iranian
pistachios and local strawberries.
Have your camera up and your
hashtag at the ready; this little
number never lasts long.
Black Star, 277 Australia St,
Newtown, and C1 85-113 Dunning
Ave, Rosebery, (02) 9557 8656,
blackstarpastry.com.au
7 CAFÉ CRE ASION’S
MATCHA FONDANT
The flavours of Japan are married
with French technique at this
hidden gem in the CBD. Going
past the macarons isn’t easy, but
the fondant, bringing together
matcha-flavoured white chocolate
ganache, dark chocolate glaze
8 MESSINA’S
MARSALA-POACHED
FIG GELATO
Sydney is home to many great
gelato shops, but Messina
commands the lion’s share of
attention. Fruit, toasted nuts,
brownie chunks, cookie crumbs,
caramel and popcorn all feature in
the display case. Our go-to flavour
is poached figs with Marsala and
hazelnut chocolate for a fix that’s
somehow innovative and classic
at the same time. We humbly
suggest opting for a double.
Gelato Messina, multiple locations
including shop 1/241 Victoria St,
Darlinghurst, (02) 9331 1588;
389 Crown St, Surry Hills,
(02) 9332 1191,
gelatomessina.com #

7
and macerated strawberries,
provides powerful motivation.
Café Cre Asion, 21 Alberta St,
Sydney, (02) 8021 1629,
creasion.com.au

8
CAFÉ CRE
ASION’S MATCHA
FONDANT MESSINA’S
MARSALA-POACHED
FIG GELATO
 WIN TICKETS
TO THE SHOW
Scan this page
with the free viewa
app to enter this
competition or to
book your seats.

30 JAN – 21 FEB
PLAYHOUSE, QPAC
CALL 136 246 OR VISIT
queenslandtheatre.com.au

TOURING REGIONAL QUEENSLAND

FROM FEBRUARY TO MARCH
 MADE MAN
Alberto Alessi and
Philippe Starck’s Juicy
Salif citrus-squeezer,
photographed in Sydney
at the Shangri-La Hotel.
Alessi is more
Alberto Alessi talks to Maggie Scardifield about
timeless design, poetry and his signature chicken.
At Cascina Eugenia, Alberto Alessi’s
home at Lake Orta in Italy’s north-west, the dining
table is set with a dozen chairs, each designed by a
different architect. It’s a scene that reflects the Alessi
philosophy – the Italian design firm is famous for an
eclectic catalogue born of collaborations with
designers from all over the world.
Alberto’s grandfather Giovanni established
Alessi in 1921 in Omegna, not far from Lake Orta,
as an artisanal cold-forming metal factory that
produced brass, copper and nickel tableware. In
the ’30s, under the management of Alberto’s father,
Carlo, the factory began moving towards mass
production; when Alberto joined the company
“ When taking
on someone
in 1970, he shifted Alessi’s focus to high-end
international design collaborations.
He isn’t a designer himself, but rather sees himself
new I ask
as a father to “design personalities”. Under his
myself whether direction multiple voices have become a part of the
he or she is Alessi DNA: Ettore Sottsass, Marc Newson, Philippe
PHOTOGRAPHY DAVID HAHN
a poet. It’s Starck and Frank Gehry among hundreds of others.
“It was shocking at the time, but it was very
not about
important for Italian design to oxygenate,” he says.
trends; it’s Gourmet Traveller spoke with Alessi when he was
always about in Australia recently to give a lecture presented by the
personality.
” Melbourne Movement design collective and Monash
University Art, Design and Architecture.
INTERVIEW
What does good design mean to Alessi?
It has a lot to do with the Italian way of looking at
design where poetry is fundamental to being a good
designer. The most important thing I ask myself
when taking on someone new is whether or not
he or she is a poet. It’s not about trends; it’s always
about personality.
Alessi works with a number of Australian
designers. How did this come about?
After Italy, Australia has the second largest number
of Alessi designers. It happened spontaneously.
We started in the early ’90s with Susan Cohn from
Melbourne [who designed the Cohncave Bowl], and
with Marc Newson [Strelka Cutlery and the Stavros
bottle opener among other products]. Australians are
pragmatic and practical. Perhaps being so far from the
epicentre of design, they have a special vision that
helps them to make products that are very different.
We have 12 Australians in production now.
Despite shifting trends, pieces such as Michael
Graves’ 9093 kettle and Philippe Starck’s Juicy
Salif citrus-squeezer are still popular today.
Why do you think that is?
There has been lots of discussion as to why an
object or a person can become an icon. At least in
part, it’s because they’re representing the true deep
spirit of their period and at the same time, they’re
timeless. Graves’ kettle is an exceptional example
of the mid-’80s. A good designer couldn’t design
a kettle like his today. It would be wrong for the
people – or just uninteresting.
What makes a great kitchen?
In my case it’s the central place of the entire house;
it’s like a theatre. I need a kitchen where I can play
– somewhere where my friends can be in front of me
and I can talk and joke with them as I cook. The most
important thing, I insist, is to always invite good
guests, too. And good wine helps.
And you make your own wine.
In 2000, I bought an old farm on Lake Orta that had
been completely abandoned since the ’40s. We did
the complete replanting and the restoration of all the
buildings. Now I live in the middle of the vineyard
and from the kitchen I can go directly into the cellars.
The wine is called La Signora Eugenia e il Passero
Solitario [Madam Eugenia and the Lonely Sparrow]
and is bottled in a Da Vinci-inspired bottle I designed
myself: the Leo bottle. Actually, it’s the only design
I’ve made by myself in my lifetime.
Do you have a signature dish?
My pollo brucia culo, “arse-burning chicken”. Mainly
it’s made with Mexican dried black peppers, peas to
absorb the heat, and lots of sweet wine, preferably
from my vineyard. Fantastico. Benissimo. #
71
DRINKS
Elixir of youth
Australians are getting a taste for thirst-quenching
reds made for drinking now, writes Max Allen.
I am drowning in young Australian red wines.
Every few days yet another bottle of nine-month-old
shiraz or grenache or pinot arrives, desperate to be
slurped while it’s still full of vibrant, youthful, lively fruit.
I swear there have never been so many current
vintage reds on the market. And they start appearing
on bottle shop shelves and wine lists earlier each year
– some were even released as far back as June of last
year: no sooner had the grapes been plucked from the
vine and frothed through the fermenter than they were
splashing purple in our glasses.
To verify that this is a bona-fide trend, I dug around
in my files and found a price list from Adelaide’s East
End Cellars from Christmas 2005. Back then, EEC was
selling just one nine-month-old red from the vintage
just gone; most of the lighter-bodied reds on offer
“ These
grapes are
were at least two years old. Fast-forward to Christmas
2015 and EEC’s online offering included more than
two-dozen current vintage Aussie reds – and that has
particularly undoubtedly grown since this issue went to print.
well-suited to So young reds are definitely a thing. But why has
producing red the trend developed? The natural wine movement is
one answer: when winemakers stop adding things in
wine that’s
the cellar – no extra acid or tannins or enzymes, no
fresh and lively sulphur dioxide (or far less than normal) – their reds
and eminently are often much more approachable, best drunk young.
‘smashable’.
” The popularity of well-priced young imported reds
such as “joven”, unwooded tempranillo from Spain,
72 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
has inspired Australian winemakers to skip the
barrel-ageing stage of traditional red production and
bottle early, capturing all the slurpy purple freshness.
The renaissance of red grape varieties such as
gamay, grenache and cabernet franc – once thought of
as inferior to more noble varieties such as shiraz and
cabernet sauvignon – has helped, too. These grapes are
particularly well-suited to producing red wine that’s
fresh and lively and eminently “smashable” – or, as the
French say, vin de soif: thirst-quenching wine.
The current winemaking vogue for carbonic
maceration – fermenting red grapes as whole bunches,
without crushing them first – also produces more
vibrant perfume and juicy texture in wines intended
for early drinking. The early 2015 vintage, particularly
in cooler southern regions such as the Yarra Valley,
yielded grapes with unusually eager-to-please fruit
flavours, perfect for younger-drinking styles. And of
course there’s the financial benefit of releasing wines
earlier: every month a red wine sits in barrel maturing
is a month it’s not being bought and drunk and a
month that the winemaker’s not making money.
Mostly, though, producers are selling reds sooner
because we’re asking them to: Australian wine
drinkers, it seems, have developed a thirst for these
styles – particularly during the spring and summer
months, before the next vintage rolls around.
Opposite are 10 of the most delicious young reds
I’ve tasted recently. Some are only available in very
limited quantities and might be a bit tricky to get hold
of, but there are plenty of other options I could have
also included: indeed, there’s so much choice out there
PHOTOGRAPHY JASMINE POOLE (TOP DROPS) FRANCK PASQUIER (WINE INSIDER) ILLUSTRATION TOM BINGHAM
it was seriously hard to narrow it down to 10.
For example, I also love Tom Shobbrook’s pretty,
perfumed 2015 Poolside Syrah ($35) from the Barossa,
the supple, dark-fruited 2015 Gemtree Luna Temprana
Tempranillo ($18) from McLaren Vale, and the dense,
sinewy 2015 Ravensworth Gamay Noir ($30) made in
the Canberra District from Tumbarumba grapes.
You’re spoiled for choice when it comes to very
good no-added-preservative 2015 shiraz from around
the country: I can recommend the Yangarra PF ($25),
the Kalleske Zeitgeist ($29), the Rosnay Freedom Red
($19) and the Battle of Bosworth Puritan ($20).
As mentioned in this column earlier in the year,
a whole bunch (pun intended) of producers in and
around Basket Range in the Adelaide Hills – including
Jauma, Lucy Margaux, Ochota Barrels, Gentle Folk –
are particularly adept at making stunning young reds
in the natural mould.
And the Yarra Valley is developing a similar
reputation: look for the meaty 2015 La Bohème Syrah
Gamay ($20) and snappy 2015 Villages Pinot Noir
($20) – both from De Bortoli – and the spicy 2015
Luke Lambert Crudo Syrah ($27) and ethereal 2015
Mac Forbes Pretty Young Thing Syrah Nouveau ($25).
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must get back to the
tasting bench: another half-dozen 2015 reds have just
arrived and are jostling for my attention. #

BLACK MAGIC
2015 Ochota Barrels “I Am
the Owl Syrah”, Adelaide
Hills, SA, $40
Not all these young reds
need to be drunk early.
Some – this one in
particular – have what it
takes to age gracefully
for many years, as well as
being ravishing right now:
stunning amalgam of black
pepper and black berries
and sinewy black tannin.
ochotabarrels.com
2 1
WHOLE STORY
2015 Bobar Syrah,
Yarra Valley, Vic, $30
A wine of two halves:
initially it comes across pale,
angular and spritzy, but as
you splash it around in a big
glass, it settles into a lovely,
pinot noir-like groove of
silky autumnal berries and
forest-floor funk.
tomeb@iprimus.com.au
Q &A BRONWYN
KABBOORD
YOUNG RED
TOP DROPS
JUICY FRUIT
8
2015 Lowe Tinja EASY PICKINGS
Preservative Free Shiraz, 2015 Mr Mick Novo Sangiovese, Clare Valley, SA, $17
Mudgee, NSW, $22 Terrific value, this: really pretty purple wine with fragrant
If you doubt that sweet black fruit, medium-bodied roundness and some
preservative-free wine can gamy tannin grunt. Very quaffable – especially if there’s
be as delicious as “normal” a good wood-fired Margherita pizza on the table, too.
wine, try this: it’s medium- mrmick.com.au
bodied, with juicy black fruit
balanced by dry, refreshing
tannin. lowewine.com.au
RUSTIC CHARM
2015 Oakridge Meunier,
Yarra Valley, Vic, $26
I don’t know why more EARTHLY PLEASURES
Australian winemakers 2015 Whistler Get In My
aren’t planting pinot
3
Belly Grenache, Barossa
meunier and making red Valley, SA, $35
wines like this. It’s like pinot I have a soft spot for
noir’s rustic cousin: medium Barossa grenache – I love
colour and body but loads its earthiness, its warm
of berry compote and sweet generosity of flavour. This is
compost flavours. a lovely example, with spicy
oakridgewines.com.au perfume, mouth-filling red
fruit characters and supple,
tongue-hugging tannin. Try
BRIGHT AND EARLY with slow-smoked barbecue
2015 Eldridge Estate PTG,
ribs. whistlerwines.com.au
Mornington Peninsula, Vic, $30
Winemaker David Lloyd has nailed SPLENDID BLEND
this, modelled on Burgundy’s 2015 La Violetta Nova
early-drinking Passetoutgrains, a Syrová, WA, $32
blend of pinot noir and gamay. With juicy This blend of shiraz,
cherry fruit and snappy tannin, it’s best grenache, nebbiolo, pinot
slightly chilled. eldridge-estate.com.au and mourvèdre is a
deceptive beast: it’s rather
pale in the glass, and starts
out soft, fragrant and
vanilla-powdery, but over
time it grabs your tongue
deliciously and refuses to let
go. laviolettawines.com.au
PURPLE REIGN
SURPRISE PACKAGE 2015 Shadowfax Mondeuse, Werribee,
2015 Boovability Chateaubriand Petit Vic, $25
Verdot, Rylstone, NSW, $35 Talk about unexpected: mondeuse, a fairly
A surprise package: the petit verdot obscure fragrant red grape originally from
grape is renowned for inky, full-bodied the Savoie region of France, planted in the
wine that needs years to mature, but rich red soils of Werribee, south-west of
this one is bright and slurpable right Melbourne. The result? Deliciously crunchy,
now. theotherbordeaux.com.au tangy, vivid purple wine. shadowfax.com.au
WINE INSIDER: BRONWYN KABBOORD, MERRICOTE
Match of the moment? A 2013 Pierre Rousse Martingale Chardonnay from the Languedoc (bright, juicy
and delicious) with our Meredith sheep curd with soybeans, pea tendrils, rye and linseed. Favourite
somms? Sally Harper from Bathers Pavilion gave me the wine bug. I also admire Banjo Harris Plane, late
of Attica, and 10 William St’s Matt Young, one of the most brilliant minds in wine. Winemakers to watch?
Nav Singh from Domaine Simha in Tassie makes a gamay that’s so beautiful and pure. Favourite summer
drink? Riesling. I’m a big fan of Dom Valentine. His Valere is in a real German style. Wine destination?
Jura, hands-down. Merricote, 81 High St, Northcote, Vic, (03) 9939 4762 EMMA HUTTON
73
AA GILL IS AWAY
On the beaches
The gritty settings for many of life’s dramas, beaches
are mostly about beginnings and ends, writes AA Gill.
The beach on Kos is littered with
the detritus of the transient who come to find
a better, sunnier life. Economic migrants
wander the grey, coarse sand on tired feet.
They look confused and blank. They hold
hands for safety rather than affection. Some
just sit in their wet clothes staring back out to
sea. They are pathetic stragglers. You would
need a heart of stone not to pity them.
Certainly the boatloads of refugees
arriving from Syria via the Turkish port
of Bodrum seem surprised and humanely
concerned to see them – vacant and confused
English tourists who have flown to the Greek
islands for about a quarter of the price that
the refugees have paid to travel a quarter of
a mile in a rubber boat. They’ve come here
– the English, not the Syrians – to retire to
cheap second homes, to drink cheap
European beer and eat cheap approximations
of full English breakfasts under a neon sun.
This stretch of gravel is the promise of,
and the reward for, a lifetime’s work – the
dream that sustained a repetitive, dreary
lifetime of toil. For the refugees, this strip of
damp sand, this brief meeting on the beach
among the scattered lifejackets, abandoned
74 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
rucksacks and soiled pants along with the
bottles of suntan oil and Wilbur Smith books
is so freighted with irony that it’s hard to
understand how anyone can take part in it with
a straight face. But these two sets of people
wearing the same clothes, shorts and T-shirts,
with the same desires and dreams of peace and
security and stress-free moments with their
kids pass each other without noticing the
ghostly presence of the other. Not offering
judgement; just flotsam that pass in the day.
Funny things, beaches. They don’t have
opinions or consciences. They’re just the end
of something and the beginning of something
else. The two are oblivious to each other, the
immovable object and the unstoppable force.
Beaches are the scenes of battles, invasions,
colonisations. More bodies wash up on
beaches than on the meanest of mean city
streets. They are the venues for suicides and
the waste-disposal for murderers. But then
they’re also the chosen venue for weddings.
I suppose it’s the coming together of
elements, earth and water, with the fire of
passion and the air of kitsch pretension.
How many of our earliest memories are
on beaches? There’s a family photo of me on
the sand. That’s me on the beach. Beaches are
the arena that gives permission for families to
relax. They reverse our roles. This is where
children say what goes and parents act like
toddlers. It’s the one place where your dad will
fool around in public in his pants. Try and ask
to bury him in a park or splash water over
him in a shopping mall and he’ll be furious.
Beaches are the settings for the topsy-
turviness of one thing meeting another. They
are the settings for holidays, and an endless
permissiveness. They are egalitarian visions of
a capering where everyone is the same. On a
beach the only property owner is the deckchair
attendant, the only authority the lifeguard.
Beaches allow you for a day, for a week,
not to be someone else exactly, but to cease
being quite yourself. It is where people work
to try and be a bit better. A bit less like the guy
they are at home or in the office. There must’ve
been more promises, resolutions, statements
of intent and commitment to change made
on beaches than anywhere else outside of a
church. In fact, beaches and churches share
a lot in common. They are where people go to
recollect, to mourn, to celebrate. They inspire
metaphysical reverie and represent all sorts
of duality and transformation and promise.
As a travel writer I feel equivocal about the
edge of land. All beaches turn out to be pretty
much the same beach – though they inspire
much soul-searching, they themselves remain
blissfully bland, having no fixed opinion or
point of view. Their aesthetic is in the eye of
the beholder. They all sound the same and
ILLUSTRATIONS TOM BINGHAM & LAUREN HAIRE (PORTRAIT)
look the same. They promise much for later,
but offer little more than grit, salt and sunburn
today. And while making love on a moonlit
beach is on almost everybody’s bucket-list,
few would put it into the bucket twice.
This is the season for holiday lists, so here
are my reminiscences of memorable beaches.
They are just mine and some of them were
long ago, and for particular moments in my
life. I would hesitate to recommend any of it.
But each promised something.
North Berwick, the east coast of Scotland.
This is the first beach I remember. Blowy, icy,
cloudy and utterly brilliant. It’s the North
 Sea, freezing and slick with seaweed. We
huddle numbed in thin, balding pre-war
towels, shaking uncontrollably and chewing
gritty jam sandwiches with chattering teeth.
The best beach at just being beachy is the
long pink sands of Harbour Island in the
Bahamas. It sits next to an interestingly
wavy sea. It’s coral sand, so it never gets too
hot. I used to go and run behind the elegant
jogging Elle Macpherson here, like Venus
rising from the spume.
The most unexpectedly exciting beach
was Number Two River Beach outside
Freetown in Sierra Leone. It was 30 years
ago, before the war, and it was deserted.
A river ran out of a palm forest and into the
sea and you could float down it into the great
Atlantic. Boys with little charcoal braziers
would bring you live langoustes and nameless
local fish and grill them in a paste made from
chilli, peanuts and tomato, and then they’d
climb trees to bring you coconuts.
Tasmania. Almost any beach on the
island. Just walk and walk and walk and walk.
Svalbard. A mountainous island in the
Arctic Circle. Wagner’s beach, with little
auks and black guillemots and barnacle geese
and calving glaciers.
The Seychelles. I took my children here,
to Mahé, the largest island in the group,
every year when they were toddlers and we’d
wander up and down the beach collecting
shells. Beachcombing is the only sort of
collecting I’ve ever really liked. It comes
without capital value, except that everything
you pick up is instantly given a personal
cultural value and you constantly have to make
decisions like an art dealer – holding onto this,
discarding that. Shells are the most endlessly
pleasurable found-object, and Africa has some
of the Indian Ocean’s most generous beaches.
The beach on Long Island. Brisk, full
of possibly deathless words. They make you
want to write the Great American Novel.
Or at least the great post-Carver short story.
And then you remember with a great sigh of
relief that you’re not an American, so you’re
excused, and the Great English Novel is not
going to be found here. And anyway, there
aren’t any vacancies for it.
And finally we’re back to where we
started. The island of Lampedusa was named
as home to one of the best beaches in the
world by people who give pointless awards
to things that have no use for them. And it is
very, very lovely. You walk down a steep
pathway through a rocky field of herbs and
wildflowers. There’s a cliff on each side
which sweeps in an elegant and secretive
semicircle. When I was there it was deserted.
It was just off this beach that a migrant
ship capsized and nearly 60 Africans drowned
over four hours, one poor dying girl giving
birth in the water. Neither she nor the baby
found land. And when I saw it, the beach lay
back, resting in its own loveliness, untouched,
unmoved by this tragedy and all the bodies
that had so recently lain on its white sand. #

“The walk that keeps walking off

with all the awards.”

On this wonderful 4 day walk, two experienced guides will accompany you th hrough this world heritage national
park. You’ll experience breathtaking scenery, fascinating history and rare Tasmanian wildlife. Guests carry only light
packs and each night enjoy exclusive accommodation and candle lit dining. We invite you to join us and find out
why we are the most awarded walk in Australia. Call 03 6234 2999 or visit mariaislandwalk.com.au
I T S 0 7 9
EVENT

CAUSE CÉLÈBRE
Clockwise from far left:
master of ceremonies
Catriona Rowntree; Alto
waiters with Coombe Farm
Yarra Valley wines; L’Oréal
Paris marketing, brand
and digital team members;
Gourmet Traveller
publisher Cornelia Schulze.

Silver linings
The glamour of the 1960s set the scene for an evening of fine food, fun and fundraising at the
Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation’s Silver Style cocktail party co-hosted by Gourmet Traveller.

Style, sparkle and a whole lot of love filled
the room when Gourmet Traveller co-hosted the 2015
Silver Style cocktail party with the Ovarian Cancer
Research Foundation at Alto, the industrial-chic event
space at Melbourne’s GPO Building in November.
Hosted with wit and warmth by Catriona
Rowntree, the glamorous party was part fundraiser,
part thank-you to the many donors and sponsors who
help raise an impressive amount of money for the
OCRF during the year.
Gourmet Traveller has been partners with the
OCRF since 2004: a percentage of every ticket sold for
our monthly reader dinners goes to the charity for
research into an early-detection test for ovarian cancer.
“It’s a new menu, so I’ve been very hands-on,” says
Damm. “But I’m also here because this cause is very
close to our hearts. One of our general managers, Kate
Rowland, died from ovarian cancer a year and a half
ago and it really affected all of us – but in a positive
way, too, because she made us promise to become
more aware of the disease.”
The positive sentiment was echoed by the energetic SPONSORS
and ebullient OCRF co-founder, CEO and long-time AND EVENT
friend of GT, Liz Heliotis, who said that the research
the foundation is funding is “rescripting the future”.
PARTNERS
Associate Professor Thomas Jobling, chairman
*ByAngryChair
of the OCRF, was on hand to accept a cheque from
Witchery for $1.6 million, raised through their White
* Group Design Event

Publisher Cornelia Schulze spoke of her pride in the Shirt Campaign, and he spoke of the positive advances * Cobram Estate
magazine’s association with the OCRF. “We can get researchers are making. * Yarra Valley
Coombe Farm
WORDS MICHAEL HARDEN PHOTOGRAPHY MARCEL AUCAR

caught up in the hurly-burly of monthly magazine More money was raised on the night through the
deadlines, so it’s good for the magazine to be able to sale of silver ribbon prize-draw pins (sold by Witchery- * Damm Fine Food
make a contribution to a charity such as this. We value clad hostesses with make-up by co-sponsor L’Oréal * L’Oréal Paris
Dann Event Hire
and take great pride in the association,” she said. Paris) and via an auction, conducted with style by real *
The glamorous crowd was treated to free-flowing estate auctioneer Antony Woodley of Marshall White. * On Time Concepts

Trumer and Bridgeport beer, and wines from Coombe The crowd bid for luxury accommodation on Lizard * Rinaldo
Entertainment
Farm in the Yarra Valley, while enjoying the first taste Island and One & Only Hayman Island, a shopping
& Production
of Georgina Damm’s summer menu from Damm Fine spree at Georg Jensen, dinner for eight at Grossi
Food, which included Stilton and oatmeal biscotti Florentino, and a dinner organised by chef Ian Curley *
Shotover
Productions
topped with serrano ham, vincotto-drenched figs and for 25 people at the new French Saloon in Melbourne
rockmelon shoots, quail eggs rolled in gold leaf and with accompanying Coombe Farm Yarra Valley wines. *Splitrock/Tiro

served with black volcanic salt, classic prawn cocktails, It was a joyful night, ably assisted by the other * Trumer Australia

blue swimmer crab risotto with mascarpone and GT partners who help us support this special cause *Vittoria Coffee

Champagne and salted caramel and chilli tarts. – Cobram Estate and Vittoria Coffee. # *
Witchery

76 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
 PRIZE
PARTNERS
* Coombe Farm
Yarra Valley

* French Saloon

* Georg Jensen

* GrossiIanRestaurants
* Curley
* Lizard Island
The Langham Sydney

* Longines
*L’Oréal Paris
*Messermeister
* Microflite
* Only Hayman
* One & Island
* Royal Mail Hotel

* Snowgoose

* Trumer Australia

SUPPORT NETWORK
Clockwise from top left:
Damm Fine Foods chef
Emma Rosen; OCRF
CEO and co-founder Liz
Heliotis, and chairman
and co-founder Associate
Professor Thomas Jobling;
hostesses from Witchery; DJ
Chloe Wilson; Coombe Farm
Yarra Valley wines; black
treacle, fennel pumpernickel
with cured ocean trout, white
taramasalata and pickled
apple; Dr Ainsley Lorych;
celebrating the OCRF and
L’Oréal Paris’s #10HOURS
campaign; L’Oréal Paris
Australia communications
manager Marnie Carroll;
Jobling, Witchery managing
director Linda Levy and
Heliotis; salted chocolate
tarts with caramel and fresh
chilli; OCRF creative patron
Megan Hess.
 iPad, iPhone,
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& tablets

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 BIG ON FLAVOUR,
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 JANUARY 2016

food
It’s time to get your grill on with
barbecue inspiration from all corners.
Slow burn Curtis Stone puts on a cracking barbie
FOOD STYLING EMMA KNOWLES PHOTOGRAPHY WILLIAM MEPPEM STYLING VANESSA AUSTIN

with 12-hour beef brisket and trimmings to match.

The Redzepis at home René Redzepi and Nadine Levy
Redzepi give us a taste of their laid-back approach.
Close to the bone Chops, cutlets – meat grilled on the
bone makes for the juiciest of barbecue eats.
Down Mexico way Hartwood is fired by wood and
canopied by stars – and the food is no less magical.
Putting on the Spritz The Spritz specialists at Sydney’s
This Must be the Place put a new spin on the cool classic.
Out of Africola Duncan Welgemoed fires up a South
African-style barbie at Ochota Barrels winery.
 Slow
BURN
Curtis Stone turns pitmaster to put on
a cracking barbie with 12-hour beef brisket
as the centrepiece and honest-to-goodness
trimmings to match.
RECIPES CURTIS STONE PHOTOGRAPHY BEN DEARNLEY
FOOD STYLING EMMA KNOWLES STYLING AIMEE JONES
DRINK SUGGESTIONS MAX ALLEN

Texas-style barbecue
sauce (RECIPE P85)

Watermelon rind
pickles (RECIPE P85)
Cast-iron peach cobbler with
buttermilk ice-cream (RECIPE P89)

PEACH COBBLER green glass bottle with

Society Linen napkin in enamel lid from Ici et Là.
Melaverde from Ondene. Weck small and medium
SAUCE & PICKLES glass jars with lids
French Shutters from (pickles) from West Elm.
Elements I Love. Green All other props stylist’s
timber folding chair and own. Stockists p175.
 Curtis Stone

CURTIS Green glass

bottle with enamel
lid from Ici et Là.
TEXT PAGE Green
timber folding chair
from Ici et Là. All other
props stylist’s own.
Stockists p175.

Homemade white bread
“Not multigrain, not gluten-free, nor rye
or whole wheat – classic white bread is the
only acceptable canvas for your delicious passion
project, the brisket,” says Curtis Stone. “Texas
barbecue sides are supposed to be minimalist, but
minimalist done right. Baking soft, fluffy bread from
scratch is doing it just right (and then some). Plus,
stuffing brisket into a slice of bread means you can
eat with your hands, the way it ought to be.”
Prep time 15 mins, cook 45 mins
(plus proving, cooling)
Makes 2 loaves (pictured p86)
880 gm plain flour
55 gm (1/4 cup) caster sugar
1½ tbsp sea salt flakes
65 gm milk
3 tsp dried yeast
50 gm unsalted butter at room temperature
1 large egg whisked with 1 tbsp extra milk,
for eggwash (optional)
1 Preheat oven to 185C fan-forced. Spray the
inside and the underside of the lids of two
10cm-deep, 12cm x 24cm Pullman loaf tins with
sliding lids with non-stick cooking spray. If you
don’t have Pullman loaf tins, use two 7cm-deep,
12cm x 24cm loaf tins.
2 Combine flour, sugar and salt in a bowl and set
aside. Combine milk, yeast and 565gm water in
the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with
a dough hook, add flour mixture and mix on low
speed until dough comes together (2-2½ minutes).
Add butter and mix on medium-high speed until
the dough is smooth and pulls away from the
sides of the bowl (4-5 minutes). Transfer to a
large, lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap
and rest at room temperature until doubled in
size (30 minutes), then knead on a lightly floured
surface to rid the dough of any gases. Divide
dough in half (about 800gm per half), shape each
into a 20cm long log and transfer to prepared tins.
Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm area
until dough rises about 1.5cm from the tops of the
tins (30-40 minutes). If you’re using regular loaf
tins, let the dough rise until it almost touches the
plastic. Remove plastic wrap and stand dough at
room temperature for 10 minutes.
3 Carefully slide lids onto tins and bake for
about 25 minutes. Remove lids and continue
baking until the bread is a deep golden colour
(12-15 minutes; you can check the internal
temperature with a probe thermometer – it
should be 93C-98C). If using regular loaf tins,
lightly brush tops of loaves with eggwash and
bake uncovered until the bread is a deep golden
colour (30-35 minutes). Turn bread out of tins
onto a wire rack to cool completely. Homemade
white bread can be baked up to a day ahead, then
wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored at
room temperature.
Watermelon rind pickles
“Crunchy and tangy, watermelon rind pickles are a
Southern classic that complement melt-in-your-mouth,
smoky meats,” says Stone. “They’re delicious and, with
the texture of crisp pear, they can be eaten straight
from the jar. Plus, if you’re a stickler for waste like me,
you’ll be pleased to find a use for the entire fruit.”
Start this recipe at least a day ahead.
Prep time 20 mins, cook 5 mins (plus pickling) Bourbon, bring just to a simmer and cook
Serves 10-12 (pictured p82) for 2-3 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients,
½ 5kg-6kg thin-skinned watermelon add 1½ tsp sea salt flakes and ½ tsp freshly
(see note) ground black pepper, increase heat to high and
1 white onion, sliced into 3mm rings bring to the boil, then reduce heat to medium-low
3 green jalapeños, sliced into 3mm rings and simmer uncovered, stirring often to prevent
3 tsp coriander seeds scorching, until sauce reduces and thickens
3 tsp yellow mustard seeds slightly (40-45 minutes). Remove from heat, cool
625 ml (2½ cups) white vinegar briefly, then transfer to a blender and blend on
220 gm (1 cup) caster sugar low speed just until smooth (at this stage sauce
1½ tbsp sea salt flakes can be cooled, covered, and refrigerated for up to
2 weeks; reheat and then smoke before using).
1 Cut watermelon into 8 wedges, scoop out flesh 2 To serve, return sauce to a saucepan, and
with a large spoon, leaving about 2mm on the place in the barbecue with the beef brisket (see
rind (reserve flesh for another use). Slice rind recipe p88), stirring occasionally, until it takes on
crossways into 3mm thick slices and combine with a smoky flavour (about 20 minutes).>
onion and jalapeños in a tall narrow jar.
2 Dry-roast coriander and mustard seeds until
fragrant and mustard seeds pop (1-2 minutes; see
cook’s notes p176). Add vinegar, sugar, salt and
HOW TO PREPARE
625ml water, then bring to the boil, whisking to YOUR BARBECUE
dissolve the sugar. Pour into jar, cool to room
1 To prepare your barbecue for the 12-hour
temperature, then refrigerate for at least 12 hours
brisket (see recipe p88), place a couple
to pickle. Watermelon rind pickles will keep
of pieces of newspaper in the bottom of a
refrigerated for up to a week.
chimney charcoal starter. Place 12 charcoal
Note If your watermelon has thick, tough skin,
briquettes on top of the chimney starter and
remove the outer layer with a vegetable peeler.
light the newspaper. Allow the briquettes to
burn until they’re all completely covered in
a thin layer of ash (15-20 minutes).
Texas-style barbecue sauce
2 On the bottom rack of a kettle barbecue,
“True-blue central Texan pitmasters are so passionate
dump about two-thirds of the bag of unlit
about their ’cue, they’ll often forgo serving their meat
briquettes into the centre of the barbecue,
with any sauce at all,” says Stone. “Meat smoking is
then build a circle three-quarters of the way
such an art form for them that they’d rather not let
around the perimeter of the barbecue
anything distract from the complex flavours of a low
two briquettes wide. Place another two-
and slow cook. That said, this tomato-based barbie
briquette-wide layer on top and reserve
sauce with perfectly balanced sweetness, heat and
any extra briquettes.
acidity is hard to pass up. Serve it on the side.”
3 Place a 20cm-square disposable roasting
Prep time 15 mins, cook 1¼ hrs
pan on the side of the barbecue opposite the
Makes about 1 litre (pictured p82)
briquette chain and bring 1 litre of water to
40 gm butter, coarsely chopped
the boil. Using tongs, carefully place the lit
1 onion, finely chopped
briquettes at one end of the briquette chain so
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
the lit briquettes are just nestled against the
1 tsp sweet paprika
unlit ones. Place a chunk of wood where the
½ tsp mustard powder
lit and unlit briquettes meet and place three
250 ml (1 cup) apple cider vinegar
more chunks of wood on top of the briquette
125 ml Bourbon whiskey
chain at 5cm intervals (this allows them to
375 ml (1½ cups) chicken stock
ignite about every 30-45 minutes). Pour the
500 ml (2 cups) tomato sauce
boiling water into the aluminium pan.
185 gm (¾ cup) light brown sugar
4 Position the top barbecue grate in
2 tbsp lemon juice
place, then close the lid and monitor the
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
temperature inside the barbecue (a digital
probe thermometer resting on the top grate
1 Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium
is best for this). Open or close the lid vents as
heat, add onion and stir until tender (4-5 minutes).
needed to maintain a constant 120C.
Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant (2-3 minutes),
then stir in paprika and mustard. Add vinegar and
 Homemade white bread
(RECIPE P85)

Coleslaw (RECIPE P88)

TABLE SPREAD plates (bottom of

Timber folding chair stacks) from Mud
and green glass bottle Australia. Society Linen
with enamel lid from Ici napkins in Tisana from
et Là. Small jug from Ondene. Weck glass jar
Mud Australia. Green (with pickles) from
forks from Villeroy & West Elm. All other
Boch. Enamel plates props stylist’s own.
from West Elm. Dinner Stockists p175.
 SPECIAL
EQUIPMENT
+ Chimney charcoal starter
+ A four-kilo bag of
charcoal briquettes
+ Kettle barbecue
+ A 20cm-square disposable
12-hour barbecue beef aluminium roasting pan
brisket (RECIPE P88) + Wood chunks, such as oak,
pecan, hickory or cherry
+ Digital probe thermometer
 TEXT PAGE Society Linen
napkin in Tisana from
Ondene. Green glass bottle
with enamel lid from Ici et Là.
Enamel plate from West Elm.
Green knife from Villeroy &
Boch. BEANS Plates from
Mud Australia. All other props
stylist’s own. Stockists p175.
MORE ONLINE
If you’re fired up about American
barbecues, head to our website
for some Southern grill favourites:
gourmettraveller.com.au
HOT
TIP
To reheat brisket
leftovers, wrap
them tightly in foil
and place them in
a 160C oven until
warmed through; or
for sandwiches,
chop or slice the
brisket and reheat
it in barbecue sauce
over low heat.
Coleslaw
“Store-bought and pre-cut coleslaws, and bottled
dressings have given the humble slaw a lacklustre rep
over the years,” says Stone. “Taking a little time (just
10 minutes!) to whip one up yourself reminds us why
this salad became popular in the first place. This
creamy, crunchy coleslaw comes together in a pinch
and can be piled atop a thick piece of brisket
or served as a side.”
Prep time 10 mins (plus standing)
Serves 10-12 (pictured p86)
1 large head wombok, cored, cut in half,
and cut crossways into 3mm-thick slices
(about 12 cups)
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into julienne
8 spring onions (white and green parts),
thinly sliced
Dressing
2½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove
1 egg yolk
310 ml (1¼ cups) canola oil
80 gm crème fraîche
1 tsp caster sugar
1 For dressing, process vinegar, lemon rind and
juice, mustard, garlic and egg yolk in a food
processor to combine (30 seconds). With the
motor running, add oil in a thin steady stream,
blending until mixture is emulsified and creamy.
Mix in crème fraîche, sugar, 2 tsp sea salt and ½ tsp
freshly ground pepper and set aside for flavours
to blend (10 minutes). Adjust seasoning and
refrigerate in an airtight container for up to a day.
2 Toss wombok, carrot and spring onion in a
large bowl to combine, drizzle with dressing, toss
to coat and serve.
12-hour barbecue beef brisket
“Texas is world-renowned for barbecuing a mean
brisket, the flat and fatty slab of meat, cut from the
cow’s lower chest,” says Stone. “Cooking a simply
seasoned brisket low and slow on a smoker (or kettle
barbecue when barbecuing at home), gradually
rendering the gummy white fat while simultaneously
infusing smoky flavour into the meat, is a labour of
love. Although time-consuming, briskets are not
difficult to cook. And while you’ll note that this one
takes a whopping 12 hours to cook, don’t be alarmed
if your brisket needs another hour or so – this timing
is an approximation, and greatly depends on the size
of your brisket and heat of your barbecue.” The brisket
can also be cooked in an oven (see note).
Prep time 10 mins, cook 12 hrs (plus resting)
Serves 10-12 (pictured p87)
30 gm (¼ cup) sea salt flakes
¼ cup freshly ground black pepper
1 brisket point end deckle off (6kg-7kg),
fat trimmed to 6mm-8mm thick
4 kg charcoal briquettes
Smoking wood chunks, such as oak, pecan,
hickory or cherry
1 Crush salt flakes in a bowl with your fingertips
to a finer texture and stir in pepper. Place brisket
on a large baking tray and sprinkle heavily and
evenly with salt and pepper mixture all over the
brisket, patting lightly so it adheres. Rest at room
temperature for 1 hour.
2 Meanwhile, prepare the barbecue (see box
p85). When the temperature stabilises at 120C,
place brisket fat-side up on the side of the
barbecue grate opposite the briquettes and
above the water pan. Make sure the fatter end
of the brisket is facing towards the lit briquettes.
Fold a 30cm-square piece of foil in half and place
it under the part of the brisket facing the lit
briquettes so it acts as a shield from the fire.
Place the lid on the barbecue with the vents
directly above the brisket so the smoke carries
over the brisket as it exits the barbecue. Maintain
the temperature of the barbecue between 110C
and 120C, adjusting the vent as needed. If the
brisket seems to be colouring too quickly on the
side facing the fire, rotate it 180 degrees. Check
the aluminium tray every so often and top up with
boiling water as needed.
3 When the briquette chain reaches the final
portion of lit briquettes, work quickly to remove
the top grate with the brisket and build another
briquette chain. (There is no need to add more
wood – enough smoke flavour will have already
permeated the brisket.) Be sure to return the
water pan to the side of the barbecue opposite
the unlit briquettes. Replace top grate and brisket
on the barbecue, placing brisket above water
pan, and cover. Continue to cook brisket,
checking internal temperature at the centre, until
it reaches 65C-75C and brisket forms a dark
crust or “bark” (6-8 hours).
4 Remove from barbecue and wrap as tightly as
possible in a large piece of unwaxed butcher’s
paper about 60cm x 75cm. Return brisket to
barbecue and cook until internal temperature is
90C-95C (3½-4 hours; when testing for doneness,
pay attention to how easily the thermometer
probe goes in and out of the brisket. When brisket
is ready, it should just barely yield to the probe).
Trim burnt ends to serve now or for Southern
barbecue beans (see recipe opposite), thinly slice
brisket across the grain and serve.
Note If you don’t have a kettle barbecue, you can
roast the salt and pepper-crusted brisket on a
tray in a 120C oven until the dark crust or “bark”
forms and the internal temperature reaches
95C on a thermometer probe (7½-8 hours). Wrap
cooked brisket as tightly as possible in a large
piece of unwaxed butcher’s paper about 60cm
x 75cm and rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
Serve as above.
Drink suggestions With the brisket, barbecue
sauce and Southern beans, go for the most
powerful red zinfandel you can find. For brisket
paired with watermelon rind pickles, try a spicy
grenache; brisket, bread and coleslaw will go
down well with a big, hoppy American-style
pale ale.
Southern barbecue beans with
burnt ends Southern
“You’ll notice I call for burnt ends in the ingredients barbecue beans
list. Though your dog will be vying for them, the
with burnt ends
brisket’s ‘bookends’ have a home in your side of
beans,” says Stone. Start this recipe a day ahead
to soak the beans.
Prep time 20 mins, cook 2 hrs (plus soaking)
Serves 10-12
6 dried New Mexico chillies, stems and seeds
removed (see note)
800 gm dried pinto beans, soaked in cold water
overnight, drained
3 garlic cloves
1½ cups burnt ends from beef brisket
(see recipe opposite), chopped
375 ml (1½ cups) Texas-style barbecue sauce
(see recipe p82)
150 gm canned crushed tomatoes

1 Dry-roast chillies in an even layer in a large

saucepan over medium-high heat, until toasted
(1-1½ minutes each side). Add 1 litre water, bring
to the boil over high heat, then remove from heat
and stand to soften (10 minutes). Drain chillies,
transfer to a blender with 1 litre cold water and
blend until smooth. Add to a large saucepan with
beans, garlic and 1.25 litres cold water, bring to
the boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially
covered and stirring occasionally, until beans are
very tender (1½-1¾ hours). Stir in burnt ends,
barbecue sauce and tomatoes, and simmer for
flavours to develop (25-30 minutes). Season to
taste and serve.
Note Dried New Mexico chillies are available from
online spice retailers such as Herbie’s Spices
(herbies.com.au).

Cobbler topping 2 Preheat oven to 155C fan-forced. Place a 31cm

Cast-iron peach cobbler with 250 gm (12/3 cups) plain flour cast-iron skillet or ovenproof frying pan on a
buttermilk ice-cream 170 gm (1 cup) yellow cornmeal (fine polenta) rimmed baking tray lined with baking paper.
“I came across fruit cobblers when I first moved to 110 gm (1/2 cup) caster sugar Gently toss peaches and sugar in a large bowl
America,” says Stone. “Similar to a crumble, cobblers 33/4tsp baking powder and set aside until peaches release some of their
skyrocket when made with fruit in peak season. I’ve 125 gm chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1cm juices (25-30 minutes). Drain, reserving juice, then
added cornmeal (use fine polenta) to the scone-like cubes whisk ½ cup peach juice with flour, lemon juice,
topping for a gritty, textural bite. I’d be proud to serve 250 ml (1 cup) thickened cream cinnamon, vanilla and ½ tsp sea salt flakes in
my take on a cobbler with homemade buttermilk a bowl to combine, add to peaches and toss
ice-cream to a table full of Texans.” Start this recipe 1 For buttermilk ice-cream, heat milk, cream, to coat, then spread in skillet and set aside.
a day ahead to chill the ice-cream base. 80gm sugar and lemon rind in a saucepan over 3 For cobbler topping, combine flour, cornmeal,
Prep time 30 mins, cook 55 mins (plus chilling) medium-high heat until just before boiling. sugar, baking powder and 1 tsp sea salt flakes
Serves 10-12 (pictured p83) Meanwhile, whisk yolks and remaining sugar in in a large bowl, add butter and rub in until it
2 kg ripe yellow peaches, pitted and cut a bowl, then, whisking continuously, slowly add resembles a coarse meal with a few pea-sized
into 2cm wedges hot milk mixture. Return mixture to pan and stir pieces of butter remaining. Stir in cream with a
165 gm (3/4 cup) caster sugar over low heat until custard thickly coats the back fork until the dough comes together and no dry
2 tbsp plain flour of a spoon and reaches about 84C on a sugar bits are left on the bottom of the bowl (be careful
11/2 tbsp lemon juice thermometer (4-5 minutes). Remove from heat, not to overwork the dough). Using a large spoon
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon whisk in buttermilk, then strain into a bowl. Place or ice-cream scoop, divide the dough into
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract bowl in an ice bath and stir frequently until cooled 14 rounds, arrange them on top of the peaches,
Thickened cream, for brushing to room temperature, then add 1¼ tsp sea salt leaving a little room between each, brush tops
Buttermilk ice-cream flakes. Cover and refrigerate overnight to develop with thickened cream and bake until filling is
500 ml (2 cups) milk the flavour, then freeze in an ice-cream machine. bubbling all over and topping is a deep golden
185 ml (2/3 cup) thickened cream Transfer to an airtight container, cover and freeze brown (35-40 minutes).
150 gm (2/3 cup) caster sugar until ready to serve. Buttermilk ice-cream can be 4 Cool cobbler briefly, then spoon into shallow
Finely grated rind of 1 lemon frozen for up to 3 days, covered tightly; soften bowls and serve with a generous scoop of
6 egg yolks slightly at room temperature before serving. buttermilk ice-cream.
500 ml (2 cups) buttermilk Makes about 2 litres. Wine suggestion Sweet golden Sauternes. #

89
EGGPLANT The
Fortynine Studio Flip
Flop Slip white bowl
from Funkis. All other
props stylist’s own.
Stockists p175. Butter-fried bread
with eggplant and
herbs (RECIPE P93)

Butter-fried bread
with tomatoes
(RECIPE P93)
 THE
Redzepis
at
HOME
When René Redzepi opens Noma Australia in Sydney later this
month the barbecue will be a touchstone. Here, meanwhile,
he and his wife, Nadine Levy Redzepi, give us a taste of the
laid-back approach they enjoy at home.
RECIPES RENÉ REDZEPI & NADINE LEVY REDZEPI WORDS JENI PORTER
PHOTOGRAPHY WILLIAM MEPPEM FOOD STYLING EMMA KNOWLES
STYLING VANESSA AUSTIN

BARBECUE MENU
+ Oyster dipping sauce
+ Butter-fried bread with eggplant and herbs
+ Butter-fried bread with tomatoes
+ Grilled flank steak
+ Green salad with vinaigrette
+ Steamed spinach
+ Brandy plum cake

91
 RENÉ REDZEPI AND
NADINE LEVY REDZEPI
R ené Redzepi has a ritual when his three daughters go to
Noma. They taste 10 new things. “They’re so into it,” he says.
Ro, 18 months, eats anything, Genta, four, is expanding her
repertoire and seven-year-old Arwen is such an old hand her father
can’t keep up. Ants? Tick. Birch leaves? Yum. Sea urchins? “Oh, we’ve
already had that, Daddy,” she said when Noma was serving Faroe
Islands urchins dressed with freshly pressed hazelnut oil.
Redzepi, 38, is one of the world’s most influential chefs. Yet two trips
from the Northern Territory to Tasmania researching Australia’s wild
bounty have evoked in him the same childlike sense of discovery he
loves to see in his kids. Magpie goose cooked on a campfire is the “best
meat I’ve tasted in Australia”; sweet mud clams found in mangroves;
pepper leaves; blood limes: “The quality – wow; the diversity –
unbelievable. The spices and wild things, it’s truly mind-blowing.”
In planning Noma Australia, the temporary restaurant he will
open in Sydney’s Barangaroo in late January, he wants to match the
produce with the right feel for how Australians eat. It’s elemental
– and the idea of the classic Australian barbecue has played a big part
in how Redzepi has conceived the adventure. In Australia, he says,
“it doesn’t matter if you’re in the bush or with the CEO of Lend Lease
in a fancy home, you’ll be barbecuing very quickly”.
Noma’s kitchen will have a three-metre-long barbecue fired
mainly by eucalypt wood, over which six or 10 cooks will toil. “We’ll
be doing a lot of seafood off the grill but not cooked the way you do
your lamp chops.” It could be pieces of skewered fish hanging in the
ash and gently heated, or a clam chucked straight into the embers,
which pops open, gets a quick dressing and is served.
92 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
Redzepi would like to throw “a giant barbie” (said in his best Aussie
accent) at the end for friends and family. His brood will decamp to
Sydney for three months. He and his wife, Nadine Levy Redzepi, have
prepared their kids for a hot January, for speaking English (a cinch for
the older two), and for devouring juicy, sun-ripened mangoes. They’ve
been loaned an old family home in Birchgrove where Nadine plans to
fire up a barbie even if her husband is too busy working, and the food
you see on the pages that follow is very much the Redzepis at home.
Cooking with fire may be a quintessential Australian experience
but it’s also integral to how the Redzepis live. They bought their house
in Copenhagen – a 17th-century former blacksmith’s shop – because
they loved its huge fireplace and designed the kitchen around it. They
cook over coals in the old hearth or, when it’s warm, outside on a
communal grill in the garden they share with neighbours. While René
might tend the fire, he would rather play with his kids than feed them.
Besides, Nadine is the better home cook.
People are always asking him when he’ll do the book about what
he cooks at home but it’s his wife’s cooking that’s the “real story”, he
says. “I love Nadine’s cooking.” An American literary agent thinks
others will, too. She has encouraged Nadine to write a cookbook,
Downtime, which couldn’t be further removed from her husband’s
PORTRAIT LINE KLEIN
Noma recipe books. Inspired by her childhood in rural Portugal,
family holidays in France, and all the eating and reading the 30-year-
old has done since, it’s a book for the bench not the bookshelf, ideally
smeared with greasy finger marks. Consider this a taste.
Noma Australia, Anadara Building, Barangaroo, Sydney,
NSW, noma.dk/australia
Oyster dipping sauce
“To me, eating raw things is integral to any good
meal, especially during a barbecue in summer,” says
René Redzepi. “You can do it with oysters on the
half-shell with a bit of lemon juice, or something like
this sauce. It’s a perfect start – rich, fresh, creamy,
with the crunch from the raw vegetables and a lot of
acidity from the parsley, vinegar, and all these things
that give brightness.”
Prep time 15 mins
Serves 4
1 red or white turnip, peeled and cut into
5mm pieces, plus 1 tbsp finely diced
turnip extra
100 gm freshly shucked oysters (about 12) and
their juice
50 ml grapeseed oil
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp finely diced carrot
1 tbsp finely diced celery
1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Potato chips, or raw vegetables, cut into
thin sticks, or boiled artichokes, to serve
1 Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to
the boil. Add the turnip pieces and simmer over
medium-high heat until just tender (1-2 minutes).
Drain well and let cool.
2 In a blender, purée the oysters with their juices.
With the machine running, slowly pour in the oil,
then the vinegar. Scrape the sauce into a bowl,
add the carrot, celery, parsley and diced turnip
and season to taste. Set the bowl over crushed
ice and serve with potato chips or vegetables cut
thinly into sticks.
Butter-fried bread with
eggplant and herbs
“When people come over we don’t like being too
prepared,” says Nadine Levy Redzepi. “It’s nice
standing around the island in the kitchen with a glass
of something cold and bubbly and everybody is
chopping or doing something and eating these toast
things. They’re really a spin on bruschetta but I prefer
butter – it’s rich but fresher and lighter somehow.”
Prep time 20 mins, cook 35 mins
Serves 4 (pictured p90)
180 ml olive oil, or as needed
3 eggplants
1 bunch dill
1 bunch parsley
1 bunch coriander
100 gm softened butter
1 loaf ciabatta, thickly sliced
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 Place a 3.5-4 litre saucepan on medium-high
heat and add a good amount of olive oil. While
the pot heats up, start cutting the eggplant into
medium dice. As soon as you have cut half of the
first eggplant put it in the pot; do not stir yet! As
you dice the eggplant, add it to the pot. When the
dice on the bottom start to brown, add more olive
oil and stir. Continue this procedure 4-5 times,
being very generous with the olive oil, then add
a good pinch of salt, stir and cover with a lid,
leaving a crack open so any water can evaporate.
Stir every 5 minutes, adding more olive oil if there’s
too little at the bottom of the pot, until eggplant
starts to get creamy and turns into a chunky
mash (10-15 minutes). Turn off the heat and leave
eggplant in the pot.
2 Coarsely chop the herbs, add to eggplant
and stir well. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle a good
amount of cracked black pepper on top. Set aside
to cool a little and start preparing the bread.
3 Put a frying pan on medium heat and add
a generous spoonful of butter. When the butter
starts bubbling, add ½ tsp of turmeric and swirl
around so the butter becomes a lovely turmeric
yellow, then add a few slices of bread. When
golden brown (1-2 minutes), flip the bread. Ensure
there’s enough butter and turmeric in the pan;
I usually add another ½ tsp butter and ½ tsp
turmeric when I flip the bread. Once the bread is
a nice golden brown on both sides, place on paper
towels to get rid of excess butter. Make sure you
don’t layer the bread here; if you place 2 slices on
top of each other, they will lose their crispness.
4 Serve the bread and the bowl of eggplant
on a plate, place a good spoonful of eggplant on
the bread slices, and put salt and pepper on the
table so your fellow diners can add seasoning
to their liking.
DIPPING SAUCE
Chopping board from
Collector Store. Succulent
and white pot from
Garden Life. Napkins
from Plenty Kitchen &
Tableware. Brett Stone
bowl from Claypool. All
other props stylist’s own.
Stockists p175.
Oyster dipping
sauce
Butter-fried bread with tomatoes
Prep time 15 mins, cook 15 mins
Serves 4 (pictured p90)
5 big ripe tomatoes
100 gm softened butter
1 loaf ciabatta, thickly sliced
Olive oil, for drizzling
Basil, to serve
1 Halve the tomatoes, cutting just off centre so
the core is in one half; cut the core out and cut
tomatoes into medium-sized dice. Put the chopped
tomatoes in a bowl and sprinkle with salt, then
leave for at least 30 minutes; the salt will help
draw out the juice.
2 Follow the method for frying the bread from
the previous recipe, but without the turmeric.
3 Strain the tomatoes into a bowl, reserving the
tomato water for another use. Put the tomato dice
in a serving bowl, drizzle with olive oil, add a pinch
of pepper and scatter with basil.
4 Serve the bread and tomatoes separately so
diners can add the tomatoes to the bread just
before they eat it. Put the olive oil, salt and
pepper on the table, too, so your guests can
customise as they go.>
 “I like the texture and taste of flank steak cooked as one large
piece, then carved and shared. It’s much nicer than an individual
steak and you taste it in a different way, too.”

Grilled flank steak

(RECIPE P96)
 Green salad with
vinaigrette (RECIPE P96)

Steamed spinach
(RECIPE P96)

FLANK STEAK
Tea towel from Adairs.
Salt dish from Potier.
All other props stylist’s
own. Stockists p175.

95
Grilled flank steak
“Meat is never the main game for us,” says Levy
Redzepi. “We always serve it with other dishes that will
fill you up. I like the texture and taste of flank steak
cooked as one large piece and then carved into thin
slices and shared. It’s much nicer than an individual
steak and you taste it in a different way, too.”
Prep time 10 mins, cook 6 mins
(plus marinating, resting)
Serves 4 (pictured p94)
1 piece flank steak (800gm-900gm)
100 ml olive oil
1 head of garlic, coarsely chopped
1 Marinate the meat in olive oil and garlic for
2-4 hours (or even overnight).
2 Heat the barbecue to very hot and grill the
meat, turning occasionally, until browned and
cooked to your liking (2-3 minutes each side for
medium rare). Season to taste with salt and
pepper and leave the meat to rest for about
7 minutes. Cut into slices against the grain (about
1.5cm-2cm thick) and serve.
Green salad with vinaigrette
“Our seven-year-old, Arwen, has been making this
vinaigrette since she was five – she tastes it as she
goes,” says Levy Redzepi. “It’s fresh and acidic and as
good as the leaves. Frillice lettuce is crunchy but it’s
thin so it’s like a perfect mix of cos and iceberg.”
Prep time 5 mins
Serves 4 (pictured p95)
1 lettuce, leaves separated (I prefer frillice
or cos)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp of wholegrain mustard
6 tbsp olive oil
1 Rinse the lettuce and put it in a bowl with very
cold water to give a little extra crispness.
2 Meanwhile, mix balsamic vinegar and the
mustards in a small bowl to combine, then while
stirring slowly add the olive oil. Season to taste.
3 Drain lettuce well, drizzle with vinaigrette to
taste, toss to combine and serve.
Steamed spinach
“Steamed spinach is one of my favourite things,” says
Redzepi. “Like cooking an omelette, it’s difficult to get
just right, and so easy to get wrong. Spinach leaves
need to steam until they wilt. It’s a matter of seconds
between cooking and eating – and then it’s perfect.
What I do with the ingredients listed below is take
roughly those quantities for each person I’m cooking
for, so just go with the flow.”
Prep time 5 mins, cook 3 mins
Serves 4 (pictured p95)
⅔ tbsp butter
⅓ tbsp miso
1 tsp finely chopped onion (with a little
garlic in it)
1 fistful of coriander
1 fistful of basil
1 fistful of baby spinach
100 ml chicken broth (it could also be fish,
shrimp, or pork; optional), heated
1 Grab a large frying pan, add butter and miso
and melt with the onion and garlic on low heat.
Leave it for a minute to let the onion and garlic
sweeten and lose their edge. Add coriander, turn
the heat to medium and steam until wilted
(30-40 seconds). Add the basil and steam until
wilted (30-40 seconds). Finally, add the spinach
and cook just until it wilts (30-40 seconds). Serve
in a bowl with freshly ground pepper, salt, and
pour the broth on top.
Brandy plum cake
“I made prunes in Armagnac for René’s birthday
because he loves them and I didn’t know what else to
give him,” says Levy Redzepi. “The alcohol and sugar
turn it almost to jelly. I wanted to get this alcoholly
kick in this rich pound cake base, and for fun added
plums so there’s even more fruit.”
Prep time 20 mins, cook 35 mins
(plus soaking)
Serves 4-6
12 small plums, halved, or 8 large plums, cut
into wedges
10 pitted prunes
120 ml Armagnac or brandy
220 gm softened butter, plus extra for greasing
470 gm caster sugar, plus extra for dusting
1 fat juicy vanilla bean (my favourite is
Tahitian vanilla bean), seeds scraped
3 eggs
300 gm double cream
350 gm plain flour
12 gm (3½ tsp) bicarbonate of soda
Fresh summer fruit, to serve
1 Combine plums, prunes and Armagnac in
a bowl and stand to soak for 2 hours.
2 Preheat oven to 180C. Whisk butter and sugar
in an electric mixer until creamy (4-5 minutes).
Add vanilla seeds (keep the empty pod to use
for another dessert), eggs and a big pinch of salt.
Mix well, then add the cream and mix again.
Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda into the
batter and mix slowly.
3 Butter a 20cm x 30cm baking dish generously,
then pour sugar onto the butter and tilt the dish
from side to side until the sugar sticks to the
butter all over. Tip out the excess. Carefully
spread the batter evenly in the dish, trying not to
disturb the sugar too much. Strain the fruit (save
the alcohol for next time) and push the fruit down
into the batter. Bake until golden and cooked
through (25-35 minutes; stick a fork in the middle
of the cake – it’s okay if the dough sticks a little
bit). Serve warm or at room temperature with
fresh summer fruit. #
Brandy plum cake

CAKE Enamel container

(lid not shown) from
Country Road. All other
props stylist’s own.
Stockists p175.
 T-bone with pickled chilli, corn
and avocado (RECIPE P100)

Chops, cutlets, call them what you

will – meat grilled on the bone makes
make
for the juiciest of barbecue eats.
RECIPES & FOOD STYLING EMMA KNOWLES PHOTOGRAPHY BEN DEARNLEY
STYLING LYNSEY FRYERS-HEDRICK DRINK SUGGESTIONS MAX ALLEN
SALMON Hudson T-BONE Dinner
dinner plates from plate from The
Williams-Sonoma. Design Hunter.
Concrete jar (with Hudson bowl from
relish) from Luumo Williams-Sonoma.
Design. St Claire St Claire tea towel
napkin from Papaya. (used as placemat)
Placemat made from from Papaya. All Grilled salmon chops with
Awning Stripe fabric other props stylist’s asparagus and lemon relish
from No Chintz. own. Stockists p175. (RECIPE P102)
 Barnsley chops with
charred lettuce and peas

Soy-glazed pork cutlets with

Japanese slaw
Coleslaw is a summer barbecue staple. This version is
fragrant with ginger for a Japanese spin to match the
soy glaze. Toss the dressing through at the last minute
for a crisp slaw; for a wilted texture, combine it all
about 10 minutes before serving.
Prep time 20 mins, cook 7 mins (plus resting)
Serves 4
1 nori sheet
60 ml (1/4 cup) soy sauce
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp brown rice vinegar
4 pork cutlets (about 250gm each)
Olive oil, for drizzling
400 gm white cabbage (about 1/3), thinly sliced
on a mandolin
1 Lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced on
a mandolin
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
Rice vinegar dressing
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp brown rice vinegar
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp finely grated ginger
½ garlic clove, finely chopped

1 Heat a barbecue or char-grill pan to medium-

Barnsley chops with charred lettuce
and peas
Barnsley chops are cut across the loin, resulting in
double-sided chops that are the perfect size to serve
one per person. You may need to order them ahead
from your butcher, but if they’re not available you can
use regular lamb loin chops instead. Charred lettuce
and minted peas are an excellent match with the lamb,
with buttermilk dressing cutting through the richness.
Prep time 20 mins, cook 15 mins (plus resting)
Serves 4
150 gm frozen or fresh peas
120 gm sugar snap peas, trimmed
½ cup torn mint, plus extra leaves to serve
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Finely grated rind and juice of ½ lemon
2 baby cos, outer leaves removed (reserve
for another use), hearts quartered
Olive oil, for drizzling
4 Barnsley chops (about 400gm each),
at room temperature
Buttermilk dressing
60 ml (1/4 cup) buttermilk
30 ml extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp malt vinegar
½ garlic clove, finely chopped
1 Blanch peas and sugar snap peas until bright
green and tender (2-3 minutes; see cook’s notes
p176), then drain and refresh. Drain well, then
combine in a bowl with mint and spring onion.
Just before serving, add extra-virgin olive oil
and lemon rind and juice, season to taste and
toss to combine.
2 Heat a barbecue or char-grill pan to medium-
high heat. Drizzle cos hearts with oil, season to
taste and grill, turning, until charred and starting to
wilt (1-2 minutes). Drizzle chops with oil, season to
taste and grill, turning occasionally, until browned
and cooked to your liking (8-10 minutes for
medium), then set aside to rest for 5 minutes.
3 For buttermilk dressing, shake ingredients
in a screwtop jar until well combined, and
season to taste.
4 Serve chops with peas and charred lettuce,
drizzle with dressing and scatter with mint.
Drink suggestions An elegant blend of cabernet
and merlot, or a refreshing golden ale.
high. Toast nori sheet on grill, turning once, until
crisp (30 seconds).
2 Combine soy sauce, honey and vinegar in a
bowl, then transfer half to a separate bowl. Drizzle
pork with oil, season to taste and grill, turning
occasionally and brushing with soy glaze from
one bowl, until browned and just cooked through
(6-7 minutes). Set aside to rest for 5 minutes.
3 For dressing, shake ingredients in a screwtop
jar until well combined and season to taste.
4 Combine cabbage, cucumber and spring onion
in a bowl. Drizzle with dressing, toss to combine
and tear nori over the top. Serve with soy-glazed
pork cutlets, drizzled with reserved soy glaze.
Wine suggestion Juicy young gamay.
T-bones with pickled chilli,
corn and avocado
A barbecued T-bone is pretty hard to beat. These are
marinated in the pickling liquid from a jar of chillies to
impart a little tang. While the barbie is on, throw the
corn on, too, for an extra-tasty result.
Prep time 20 mins, cook 25 mins
(plus marinating, resting)
Serves 4 (pictured p98)
2 tsp ground cumin
100 ml pickling liquid from jarred pickled chillies
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 T-bone steaks (about 300gm each)
Corn, pickled chilli and avocado salad
2 corn cobs, husks and silks removed
Olive oil, for drizzling
60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1½ limes, or to taste
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
½ garlic clove, finely chopped
2 ripe avocados, halved and cut into wedges
80 gm feta, coarsely crumbled>

100 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
PORK CUTLETS
Zakkia black concrete
round tray from The
Minimalist. St Claire tea
towel from Papaya.
BARNSLEY CHOPS
St Claire napkin from
Papaya. “Tabouret” Tolix
stool from Thonet.
All other props stylist’s
own. Stockists p175.

Soy-glazed pork cutlets

with Japanese slaw
 1 cup (loosely packed) coriander
¼ Spanish onion, thinly sliced
3 pickled chillies, thinly sliced
1 Dry-roast cumin in a small saucepan until
fragrant (10-15 seconds; see cook’s notes p176),
then combine in a bowl with pickling liquid and
garlic, and season to taste. Place steaks in a
container large enough to hold them snugly in a
single layer. Pour on pickling liquid mixture, turn
steaks to coat, cover and set aside to marinate
at room temperature for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
2 For corn, pickled chilli and avocado salad, heat
a char-grill pan or barbecue to medium-high.
Drizzle corn with oil, season to taste, then grill,
turning occasionally, until charred and tender
(10-15 minutes). When cool enough to handle,
cut kernels from cobs and set aside. Combine
extra-virgin olive oil, lime juice, vinegar and garlic
in a bowl and season to taste. Just before serving,
add corn, avocado, feta, coriander, onion and
pickled chilli, season to taste and toss to combine.
3 Drain steak, pat dry with paper towels, drizzle
with a little olive oil, season to taste and grill,
turning once, until browned and cooked to your
liking (2-3 minutes each side for medium-rare).
Set aside to rest for 10 minutes, then serve with
corn, pickled chilli, corn and avocado salad.
Wine suggestion A red blend of mataro,
grenache and shiraz.
Turmeric pork chops with green
chilli and coconut sambal
A turmeric-garlic rub adds another layer of flavour to
these pork chops, served with an Indian-inspired potato
salad and spicy sambal. If you’re short on time, you
could skip the sambal, but we highly recommend it.
Prep time 35 mins, cook 35 mins
(plus cooling, resting)
Serves 4
750 gm kipfler potatoes, scrubbed
15 gm turmeric, finely grated
1 garlic clove, finely grated
50 ml vegetable oil
8 pork chops (200gm each)
30 gm coconut oil
3 sprigs fresh curry leaves
¾ tsp brown mustard seeds
¾ tsp coarsely crushed coriander seeds
½ onion, thinly sliced
Juice of 2 limes, or to taste, plus extra
wedges to serve
Green chilli and coconut sambal
150 gm coarsely grated fresh coconut
¾ cup (firmly packed) coriander, coarsely
chopped
3 long green chillies, thinly sliced
1 tbsp finely chopped onion
1 tbsp finely grated ginger
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 For sambal, process ingredients in a food
processor to a paste, season to taste and
refrigerate until required.
2 Boil potatoes in salted water over medium-
high heat until tender when pierced with a skewer
102 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
(20-25 minutes). Drain, then, when cool enough
to handle, peel, thickly slice and place in a bowl.
3 Combine turmeric, garlic and oil in a bowl,
season to taste and rub all over pork chops.
Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.
4 Meanwhile, heat coconut oil in a frying pan
over medium-high heat, add curry leaves and
fry until crisp (30 seconds to 1 minute). Remove
with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Add mustard seeds and coriander seeds to pan,
fry until they pop (30 seconds to 1 minute),
then add onion and fry until caramelised
(8-10 minutes). Remove from heat, stir in lime
juice, then pour mixture over potatoes, toss
to coat, season to taste and set aside.
5 Heat a barbecue or char-grill pan to
medium-high heat. Brush excess marinade
from chops and grill, turning occasionally, until
browned and just cooked through (5-7 minutes),
then set aside to rest for 10 minutes. Serve pork
chops with green chilli sambal, lime wedges and
potato salad scattered with curry leaves.
Drink suggestion Yeasty saison.
Grilled salmon chops with
asparagus and lemon relish
This recipe perfectly illustrates the power of
simplicity – the key to success is super-fresh,
high-quality ingredients. Although purists may
argue that a salmon cutlet isn’t technically a chop,
naysayers will be silenced once they tuck into
this bright-flavoured dish.
Prep time 20 mins, cook 10 mins (plus standing)
Serves 4 (pictured p99)
3 bunches asparagus, tough ends trimmed
Olive oil, for brushing and drizzling
4 salmon cutlets (about 220gm each)
Lemon relish
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 golden shallot, very finely diced
½ garlic clove, finely grated
1 lemon, plus juice of ½
25 ml extra-virgin olive oil
25 ml lemon-infused extra-virgin olive oil
2½ tbsp coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 For lemon relish, combine vinegar, shallot and
garlic in a bowl, then stand for shallot to soften
and flavour to mellow (8-10 minutes). Trim ends
from lemon (discard), then halve lengthways.
Cut each half into quarters, then slice each
wedge very thinly, discarding seeds. Add to
shallot mixture, stir in extra-virgin olive oils,
season to taste and set aside until required.
Just before serving, stir in parsley.
2 Heat a barbecue or char-grill pan to high.
Drizzle asparagus with a little oil, season to taste
and grill, turning occasionally, until just tender
(2-3 minutes).
3 Brush salmon lightly with oil, season to taste
and grill, turning once, until browned on each
side and cooked to your liking (1-2 minutes
for medium-rare). Serve with grilled asparagus
and lemon relish.
Wine suggestion Barrel-fermented
sauvignon blanc.>
 TURMERIC PORK
All props stylist’s own.
TEXT PAGE St Claire tea
Turmeric pork chops with green towel from Papaya.
chilli and coconut sambal All other props stylist’s
own. Stockists p175.
TOMAHAWK Pakka
wood-handled carving
knife from Wheel &
Barrow. Porcelain small
dinner plate from The
Design Hunter. Bowl
(with relish, part of the
Bloomingville set)
from Luumo Design.
LAMB LOIN Hudson
black side plate from
Williams-Sonoma. All
other props stylist’s
own. Stockists p175.

Barbecued tomahawk
with tomato relish

104 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
Barbecued tomahawk with Lamb loin chops with smoky 1 For smoky eggplant, char eggplant on a hot
tomato relish eggplant, and farro and tomato salad barbecue or over an open flame, turning
Tomahawk steak is an impressive cut – it looks almost Middle Eastern flavours are a classic match with lamb, occasionally, until charred and tender (at least
prehistoric with its large rib bone still attached. One while smoky eggplant takes it up a notch. If you fancy 15-20 minutes). Place in a colander in the sink
of these guys will serve two or three people, and will go it, throw some flatbread on the barbecue to warm up to drain, then scoop out flesh into a bowl. Stir
even further if you slice it and stuff it between buttered and serve alongside. in tahini, oil, lemon juice and garlic, season to
bread for the ultimate steak sandwich. If you have a Prep time 30 mins, cook 30 mins taste and refrigerate until required. Smoky
flatplate on your barbecue, take the opportunity to (plus cooling, resting) eggplant will keep refrigerated for 3 days.
cook off some onions while the steak cooks – they’ll Serves 4 2 Meanwhile, boil farro in a saucepan until
take this to the next level. Start this recipe a day 100 gm farro (see note) tender (20-25 minutes), then drain well and
ahead to make the relish. 3 large ripe tomatoes, diced spread on a tray to cool. Once cool, transfer to
Prep time 25 mins, cook 40 mins 70 ml extra-virgin olive oil a bowl, add tomato, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon
(plus cooling, resting) Finely grated rind and juice of ½ lemon, rind and juice, vinegar, herbs and spring onion,
Serves 4 or to taste season to taste and toss to combine.
1 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp sherry vinegar 3 Heat a barbecue or char-grill pan to medium-
1 tsp finely chopped thyme 1 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley high heat. Brush chops with oil, season to taste
½ garlic clove, finely chopped 1 cup coarsely chopped mint and grill, turning occasionally, until browned and
1 tomahawk steak (about 1kg), at room 2 spring onions, thinly sliced cooked to your liking (3-4 minutes each side for
temperature 8 lamb loin chops (about 200gm each) medium-rare). Transfer chops to a plate and rest
Sliced, buttered sourdough bread and wild 1 tbsp olive oil for 5 minutes. Serve lamb loin chops with smoky
rocket, to serve Sumac, to serve eggplant, farro and tomato salad, and scattered
Tomato relish Smoky eggplant with sumac.
2 tbsp olive oil 2 eggplant Note Farro is available from select delicatessens.
½ Spanish onion, finely diced 70 gm tahini Wine suggestion Slurpy young nero d’Avola. #
1 garlic clove, finely chopped 70 ml extra-virgin olive oil
2½ tsp smoked paprika Juice of 1½ lemons, or to taste
750 gm ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
4 thyme sprigs
2 tbsp caster sugar
70 ml red wine vinegar

1 For tomato relish, heat oil in a large saucepan

over medium-high heat, then sauté onion and
garlic until tender (4-5 minutes). Stir in paprika
until fragrant (30 seconds), then add tomato
and thyme and simmer, stirring occasionally, until
tomato begins to break down (6-7 minutes). Add
sugar and half the vinegar, season generously
and simmer until thick (2-3 minutes), then remove
from heat and stir in remaining vinegar. Transfer
to a sterilised jar (see cook’s notes p176), cool at
room temperature, then refrigerate overnight for
flavours to develop. Tomato relish will keep
refrigerated for up to a month.
2 Prepare a coal barbecue or preheat a gas
barbecue to medium-high heat. Combine oil,
thyme and garlic in a bowl, season to taste, brush
over steak, then grill steak, turning occasionally,
until cooked to your liking (20-25 minutes for
medium-rare). Transfer to a plate, cover loosely
with foil and set aside to rest for 10 minutes.
Thickly slice across the grain and serve with
bread, tomato relish and wild rocket.
Wine suggestion Full-bodied, oak-aged
tempranillo.

MORE ONLINE
We’ve got plenty more ideas for
turning the humble chop into a
barbecue sensation online:
gourmettraveller.com.au Lamb loin chops with
smoky eggplant, and farro
and tomato salad
Lime tart with lime caramel
(RECIPE P113)

DOWN
WAY
Where the Caribbean meets the Yucatán jungle
Eric Werner and Mya Henry have created a restaurant
fired by wood and canopied by stars – and the food is
no less magical than the setting. Welcome to Hartwood.
RECIPES ERIC WERNER WORDS OLIVER STRAND PHOTOGRAPHY GENTL & HYERS
Grouper with white bean salad
and coriander crema (RECIPE P113)

E
ric Werner had never headed a kitchen when he and
his wife, Mya Henry, decided to buy a plot of jungle in
Tulum, a beach town south of Cancún, and open the
restaurant he had built in his mind. Werner had been a line
cook at Vinegar Hill House, a highly regarded restaurant in
Brooklyn, but he had never had to create a menu, hire staff,
meet with purveyors, review the plans for a new ventilation
system, or attend to the endless soul-numbing tasks that have
little to do with preparing delicious food but are an important
part of running a small business. Werner knew he had culinary
talent, and that Henry had a good eye. It seemed like enough.
It helps explain why Hartwood feels like a fantasy of a
restaurant, a place so poetic and ethereal that the meals you
eat under the stars (there is no roof) in the church-like haze of
burning copal (the smouldering tree resin keeps mosquitoes
away) will become the lasting memories of your holiday, the
moments you return to when you want to recall what it’s like
to be perfectly content. Werner and Henry made decisions no
practical restaurateur would make, but that set Hartwood apart.
It’s part of why I fell in love with the restaurant and agreed
to write Werner’s and Henry’s cookbook with my wife,
Christine Muhlke. She had been going to Tulum well before
she met me, and long before it became a chic getaway for
fashionable New Yorkers. When we first went in 2005, she told
me to bring books because there was nothing to do, a torch
because the beach was off the grid (the power lines stop short
of the waterfront), and bags of trail mix because the meals in
the hotels were sad. It was, as she put it, a vacation from food.
It suited us. Both of us are professional eaters – she’s the
executive editor of Bon Appétit, and I regularly write for the
New York Times – and it was a relief to spend a week in a place
where there was no drive to go out. When we arrived in Tulum
in December of 2010, she spied Hartwood and told me to pull
over. To be honest, she first noticed Werner’s car at the time,
an old Jeep Wagoneer painted a creamy off-white. Hartwood
wasn’t yet open – the first meal would be served the following
night. We were the second set of customers to eat there.
108 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
MYA HENRY AND
ERIC WERNER
We had the octopus and the fish. The octopus was tender
and chewy with just the right amount of char from the grill –
it was the octopus of my dreams, what I wish I had been
served every time I had ordered it in Greece and in Spain.
The fish was roasted in the wood-burning oven so the skin
was crisp and the flesh cooked to a delicate medium-rare.
The following night we went back and had pork ribs that were
braised with agave and chillies until they were meltingly
tender, then crisped up on the grill, and a slice of coconut
cake so rustic that it looked like it was hacked from a tree and
so delicious that my wife still talks about it. That visit turned
around our relationship with Tulum. Because of Hartwood,
we now go there for the food.
On the face of it, what Werner and Henry do is simple:
buy only local ingredients, and cook only on a wood-burning
grill or in a wood-fired oven (there’s no induction hob, no gas
burner). In practice it’s complicated. After that first meal,
Werner asked if I wanted to go with him to the market in
Valladolid, a colonial city in the jungle that’s a 90-minute
drive from the coast (or longer, depending on the roadblocks
set up by the federal police). The market was magnificent and
full of produce that wasn’t available through the suppliers
of most of the restaurants and hotels at the beach, but the
logistics were murder. Werner would spend four hours on
a shopping excursion to get the best chillies, fermented
squash candied with raw honey, and sal de gusano (salt mixed
with ground-up worms), start his prep, and then cook dinner.
The truth is Werner and Henry don’t need to try so hard.
Other restaurants in similarly beachy settings get by on much
less – fried calamari and a balmy night and everybody goes
home happy. But Werner and Henry are so earnest they put
everything they have into it, approaching each night as the
performance of a lifetime and treating each meal as though
it should be among the greatest you have eaten. What makes
Hartwood so remarkable is that they pull it off.
Hartwood, Carretera Tulum Boca Paila, Tulum Pueblo,
Quintana Roo, Mexico, hartwoodtulum.com
Avocado-leaf short ribs with serrano temperature – the braise will continue to cook any stray vegetables and chillies back into the pan.
chilli creamed corn and the flavours will develop more. Strain the braising liquid and reserve the chillies;
“This is a classic European preparation enlivened with 2 Meanwhile, for the corn, heat a grill to high. set the liquid aside. Add the short ribs to the hot
ingredients from the Yucatán,” says Eric Werner. “First Season the corn with the chilli-lime salt, then wrap pan and sear on all sides until brown, crisp, and
you braise the meat with aromatic vegetables, dried in foil with the butter and lime juice, and grill until heated through – the fat on the meat should do
chillies (which give smoky heat), fresh chillies (which the corn is charred in spots (or grill the corn, the trick, but, if necessary, toss a knob of butter
give fruity heat), and an avocado leaf (which has a without the foil, directly over a gas burner set to into the pan. (If the bones fall off, don’t worry
faint taste of liquorice). If you don’t have access to an medium heat; melt the butter with the lime juice; about it – you can reassemble the short ribs when
avocado tree, you can use fennel pollen or seeds to reserve). Char the jalapeño on the grill or over you serve the dish.) When the short ribs are
get some of the same flavour, but try to make this with a gas burner. Let the corn and jalapeño cool. browned, pile them on a plate set close to the
the real thing if you can. Then you sear the short ribs Carefully unwrap the corn, reserving the juices, stove to keep warm.
to give them a brown crust, reduce the braising liquid and cut the kernels off the cobs. Transfer to a 4 Reduce the heat under the pan to medium,
into a sauce, and serve both over roasted corn that’s blender, add the reserved juices (or the butter add the strained braising liquid and reserved
puréed with chillies, lime, coconut water, and sour mixture), jalapeño, sour cream, and 1 tbsp coconut chillies, and boil to reduce the liquid by two-thirds.
cream – it’s creamed corn with a kick. water, and purée until smooth and thick, adding Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.
“At Hartwood, the dish is meant for sharing. more coconut water if necessary. Add the serranos While the sauce is reducing, gently reheat the
We have the butcher cut the short ribs into pieces and blend well. Transfer to a saucepan. (The short creamed corn.
that weigh up to a kilo and look like something Fred ribs are served with an intense reduction sauce, 5 To serve, spread a generous swoosh of
Flintstone would eat. These can be unwieldy in a home so the corn is purposely underseasoned to creamed corn on each plate and put the short
kitchen, however – you’d need a large pan for braising balance the flavour. It will seem really spicy at ribs on top. Spoon the sauce over, crumble some
and a 30cm cast-iron skillet for searing. The solution? this point, but don’t worry.) queso cotija on top if desired, and garnish with
Use shorter pieces – the flavour will be the same. 3 When you’re ready to serve, heat a large the pickled onions.
If you want the full-sized ribs, you may need to order cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Remove Note Queso cotija, Mexico’s fresh cheese, can be
them ahead. the short ribs from the braising liquid, scraping difficult to source in Australia; substitute feta.>
“You can braise the short ribs earlier in the day
and set them aside for an hour or so until you’re ready
to serve, or cook them up to three days ahead and Roasted corn puréed with chillies, lime, coconut water,
keep them tightly covered in the refrigerator.”
Serves 6
and sour cream – it’s creamed corn with a kick.
A knob of unsalted butter (optional)
Queso cotija for garnish (optional; see
note)
Pickled white onions (see recipe p110),
to serve (optional) Avocado-leaf short ribs with
Short ribs serrano chilli creamed corn
3 short ribs (700gm-1kg each) or 6 ribs
(350gm-500gm each)
3 onions, coarsely chopped
6 garlic cloves, bruised and peeled
6 carrots, peeled and cut into 1cm-thick slices
3 red capsicum, cut into 1cm-thick slices
1 habanero chilli, halved
6 dried ancho chillies, toasted in a dry skillet
until fragrant
6 allspice berries
1 fresh avocado leaf (or a pinch of fennel
pollen or 1 tsp fennel seeds)
Creamed corn
4 ears corn, husked
1 tsp chilli-lime salt (see recipe p112)
2 tsp unsalted butter
Juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeño
¾ cup sour cream
4 tbsp coconut water (you may not need
it all)
2 serrano chillies, coarsely chopped

1 Preheat the oven to 180C. Season the short

ribs with salt and pepper. Put the short ribs in
a heavy braising pan or Dutch oven, add the
remaining ingredients, and cover with water. Bring
to a low boil on the stovetop, then transfer to the
oven and braise for 1¼ hours, or until the meat is
tender (it won’t be pull-apart tender at this point,
but it should be easily pierced with a knife).
Remove the pan from the oven and cool to room

Agave pork belly with
grilled piña
Agave pork belly with grilled piña
“One day Antonio, a mason who helped build
Hartwood from the ground up (and some of whose
10 children have worked in the restaurant), brought
in some pure agave nectar – the real stuff from the
succulent plant, preservative-free and unfiltered, with
some flakes of leaves left in it,” says Werner. “He
began pouring it onto roasted habaneros and popping
them into his mouth. It seemed it was going to be so
spicy. Imagine: a whole habanero in your mouth? You
would need a week to get over that much heat. But
he seemed fine. It turns out the agave provides an
incredible balance to the hot pepper (though there’s
still a mild burn). And it works beautifully against the
fat of the pork belly as a glaze.
“Start the pork belly the day before you serve it.
The long, slow cooking, plus weighting it down in the
fridge overnight, makes it extra tender beneath its
layer of grill-crisped fat.”
Serves 6-8
1.8 kg bone-in pork belly or 1.5kg boneless
pork belly
1 tbsp sea salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 poblano chillies, coarsely chopped
3 habaneros, sliced into 5mm-thick rounds,
seeds removed
3 serrano chillies, chopped
1 cup agave nectar (see note)
1 large ripe pineapple (about 1.5kg)
¼ cup best-quality apple cider vinegar
110 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
1 Preheat the oven to 120C. Season the pork
belly all over with the salt and pepper. Put all the
chillies in a large roasting pan and place the pork
belly skin-side down on top. Drizzle with ½ cup of
the agave. Pour the remaining ½ cup of agave and
500ml water into the pan. Cover the pan tightly
with two layers of foil, transfer to the oven, and
cook for 3 hours, carefully loosening the foil and
basting the pork with the pan juices every hour.
Turn the pork over, cover, and cook until very
tender (about 4 more hours).
2 Transfer the pork to another roasting pan; if it’s
bone-in, remove and discard the bones. Strain the
cooking liquid into a saucepan (there should be
about 5½ cups); reserve the chillies. Gently boil
the juices until reduced and thickened to a glaze
(about 1¼ cups liquid; 45-50 minutes). Add the
reserved chillies and remove from the heat. Let
cool, then refrigerate.
3 Meanwhile, cover the pork with a sheet of
baking or waxed paper or a small baking sheet.
Top with a large plate and put weights, such as
large cans, on top. Refrigerate overnight.
4 The next day, bring the pork belly to room
temperature. Prepare a grill for medium-high
heat. Trim and peel the pineapple (if you have
a pineapple corer, core the pineapple now).
Cut the pineapple into 1cm-thick rounds, and cut
the core from each round. Brush the grill grate
with oil. Grill the pineapple until nicely charred
(2-3 minutes each side). Set aside. Let the grill
cool to medium heat.
5 Reheat the glaze. Slice the pork belly into
2cm-thick slices, arrange on the grill, and brush
with some of the glaze. Grill until warmed and
crisp (about 3 minutes each side). Brush the pork
again with some of the glaze.
6 To serve, place 2 or 3 pineapple slices on each
plate. Spoon some glaze over, top with the pork
belly, and drizzle with the vinegar.
Note Agave nectar is available from health-food
shops.
Ceviche de aguja with ginger
and mescal
“The earthy, smoky flavour of the mescal sets up
both the sharpness of the citrus in the marinade and
the fattiness of the avocado,” says Werner. “When
shopping for marlin, look for a lean fillet with no fatty
layers between the muscle – that fat is too chewy for
a ceviche. If you can’t find lean marlin, ask for lean
swordfish. If the only marlin (or swordfish) at the fish
market is fatty, then don’t make ceviche: those cuts
are best roasted in the oven.” At Hartwood, Werner
also adds ¼ cup hoja santa, a herb not readily
available in Australia.
Serves 4-6
450 gm marlin fillets, cut into 5mm-thick slices
4 radishes, cut into julienne
1 serrano chilli, thinly sliced
⅓ cup 1cm cubes seeded cucumber
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and cubed
½ tsp dried chamomile or organic chamomile
tea for garnish
Radish sprouts for garnish (optional)
Pickled white onion
1 white onion, thinly sliced on a mandolin or
with a sharp knife
1 cup white vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
Ginger mescal agua
½ cup thinly sliced ginger
½ cup fresh lime juice (from 5 to 6 limes)
1 cucumber, peeled and cut into chunks
2 tbsp mescal
½ tsp honey
1 serrano chilli, coarsely chopped
⅓ cup dried chamomile or chamomile tea
1 For pickled onion, place onion in a 500ml jar,
mix vinegar, sugar and ½ tsp salt, and pour into
jar. Refrigerate for at 4 hours before using. Pickled
onion will keep refrigerated for a week.
2 For the ginger mescal agua, combine all the
ingredients in a blender and blend on high for
until well blended (about 30 seconds). Pass
through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl and
add salt to taste.
3 Place marlin in a bowl, add the ginger mescal
agua and ½ tsp salt, and gently mix to combine.
Add ⅓ cup pickled white onion, radishes, chilli,
and cucumber and mix gently. Let stand for
1-2 minutes.
4 Using a slotted spoon, divide the ceviche
among individual serving bowls. Spoon about
2 tbsp of the ginger mescal agua over each
serving. Garnish with the avocado, chamomile,
radish sprouts and sea salt.
 “The earthy, smoky flavour of the mescal sets up the
sharpness of the citrus and the fattiness of the avocado.”

Roasted garlic oil and roasted garlic

“This recipe gives you two foundations of flavour,”
says Werner. “The oil tastes sweet and buttery. But
the roasted garlic is integral to so much of what we
Ceviche de aguja with
cook that we would make the oil just to get the cloves. ginger and mescal
We use the oil in dressings and sauces and to flavour
the leafy greens we serve with meat dishes.”
Makes about 1 litre (4 cups) oil, plus roasted garlic
6 whole heads garlic
3 thyme sprigs
3 oregano sprigs
1 litre olive oil

1 Preheat the oven to 180C. Slice off the top 1cm

of each garlic head so most of the cloves are
exposed. Place the garlic in a deep sturdy 25cm
pan with the herbs and add enough olive oil so
that the heads are just above the surface. Cover
with baking paper, then tightly cover the pan with
foil. Roast for 45 minutes, or until the garlic is soft
– check by piercing a head with a paring knife.
Remove the parchment and foil and roast for
5 more minutes to brown the garlic a bit. Let cool.
2 Strain the oil into a 1-litre measuring cup; set
the garlic aside. Return the oil to its original bottle
(simply pour though a funnel set in the neck of
the bottle). Cover the oil and keep in a cool, dark
place (the oil will last longer if you refrigerate it;
just be sure to take it out about an hour before
cooking to liquefy).
3 Put the garlic heads in a bowl to collect the oil,
then separate the cloves and squeeze the pulp
into a 500ml jar. Discard the papery skin and
herbs. Strain the oil that collected in the bowl and
use to cover the garlic; add more of the garlic oil
if necessary to cover it. Cover and refrigerate; the
roasted garlic will keep for up to 2 weeks.>

Pulpo tostadas
“This dish started off as a family meal, when we took
the heads left over from the day’s pulpo asado,” says
Werner. “After boiling them, we tossed the heads with
a dressing (instead of grilling them like the tentacles),
then piled them on fried tortillas. We refined the dish
before we put it on the menu: the tostadas are freshly
made, the octopus is from the more delicious
tentacles, and the dressing is more precise and
flavourful. It’s a simple dish that we dolled up.
“Sometimes we make the masa ourselves, and
sometimes we buy it from vendors in town. If you
can, buy fresh masa from a restaurant or tortilla
manufacturer willing to part with some. If not, you can
make tortillas with just dried maseca corn flour
according to the package directions. As a last resort,
buy fresh tortillas. You don’t want to drive yourself
crazy chasing after authenticity, but the better the
masa, the more flavourful the dish – you don’t need
to bake bread to make a sandwich, but a sandwich
made with just-baked bread tastes so much better
than one made with bagged stuff from a supermarket.
The chilli-lime salt is our version of a finishing salt;
it brings a note of intrigue to any dish. It’s simple to
make: The smoky, spicy, tangy salt is just the right
112 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
½ cup olive oil
1 tsp honey
1 tbsp finely chopped Spanish onion
1 For the chilli-lime salt, toast the chillies in a dry
cast-iron pan over medium-low heat until fragrant
(aobut 2 minutes; see cook’s notes p176). Let
them cool, then pulse in a spice grinder to a fine
powder. Mix with the salt and lime zest. Store in a
Pulpo tostadas tightly sealed jar in a cool place.
2 Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until
they are tender but still hold their shape. Drain
and let cool, then thinly slice.
3 Meanwhile, for the tostadas, fill a very large
cast-iron skillet a third full with olive oil and heat
to 180C. Add 2 or 3 tortillas at a time and fry until
golden brown (about 2 minutes each side). Drain
flourish for grilled fish, but you can use it in or on just on a rack set over a baking sheet or a large plate
about any dish. We sprinkle it over the odd-shaped lined with paper towels.
pieces left over when we make jicama salad, or you 4 For the vinaigrette, combine the roasted garlic,
could use it on radishes or eggs.” lime juice, olive oil, honey, onion, ½ tsp salt, or to
Serves 6 taste, and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper in a
500 gm new potatoes (6-8, depending on size) small bowl and whisk to blend. Taste and add
Olive oil, for frying more salt if needed.
12 freshly made corn tortillas, homemade or 5 For the octopus, fill a large saucepan with
store-bought water, season generously with salt, add the herb
3 thyme sprigs sprigs, and bring to the boil. While the water
3 oregano sprigs heats, pound the octopus tentacles with a heavy
500 gm octopus tentacles blunt object for a minute or so to tenderise (a
½ cup finely chopped heirloom tomatoes small cast-iron skillet would work for this; we use
4 radishes, thinly sliced a log). Add the octopus to the boiling water and
¼ cup cucumber, cut into small dice boil for about 45 minutes, or until tender and a
1 cup coriander toothpick is easily inserted in the flesh. Transfer
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and diced to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking, then
1 red árbol or red serrano chilli, thinly sliced thinly slice.
Chilli-lime salt 6 Combine the potatoes, octopus, tomatoes,
4 dried árbol chillies radishes, cucumber and coriander in a medium
2 tbsp salt bowl. Add the vinaigrette and mix well. Arrange
Grated zest of 3 limes 2 tostadas on each plate. Place a large spoonful
Vinaigrette of the octopus mixture on each tostada, sprinkle
1 tbsp mashed roasted garlic (see recipe with chilli-lime salt and garnish with diced
p111) avocado and chilli. Serve immediately.
Grouper with white bean salad and
coriander crema
“Grouper is a meaty, buttery fish, and when you roast
it in the oven, all the juiciness comes through – it’s like
the steak of the sea,” says Werner. “If you get a nice
fat fillet, you can cook it a little longer and it won’t dry
out; it’ll just get better, which is useful when you want
to get extra-crisp skin. Grouper is forgiving.
“The flesh is a surprisingly good match for beans.
In this recipe, the white bean salad gets a little heat
and smoke from roasted poblanos. It’s tossed with
the lime and honey vinaigrette we use in many of our
salads, then topped with a coriander crema. The fresh,
herbal flavours of the coriander are offset by the
earthy sweetness of the roasted garlic we get when
making roasted garlic oil. We use dried beans, which
you will need to soak overnight. You can use cups of
canned white beans if you want to take a shortcut, but
dried beans taste better.”
Serves 4 (pictured p107)
4 grouper fillets (180gm-220gm each), skin on
Olive oil, for coating
1 Spanish onion, thinly sliced
8 tbsp unsalted butter, diced
1 jalapeño, very thinly sliced
2 limes, halved
White bean salad
1½ cups dried navy beans or other creamy
white beans, soaked overnight in water
1 onion, cut in half
1 carrot, peeled and cut in half
4 oregano stems
2 tbsp salt
5 poblano chillies
4 cups rocket
½ cup coriander leaves
Lime and honey vinaigrette
¼ cup fresh lime juice (from 2 to 3 limes),
or to taste
¾ cup olive oil
2 tbsp honey, or to taste
Coriander crema
1 cup sour cream
¼ cup olive oil
1½ tsp mashed roasted garlic (see recipe p111)
1 cup coriander leaves (some tender stems
are fine)
1 Preheat the oven to 200C. For the bean salad,
drain the beans and place in a large saucepan
along with the onion, carrot and oregano stems.
Cover with water by 5cm, then add the salt and
boil gently over medium heat until the beans are
soft (30-45 minutes). Drain the beans, discarding
the onion, carrot, and oregano. Transfer to a bowl
and let cool. Meanwhile, coat the poblanos with
olive oil, place on a small baking tray, and roast
for 20 minutes. Flip the chillies and roast for
20 minutes longer, or until charred all over. Let
the chillies cool, then remove the seeds and skin.
Cut into 1cm-wide strips and fold into the white
beans. Set aside.
2 Reduce the oven temperature to 180C. Coat
the grouper fillets with olive oil and season with
salt and freshly ground black pepper. Oil the grill
grate and grill the fish skin-side down for about
1 minute to get nice grill marks. Turn 45 degrees
and cook for 1 minute longer. Flip and repeat.
3 Put the onion and butter in a large cast-iron
skillet. Transfer the fish, skin-side up, to the skillet
and drizzle olive oil over the skin, then roast
in the oven until just cooked through (about
10 minutes).
4 Meanwhile, for the vinaigrette, Whisk all the
ingredients and 1 tsp salt or to taste in a small
bowl until emulsified, then taste – everything
should be in balance: the acid of the lime, the
sweetness of the honey, the salinity of the salt.
If anything is too faint, add more of whatever is
missing. The vinaigrette will keep for up to a week
in the refrigerator; whisk again before serving to
re-emulsify it.
5 Add the rocket and coriander to the white
beans and stir gently to combine, being careful
not to mash the beans. Add the vinaigrette and
stir to incorporate.
6 For the crema, combine the sour cream, olive
oil, roasted garlic, and 1 tsp each salt and freshly
ground black pepper in a blender and purée until
smooth (about 30 seconds). Add the coriander in
2 or 3 batches, pulsing for about 10 seconds after
each addition. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and
refrigerate until ready to serve.
7 Spoon the salad onto individual plates and
drizzle with the coriander crema. Top with the
grouper and onion. There will be some brown
butter left in the skillet – pour it over everything.
Garnish with the jalapeño slices (about 2 per
fillet) and limes.
Lime tart with lime caramel
“When life gives you limes – crates and crates of limes
– you find new ways to use them in dessert, like this
beachfront interpretation of the French lemon tart,”
says Werner. “This is a classic recipe, with all the
butter and eggs you’d find in its Parisian counterpart.
We roast lime wedges while the tart bakes for
a caramelised sweet-tart garnish.”
Serves 8 (pictured p106)
1 lime, halved, sliced into thin wedges, and
roasted until slightly charred (optional)
Dried chamomile or chamomile tea,
to garnish
Zest of 1 lime
Crust
12 tbsp softened unsalted butter
¼ cup sugar
2 cups plain flour
1 tsp dried chamomile or chamomile tea
Lime curd
3 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp grated lime zest (from about 3 limes)
¾ cup fresh lime juice (from 8-9 large limes)
8 tbsp softened unsalted butter, diced
Lime caramel
1 cone piloncillo (about 225gm; see note),
chopped
¼ cup fresh lime juice (from 2-3 limes)
4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 For the crust, using a hand-held electric
mixer, cream the butter and sugar together in a
medium bowl until light and fluffy. Add the flour,
chamomile and ¼ tsp salt and mix until a dough
forms. Shape into a flat disc and wrap in plastic
wrap. Chill for 30 minutes or until firm.
2 Preheat the oven to 200C. Press the dough
evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a
23cm tart pan. Use a fork to poke holes all over
it so the crust doesn’t bubble while baking. Bake
until lightly golden brown (about 15 minutes).
Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Reduce
the oven temperature to 180C.
3 For the curd, fill a saucepan about halfway with
water and heat it over medium-low heat until
simmering. Meanwhile, in a heatproof bowl, whisk
together the eggs, yolks, and sugar. Set the bowl
over the saucepan of simmering water and
continue whisking until the sugar is dissolved
(about 1 minute). Add the lime zest, juice, and
¼ tsp salt and cook, stirring constantly, until the
mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the
spoon (about 4 minutes). Scrape down the sides
frequently so that the curd doesn’t overcook.
Whisk in the butter piece by piece.
4 Pour the curd into the crust and bake until the
filling is set (15-20 minutes). Let cool completely,
then refrigerate until cold and firmly set (at least
3 hours). The tart can be refrigerated for up
to 3 days.
5 For the caramel, melt the piloncillo with the
lime juice and 1 tsp salt in a saucepan over
medium heat until completely fluid, stirring to
break up any stubborn pieces. Stir in the butter
and remove from the heat. Let cool.
6 To serve, remove the sides of the pan, cut the
tart into wedges, and arrange on serving plates.
(We bake ours in trays, then slice them into
squares.) Top each serving with a drizzle of
caramel, a few roasted lime wedges, a sprinkle
of chamomile, and a pinch of lime zest.
Note Piloncillo, unrefined cane sugar, is available
from select delicatessens and online from
fireworksfoods.com.au; substitute panela sugar
or muscovado. #
+ Hartwood (RRP
$79.95) by Eric Werner
and Mya Henry with
Christine Muhlke and
Oliver Strand is
published by Artisan.
This extract has been
reproduced with minor
GT style changes.
SHAKERS AND MOVERS
Charlie Ainsbury (left) and
Luke Ashton of This Must
be the Place.
 putting
spritz
on the

The Spritz specialists at Sydney bar This

Must be the Place have put a new spin on the
long, cool classic – your summer starts here.
RECIPES CHARLIE AINSBURY & LUKE ASHTON
PHOTOGRAPHY ROB SHAW STYLING EMMA KNOWLES

Afterglow Wildlife (RECIPE P118)

(RECIPE P116)

Chambéry
(RECIPE P116)

Provence
Provence
“This is a drink in the style of Italy’s Sgroppino with
some flavours from further afield,” says Luke Ashton.
“The blend of peach, sorbet and prosecco makes a
delicious way to start or finish your party.”
Makes 1
20 ml rinquinquin (a dry French peach
apéritif; see note)
75 ml prosecco
1 scoop of coconut and pandan sorbet
(see note)
¼-½ tsp lime zest, plus extra, to serve
1 Blend ingredients in a blender on high speed
until smooth (10 seconds), pour into chilled
Champagne flutes, garnish with a pinch of lime
zest and serve.
Note “If you’re not familiar with rinquinquin
(pronounced “ran-can-can”) it’s something
you’ll wish you knew about sooner,” says Ashton.
“With its perfect balance of sweet and dry and
clean, fresh yellow-peach flavours, you’ll find any
excuse to add this to just about anything. It’s
available online from major liquor retailers and
is definitely worth buying. Otherwise, you could
use peach schnapps at half the quantity for
a comparable result.” Ashton uses Gelato
Messina’s coconut and pandan sorbet; otherwise
use straight coconut sorbet.
116 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
Evergreen
“With its fresh green and botanical flavours balanced by
light floral honey, the approachability of the Evergreen
will convert any non-tequila drinker,” says Ashton. “Plan
ahead for this drink – the effort will be well rewarded.
My preference for soda water in Spritzes is to use water
carbonated with a Sodastream – it allows you to control
the carbonation, so you can add the most carbonated
water to give the brightest Spritz.” Start this recipe a
day ahead to infuse the garden riesling.
Makes 1
20 ml Don Julio Blanco Tequila
25 ml verjuice
45 ml soda water
Cucumber thinly sliced on the diagonal and
mint, to garnish
Garden riesling
2 Lebanese cucumbers, peeled, halved
lengthways, seeded and finely sliced on
a mandolin
3 bunches round-leaf mint
1 tbsp lavender flowers
750 ml (3 cups) dry riesling
Honey water
1 small jar light floral honey, such as rainforest
1 For garden riesling, place ingredients in a large
zip-lock bag, adding the wine last. Expel all air by
submerging bag in a sink filled with water, sealing
just before the bag submerges fully. Place flat in
a container and stand at room temperature for
3 hours to infuse, then refrigerate to chill and for
flavours to develop (24 hours). Strain through a
fine strainer, then through muslin (discard solids)
and transfer to a bottle. Makes 750ml. Garden
riesling will keep refrigerated for a week.
2 For honey water, submerge honey jar in hot
water to warm and liquify, then pour into a
heatproof container. Fill empty jar with hot water,
seal and carefully shake to dissolve remaining
honey, then stir into honey, transfer to a bottle,
cool and reserve. Honey water keeps indefinitely.
3 Pour 75ml garden riesling, tequila, verjuice
and 15ml honey water into a glass filled with ice.
Top with soda, stir gently, garnish with mint and
cucumber, and serve.
Afterglow
“This is a great little welcome drink, with not too much
effort required ahead of time or to execute,” says
Ashton. “It’s a beautiful balance of sweet and savoury
that will impress your guests.”
Makes 1 (pictured p115)
45 ml rockmelon purée
10 ml orgeat syrup (almond syrup; see note)
75 ml dry Prosecco
Smoked salt solution
2 tsp finely ground smoked salt
1 For smoked salt solution, stir salt with 50ml hot
water in heatproof container, then transfer to a
bottle and reserve.
2 Add rockmelon purée, orgeat syrup and 5ml
smoked salt solution to a chilled glass, carefully
top with prosecco, stir gently and serve.
Note Orgeat syrup, an almond syrup, is available
at bottle shops such as Dan Murphy’s.
Chambéry
“Here we have super-refreshing and sophisticated
flavours,” says Ashton. “The grapefruit rosé provides
a pleasant bitter-floral base, with the sumac syrup and
Chambéryzette adds the sour-sweet balance that
makes this Spritz so quaffable.” Start this recipe
a day ahead to make the grapefruit rosé.
Makes 1 (pictured p115)
30 ml Chambéryzette (see note)
45 ml soda water
Sliced strawberries and grapefruit twists
(optional), to garnish
Grapefruit rosé
Finely grated zest of ½ large or 1 small pink
grapefruit
750 ml rosé
ALL PROPS BAR’S AND STYLIST’S OWN
Sumac syrup
1 tbsp ground sumac
100 gm sugar
1 For grapefruit rosé, combine grapefruit
zest and rosé in a container, seal and refrigerate
overnight to infuse. Strain through muslin,
transfer to a bottle and reserve Makes 750ml.
Grapefruit rosé will keep refrigerated
for a week.>
 MORE ONLINE
Head to our website for some
refreshing summer cocktail ideas and
watch Luke Ashton of This Must be
the Place make some classic Spritzes:
gourmettraveller.com.au

Evergreen
 2 For sumac syrup, combine sumac in a
heatproof container with 200ml boiling water and
stand to cool to room temperature. Strain through
muslin, stir in sugar, then transfer to a bottle and
reserve. Makes about 250ml. Sumac syrup will
keep refrigerated for 2 weeks.
3 Add 75ml grapefruit rosé, Chambéryzette
and 20ml sumac syrup to a glass filled with ice.
Top with soda, stir gently, garnish with strawberries
and grapefruit, and serve.
Note “Chambéryzette, a strawberry apéritif,
is available from major liquor retailers, and is
worth hunting down, not least for the beautiful
packaging,” says Ashton. “It would be possible to
substitute with a 50-50 mix of dry vermouth and
strawberry liqueur, but this will ultimately cost
more than just buying the Chambéryzette. It’s
also delicious by itself over ice or topped with
a splash of sparkling wine.”
Wildlife
“Packed with flavour, and served long and tall, this is
an ideal drink for a balmy afternoon,” says Ashton.
“Bright acidity is balanced by sweet vanillins, rounded
out by the dry tannins of the kombucha.” Start this
recipe a day ahead to make the vanilla oleo-saccharum,
a fragrant syrup infused with citrus.
Makes 1 (pictured p115)
20 ml white rum
60 ml Black Radish organic apple kombucha
(see note)
10 ml lime juice
70 ml Australian sparkling wine
Lemon twist, to garnish
Citrus vanilla oleo-saccharum
250 gm caster sugar
Scraped seeds of 1 vanilla bean
Finely grated rind and juice of 5 large
lemons
¼ tsp orange-blossom water
1 For citrus vanilla oleo-saccharum, work sugar
and vanilla seeds into the lemon zest in a sealable
container until well combined, seal and stand at
room temperature for 2 hours to infuse, then
refrigerate overnight for flavours to develop. Add
juice to zest mixture along with orange-blossom
water, stir well to dissolve sugar, then stand at
room temperature for 2 hours to infuse. Pass
through a fine strainer, lightly pressing solids
with the back of a spoon, then pass through
muslin and transfer to a bottle and reserve. Makes
about 500ml. Citrus vanilla oleo-saccharum will
keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
2 Pour rum, kombucha, lime juice and 20ml
citrus vanilla oleo-saccharum into a glass filled
with ice. Top with sparkling wine, stir gently,
garnish with a lemon twist and serve.
Note “I highly recommend seeking out Black
Radish kombucha products (blackradish.com.au),”
says Ashton. “In my opinion they’re the best
on the market. They’re made by a chef who
understands balance and flavours. At a pinch,
dry apple cider would work as a substitute.”
118 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
Belafonte
“The Belafonte is a TMBTP classic and one of our
most popular Spritzes,” says Ashton. “Bright, fresh
and aromatic, it’s super-easy to make and sure to
please most palates.”
Makes 1
15 ml Tanqueray No Ten
20 ml Tio Pepe fino sherry
20 ml lemon juice
70 ml dry prosecco
Thai basil or regular basil, to garnish
1 Pour Tanqueray, sherry and lemon juice into
a glass filled with ice. Top up with prosecco, stir
gently, garnish with basil and serve.
Cerise
“This is a classically styled Spritz with flavours of ripe
berries balanced by a pleasant floral bitterness and
fresh acidity,” says Ashton. “Although a bit of work is
required for the cordial, it’s worth the effort. The pinot
is measured in grams – it needs to be equal in weight
to the other ingredients for a consistent result. The
cordial would also work well drizzled over freshly cut
fruit.” Start this recipe two days ahead to make the
blueberry pinot cordial.
Makes 1
45 ml Dolin Bitter de Chambéry (see note)
30 ml soda
5 ml caramelised red wine vinegar (see note)
90 ml prosecco
Orange peel and blueberries, to garnish
Blueberry pinot cordial
250 gm blueberries
250 gm caster sugar
250 gm pinot noir
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 For blueberry pinot cordial, crush blueberries
with the back of a large spoon in a sealable
container, add sugar and mix well. Seal container
and stand at room temperature for 4 hours to
infuse, then refrigerate overnight. Add pinot noir,
mix well and refrigerate overnight for flavours to
develop. Strain syrup through a fine strainer, then
through muslin, transfer to a bottle and refrigerate.
Makes about 500ml. Blueberry pinot cordial will
keep refrigerated for 2 weeks.
2 Pour 30ml blueberry pinot cordial, bitter, soda
and vinegar into a glass filled with ice. Top with
prosecco, stir gently, garnish with orange and
blueberries, and serve.
Note “Although Dolin Bitter de Chambéry is
available at good bottle shops and large online
retailers, it would be possible to substitute Aperol
at the same measure, or slightly less Campari,”
says Ashton. Caramelised red wine vinegar is
available from select delicatessens. #
“The Belafonte is a TMBTP classic – bright, fresh and
aromatic, it’s sure to please most palates.”

Cerise

Belafonte
 GARDEN PARTY
From left: Amber
and Sage Ochota,
James Brown,
Duncan Welgemoed
and Taras Ochota.

When braai meister Duncan Welgemoed of

Adelaide’s Africola fires up a South African-style
barbie at the property of maverick winemaker
Taras Ochota, it can only mean good times.
RECIPES DUNCAN WELGEMOED WORDS DAVID SLY PHOTOGRAPHY JOHN LAURIE
STYLING LISA FEATHERBY WINE SUGGESTIONS TARAS OCHOTA
 Curried young coconut
salad with sorrel (RECIPE P128)

The GT team travelled to South Australia to

photograph this story with the kind assistance
of the South Australian Tourism Commission.

H
ot coals equal good times. Africola chef
Duncan Welgemoed says he’s most at
home when he’s grilling, especially
outdoors in the company of friends. “There’s
an authenticity to social barbecuing,” says the
33-year-old. “And a flavour that can’t compare
with anything else.
“A great barbecue becomes your personal
expression. It’s about manipulating the fire,
choosing the correct wood. You curate the
experience,” he says.
Welgemoed – pronounced “vel-gge-moet” –
has been playing with fire since he was a nipper in
South Africa, and invited us to share in the smoky
fun at a barbecue at the home of his pals Taras
and Amber Ochota.
The winemakers’ Adelaide Hills property has
been a firm favourite for good times for a good
while. “It’s a no-brainer,” Welgemoed says.
“Great people. Great wine. Amber’s garden has
awesome produce. A great barbecue is all about
the right set-up and location. Food becomes the
valuable add-on.”
Welgemoed works the flames in various ways,
hot-smoking fish over woodchips, then stepping
over to the fire pit to grill beef ribs. African-style
greens go into a cast-iron pot and onto the coals,
while the gridiron is used to cook flatbreads.
122 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
AFRICOLA’S
BARBECUE MENU
+ PREGO ROLLS
‘A SENSE OF COMPRESSION’ GRENACHE
+ AFRICOLA CHAKALAKA
+ ROASTED RIB OF BEEF WITH NDOLÉ
‘BOTANICALS OF THE BASKET RANGE’
+ SMOKED MULLOWAY WITH
APRICOT AND BEER
‘THE PRICE OF SILENCE’ GAMAY
+ CURRIED YOUNG COCONUT SALAD
WITH SORREL
+5V 0V BASKET RANGE CHARDONNAY
+ CORN SALAD WITH PRAWN SALT
‘WEIRD BERRIES IN THE WOODS’
GEWÜRZTRAMINER
+ CAMEROONIAN SPICED BANANA
GÂTEAU
‘SHE’S LOST CONTROL’ ISABELLA
ALL WINES BY OCHOTA BARRELS
The menu reflects the chef’s heritage and the
South African love of barbecues. “I’ve cooked
outside since my childhood,” says Welgemoed.
After he left Johannesburg at 17 and started
cooking in the UK, he kept barbecuing – even at
chef Michael North’s acclaimed pub The Goose, in
the Oxfordshire hamlet of Britwell Salome. One
memorable night, when a storm shut down the
pub’s power supply, Welgemoed had customers
happily gathered around an impromptu fire pit
he constructed in the courtyard.
His culinary journey brought him back to
more natural barbecuing territory when he
arrived in Adelaide with his wife in 2010, but it
was the opening of Africola, in late 2014, that
really fired things up. At the heart of its kitchen
sits a fire pit that measures two metres deep and
half a metre wide. Initially the restaurant was all
about grilling meats, but once the team got a feel
for it, they became much bolder, experimenting
ALL PROPS RESTAURANT’S OWN
with cooking delicate fish directly on the coals,
and placing potjiekos, South Africa’s iron-pot
stews, in the fire.
“It’s a mesmerising process,” says Welgemoed.
“The more I work with fire, the more I want to
play with how it transforms the food.”
Africola, 4 East Tce, Adelaide, SA, (08) 8223 3885,
africola.com.au
 NANTALE KIVUBIRO
Prego roll
Prego rolls
“This is a Mozambican specialty and one of the foods
that changed my life in terms of African cuisine,” says
Duncan Welgemoed. “The best spot to get a prego roll
in South Africa is the Radium Beerhall. It’s run by my
godfather, Manny, and is the oldest pub in Jo’burg.
The meats are grilled out the back by Mozambican
staff and are still done the same way today as they
were 30 years ago.” Start this recipe a day ahead to
marinate the beef.
Prep time 40 mins, cook 15 mins
(plus marinating, preparing barbecue)
Serves 4 or 6-8 as part of a menu
Grassy-flavoured olive oil, to taste
¼ cup (loosely packed) mint
¼ cup (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley
2 tsp rosemary
½ Spanish onion, thinly sliced
Chakalaka, to serve (see following recipe)
Prego
60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil
2½ tbsp jarred kalamata olive brine (optional)
40 ml red wine
1 tbsp tomato sauce
1 tbsp coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 birdseye chillies, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 fresh bay leaf, coarsely torn
1 tsp dried oregano
400 gm trimmed beef rump, cut into 100gm
steaks, then butterflied to very thin steaks
Pocket bread
250 gm (12/3 cup) self-raising flour, plus extra
for dusting
2 tsp baking powder
250 gm natural yoghurt
1 For prego marinade, combine ingredients
except beef in a bowl, add beef, toss to coat then
refrigerate to marinate (6-8 hours). Remove beef
from marinade, strain marinade into a saucepan
(discard solids) and boil until reduced by about
half and the sauce coats the back of a spoon
(3-5 minutes). Add a little grassy olive oil to taste
and whisk to combine.
2 Light a hardwood or charcoal barbecue and
burn it down to embers (about 1 hour for wood,
30-40 minutes for charcoal).
3 For pocket bread, pulse ingredients in a food
processor until a dough forms. Tip out onto a
lightly floured surface and knead briefly until
smooth, then divide into 6 pieces (see note). Roll
out each piece to about 20cm in diameter, dusting
the rolling pin with flour to stop dough sticking,
then stack between sheets of baking paper.
4 Grill dough until puffed, golden and charred
(1-2 minutes each side). Before serving, halve
bread, then separate layers with a knife to
create pockets.
5 Grill beef over high heat until charred, but rare
and tender (1-2 minutes each side). Transfer to a
bowl with herbs and onion, and toss to combine.
6 To serve, fill bread pockets with beef mixture,
a slathering of sauce and chakalaka. Halve the
pockets for smaller portions.
Note You only need two bread pockets to serve
4, but you can freeze the remainder for later use.
Wine suggestion Ochota Barrels “A Sense of
Compression” grenache.
Africola chakalaka
Africola chakalaka
“Chakalaka is a South African vegetable relish, usually
spicy, that’s traditionally served with braaied meat,
pap and curries. It originated in the townships of
Soweto,” says Welgemoed. “There are many variations
on how to make chakalaka, often depending on region
and family tradition. Many versions include beans. For
example, a tin of baked beans, tin of tomatoes, onion,
garlic and some curry paste can be used to make the
dish. We’ve adapted chakalaka using radicchio to be
served with roasted meats.” Start this recipe a day
ahead to marinate the radicchio.
Prep time 15 mins, cook 10 mins
(plus marinating, preparing barbecue)
Serves 6-8 as part of a menu
100 ml vegetable oil
1 tsp Madras curry powder
2 cardamom pods, bruised
50 gm (2 cups) fresh curry leaves
2 birdseye chillies, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 heads radicchio, quartered
200 ml red wine vinegar
1 Gently warm oil, curry powder and cardamom
in a saucepan over medium heat to 75C, add
curry leaves, chilli and garlic, then set aside to
cool and for flavours to infuse oil (10-15 minutes).
2 Meanwhile, heat a barbecue or char-grill pan
to high heat and grill radicchio until lightly
charred all over (1-2 minutes each side). Remove
cores, separate leaves and transfer to a deep
bowl. Stir vinegar into infused oil, then pour oil
over the radicchio, toss to coat, then cover and
marinate at room temperature for a day. Serve
with grilled meat and fish, and in prego rolls.
Chakalaka will keep refrigerated for up to a week.>
123
 Ndolé

Roasted rib of beef with ndolé

“Ndolé traditionally uses morogo, a wild African
spinach, and this dish has its variations from southern
to western Africa,” says Welgemoed. “A good example
can be found at Melbourne’s Belle’s Hot Chicken – ask
for a serve of Almost Arnold’s Beans.”
Prep time 40 mins, cook 2½ hrs
Serves 6-8 as part of a menu
1.5 kg rib-eye rack of aged beef (with 4-5 ribs),
halved, at room temperature
Vegetable oil, for brushing
Ham-hock stock
1 ham-hock bone (about 300gm; see note)
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
1 onion, coarsely chopped
Large handful of celery leaves
6 thyme sprigs
2 garlic cloves
Ndolé
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1½ onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 birdseye chilli, finely chopped
100 gm kapenta or ikan bilis (see note)
2 tsp biryani spice mix (see note)
500 gm (1 large bunch) English spinach, 2 Light a hardwood or charcoal barbecue and thermometer for medium-rare (25-30 minutes).
washed, dried and coarsely chopped burn it down to embers (about 1 hour for wood, Rest covered with foil for 10 minutes, season to
250 gm (½ large bunch) silverbeet, washed, and 30-40 minutes for charcoal). taste, carve and serve with ndolé.
dried, stems and leaves coarsely chopped 3 For ndolé, heat oil in a large saucepan over Note Ham hock bones may need to be ordered
medium heat and sauté onion, garlic and chilli until from the butcher. Kapenta, an African version
1 For ham-hock stock, place ingredients and onions are tender (5-6 minutes). Add kapenta and of ikan bilis, are dried Lake Tanganyika sardines
1 litre water in a saucepan, bring to the boil, then biryani spice mix, cook until fragrant (3-5 minutes), and an important staple, providing refrigeration-
reduce heat to low-medium and simmer, topping then add silverbeet and spinach, and cook until the free protein to people of Africa. Kapenta is
up water as needed to keep ingredients covered, liquid from the greens evaporates (5-7 minutes). available from selected African food stores, or
for around 2 hours until stock is well flavoured. Deglaze the pan with the ham stock and season substitute ikan bilis, available from Asian food
Strain stock through a fine mesh sieve (discard to taste. This can also be cooked over a fire in stores. Biryani spice mix is available online from
solids) and reserve 125ml stock (freeze remaining a cast-iron pot. herbies.com.au.
stock for up to 3 months or refrigerate for up 4 Brush ribs with oil, then grill until charred and Wine suggestion Ochota Barrels “Botanicals of
to 3 days). the internal temperature reaches 55C on a meat the Basket Range”, a vermouth-like wine.>

124 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
 SHARE FACTOR
From left: Taras Ochota,
James Brown, Alexander
Edmund, Kitak Lee,
Nikki Friedli and
Duncan Welgemoed.

Roasted rib of beef

“It’s a mesmerising process. The more

I work with fire, the more I want to play with
how it transforms the food.”
Smoked mulloway with apricot
and beer
“Apricots are a trademark Cape Malay ingredient,”
says Welgemoed. “Typically, this baste is used for
hot-smoked snook, but I’ve used mulloway because
it can be hard to get your hands on whole snook here,
plus it’s definitely on the bony side.”
Prep time 45 mins, cook 25 mins (plus curing,
pickling and cooling)
Serves 6-8 as part of a menu
100 gm sea salt flakes
100 gm caster sugar
Finely grated rind of 4 oranges
Finely grated rind of 4 lemons
1.5 kg mulloway, filleted into 2 sides, cleaned
and pin-boned (reserve bones for making
stock for another use)
Smoked mulloway with
apricot and beer
Vegetable oil, for shallow-frying
½ cup (loosely packed) fresh curry leaves
90 ml beer, preferably Melbourne Bitter
2 tbsp apricot jam
2 cups applewood or other smoking chips,
soaked overnight in water
¼ baby fennel bulb, thinly sliced on a
mandolin, plus 2 tbsp fronds
2 tbsp each dill and flat-leaf parsley
Lime geranium and nasturtium flowers or
other edible flowers, to serve (see note)
Pickled cucumber
50 ml apple cider vinegar
1 tsp caster sugar
½ tsp turmeric
450 gm small firm cucumbers, thinly sliced
lengthways
1 fresh vine leaf, or 1 tsp black tea leaves
1 fresh bay leaf
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 small red birds eye chilli, halved
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp coriander seeds
¼ tsp yellow mustard seeds
¼ tsp black peppercorns
1 cardamom pod, bruised
1 For pickled cucumbers, bring vinegar, sugar,
turmeric, 1 tsp salt and 160ml water to a boil,
stirring occasionally to dissolve salt and sugar, then
cool to room temperature (10-15 minutes). Layer
remaining ingredients in a wide 1-litre container,
pour in vinegar mixture, cover and refrigerate for
4-6 hours. These are best eaten freshly pickled.
2 Combine salt, sugar and rinds in a bowl, scatter
half on a large sheet of plastic wrap. Place sides of
mulloway on top, scatter with remaining cure mix
and press all over to coat well. Wrap tightly in
plastic wrap, place in a container and refrigerate
until lightly cured (up to 6 hours, but not
overnight). Rinse fish thoroughly, pat dry with
paper towels, and refrigerate until required.
3 Heat 5cm oil in a saucepan to 180C, add curry
leaves and fry until golden and crisp (1-2 minutes).
Drain on paper towels.
4 Bring beer to the boil in a saucepan, add apricot
jam, whisk to combine and set aside to cool.
5 Light a hardwood or charcoal barbecue and
burn it down to embers (about 1 hour for wood,
30-40 minutes for charcoal).
6 Brush fish with jam and beer mixture. Place
a deep metal tray lined with foil over barbecue,
spread woodchips in base of tray and heat until
smoking. Place an oiled wire rack on top of tray,
place fish on rack, cover with foil and smoke
until fish is just cooked (15-20 minutes). Serve
scattered with curry leaves, fennel and fronds,
rolled pickled cucumber, herbs and flowers.
Note Edible flowers are available from select
grocers, garden centres and specialty growers,
such as Darling Mills (darlingmillsfarm.com.au).
Wine suggestion Ochota Barrels “The Price of
Silence” gamay.
Corn salad with prawn salt
“Corn, or mielies, is an essential part of African eating,”
says Welgemoed. “It’s a staple across the continent
and is used in different forms as an accompaniment
for the majority of meals.”
Prep time 40 mins, cook 15 mins (plus cooling)
Serves 6-8 as part of a menu
5 fresh bay leaves, thinly sliced, plus 1 extra,
thinly sliced, to serve
125 gm unsalted butter, softened
9 corn cobs, husks and silk removed
1½ tsp ground chilli
Prawn salt
80 ml (1/3 cup) vegetable oil
5 uncooked prawn heads, halved (see note)
Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
1 garlic clove, bruised
1 Light a hardwood or charcoal barbecue and
burn it down to embers (about 1 hour for wood,
30-40 minutes for charcoal).
2 Meanwhile, process bay leaves in a high speed
blender or with a mortar and pestle until finely
chopped or crushed. Reserve a large pinch to
serve and stir remaining into butter.
3 For prawn salt, heat oil in a small frying pan
over high heat. Add prawn heads and fry until
crisp (2½-3 minutes; be careful, oil will spit). Add
lemon rind and garlic, remove from heat and drain
on paper towels (reserve prawn oil for use in
salad dressings and to season dishes; it will keep
refrigerated for 1 week.) Process prawn heads in
a food processor or blender on high speed with
3 tsp sea salt to a fine powder, transfer to a bowl
and refrigerate until required. This recipe makes
more prawn salt than you need here, but will keep
refrigerated in an airtight container for a week.
4 Barbecue corn, turning occasionally, until
scorched and tender (8-10 minutes). Set aside
until just cool enough to handle, then cut off
kernels with a serrated knife and place in a bowl.
Add a few tablespoons bay butter and the ground
chilli, stir to combine, then serve topped with
extra bay butter, season with prawn salt to taste
and scatter with remaining chopped bay.
Note Ask your fishmonger for prawn heads;
otherwise buy whole uncooked prawns for the
heads, and cook them on the barbecue to eat as
a snack while you cook the corn, or chop them
and add them to the salad.
Wine suggestion Ochota Barrels “Weird Berries
in the Woods” gewürtztraminer.>

Corn salad with

prawn salt
 Curried young coconut salad
with sorrel
“This subtle salad acts like a palate-cleanser alongside
the more intensely spiced meats and vegetables at an
African barbecue,” says Welgemoed.
Prep time 20 mins, cook 5 mins
Serves 6-8 as part of a banquet (pictured p121)
3 young coconuts, drained (water reserved)
and quartered
1 cardamom pod, bruised
¼ tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp coriander seeds
¼ tsp ground chilli
¼ tsp garlic powder
25 ml vegetable oil
25 ml Champagne vinegar
12 small sorrel leaves, torn
1 tbsp fennel fronds
1 tbsp small purple perilla leaves (see note)
1 tbsp edible flowers (optional; see note in
smoked mulloway recipe page 126),
to serve
1 Scoop flesh out of coconuts with a large spoon,
coarsely chop into bite-sized pieces, place in a
bowl and refrigerate until required.
2 Dry-roast spices and garlic powder in a frying
pan over medium heat until fragrant (1-2 minutes;
see cook’s notes p176), add vegetable oil and heat
until just warm, then allow to cool (10-15 minutes).
Pass oil through a fine sieve (discard solids),
add vinegar and 30ml reserved coconut water
(remainder can be kept to drink), season to taste
with sea salt and whisk to combine.
3 Arrange coconut on a plate, dress with
vinaigrette, then scatter with sorrel, fennel fronds,
perilla and flowers and serve.
Note Perilla leaves are available from Asian
grocers; substitute shiso.
Wine suggestion Ochota Barrels “+5V 0V Basket
Range” chardonnay.
Cameroonian spiced banana gâteau
“A Cameroonian bouncer who worked for my dad
made this for my family when I was still living in South
Africa and it was great,” says Welgemoed. “I’ve added
the praline to give it some crunch and to offset the
savoury bananas. It’s more or less doughnuts and
ice-cream in adult form.”
Prep time 45 mins, cook 50 mins
(plus marinating, cooling, chilling)
Serves 6-8 as part of a shared meal
Vanilla bean ice-cream, to serve
African daisies and lavender flowers,
to serve (optional)
Curried bananas
4 unripe bananas, thickly sliced
10 fresh curry leaves
1 tbsp finely grated nutmeg
2 cinnamon quills
2 cloves
1 tsp Madras curry powder
80 gm light muscovado sugar (see note)
100 ml vegetable oil
128 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
Pumpkin seed praline
50 gm pumpkin seeds
50 gm caster sugar
Beignets
110 gm unsalted butter
2 tbsp caster sugar
150 gm (1 cup) plain flour
4 large eggs
Canola or vegetable oil, for frying
1 For curried bananas, place bananas in
a heatproof container. Dry-roast curry leaves,
nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and curry powder in
a frying pan over medium-heat until fragrant
(1 minute; see cook’s notes p176). Remove from
pan and set aside. Add muscovado sugar and
2 tbsp water to pan, return to heat and stir until
sugar starts to dissolve. Add oil along with
toasted spices, stir until sugar completely
dissolves (1 minute), then pour mixture over
bananas and stand at room temperature to
marinate and soften slightly (6 hours). Drain
before serving.
2 For pumpkin seed praline, dry-roast pumpkin
seeds in a frying pan over medium high heat until
light golden (3-5 minutes), then spread evenly
over a lightly oiled oven tray in a single layer.
Scatter sugar evenly into a large saucepan and
stir continuously over medium heat until dark
caramel (4-6 minutes), then pour it over pumpkin
seeds and set aside to cool completely. Break
praline into shards, then smash with a rolling pin to
very fine crumbs (or do this in a food processor).
Store in an airtight container.
3 For beignets, stir butter, sugar, 240ml water and
a large pinch of salt in a saucepan over medium
heat until butter melts and boils (3-4 minutes).
Reduce heat to medium, then gradually add flour,
stirring vigorously until batter pulls away from
sides of pan and forms a ball (1-2 minutes).
Transfer to an electric mixer fitted with a dough
hook, allow to cool slightly (5 minutes), then mix
on low-medium speed, adding eggs one at a time,
mixing well between additions, until dough is
smooth and glossy (3-5 minutes). Refrigerate
to rest (at least 1 hour and up to overnight).
4 Heat 5cm oil in a deep saucepan to 180C. Fry
tablespoonfuls of beignet dough in hot oil in
batches (without overcrowding pan), turning after
a minute, until golden and puffed (7-9 minutes;
be careful, hot oil will spit). Remove with a slotted
spoon and drain briefly on paper towels. (You can
make the beignets ahead and warm them in oven
before serving.)
5 Roll beignets in pumpkin seed praline to coat,
then serve layered warm with curried bananas and
scoops of ice-cream, and scattered with flowers.
Note Light muscovado sugar, also known as
Barbados sugar, is slightly stickier than regular
brown sugar but has a similar flavour. It’s widely
available in supermarkets.
Wine suggestion Ochota Barrels “She’s Lost
Control” Isabella. #
Cameroonian spiced
banana gâteau
 Grace Huang

Inspire a lifetime of achievement with a Kailis Australian pearl. Exclusively available at select stockists.
Visit kailisjewellery.com.au
 JANUARY 2016

travel
Magical getaways await in Mallorca, the shimmering
NSW Far South Coast and Fiji’s Dolphin Island.
The real Mallorca This gem in Spain’s Balearic Islands has more
to it than its party reputation. Discover its charismatic culture and
cuisine in the charming capital and pretty mountain villages.
Going coastal Roadtripping on the NSW Far South Coast reveals
its pristine beauty, perfect oysters, hip new venues and a wave
PHOTOGRAPHY PRUE RUSCOE

of savvy entrepreneurs along the way.

Drop in the ocean A tiny private island off Fiji is the emerald
setting for a resort that tropical daydreams are made of.
This
This gem
gem in
in Spain’s
LORCA
Spain’s Balearic
Balearic Islands
Islands has
has more
more to
to it
it than
than
its
its party
party reputation.
reputation. Discover
Discover Mallorca’s
Mallorca’s charismatic
charismatic
culture
culture and
and cuisine
cuisine in
in the
the charming
charming capital
capital and
and pretty
pretty
mountain
mountain villages,
villages, writes
writes Dominique
Dominique Afacan.
Afacan.
PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTOGRAPHY SIMON
SIMON BAJADA
BAJADA

VIVA LA VIDA
Sa Calobra beach on
the north-west coast
of Mallorca. Opposite:
backstreet in Fornalutx,
an hour’s drive north of
Palma de Mallorca.
 “The first thing that I do when I’m playing in
other countries, whether I win or lose in the
tournament, is to seek the fastest way to go back
to Mallorca.” Tennis champion Rafael Nadal
returns home to an island that has retained its
relaxed Mediterranean charm and heritage
while being polished by an influx of investment
in high-end tourism in the past few years.
Mallorca is the largest of the Balearic Islands off
Spain and a short flight from Madrid. Its capital, Palma
de Mallorca, or simply Palma, is small but not too
small – with a population of about 400,000, including
a clutch of European celebrities. It’s blessed with a long
city beach, cobbled streets and a magnificent landmark,
the Gothic cathedral of La Seu.
Residents in homegrown Camper shoes and
CHARMING Massimo Dutti sweaters gather for tapas in La Llonja,
PALMA the city’s bustling restaurant district, and zip across
Above, from left:
Fornalutx; Sa Calobra town on scooters to produce markets, open-air
beach. Opposite, galleries and sculpture gardens. The favoured holiday
clockwise, from top: spot for the Spanish royal family, Mallorca has a
Hotel Cort and its permanent beach-holiday ambience and year-round
cod on potatoes with
tapenade and tomato blue skies. Investment in luxury hotels, boutiques and
sauce; boats at the hospitality means the island supports seven Michelin-
main harbour of Palma; starred restaurants and developments such as the
Ajuntament de Palma, $132 million marina designed by Philippe Starck in
the town hall. the island’s south-west and a hotel by the Dubai-based
Jumeirah group in Soller, on the west coast.
134 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
At Cap de Formentor, the island’s northernmost
point, a 90-minute drive from Palma, is Hotel
Formentor, Mallorca’s epicentre of glamour. Opened
in 1929, the hotel, set in landscaped gardens, was the
honeymoon destination for Grace Kelly and Prince
Rainier in 1956. From the lighthouse at the tip of the
peninsula, the neighbouring island of Menorca is
visible on a clear day.
Mallorca’s interior is just as impressive as its
coastline. The Serra de Tramuntana mountains were
placed on UNESCO’s list of cultural landscapes in
2011 and are prime hiking territory. And the expanse
of flat terrain behind the mountains is favoured by
professional cyclists training in the cooler months.
Even Magaluf, the party town that once gave
the island a bad name, is being transformed by
a consortium of British and Spanish companies,
heralded by the arrival of a whitewashed beach club,
part of the international Nikki Beach chain, a luxury
ME hotel and new pedestrian-only boulevards.
Here, then, are a few of our favourite experiences
in a Mallorca that has come of age.
STAY

HOTEL CORT
This lovely boutique hotel has
an unbeatable central location in
the historic quarter, making it a
perfect base for exploration of the
compact capital. It’s fifteen spacious
rooms have an unforced nautical
theme with Spanish-influenced
tiling, timber floors and maritime
prints, and the penthouse Island
Suite has panoramic views from
two terraces, one with a Jacuzzi.
Its restaurant is a Mallorquín
meeting spot, with tables spilling
onto a pretty square beneath a big
old olive tree; regular diners come
for market-fresh tapas and the
oyster bar. Plaça de Cort, 11, Palma,
designhotels.com

JUMEIRAH, PORT SOLLER

Many visitors to the town of Soller
on the west coast are daytrippers
from Palma, but the opening of the
120-room Jumeirah hotel on a cliff
overlooking the fishing village
enables travellers to stay longer
to enjoy the town’s beaches and
alfresco restaurants. Though the
Jumeirah group is best known for
its extravagant sail-shaped Burj Al
Arab hotel in Dubai, its Mallorcan
property is a much more

The favoured holiday spot for the Spanish royal family, Mallorca has
a permanent beach-holiday ambience and year-round blue skies.

understated affair, and many

rooms have ocean views. On
Saturdays, head to the town
market for local produce,
including figs, cheeses and
jamón. Carrer de Bèlgica, 07108
Port de Sóller, jumeirah.com

SANT FRANCESC
The newest hotel in Palma’s
old town is a triumph of careful
restoration. The 42 rooms
in the 19th-century mansion
are exquisitely decorated
with custom-made furniture,
commissioned artworks and
original heritage features. The
rooftop terrace has a pool and
cocktail bar with views over the>
Palma de Mallorca is blessed with a long city beach, cobbled streets
and a magnificent landmark, the Gothic cathedral La Seu.
roofs and spires of Palma.
Plaza Sant Francesc, 5, Palma,
hotelsantfrancesc.com
HOTEL PORTIXOL
A leisurely stroll east along Palma’s
seafront promenade is Portixol,
a little harbour town backed by
colourful old fishermen’s houses
and busy cafés and bars. On the
outskirts closest to Palma is Hotel
Portixol, a nautical retreat favoured
by savvy travellers and Spanish
holidaymakers. Guests spend
their days splashing in the pool
overlooking the Med, and evenings
on the terrace. Carrer de la Sirena,
27, Palma, portixol.com
EAT
FORN DE SANT JOAN
Tucked away in an old bakery in
Palma’s La Lonja area, four-storey
Forn is one of the most
atmospheric restaurants in the city.
The tapas are inventive – Tomino
cheese, pistachio pesto and onion
marmalade wrapped in Iberian
bacon, say – and the kitchen is
known for its roast suckling pig
and grilled fish. After dinner, take a
stroll into Plaça de la Drassana for
a nightcap. Carrer de Sant Joan, 4,
Palma, forndesantjoan.com
LA BOVEDA
Occasional live music and a large
selection of well-priced tapas at
this cheap, cheerful and sometimes
chaotic restaurant ensures it’s as
popular as ever with locals and
travellers. If you’d rather avoid the
queue for a table, there are plenty
of good dining options close by.
Passeig de Sagrera, 3, Palma,
tabernadelaboveda.com
SA ROQUETA
This cosy restaurant in Portixol
often has a crew of regulars
chatting on the tiny front terrace.
The menu depends on what local
fishermen catch on the day, but
lobster is always a draw (try the
“sticky rice” dish) as are the clams
with artichokes. Carrer Sirena, 11,
Palma, restaurantesaroqueta.com
SIMPLY FOSH
In a restored 17th-century convent
in the town centre, acclaimed
British chef Marc Fosh produces
dishes with seasonal ingredients
and light, clean flavours that have
won the restaurant a Michelin star.
Expect the likes of arroz bomba, the
rice done here with loin of rabbit,
langoustine and parsley-liquorice
chlorophyll. The three-course lunch
menu features dishes such as pork
fillet with cranberries, orange,
rosewater and macadamia nuts.
Carrer de la Missió, 7, Palma,
simplyfosh.com
SA FARINERA DE S’HORTA
Serving some of Mallorca’s best
grilled meat from an enormous
barbecue, this is a rustic old place
full of character in an old flour mill.
Guests sit outside on the terrace
in summer and beside fireplaces
inside in winter. Sa Farinera’s
location near the airport also
makes it a good pre-flight dining
choice. Lugar Volta 6, 6 41, Horta,
safarinera.net
CA N’ANTUNA, FORNALUTX
A meal on the vine-covered terrace
of this restaurant, with views to
the Tramuntana mountains, is a
good reason to visit the pretty
village of Fornalutx, an hour’s drive
north of Palma. Start with the sopa LA ISLA BONITA
From top left: the rustic
Mallorquín, a thick vegetable stew,
village of Fornalutx; Simply
and follow with generous plates of Fosh’s foie gras with red
roast suckling pig and roast lamb. cabbage hibiscus jelly, quince
Ca N’Antuna, Carrer de Arbona and spiced bread; La Boveda.
Colom 14, Fornalutx, Opposite: Cala de Estellencs.
+34 971 633 068>
137
 CLASSIC
MALLORCA
Palma’s La Seu
cathedral. Opposite,
clockwise from left:
Ca N’Antuna; Sa
Roqueta; Forn de Sant
Joan; Simply Fosh.

PORT OF CALL
Above: horse and cart
for hire outside Palma’s
La Seu cathedral; the
port at Andratx; a room
at Hotel Cort, Palma;
Opposite, clockwise
from top left: the
15th-century Llotja
dels Mercaders; the
watchtower Torre de ses
Animes at Banyalbufar;
the Sineu markets.
140 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
MERCAT DE L’OLIVAR
Palma’s busy indoor market is a
great place to grab a snack. Pull
up a stool at the oyster stall and
enjoy a glass of white Rioja as you
watch locals buying fresh fish and
produce for supper, or try the sushi
bar near the entrance. Then head
to the nearby department store
El Corte Inglés for some retail
therapy, and refuel with a coffee at
Gran Café Cappuccino on Carrer de
Sant Miguel. Plaça de l’Olivar, 4,
Palma, mercatolivar.com
VENT DE TRAMUNTANA
Tucked away on a back street
behind Port Andratx, a 35-minute
drive west of Palma, this family-run
restaurant is filled with regulars
who come for a seat on the terrace,
flanked by lemon trees, and
first-rate boquerones, Mallorcan
red prawns and garlic-crusted rack
of lamb. The almond cake, a typical
Mallorcan dish, is particularly good.
Carrer de Can Perot, 9, Port
d’Andratx, +34 9716 71756
DRINK
RUTA MARTIANA
The Ruta Martiana is a tapas-
fuelled bar crawl that takes place
once a week in the Sa Gerreria
district in Palma. Multiple bars and
restaurants in the area, just behind
Placa Major, throw open their doors
on Tuesdays from 7.30pm until
midnight, offering a caña, a small
glass of beer, and a tapa or pinxos
for just $3 a pop. Follow the crowds
spilling onto the footpaths to work
out which bars participate.
ÁBACO
In a 16th-century converted palace
in La Lonja filled with piles of fruit
and flowers, courtyards and
bubbling fountains, this bar serves
pricey cocktails in gloriously
unusual surroundings. Calle San
Juan 1, Palma, bar-abaco.es
AGUA
This is the closest you’ll find to
a dive bar in Palma. Tiny Agua is
run by two former New Yorkers
and features live music most
nights. Sunday is open mic night.
Carrer de Jaume Ferrer, 6, Palma,
aguabar.com
PURO BEACH
Located on Palma Bay with ocean
views and designer good looks to
match its clientele, Purobeach is
the hippest beach club on the
island. Guests spend their days by
the pool or in the day spa, and stay
on to party until late. Pagell 1 Cala
Estancia, Palma, purobeach.com
TIM’S BAR
Port Andratx in the south-west
is a stunning spot, home to both
gleaming super-yachts and rusty
fishing boats. Prince Harry popped
into harbourfront Tim’s Bar while
on holiday a few years ago, and the
crowds inevitably followed. It’s a
popular spot for sundowners and
open until late. Avinguda de
l’Almirant Riera Alemany, 7, Port
d’Andratx +34 9716 71892
SEE
LA SEU
The size of Palma’s mighty
cathedral, with its soaring
sandstone walls and enormous
external buttresses, is a surprise in
what is otherwise a compact and
understated city. Started in the early
14th century, it was built over a
period of 400 years and includes
additions by Gaudí in the early 20th
century. Don’t miss the rose window
– at 12 metres wide, it’s one of the
largest stained-glass windows in
the world. Plaza Almoina, Palma,
catedraldemallorca.info
PILAR AND JOAN MIRÓ
FOUNDATION
This museum holds a collection
of Miró’s sculptures, sketches and
paintings. His studio has been left
untouched, with open tins of paint
and half-finished works. The
gardens are perfect for a picnic
afterwards. Carrer de Saridakis, 29,
Palma, miro.palmademallorca.es
DEIÀ
This idyllic town clings to a cliffside
on the west coast and is known for
its beautiful hotel, Belmond La
Residencia – an old favourite
of Princess Diana’s – and for its
rich literary history. Among its
residents was the British poet
Robert Graves; his house is now
a museum. There’s a pretty beach
for swimming and two beachside
restaurants, which means you can
make a day of it.
SINEU
Most of Mallorca’s attractions are
coastal, but there are rewards for
those who travel inland. The town
of Sineu is at the centre of the
island, about 40 minutes’ drive
north-east of Palma. It has one of
the island’s biggest markets, open
on Wednesdays, featuring locally
grown olives, tomatoes, flowers,
lace, leather and Mallorcan pearls.
And livestock. There’s a surprising
number of restaurants in town,
making this a good destination for
a daytrip with lunch.
DRAGONERA
From the village of Sant Elm in
the south-west, a ferry leaves
every half-hour in high season to
this uninhabited island, said to
have been a refuge for pirates.
These days it’s a nature reserve
with hiking trails, good snorkeling
and swimming spots. The wall
lizard is endemic and abundant.
GETTING THERE
Iberia Express, Ryanair and Air
Europa operate regular direct
flights to Palma from Madrid (about
90 minutes); Ryanair and Easyjet
fly direct from London (about two
hours and 15 minutes). #
141
GOING
COASTAL
Roadtripping on the NSW Far South Coast reveals the magic of
one of the country’s best-kept secrets. Helen Anderson explores
its pristine beauty, discovering perfect oysters, hip new venues
and a wave of savvy entrepreneurs along the way.
PHOTOGRAPHY PRUE RUSCOE

LUCKY BREAK
Mollymook Beach. Opposite,
clockwise from top left:
barista Mikey Barnard at
Mister Jones Espresso in
Bermagui; McAsh Clyde
River oysters; Pilgrims
Café in Milton; a street in
heritage-listed Central Tilba.

We could buy a live lamb for $80 in the front
bar of the Dromedary Hotel, or a second-hand
ute (best offer). We settle instead for a seat on
the verandah and watch a steady stream of
passers-by shopping for fudge and knick-knacks
in ye olde main street of Central Tilba, on the
NSW Far South Coast.
I’m here to see a man about a dog. And his 25
chooks, nine pigs, seven goats, four cows, three ducks,
vegetable patch, cooking school, cookbook and TV
series. On a former dairy farm on the outskirts of town,
PRIME Paul West has built a crowded new life as the boots-and-
PRODUCER all host of River Cottage Australia, learning how to feed
Above from left: the
harbour at Twofold Bay; himself in a homegrown version of the long-running
River Cottage Australia British TV series by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.
host Paul West. Opposite, In just three seasons of the series, the former Vue de
clockwise from top left: Monde chef has become the face of the NSW Far South
co-owners of St Isidore, Coast and a powerful advocate for its natural beauty,
Jo Thomas (left) and
Alex Delly; The Wharf exceptional produce and strong sense of community.
Locavore; Wapengo Digger the black collie-cross bounds to the gate
Rocks oysters at the when we arrive, trailed by a film crew finishing up for
Bermagui Oyster Room; the day and the genial, ginger-bearded West. Behind
Cemetery Beach, Tilba; them is the pretty ’30s cottage where filming and
Tim and Honor Northam
at their restaurant, Il cooking classes take place, surrounded by emerald
Passaggio; blue-eye with pasture and dominated by Mount Gulaga. West and
globe artichoke, local his partner, Alicia Cordia, live close by with their baby
potato and asparagus son, Otto. “It’s been a bit of a whirlwind,” he says,
at Il Passaggio. ushering us inside for tea and homemade Monte
Carlos. “It takes a while to form bonds when you’re
144 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
new in a community, but the nature of TV
programming means I’ve met people with shared
interests from day one, fast-forwarding the process.
I’d have to say this is one of the most welcoming
communities I’ve ever lived in – it felt like home
within six months.”
West has joined a wave of newcomers washing
up along the Far South Coast and investing in new
ventures – many of them based on small-scale farming
and tourism – as the viability of forestry and fishing,
once the mainstays of the coastal economy, has waned.
Among them is hospitality entrepreneur and Merivale
CEO Justin Hemmes, who refers to his 60-hectare
beachfront retreat at Glasshouse Rocks near Narooma
as “the farm”; he bought the property last year for a
reported $7.5 million.
According to Ken Jamieson, who has run the
charmingly old-fashioned general store and post office
in Central Tilba for 31 years, business in the town is
buoyant, even during the usually lean months of
winter, and he attributes the steady growth in large
part to the “River Cottage effect”. “Everyone who
comes in wants to talk about the series,” he says.
West, though, regards the show as more of a
confidence booster than a catalyst. “I’d like to think
River Cottage arriving on the South Coast galvanised
people already chugging away on their own ideas and
passions, with very little attention or press. To have a
show with a national and international audience say
we’re interested in what you’re doing has given a lot of
encouragement to small farmers.”
Among West’s inspirations are his neighbours Nic
and Erica Dibden, who run a dairy producing creamy
unhomogenised Jersey milk, labelled ABC Tilba Real
Milk, and a range of cheeses at the ABC Cheese Factory
in Central Tilba. And the producers who congregate
every Tuesday afternoon at the community-run Sage
Farmers’ Markets in Moruya, where trading starts at
three o’clock sharp with the ringing of a bell. “It’s one of
the best farmers’ markets you’ll find,” says West. “We’re
in the heart of Australia’s premier oyster-growing
region with some of the best dairy country around, and
there’s a growing realisation that the South Coast is one
of the best food destinations in the country. And it isn’t
tied to a city market – producers here have to compete
with supermarkets for a local market that’s not affluent.”
The NSW Sapphire Coast, which runs roughly
from Bermagui to Eden, taking in a clutch of heritage
hinterland towns including Central Tilba, Cobargo
and Bega, is promoted as “beautifully uncivilised”.
In all the best ways that remains the case – the road
follows wild coastline flanked by national parks that
frame pristine beaches, surf breaks and forested
headlands, crossing estuaries and lagoons spanned by
old wooden bridges that tremble as they’re traversed.
Holidaymakers still stay at ’70s-era motels, bush
campsites and caravan parks with ocean views.
But that’s no longer the whole story. There’s
nothing remotely uncivilised about parmesan custard
with pear, walnut and abbamele or local flathead
finished with prawn butter and Pernod at Zanzibar
Café in Merimbula, run by Tetsuya-trained chef Huw
Jones and partner Renée Loftus. Or a dish of just-picked
asparagus, hot-smoked blue-eye, pickled carrots and
a sprinkle of pork crackling in the farmhouse dining
room of St Isidore in Milton, run by chef Alex Delly,
formerly of Melbourne’s Circa, and partner Jo Thomas.
Or a Young Henrys unfiltered lager in the garden at
Dulcie’s Cottage in Merimbula, a new bar run by
Mitchell Nadin and Kirsty Pongratz, with start-up
advice from Pongratz’s husband, Jason Scott, of
Sydney’s Shady Pines Saloon and Baxter Inn. Or freshly
shucked Wapengo Rocks oysters and a 15-year-old
Laphroaig at the Bermagui Oyster Room. Or coffee at
The Wharf Locavore gallery-café, served while you’re
dangling a line off Tathra’s historic steamer wharf.
The Wharf Locavore is among a raft of galleries
on the Far South Coast and in hinterland towns,
though the artistic streak runs deeper than the visual
arts. There are resident architects and theatre directors,
instrument-makers and musicians. “People are drawn>

FARE GROUNDS
Above, clockwise from
top left: Neville Pearce at
his Ulladulla Oyster Bar;
St Isidore’s asparagus,
hot-smoked blue-eye,
pickled carrots, pork
crackling and sesame
dressing; Bermagui Gelati
Clinic; Wild Rye’s Baking
Co in Pambula; The
Wharf Locavore.
146 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
by the extraordinary natural beauty of the region,
where the hills meet the sea,” says Sydney investor
Michael Darling, “and they stay because of
the community.” He and his wife, Manuela
Darling-Gansser, bought an old farmhouse near
Tilba about 30 years ago, and the place has become
part of their extended family’s life.
Darling is on the board of Four Winds, the biennial
Easter music festival launched 25 years ago by a group
of friends who lived near Bermagui. Their brainchild
has developed into a community organisation that
stages “music in nature” experiences and workshops
year-round in a nest of state-of-the-art pavilions
surrounded by forest at Barragga Bay, nine kilometres
south of Bermagui. Architect and Murrah resident Philip
Cox designed the Sound Shell outdoor performance
space, which is surrounded by a 2,000-seat natural
amphitheatre, and architect Clinton Murray the
160-seat Windsong Pavilion recital hall.
Bermagui is a case study in the slow renewal evident
along the Far South Coast. Opened in 2009, the
Cox-designed Bermagui Fishermen’s Wharf houses
eateries and boutiques including the Italian-leaning
Il Passaggio. It’s owned by Tim and Honor Northam,
who until recently produced their popular Honorbread
sourdough from the restaurant’s kitchen. They’ve
recently moved their bakery into bigger premises
adjacent to the Bermagui Gelati Clinic, known for its
use of high-quality produce and intense flavours (blood
orange, rose and cardamom, and chocolate, grappa and
raisin), and close to Mister Jones Espresso, a laid-back
studio-café run by artist Matthew Chun. Around the
corner is the Bermagui Oyster Room, where Wapengo
Rocks oyster farmer Shane Buckley and his partner
Özlem Güler serve coffee in the mornings, then return
at night to shuck and serve the Sydney rocks they grow
in nearby Wapengo Lake, the nation’s first certified
organic oyster farm. A former paramedic, Buckley
bought the farm in 2007 and spent the next six years
perfecting and installing environmentally low-impact
plastic posts and oyster baskets that rotate with the
tide around a fixed line, allowing sunshine to reach the
seabed and the oysters to develop deep, even shells and
a poached-egg, “almost vegetal” flavour, he says.
The Bermagui Oyster Room is on a visitors’ trail of
farm gates and oyster-focused eateries developed by
Australia’s Oyster Coast, a cooperative of growers in
eight NSW estuaries from the Shoalhaven near Nowra
south to the Wonboyne near Eden.
I follow my own oyster-lover’s road trip from
Ulladulla to Eden. At the Ulladulla Oyster Bar I try
shucked-to-order oysters grown by Ewan McAsh in
the Clyde River at Batemans Bay. Young and savvy,
McAsh has expanded the farm he runs with his father
to produce about 70,000 dozen oysters a year while
developing a marketing group called Signature
Oysters, enabling growers to sell directly to restaurants
across Australia. On St Isidore’s menu there are oysters
grown by Ruben Fernandez near Tuross Head;
The Whale Restaurant in Narooma serves David
Maidment’s Wagonga Inlet oysters; Zanzibar Café
shucks Broadwater Oysters from Pambula Lake.
And at his “Little Shop Behind the House” in
Tathra, Gary Rodely sells the award-winning Sydney
rock oysters he and his son Sam farm in pristine
Nelson Lake, surrounded by Mimosa Rocks National
Park. They access parts of their lease on stand-up
paddleboards, so obsessive are they about protecting
the purity of the environment. “To grow such an
amazing product as the Sydney rock on a farm
surrounded by forest is absolutely priceless,” says
Rodely, who started farming oysters here 26 years ago.
“Finding this place was our lucky moment in life.”

FAR SOUTH COAST,
FROM MILTON TO
EDEN
EAT & DRINK
BAR BEACH KIOSK
With unbeatable views over
Merimbula’s Bar Beach, this shack
is a popular hang for in-the-know
locals and travellers seeking
open-air breakfasts and lunch
after a swim. Bar Beach Rd,
Merimbula, barbeachkiosk.com
BERMAGUI GELATI CLINIC
Alberto Cementon, a former
geophysicist, and his wife,
Francesca, have turned an old
vet clinic (see the comically
repainted shopfront sign)
into an artisan gelateria,
creating intense flavours from
old recipes and local produce
(keen customers barter their
backyard harvest for ice-cream).
1/6 Bunga St, Bermagui
BERMAGUI OYSTER ROOM
A café by day, an oyster bar by
night and the best place to enjoy
owner Shane Buckley’s Wapengo
Rocks oysters, served on vintage
crockery with a short, interesting
list of wines, craft beers and single
malt whiskies. Buckley’s oysters
can also be found at restaurants
including Icebergs, MoVida and
121BC in Sydney. 14 Lamont St,
Bermagui, wapengorocks.com.au
CUPITT’S WINERY
Set in pasture on the outskirts of
Milton and overlooking a plot of
vines, the Cupitt family’s emporium
encompasses a microbrewery,
winery, cheesemaking room, a
century-old cottage accommodating
four people, a café and Cupitt’s
Kitchen restaurant. The cellar door
operates from a restored 19th-
century creamery. 58 Washburton
Rd, Ulladulla, cupitt.com.au
DULCIE’S COTTAGE
Sydney’s Swillhouse crew has
inspired this new bar in a 1920s
weatherboard cottage in
Merimbula’s main street. It’s run by
Kirsty Pongratz and Mitchell Nadin,
with support from Pongratz’s
husband, Jason Scott, of
Swillhouse’s Shady Pines Saloon
and Baxter Inn. Expect classic
cocktails and interesting wines,
craft beer under a big old
jacaranda and burgers flipped in a
restored 1959 Carapark caravan. 60
Main St, Merimbula, dulcies.com.au
HONORBREAD
Honor and Tim Northam moved
their bakery to larger premises
late last year to meet demand for
their artisan sourdough. It’s served
at their Bermagui restaurant,
Il Passaggio and a range of South
Coast eateries, and sold via an
honesty system of “Honor” boxes
at choice locations. 8 Bunga St,
Bermagui, honorbread.com
IL PASSAGGIO
The kind of mod-Italian eatery
every neighbourhood needs
– with bonus wharfside views of
the Bermagui fleet. Chef Kristy
Callaghan handles local fish and
produce deftly: Wapengo Rocks
oysters, Mount Imlay hazelnuts,
Brogo rabbit and the best from
local markets. Next door is the
popular Horse & Camel wine bar.
Shop 5, level 1, Fishermen’s Wharf,
Bermagui, ilpassaggio.com.au
MISTER JONES ESPRESSO
Pull up a vintage chair outside or
in owner Matt Chun’s shopfront
studio and gallery adjoining his
cute café in Bermagui, serving
good coffee and a short, simple
menu until noon daily. 4 Bunga St,
Bermagui, misterjones.com.au
PILGRIMS CAFÉ
A laid-back surfer vegetarian café
by day, at night it’s Milton-meets-
Mexico. Breakfasts are big, the
burgers even bigger. 8/9 Princes
Hwy, Milton, pilgrimsmenu.com
ST ISIDORE
“We use and support happy
farmers, happy free-ranging
animals and produce grown
with a little bit of love,” says
a menu note, setting the scene
for the fresh flavours and relaxed
vibe in this farmhouse restaurant.
89 Croobyar Rd, Milton,
stisidore.com.au
SET COURSE
Parmesan custard,
artichoke, walnut,
abbamele and aged
balsamic vinegar at
Zanzibar Café; oyster
grower Ewan McAsh
at Batemans Bay.
SPROUT EDEN
This café-produce store in Eden’s
main street is a showcase of
regional micro-businesses and
a natural extension of owner Karen
Lott’s work as co-founder of the
Nethercote Produce Market.
Among the impressive range of
local organic fare served and sold
is seafood by Eden Smokehouse,
produced by Lott’s partner,
Stan Soroka. 134 Imlay St, Eden,
sprouteden.com.au
TATHRA OYSTERS
From about December to June,
Gary and Jo-Anne Rodely, and their
son, Sam, sell their award-winning
Sydney rock oysters from a shop
behind their house. Otherwise
served at a handful of restaurants
including Rockpool Bar & Grill in
Sydney and Melbourne. 1 Reservoir
St, Tathra, tathraoysters.com.au
ULLADULLA OYSTER BAR
Simple tapas and freshly shucked
oysters from the McAsh farm at
Budd Island, in the Clyde River
at Batemans Bay, are served with
live music. Shop 5, The Plaza,
107 Princes Hwy, Ulladulla,
ulladullaoysterbar.com.au
THE WHALE RESTAURANT
In the kitchen of The Whale Motor
Inn at Narooma, former pro
surfer-turned-chef Matthew Hoar
takes fresh local produce seriously,
serving Wagonga Inlet oysters,
heirloom vegetables from his
garden, Tilba cheeses and tisanes
from produce grown in Narooma.
102 Wagonga St, Narooma,
whalemotorinn.com>
147
“People are drawn by the extraordinary natural
beauty of the region, where the hills meet the sea.”

LAND OF PLENTY
Tilba farmland. Opposite,
clockwise from top left: Paul
West and Digger on the set
of River Cottage Australia;
Cupitt’s Kitchen at Cupitt’s
Winery; the ocean off Tathra
Wharf; Seahorse Inn, Eden;
Matt Chun’s studio-gallery
at Mister Jones Espresso;
Tom (left) and Wally Cupitt
of Cupitt’s Winery.
 THE WHARF LOCAVORE
The cargo warehouse at Tathra’s
heritage-listed steamer wharf
houses a maritime museum
upstairs and a café-gallery
downstairs run by sisters Emma
and Poppy Benton, who serve good
coffee and locally made baked
goods with spectacular ocean
views through warehouse doors.
Wharf Rd, Tathra, 0427 941 747
WILD RYE’S BAKING CO
Todd Wiebe’s organic sourdough
and ciabatta loaves are sold across
the Far South Coast, at his bakery
and café in Pambula’s heritage main
street, and a new shop in Cann
River, just over the border. The
coffee is house-roasted; the pies are
particularly good. 26 Quondola St,
Pambula, wildryes.com.au
ZANZIBAR CAFÉ
There are no water views, but
that’s the only disappointment at
this 35-seat fine-diner run by chef
“We’re in the heart of Australia’s premier oyster-growing
region and there’s a growing realisation that the South
Coast is one of the best food destinations in the country.”
Huw Jones and his wine-savvy
front-of-house partner, Renée
Loftus. Seafood direct from the
Eden fleet and baby vegetables
grown to order nearby are among
the produce sourced locally. Cnr
Market & Main sts, Merimbula,
zanzibarmerimbula.com.au
SEE & DO
BLUE POOL
One of the state’s most beautiful
ocean pools, set at the base of a
OYSTER
CATCHER cliff with an adjacent children’s
Above, from top: wading pool and changerooms.
Eurobodalla National Park; Pacific Dr, Bermagui
Shane Buckley at his
Wapengo Lake oyster farm.
EDEN KILLER WHALE MUSEUM
Opposite, clockwise from
top left: view from The Run mostly by volunteers, this
Bryn at Tilba; Bar Beach museum was built in 1939 to
Kiosk in Merimbula; Tathra hold the skeleton of Old Tom,
Wharf; a room at The Bryn a legendary killer whale that
at Tilba; Sprout Eden.
routinely alerted whalers to the
presence of baleen whales; the
150 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
story of his pod’s unique working
relationship with whalers is
fascinating. The museum also
documents local history and a
century of whaling. 184 Imlay St,
Eden, killerwhalemuseum.com.au
FARMERS’ MARKETS
The market leader is the
community-run Sage Markets
(Sustainable Agriculture &
Gardening Eurobodalla) at
Moruya’s Riverside Park on
Tuesdays from 3pm. Produce
traded can travel no more than
160 kilometres as the crow flies
(sagefarmersmarket.org.au). Also
Bermagui Fishermen’s Wharf
Growers’ Market on Thursdays
from 3pm, Bega SCPA Market
every second Friday, and
Merimbula Seaside Market on
the third Sunday of the month.
FOUR WINDS FESTIVAL
Highlights of this year’s festival, on
22-27 March, include a repertoire
ranging from Haydn to Gershwin,
performances by the Navarra
String Quintet, the Sculthorpe
Wind Quintet, Ensemble Offspring
and the seven-piece soul group
Radical Son, and workshops for
young musicians. Free and ticketed
events are staged at an open-air
performance complex called
Nature’s Concert Hall (and there’s
free child-minding). Barragga Bay,
fourwinds.com.au
RIVER COTTAGE AUSTRALIA
COOKING SCHOOL
Though the cottage on the
outskirts of Central Tilba isn’t
open to drive-by visitors, last year’s
on-site “farm to fork” cooking
classes sold out, and another
season of classes begins on
15 January. BYO gumboots for
a farm tour and full-day class in the
cottage kitchen, led by TV host
and chef Paul West, the series’ food
producer Kelly Eastwood, and
specialist teachers featured in the
series using recipes from The River
Cottage Australia Cookbook and
produce from the farm and
surrounds. (River Cottage Australia
season four will air on Foxtel’s
Lifestyle Food channel this year.)
keofilms.com.au/cook
STAY
BANNISTERS BY THE SEA
& BANNISTERS PAVILION
A kilometre from the 32-room
Bannisters by the Sea, with its
two suites renovated recently by
fashion designer Collette Dinnigan,
is the new Bannisters Pavilion.
It has 32 rooms and two suites set
in bush about 100 metres from
Mollymook Beach, and features a
rooftop terrace with pool, lounges
and a bar and grill. For seafood
with ocean views, Rick Stein at
Bannisters is hard to beat. Rooms
from $255. 191 Mitchell Pde,
Mollymook Beach, bannisters.com.au
THE BRYN AT TILBA
This B&B on Central Tilba’s outskirts
has three well-appointed rooms
with communal living areas and
a self-contained two-bedroom
cottage. Rooms from $240. 91
Punkalla-Tilba Rd, Central Tilba,
thebrynattilba.com.au
SEAHORSE INN
On the uninhabited southern
shore of Twofold Bay, about six
kilometres from Eden, historic
Seahorse Inn has 10 rooms,
two bars, bistro, restaurant and
beachfront gardens. Rooms from
$175. Boydtown Park Rd, Boydtown,
seahorseinnhotel.com.au
GETTING THERE
Rex Airlines flies daily to Moruya
and Merimbula, and cars can be
hired from both airports. Or take
a long, leisurely road trip from
Sydney or Melbourne – it’s about
550 kilometres from Sydney to
Eden. For more itinerary ideas:
visitnsw.com, sapphirecoast.com.au,
australiasoystercoast.com #
 drop
ocean
in the

A tiny private island off Fiji is the emerald

setting for a resort that tropical daydreams
are made of, as Bryce Corbett discovers.
PHOTOGRAPHY CHRIS CHEN
JETTY SET
A staff member
awaits new guests
on the jetty.
PRIVATE LIVES
Clockwise, from top: the
main bure; a catamaran,
kayaks, windsurfers and
jet skis for guests; the
interior of the main bure.
 Guidebooks on Fiji say that cannibalism in this
part of Melanesia went out of fashion more than
a century ago. So why, as I settle in this idyllic
patch of the South Pacific, do I feel like I’m being
fattened for slaughter?
It’s day two of a three-day stay on Dolphin Island,
the private-island retreat owned by the proprietors of
New Zealand’s luxe Huka Lodge, and I’m sitting in the
kitchen of Aunty Meena in the town of Rakiraki on Viti
Levu, the main island of Fiji.
We’re at a long table surrounded by pots, teetering
towers of empty ice-cream containers and the heady
scent of Indian spices. As Aunty Meena tells me about
her days as the region’s chief health inspector, she
reaches into a large bowl of bhaji mix, scoops out
a handful and drops it into a wok of hot oil.
Today she’s cooking for the funeral of a member of
the local Sikh community. It will be a modest affair, she
says. Only 500 or so. She’s doing most of the catering,
because, well, she likes to cook, and they say no one
makes bush lemon pickle quite like she does.
MY ISLAND Indian music crackles over the radio, and Aunty
HOME Meena hums as she alternately hurls fistfuls of batter
Clockwise, from top left:
guests are welcomed to into her wok and hot bhaji onto my plate. Barely two
the island at the jetty; hours ago I was lying by a plunge pool on my private
a fruit platter at breakfast; island, but we’re operating on Fijian time and this is the
Dolphin Island’s host kind of place where anything can happen. And with
Dawn Simpson. Dolphin Island’s charismatic manager-host-chef Dawn
Simpson in charge, it usually does.
Our first glimpse of the matriarch of Dolphin
Island comes as our small boat from the mainland
pulls alongside the jetty. Flanked by uniformed staff,
Simpson greets us with a lei, a warm hug and a
heartfelt exclamation of “welcome home!”.
As our bags are wheelbarrowed to our bures, I feel
I’ve inadvertently become a special guest on an episode
of Fantasy Island. The island was bought in 1984
by Dutch-born entrepreneur Alex Van Heeren, who
also owns Huka Lodge in New Zealand and Grande
Provence Estate in Franschhoek Valley, South Africa.
He was looking for a tropical pit stop between
Johannesburg and Auckland – a stopover to help
his family and guests relax into their New Zealand
holiday or decompress afterwards.
“Private” is not a vague description of Dolphin
Island, an emerald droplet in the waters off the north
coast of Fiji. It accommodates a maximum of eight
guests, but it’s only ever booked for exclusive use.
Whether you’re forking out close to $3,500 per couple
per night for one bure, or a group of eight splitting
about $10,000 to book it out, the island is all yours and
exclusivity is key. For many travellers, especially those
for whom money is no object, that’s priceless.>
155
Interiors by New Zealand designer Virginia Fisher are
a mix of understatement and luxury.
 The island is small enough to circumnavigate in a GONE TROPPO
gentle 15-minute stroll. After the brief exercise required From left: a bure
bathroom with twin
to explore the place, the order of proceedings on Dolphin
basins and freestanding
is to do nothing, and then some more. Lots of nothing. bath; the infinity pool
And, of course, to eat. And so Simpson heads to the by the main bure; a kava
kitchen and leaves us to settle in to our rooms. ceremony. Opposite: the
There are only four buildings on Dolphin Island. hilltop sleep-out bure
features a canopy bed
The main bure acts as an open-air lounge and dining
and water views.
room, upholstered in white linen and flanked by an
infinity pool. The bure’s central walls are hung with
Fijian artefacts, including a collection of fearsome
war clubs, and the peaked ceiling is lined with hand-
stencilled tapa cloth. From a verandah there are views
of gardens, beach and the mountains of the mainland.
On either side of the main bure are the guest quarters:
two traditional wooden Fijian structures, each
divided into two large bedrooms, with dark timber
floors, vaulted ceilings, walk-in wardrobes and cool
bathrooms with freestanding baths, coconut-scented
products and doors opening onto private courtyards
and outdoor showers.
Interiors by celebrated New Zealand designer
Virginia Fisher are a mix of understatement and luxury
with white linen, teal soft furnishings and tropical-
island accessories – an urchin-shell bedside lamp base
here, a frangipani-print cushion there. All the rooms
are air-conditioned, with bifold and screened doors for
those who prefer to slumber in fresh air.
On the other side of the island is a “hilltop sleep-out
bure” with spectacular views across turquoise waters
to the north from its open front. It’s described on the
website as “the perfect spot for a romantic tryst”, and
a bed with canopy draped in net is its central feature.
“I always make sure I sing loudly on approach,”
says Simpson.
While at first blush the idea of a tropical island of
one’s own sounds like utopia, I wondered if it would be
wholly relaxing. My idea of a holiday is to blend in to
the background – asking for help when required, but
otherwise being left to my own devices. Will our party
of two feel uncomfortably conspicuous? Will it feel as
though our every move is being monitored?
And the answer is yes and no. The staff of 10 on
Dolphin Island have mastered the art of lavishing
attention without intrusion. We do, however, find
ourselves occasionally embarrassed at the lengths to
which they anticipate and then good-naturedly serve
our every whim. But that’s more of an Australian
egalitarian conceit than it is a complaint.
At twilight we follow paths lit by scores of lanterns
to dinner. Drinks are served as the sun sinks behind
the faraway mountains of the mainland. In the fading
light, the coconut palms fringing the beach are cast in
evocative silhouette.
Our first meal, under the stars and by the pool,
begins with mud crab caught earlier that day and
cooked by Simpson in a sweet curry sauce based, she
says, on a secret family recipe. Plump garlic prawns
arrive next, with stir-fried onion, carrot and beans,>

157
 IN THE SWIM
The pool by the main
bure at Dolphin Island.

158 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
“Private” is not a vague description of Dolphin Island, off the north
coast of Fiji. The island is all yours and exclusivity is key.
CUSTOM MADE
Clockwise, from below:
resort staff prepare a
traditional Fijian lovo;
cruising around the island;
traditional Fijian dancing
and singing by locals;
coral trout served with
an ota and coconut milk
salad. Opposite: staff
farewell departing guests.
followed by pineapple tart and cream. Tito, the island’s
agreeable butler and waiter, maintains a steady flow of
a crisp, dry white.
Breakfasts are as simple or as complicated as you
wish but are always large and feature platters of tropical
fruit. Crucially, there’s a ready supply of espresso.
For lunch one day we’re presented with coral trout,
grilled and served simply with tomato salsa and ota,
a salad of fern, Spanish onion, lemon and coconut
milk. Dinner that evening is grilled lobster, followed
by a magnificent fish curry studded with coral trout
marinated in tamarind paste, and a fragrant prawn
coconut curry. Why have one curry when you can
have two?
To say that servings are generous on Dolphin
Island is an understatement, and they’re accompanied
by Simpson’s gentle, motherly insistence on having
“just one more spoonful”. The food is best described
as homespun, more no-frills than five-star, and that’s
not a criticism. While the dishes are occasionally
rudimentary in preparation and appearance, they’re
always delicious and fresh, and the care invested in the
preparation by Simpson and her staff is apparent.
The culinary highlight comes at the end of each
guest’s stay – a traditional Fijian lovo of meats and
vegetables slow-cooked in a hole in the ground.
Chicken, lamb, fish and dalo, or taro root, are wrapped
in palm fronds, lowered into a pit lined with rocks
preheated on an open fire, and covered with banana
leaves. Four hours later a deliciously smoky banquet
is lifted from the earth, the highlight of which is
palusami, taro leaves cooked in coconut milk.
After dinner, when I really start to feel I’ve been
fattened for slaughter, we’re led to the beach where a
bonfire is blazing. A group of singers and dancers from
a village on the mainland are ready with grass skirts,
hibiscuses behind ears and traditional songs and
dances involving spears. It could be kitsch and touristy,
but executed with the true generosity of spirit for
which Fiji is famed, the performance is affecting.
In the short intervals between feasts there are
just enough activities to occupy guests who tire
of indolence. There are a couple of kayaks and a
catamaran on the beach for circumnavigation, and
within a 10-metre swim from shore is a coral reef
teeming with fish – ideal for snorkelling. Simpson
is happy to take guests into her kitchen for cooking
classes. Local operators can take guests deep-sea
fishing and scuba diving, and while there’s no gym or
day spa on Dolphin, Simpson can summon therapists
from resorts on neighbouring islands.
She has been on the island for 15 years and
considers she has the best job in the world. She came
here with her husband, Stanley, whose job was to
oversee renovations (completed four years ago) and
run the business. After Stanley died seven years ago,
she stayed – stepping up to the top job and discovering
almost by accident a proficiency for running a tight
ship and making visitors feel like they’ve come home.
She’s like a mother – but one who doesn’t pass
judgment when you sleep in.
She’s also the reason we find ourselves one
afternoon in Aunty Meena’s kitchen. It’s not among the
options listed on the Dolphin Island guest itinerary.
It was meant to be just a brief stop to pick up a jar of
her famous pickles after a visit to the town markets.
But when Meena beckons us inside, it feels wrong to
decline. And so we sit at the kitchen table, surrounded
by family photos, shelves loaded with spices and a
lifetime’s worth of trinkets, as an elderly lady hauls
an industrial-sized container of homemade cumquat
pickles down the hallway.
We scoff bhaji and eavesdrop as Meena and
Simpson gossip, and I consider how much of the
Dolphin Island experience is defined by our matriarch.
At a time when one artfully arranged resort interior is
hard to distinguish from another, truly great travel
experiences are defined by people. A wise man once
said no man is an island – in the case of Dolphin
Island, its heart and soul is a woman named Dawn. #

THE FINE
PR INT
GETTING THERE
Virgin Australia operates
22 flights a week to Nadi,
Fiji, from Sydney,
Melbourne and Brisbane.
The airline has recently
added new widebody A330
aircraft to the route, with
full business-class service.
virginaustralia.com
The transfer to Dolphin
Island involves a 2.5-hour
drive to Ellington Wharf
on the northern tip of Viti
Levu, then a 20-minute
boat ride. Or take a direct
seaplane charter.
STAYING THERE
Dolphin Island costs from
$1256 per person per night
for eight guests, or $1750
per person per night for
two people. The tariff
includes transfers from
Nadi, all meals, drinks and
water sports. There are
extra costs for excursions,
spa treatments, and
cooking and tapa
cloth-making classes.
There are also combined
packages with sister
property Huka Lodge, near
Lake Taupo,
in the central North Island
of New Zealand.
dolphinislandfiji.com
161
AN AUSTRALIAN GOURMET TRAVELLER PROMOTION

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

1 2 3

Victorinox Style meets function in the
Architecture Urban bag from Victorinox. It’s made
using eco-friendly Nüwa fabric, with a traditional
napa leather trim for a casual yet refined look.
Priced $429. (02) 9482 6666
Décor Cook, serve, store and reheat food all in
one Décor Thermostone dish with an airtight,
leak-proof lid. Pop open the air-release vent in the
lid for reheating in the microwave and pop it
closed for an airtight seal. decor.com.au
Kailis These elegant, eye-catching Australian
South Sea pearl Swing earrings feature
an articulated chain, suspended from
a diamond- accented setting in a French hook
style. Priced $5,240. kailisjewellery.com.au

4 5 6

Maria Island Walk 2016 Recognised as one of
Australia’s great walks, the four-day Maria Island
Walk takes in rare wildlife, spectacular scenery,
elegant accommodation, and local Tasmanian food
and wine. For details visit mariaislandwalk.com.au.
Nespresso Pure Collection The Pure Collection
porcelain accessories range was designed for
Nespresso by Swiss studio Big-Game to enhance
the coffee experience. Available at Nespresso
boutiques or nespresso.com. 1800 623 033.
Jonah’s An iconic luxury Sydney getaway for the
past 86 years, Jonah’s offers 11 rooms all with
panoramic ocean views and a multi-award
winning restaurant overlooking Whale Beach.
jonahs.com.au, (02) 9974 5599

7 8 9

Royal Doulton Discover the Geometrics
tableware range (bowls, $69.95 for four) by fabric
designer Charlene Mullen for Royal Doulton.
Available online at royaldoulton.com.au or
David Jones and Myer, or call 1300 852 022.
Tefal The Cuisine Companion is an all-in-one
kitchen machine that creates dishes at the touch
of a button. With cooking capability and more,
this food processor replaces up to 10 kitchen
appliances. cuisinecompanion.com.au
Winning Appliances Inspired by the Fountains
of Bellagio, the KWC Zoe is a style icon that
showcases Swiss Excellence in aesthetics,
precision engineering and product innovation.
Priced from $1,469. winningappliances.com.au
 travel
t a NEWS
NEW
WHERE
W E TO BEE & WHAT TO SEE
S E AROUND
ARO D THE WORLD
EDITED
EDI E BY
B HELEN
HEL ANDERSON
NDER ON

FRENCH
CONNECTIONS
Join GT’s 18-day “Wonders of
Bordeaux and Rhone” river
cruise with APT, departing
on 21 September. Hosted by
our food and style director,
OVOLO WOOLLOOMOOLOO;
Emma Knowles, expect FOUNDER GIRISH
cooking classes and insider JHUNJHNUWALA (INSET)
tours. aptouring.com.au/gt
HOT HOTELS
HOTEL CALIFORNIA Two landmarks
Laid-back LA luxe with a side of rock-star edge is
the order of the day at Sunset Marquis in West
relaunched
Ovolo Hotels brings its quirky vision to Sydney.
Hollywood, opened 50 years ago and still rock ’n’ roll
No detail was too small, no idea too outlandish when
headquarters for stars and their entourages. Albums
Girish Jhunjhnuwala opened his first hotel in 2002.
have been written by its pools, recorded in its studio
“I thought about all the things that irked me about
and celebrated in its bars, all under the care of its still
hotels I’ve stayed in, about the unfriendliness once
legendarily discreet staff. And like many of its most
you get to your room,” says the Hong Kong
loyal clients, a few facelifts along the way have kept
entrepreneur, “and I used those experiences to model what became Ovolo.”
the hotel looking chic and ageless. There’s privacy
Among his family-owned company’s nine hotels are two new Sydney
in the Sunset’s leafy landscaped grounds and
acquisitions, in landmark heritage buildings: a former wool store in Pyrmont,
Mediterranean-style villas (we felt like we were in an
refurbished and rebranded Ovolo 1888 Darling Harbour, and the wharf-front Blue
episode of Melrose Place), and star-spotting ops
Sydney, reopened last month as Ovolo Woolloomooloo after extensive renovation.
from its two pools and restaurant. Rooms from
Other properties are in Hong Kong and one is in Melbourne’s Little Bourke Street.
$385. 1200 Alta Loma Rd, West Hollywood,
Though the look of each hotel is different, they share features that
California, sunsetmarquis.com EMMA KNOWLES
Jhunjhnuwala says are designed to make the hotel experience “effortless and
connected”, offering all-inclusive services and carefully designed communal spaces.
SUNSET MARQUIS Ovolo hospitality extends to nightly happy hours, free minibar and breakfast,
24-hour gyms, Apple TV and self-service laundries. “The number-one requirement
of travellers – business and leisure – is to stay connected,” says Jhunjhnuwala, so
Ovolo hotels have always had free, high-speed WiFi with no limits on data or
PHOTOGRAPHY NICK CUBBIN (OVOLO)

devices and an oversupply of USB charging points.

Both Sydney hotels showcase contemporary Australian art – the walls in the
90-room Ovolo 1888 are hung with bold murals by Jasper Knight. The most striking
transformation is in the cavernous entrance to the 100-room Woolloomooloo hotel,
which has become a tree-lined laneway of lounges, bars and dining areas – a kind
of grown-up playground, with three retro video-game tables, featuring Space
Invaders, too. Ovolo 1888, rooms from $208, Darling Harbour, 139
Murray St, Pyrmont, NSW; Ovolo Woolloomooloo, rooms from $254,
6 Cowper Wharf Rd, Woolloomooloo, NSW, ovolohotels.com

FACE VALUE Two architects behind the Belgian brand Passerin-nonpareil have taken
photos of striking façades around the world and printed details from them on soft Italian
leather for their Busycity collection. “Mumbai” clutch (right), $495. huntleather.com.au

163
travel NEWS
ERR, BANGKOK, AND ITS
STREET FOOD-INSPIRED
DISHES (INSET) 31 Festival (15-24 January)
will feature about 700
artists. tcmf.com.au

JANUARY Sportswise, nothing says

IS A GREAT
MONTH TO…
Dance like no one’s
watching, for festival
season is upon us.
Thousands of white flares
and blue suede shoes are
packed and heading to
Parkes in central NSW for
the annual Elvis Festival
(6-10 January).
parkeselvisfestival.com.au
Sydney Festival returns
with more than 140 music,
theatre and dance events;
highlights include singer-
harpist Joanna Newsom’s
latest opus, Spear by
DESTINATION DINING Bangarra Dance Company
at Sydney Opera House,
summer like the
Australian Open at
Melbourne Park (18-31
January); the tournament’s
entertainment precinct has
live music, food stalls and
an autograph station.
ausopen.com
Meanwhile, professional
cyclists and fans will be
heading to South Australia
for the Santos Tour Down
Under (16-24 January).
tourdownunder.com.au
Then the barbecues of the
nation fire up for Australia
Day (26 January).
australiaday.com.au
Photographer Annie
Leibovitz opens her global
exhibition Women: New
Portraits at the Wapping

Cocktails? Err, yeah

and The Flaming Lips in Hydraulic Power Station in
The Domain (7-26 January). London (16 January-7
Bo.lan duo’s new casual bar-eatery is a winner. sydneyfestival.org.au. February), then in another
First the fine-diner Bo.lan opened in Bangkok in 2009, For more specific musical 10 cities including Tokyo,
based on slow-food principles with an organic shop tastes, the 44th annual Hong Kong, Mexico City
attached and a monthly farmers’ market in the car park; Tamworth Country Music and San Francisco. ubs.com
then it moved to bigger premises to meet demand.
Now Bangkok’s best-known chef couple, Thai-born
Duangporn “Bo” Songvisava and her Australian-born
husband, Dylan Jones, have added a little sister to their ART WITH SOUL
portfolio, a casual street-food eatery and cocktail bar
named Err, meaning “okay” or ”yeah” in Thai.
The creative juggernaut that
Its location is a big draw for travellers – a former is Mofo rolls into Hobart on
Chinese shophouse on a lane in the tourist district between the Chao Phraya River and 13 January for MONA’s annual

PHOTOGRAPHY TERENCE CARTER (ERR) & ROBERT HARDING/ALAMY (MARQUESAS)

Wat Pho temple. Authentic Thai flavours are more the exception than the rule in this
neighbourhood, and the couple’s trademark commitment to tradition, an “urban rustic
unpredictable six-day arts festival,
Thai” menu and boozy drinks list based on Thai spirits and rice wine have made Err an with about 300 artists and
instant favourite with expats and Thais since opening in the middle of last year. musicians challenging comfort
Err’s menu is labelled by cooking method – preserved, pickled, charcoal grill, clay
pot, “wok wok” – and dishes are shared family style. Highlights include sai krok Isaan,
zones. Free and ticketed events
house-cured pork sausages fragrant with lemongrass served with organic rice, and the are planned at sites across the city
charcoal-grilled street-food classics, chicken satay and pork neck. Curries such as geng krau and at the museum. mofo.net.au
MERCHANDISING ANNA LAVDARAS (IN THE BAG)

sii krong moo (southern-style pork ribs) and geng kiew wan gai bann (green chicken curry
on the bone) demonstrate a penchant for richness and heat. The crowd favourite is nang AT MOFO, JENNY M
THOMAS AND BUSH
kai tort, a deep-fried chicken-skin snack nicknamed “chicken movie”, shaped like a chook GOTHIC
and served with house-made sriracha sauce.
Songvisava and Jones met in 2005 while working at David Thompson’s Nahm in
London and returned to Bangkok six years ago to open Bo.lan, an early exponent of the
city’s smart-casual dining trend. Err is a further step in that direction. “It’s the sort of place
I like to go eat and hang out at on my day off,” Jones says. The light-filled shophouse has
kitsch-cool décor, street art on the walls, cushion covers stencilled with vintage Thai
travel posters, and a soundtrack of Thai covers of Western hits from the 1950s to the
’70s. Err, 394/35 Maharaj Rd, Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang Phranakorn, Bangkok,
Thailand, +66 2 622 2291, errbkk.com LARA DUNSTON

164 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
 FATU HIVA,
MARQUESAS ISLANDS
IN THE BAG
BEACH BAGS
Equally good as all-in travel companions
or exclusively for seaside adventures.
C RUI SE
NEWS
PRECIOUS CARGO
There were bags of
cement, kegs of beer,
whitegoods – and
passengers – aboard the
maiden voyage last month
of Aranui 5, the newest and
largest Aranui freighter.
The line’s cargo ships are
a lifeline for communities
across the far-flung
archipelagos of French
Polynesia, as well as
being a popular way for
travellers to island-hop.
The 126-metre Aranui 5
4 can accommodate 254
passengers, a leap in size
and comfort from the
200-passenger Aranui 3.
The new ship, which will
5 be based in the Tahitian
capital, Papeete, will
dispense cargo to
remote ports across the
Tuamotu archipelago, and
the Marquesas and Society
Islands, while passengers
are able to disembark
and explore onshore.
aranuicruises.com.au
TASTE FOR CRUISING
Food is the focus of two
1 COUNTRY ROAD Scarf print soft tote, $79.95. new itineraries devised by
countryroad.com.au Crystal Cruises. In May
2 SENSI STUDIO “Maxi” woven toquilla straw tote, 2016, Crystal Symphony
$232. net-a-porter.com will sail from Istanbul to
3 SOPHIE ANDERSON “Luz” woven-cotton tote, Rome with French chef
$596. matchesfashion.com Alexis Gauthier (of Gauthier
4 HERMÈS “Léopards” cotton canvas beach bag with Soho House, London),
pouch, $2,695. (02) 9287 3200 while in July 2017, Crystal
5 STATE OF ESCAPE “Freestyle” neoprene Serenity will welcome back
cross-body bag, $279. stateofescape.com.au chef Nobuyuki “Nobu”
IT’S A WRAP Inspired by the lightweight wraps used traditionally in Turkish hammams,
Sheridan’s “Yamba” cotton beach towel, $84.95, has a flat weave on
one side and a looped terry pile on the other. sheridan.com.au
Matsuhisa for a 10-day
Alaskan itinerary. Both
tours include special
menus, cooking lessons
from the chefs and
food-themed activities
such as an evening tea at
the Çırağan Palace Hotel
in Istanbul and an Alaskan
crab feast in Ketchikan.
crystalcruises.com
STRAND DELIVERS
The grande dame of
Myanmar hotels, the
1901-built The Strand, has
extended her hospitality
beyond land. The hotel’s
new 61-metre colonial-style
river boat, The Strand
Cruise, made its maiden
voyage last month on the
Irrawaddy River. Highlights
of weekly cruises between
Mandalay and Bagan on
three- and four-night
itineraries include private
moorings in small villages,
excursions to Bagan’s
ancient temples and
views of Amarapura’s
U Bein Bridge from the
boat’s rooftop pool.
thestrandcruise.com
GET WELLNESS
Media personality Deborah
Hutton has teamed with
Avalon Waterways to
create a one-off Rhône
river cruise entitled
Balance, Food, Wine and
Wellness. The 11-day
itinerary, departing
in August, begins in
Paris, cruises to Tournus,
Lyon and Avignon, and
finishes in the Côte d’Azur.
Talks about health and diet,
wellness activities, and
spa visits are part of the
program, co-hosted by
Hutton, wine critic Nick
Stock and Aurora Spa life
coach Lyndall Mitchell.
avalonwaterways.com.au;
balancebydeborahhutton.
com.au
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
In June P&O Cruises’
Pacific Jewel will make the
first cruise-ship call to the
Conflict Islands in Papua
New Guinea. The remote
archipelago of 21 islands
is privately owned, which
has meant cruising has
been largely restricted
in the area. In another
first for the cruise line,
P&O has added cruises
to Queensland’s World
Heritage-listed Fraser
Island this year.
pocruises.com.au
SHARK TALE
Three Belize-based Sunsail
catamarans will follow the
migration of whale sharks
off the Central American
nation’s coast over seven
nights in May. The yachts,
each sleeping eight people,
will sail to coincide with
the spring full moon, when
the sharks are feeding,
from Placencia to Gladden
Spit. Dr Demian Chapman,
a shark expert from
international research team
Global FinPrint, will join
the charter and a dive
master will guide tours on
Belize’s pristine barrier
reef. sunsail.com.au
MAGGIE SCARDIFIELD
travel NEWS
‘What a pity Pina is not
here; I have a feeling you
two would get on so well.’
T RI P O F A I didn’t think too much
LI F E TI M E about it at the time.
I went back to falling
wildly in love and
continued with life,
touring the world.
“A few months later
I got a phone call from
the dancer asking me to
send my showreel so she
could show Pina. I ran
into a glass wall with
excitement – Pina is
MEOW MEOW someone who changed
dance theatre in the 20th
WUPPERTAL and 21st centuries. I sent
GERMANY her the reel and then got
MEOW MEOW a call saying, ‘Pina loves
Artist and performer you and wants to bring
“It was almost by accident you over for her festival.’
that I ended up in And so I returned to
Wuppertal. I was falling Wuppertal.
madly in love at the “When you’re a solo
time, so I imagine I was performer, as I often
exuding a heightened and am, it’s so lovely when
thrilling energy. I’d gone you find your clan and
to do a concert there and your family. I met Pina
a friend said, ‘One of the in 2007, and in 2008
dancers from the Pina I performed with the
Bausch company is in company.
town. Would you like “Wuppertal is a little
to meet?’ industrial town, half an
“I’d long had an hour’s drive east of
affinity with Bausch’s Düsseldorf. There’s one
work and always wanted strip of fantastic cafés so
to work with her. We met everyone knows
the dancer for a drink everybody, and it makes
and I remember spilling for some very intense
red wine on her beautiful experiences and an
dress. I was clearly extraordinary creative
overexcited. She said, output.
VANITY CASE SUNSCREENS
Wherever you seek the sun, pack a multi-tasking
lotion designed to preserve and protect.
1 AESOP Protective Body Lotion SPF 50, $40 for 150ml. aesop.com
2 COLORESCIENCE Sunforgettable Mineral Sunscreen Brush SPF 5
$79.20. advancedskintechnology.com.au
3 ULTRACEUTICALS Ultra UV Protective Daily Shield Mineral Defe
SPF 50+, $65 for 60ml. ultraceuticals.com
4 CLARINS Sunscreen Control Cream for Face SPF 50+, $40 for 75
myer.com.au
5 LA ROCHE-POSAY Anthelios Nutritive Oil SPF 50, $35.95 for 200
1300 101 141, laroche-posay.com.au
166 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
company’s 40th
anniversary last year,
and I now meet those
beautiful dancers all
over the world. While
Wuppertal is ostensibly
an unlikely town for
inspiration, it has taught
me a lot about art and the
transformative power of
WUPPERTAL performance. There are
SUSPENSION RAILWAY spirits there that I take
with me all the time.”
Meow Meow performs
“You can talk to beauty and greyness that Meow Meow’s Little
people for hours and is the green and the grey Mermaid at Sydney
hours, but as someone of Wuppertal. Festival 8-23 January,
who puts all her heart “The fact I stayed in then at Melbourne’s
and soul into her work, town for an extra night Malthouse Theatre
watching a performance and happened to meet 28 January-14 February,
is a very quick way into that dancer felt like an and the Perth
my psyche. Once Pina extraordinary flick of fate. International Arts
saw the show, I felt that I performed for the Festival 24-28 February.
suddenly she knew who
I was. I was so excited to
be performing for the
maverick that I actually
crowd-surfed over to kiss
her during the show. It
was the most exhilarating
holiday I’ve ever had –
very funny and very
profound.
“Pina died in 2009.
The cemetery in
Wuppertal where she BEACH TO BUSH
is buried is like a forest The summer routine at newly opened Bannisters
– it’s very natural, Pavilion might go like this: a swim at Mollymook
incredibly wild and Beach, stroll back to one of 32 Scandi-styled rooms
beautiful – and there’s set in bushland, then ascend to the rooftop terrace
room for dancing by her for immersion in a suspended pool.
grave. For me, it’s that Rooms from $255. 87 Tallwood Ave, Mollymook
very strange collision of Beach, NSW, bannisters.com.au
5
4
 A BEACHSIDE
RESORT WATCH ELEMENTS OF BYRON

VILLA
Chic shacks
A new Byron Bay resort is a beach retreat with a strong eco-focus.
Fringed by nearly two
kilometres of sand at Belongil
Beach, just north of Byron
Bay, the region’s newest
resort looks set to update
the quintessential northern
NSW beach-shack holiday.
Due to open next month,
the $100 million Elements of Byron is on a 20-hectare
plot, part of an 80-hectare property bought in 2010
by Brisbane-based business couple Peggy and Brian
Flannery. Four years in the planning and 18 months
in construction, the resort will be managed by Accor
INTERVIEW BY MAGGIE SCARDIFIELD (MEOW MEOW) PHOTOGRAPHY ALAMY (WUPPERTAL & SAN FRANCISCO)
Among the energy-conscious, tech-savvy room
features are motion-activated air-conditioning and
iPad-controlled power and lights; guests can monitor BEACHIN’ STYLE
their energy use in real time and offset it on departure.
Shilo Engelbrecht’s
The architecture and interiors by Shane
Thompson Architects and Rowena Cornwell of exuberant brushstrokes
Coop Creative are themed according to the site’s four grace a limited-edition
ecological zones: dunal, eucalypt, wetlands and
beach collection by
rainforest. All villas feature blackbutt floors, louvred
windows and custom Shibori leather bedheads. Five Sportscraft, including a
of the 21 beachside villas have uninterrupted ocean hat, boardshorts and
views; others overlook a lake, ponds or forest.
this sarong, $99.99.
At the heart of the resort is a trio of pavilions
sportscraft.com.au

Hotels as part of its MGallery collection. Peggy housing two restaurants, bars, day spa, large
Flannery envisages the resort as a salute to all that’s free-form infinity pool, a poolside café and
great about Byron, from local produce and works by conference facilities.
& CHRIS JENSEN (CLARINS & LA ROCHE-POSAY) MERCHANDISING ANNA LAVDARAS (VANITY CASE)

regional artists to endemic species in landscaping.
The building footprint, including 97 one- and
two-bedroom villas, occupies just 10 per cent of
the site (another 96 villas are planned in phase
two), and this ambition to keep the footprint light,
small and single-storey is also key to the project,
says development director Jeremy Holmes.
“The detached villas are designed to be low
impact and low density,” says Holmes. “It’s all about
the authentic Byron Bay beachside holiday.”
Executive chef Justin Dingle-Garciyya, former
culinary director of the US-based Morgans Hotel
Group, will oversee the 230-seat Graze, with
wood-fired oven and terrace, and the more formal
Mixed Dozen Restaurant.
Byron Bay’s town centre is a two-kilometre
beach walk away, or guests can hitch a ride on
a restored heritage train. Villas from $380. End
of Bayshore Dr, Byron Bay, NSW, (02) 6639 1500,
elementsofbyron.com.au FIONA DONNELLY

Qantas continues to fly to LA, NEW-GEN BIRDS

AIRLINE
NEWS
TRANS-PACIFIC TRAFFIC
After a hiatus of nearly 20 years,
American Airlines has launched
daily direct flights from Sydney to
Los Angeles as part of an expanded
partnership with Qantas. Though
the new deal frees up aircraft to
resume flights between Sydney and
San Francisco six days a week after
four years’ absence from the route.
JUST THE TONIC
Qantas, Rockpool and Four Pillars
Gin have crafted a limited-edition
bottling, the Modern Australian
Gin, to be served in select Qantas
GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE, lounges and Rockpool restaurants.
SAN FRANCISCO
Focus in the skies this year will
be on the next-generation Airbus
A350. This month Singapore
Airlines receives the first of 67 on
order and in April will fly its new
baby on the 13-hour route from
Singapore to Amsterdam. Next up
are flights to Düsseldorf from July,
the third German city in its network
after Frankfurt and Munich.

167
 AN AUSTRALIAN GOURMET TRAVELLER PROMOTION

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

1 2 3

Tourism Fiji With gourmet food, azure water,
luxury resorts and welcome respite from everyday
life, Fiji is a place where happiness finds you
in every sense. For an idyllic South Pacific
experience visit fiji.travel/au or call (02) 92643399.
BBC Earth Collection Here for the first time are
three of David Attenborough’s most acclaimed and
revered BBC Earth documentaries in one
superlative collection. Now available to own on
DVD & Blu-Ray priced $99.95. sanity.com.au
Spiegelau The new Perfect Serve Collection was
designed in collaboration with German mixologist
Stephan Hinz for Spiegelau to cater specifically to
the needs of the modern bartender. Priced from
$69.95 for four. spiegelau.com.au

4 5 6

Lurpak From topping toast to mixing with fresh
herbs for flavoured butters, Lurpak Spreadable,
made using the best Danish cream, has become
a modern classic, and versatile kitchen staple with
the distinct Lurpak taste. lurpak.com
Riedel The Heart to Heart Central Otago Pinot
Noir glass has been designed to accentuate the
typically fruit-forward and intense mineral style
of the New Zealand wine region. Available from
riedelglass.com.au, priced $59.95 per pair.
Obap Korean BBQ Marinade Bulgogi With
an authentic sweet and savoury taste, this
ready-made marinade contains apple and pear
purée, which enhances the flavour and helps
to tenderise meat. Available at supermarkets.

7 8 9

Jacob’s Creek The Reserve Barossa Signature
Range adds a new tier to the Jacob’s Creek
Reserve range. It features three premium red
wines that pay tribute to the brand’s Barossa
home. Priced $19.99. jacobscreek.com.au
Miele An ideal alternative to a built-in steam
oven is the versatile 30-litre DG 6010 benchtop
steam oven, which delivers exceptional steam
distribution for flavoursome cooking results.
Priced $1,499. miele.com.au
Avene Skin Recovery Cream The preservative-
free formula has minimal ingredients for maximum
tolerance, thanks to the unique sterile cosmetics
process. It’s the perfect daily moisturiser for
hypersensitive skin. Priced $38.95. avene.com.au
 RIO CITY HITLIST

Carnival countdown
Armed with a Caipirinha and a sense of adventure, Tatyana Leonov enjoys
Rio’s pre-Olympic energy – Copacabana Beach is just the beginning.
BELMOND COPACABANA
PALACE
STAY
Belmond Copacabana
Palace
Built in the early 1920s by
eminent hotelier Octávio
Guinle, the grand Belmond
Copacabana Palace is
a playground of the rich
and famous, with previous
guests including Marilyn
Monroe, Princess Diana,
Michael Jackson and
PHOTOGRAPHY TETRA IMAGES/ALAMY
a table at its poolside
Pérgula Restaurant and
watch the city’s beautiful
creatures at play.
Avenida Atlântica 1702,
Copacabana, Rio de
Janeiro. belmond.com
DO
To best absorb the grit
and glamour of Rio,
embark on a day of
exploration with Urban
his tram workshop (Rua
Almirante Alexandrino,
1086). A quarter of Rio’s
population lives in favelas,
and Urban Adventures
works with tour leaders
who live in the slums
to offer realistic insights
for travellers, while also
contributing funds to
these communities.
A visit to the landmark
international brands.
For local talent in the mall,
hunt down the laidback
streetwear at Osklen
(osklen.com); the riotously
colourful clothing and
home décor at Farm
(farmrio.com.br); and
the stylish menswear of
Reserva (usereserva.com).
For a breather, climb to the
big roof terrace for snacks
or a meal with views over
Lagoon Tijuca.
DRINK
Order a Caipirinha, Brazil’s
cocktail of choice, at Bar
do Mineiro in Santa Teresa
(bardomineiro.net); they
use top-grade cachaça –
the drink’s sugarcane
liquor base – muddled
with the obligatory coarse
sugar and crushed lime.
Team it with a gutsy
Zuka
Its modern Brazilian menu
runs from ceviche with
tiny Brazilian peppers and
palm heart with shiitake
mushrooms and tomatoes
to seared tuna and flank
steak grilled over
charcoal. Reserve a table
close to the open kitchen
to watch the action. Rua
Dias Ferreira, 233B,
Leblon, Rio de Janeiro,
zuka.com.br
Oro
Chef Felipe Bronze
presents dégustation
menus full of theatrical
novelty, and they taste
good, too. A napkin
transforms into a warm
towel with the addition of
hot water; black bean stew
comes with kale bubbles;
a savoury banana,
foie gras and açai dish is
transformed with liquid
nitrogen. Expect the
unexpected. Rua Frei
Leandro, 20, Lagoa,
Rio de Janeiro
Olympe
Originally from France,
executive chef Claude
Troisgros has developed
his Brazilian-influenced
French cooking and a loyal
fan base in the past
decade. Açai-crusted
lamb tenderloin, lobster
flan, and shrimp risotto

Madonna, to name a few.
Acquired in the early
1990s by Orient-Express
Hotels, now Belmond, it
has undergone several
waves of refurbishment, the
most recent doubling the
size of the lavish lobby
and transforming first- and
second-floor rooms. Even if
you’re not a guest, reserve
Adventures, a division of
Intrepid Travel. Start by
winding along cobblestone
streets in the bohemian
district of Santa Teresa,
past artists’ studios,
hole-in-the-wall bars
and eclectic shops. See
artist Getúlio Damado’s
covetable bric-a-brac made
from recycled materials, in
Christ the Redeemer
statue is an awe-inspiring
way to end the day.
urbanadventures.com
SHOP
Enter the relative calm of
the chic Village Mall in
suburban Barra da Tijuca
(shoppingvillagemall.com.
br), the first spot in Rio
to stock a range of
serving of feijoada, the
topped by mushroom
traditional pork and bean
foam are highlights. Rua
stew. Brazilians also love Custódio Serrão, 62,
their draught beer and Lagoa, Rio de Janeiro,
chopp devotees flock to olympe.com.br
Jobi (Avenida Ataulfo de
Paiva, 1166, Loja B, Leblon),
open since 1956. Arrive
early to find a seat or join
the jovial crowd spilling out
onto the street.

INSIDER DON’T MISS DAYTRIPPING

TIPS People-watching on Copacabana Beach
is a pastime in itself. Enjoy the circus
without being jostled in the crowd on
a stand-up paddleboard. Rio’s latest fitness
trend is especially popular at the south-west
end of the beach, where typically calm reef
breaks offer ideal boarding conditions.
The idyllic car-free island of Ilha Grande
is a two-hour drive, then a quick ferry
retreat from the frenzy of Rio. A biodiversity
hotspot, this largely undeveloped island
has pristine rainforest, tropical beaches and CHRIST THE
150 kilometres of hiking trails connecting REDEEMER
coastal villages and hamlets.

GETTING THERE LAN flies one-stop from Sydney to Rio, via Santiago, Chile. lan.com

169
 1
TRAVEL STYLE DOLPHIN
ISLAND

Tropical splash
Make your summer getaway in beach-ready fashion with
emerald-tinged palm prints and sun-cheating lotions.
1 Mikoh “Lahaina” swim 6
brief, $120, from Revolve.
2 James Read Express
Glow Mask Body, $78
for 200ml, from Mecca 12

PHOTOGRAPHY CHRIS CHEN (DOLPHIN ISLAND) MERCHANDISING & STYLING NATASHA INCHLEY
Cosmetica. 3 Louis Vuitton
Twist MM leather and
canvas bag, $4,900.
4 Ellery “Radiate” dress,
$675, from Parlour X.
5 Tiffany & Co Elsa Peretti
“Claw” necklace in 18-carat
gold with green jade,
$16,200. 6 Mary Katrantzou 11
“Birk” guipure lace top,
$2,235, from Net-a-Porter. 7
7 The Upside “Snapper”
neoprene tank, $129. 8 Miu
Miu sunglasses, $335, from
My Theresa. 9 Chanel Le
Weekend de Chanel Renew,
$148 for 50ml. 10 Valentino
8
lace and leather espadrilles,
$523, from Net-a-Porter.
11 Mara Hoffman “Harvest”
cut-out swimsuit, $288, from
Net-a-Porter. 12 Hatmaker
“Gabon” straw sunhat, 10
$390. Stockists p175. # 9

170 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM
AN AUSTRALIAN GOURMET TRAVELLER PROMOTION

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

1 2 3

Discover Asia Just as Vietnamese cuisine is all
about balance, so too is this journey. Take guided
tours through local markets, improve your skills
at cooking school and enjoy meals at some of
Vietnam’s best restaurants. discoverasia.com.au
Vintec The “Transbottle 3” is a wine-bottle carrier
made from expanded polypropylene, keeping
bottles at drinking temperature, safe from the
effects of light, temperature and even breakage
from heights of up to two metres. vintecclub.com
Robert Gordon Australia Add an element of
style and originality to your home with the new
Gourmet Traveller Signature Collection, a range
of tableware by Australian Gourmet Traveller and
Robert Gordon Australia. domayne.com.au

4 5 6

Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection will
launch its new luxury river cruise ship, the Ganges
Voyager II, in January 2016 sailing a 13-day “India’s
Golden Triangle & the Sacred Ganges” itinerary
– 2017 is now open for sale. uniworld.com
Harvey Norman The Chelmsford bed is available
at Harvey Norman in a range of colours and sizes,
and is complemented by the range of Chelmsford
bedroom furniture to complete your space.
harveynorman.com.au
Incredible india Australian travellers visiting
India on holiday, for short-duration medical
treatments or on casual business trips can
now apply for an e-Tourist Visa online at
incredibleindia.org.

7 8 9

Natuzzi Italia The modular Dorian sofa
from Natuzzi Italia is a 2015 collection exclusive
made in Italy and features stylish raised stitching
along the arms with plush quilting detail on the
backrest cushions. natuzzi.com.au
Tucker’s Natural Available in perfect twin-pack
portions for cheese platters and picnics, Tucker’s
Natural new Fruit Pastes come in four unique fruit
flavours and can be found at Woolworths and
independent retailers. tuckersnatural.com.au
Art Mob This carved milkwood camp dog from
Aurukun on Cape York Peninsula is just one of
those featured in Art Mob’s dogs in indigenous art
exhibition, “Memories of Max”. The fun collectables
are available at Hobart’s Art Mob. artmob.com.au
RESORT WEAR TRAVEL OVERSEAS

Change the way you experience travel

For more than 40 years, discerning travellers have entrusted Mary Rossi
Travel with their most precious asset – their leisure time.
Our connections with the world’s finest travel providers give you access

Wherever your travels take you, our advisors will help you
plan a unique and unforgettable journey.

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www.maryrossitravel.com/newsletter Five Times Winner
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and registering your details. Travel Agent

Neutral Bay 1800 815 067

Lindfield 1800 790 560
www.maryrossitravel.com

GALLERIES

To advertise phone 0412 081 754

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION TRAVEL OVERSEAS

Southern France

ELEGANT COUNTRY VILLA

IN FIGEAC, THE LOT REGION
Beautifully restored 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, superb
kitchen, entertaining areas. Set in wooded acre. Views from all rooms.

SPECIAL OFFER
STAY 7 NIGHTS...PAY FOR 5 or STAY 5...PAY 4 Stunning medieval town and surrounds ideal for food/wine lovers.
ON SELECTED 1, 2 & 3 BEDROOM APARTMENTS. On pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela. Guests say
Excludes 24/3/16 - 11/4/16. Valid to 24/6/16 “We could not have had a more perfect time.”
“We found the experience delightful” in “your truly beautiful house”.
Maison Noosa is a boutique resort nestled perfectly between the beachfront of Noosa's Main Beach & cosmopolitan Hastings Street. To rent please contact Australian owner at
The resort offers stylish 1, 2 and 3 bedroom air conditioned apartments each with modern appliances and furnishings.
e info@maisonnoosa.com.au w maisonnoosa.com.au p 07 5447 4400 www.frenchhouse.com.au
HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION TRAVEL OVERSEAS TRAVEL OVERSEAS

EUROVILL AS
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Self-Catering Accommodation in Europe & UK and MOROCCO

Excellence in tourism to the Iberian Triangle

• Chauffeur Driven Itineraries • Self Drive Tours
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• Gastronomic Adventures • Heritage Accommodation
harboursideapartments.com.au Reservations: 1800 500 016 ibertours@bigpond.com
Tel +61 2 9963 4300 info@eurovillas.com.au 03 9593 2170 Ph: 03 9867 8833 www.ibertours.com.au
TRAVEL OVERSEAS TRAVEL OVERSEAS

BOATS BARGES NARROWBOATS IN EUROPE

ENGLAND IRELAND SCOTLAND FRANCE

GERMANY HOLLAND BELGIUM ITALY
A wide choice of self-skippered canal or river cruising - ideal for
friends or families – or fully crewed relaxing hotel barge cruises with an
onboard chef, regional cuisine, local wines & with guided sightseeing
Departures from March to October – early booking essential –
call the inland cruise specialists for a free brochure

To advertise phone 0412 081 754

NEXT MONTH
February It’s back to school, back to work and back to
business, and the Fast issue is right back with you, better and faster than ever.
FOOD
On a Mission
With Mission Chinese Food, Danny Bowien
has turned the cuisine on its head, first in San
Francisco, then New York and now your kitchen.
Halcyon days
At Paper Daisy, chef Ben Devlin nails sandy-toed
and pool-side luxe like few others; get your taste
of his sunny brilliance here.
Masterclass: larb
Fine-tune Thailand’s greatest contribution to
the summer snacking world with the inside
word from Chat Thai matriarch Amy Chanta.
Fruit salad days
Reboot sweet childhood favourites with glam
twists of chilli, basil, pomegranate and spice.
TRAVEL
Secret Provence
In the shadow of mighty Mont Ventoux,
Sophie Dening coasts through the villages
and vineyards of the Vaucluse.
Land and sea
With the wind in her hair and Wineglass Bay
in her sights, Maya Kerthyasa hikes and sails
around Tasmania’s Freycinet Peninsula.
Making tracks
There’s Champagne, dress codes and
unscheduled surprises aboard the
Eastern & Oriental Express train from
Bangkok to Singapore.
ON SALE 25 JANUARY
PHOTOGRAPHY NICOLE FRANZEN
 STOCKISTS

Peach, basil, jamón and

pumpernickel salad (RECIPE P36)

Potier (03) 9645 7158, potier.com.au

Pure and General (02) 9360 6060,
pureandgeneral.com
Grilled salmon chops with Revolve revolveclothing.com.au
asparagus and lemon relish Samambaia Flowers (02) 9389 9125,
(RECIPE P102) samambaiaflowers.com
Space Furniture (02) 8339 7588,
spacefurniture.com.au
Spence & Lyda (02) 9212 6747,
Adairs 1300 783 005, adairs.com.au Hatmaker hatmaker.com.au spenceandlyda.com.au
Bambis (03) 9386 1222, bambis.com.au Hayden Youlley Design haydenyoulley.com T2 (03) 8698 0600, t2tea.com
The Bay Tree (02) 9328 1101, thebaytree.com.au Ici et Là (02) 8399 1173, icietla.com.au Teranova (02) 9386 0063, teranova.com.au
Bison Australia (02) 6257 7255, bisonhome.com Liberty Trading Co libertytradingco.com.au Thonet 1800 800 777, thonet.com.au
Chanel 1300 242 635, chanel.com Lived in Coogee (02) 9665 5330, Tiffany & Co 1800 731 131, tiffany.com.au
Citta Design 1800 256 723, cittadesign.com livedincoogee.bigcartel.com Top3 by Design 1300 867 333, top3.com.au
Claypool claypool.com.au Loft (02) 9326 6588, loftfurniture.com.au The Upside theupside.sport.com
Collector Store (02) 9699 7740, Louis Vuitton 1300 883 880, louisvuitton.com.au Villeroy & Boch villeroy-boch.com.au
collectorstore.com.au Luumo Design luumodesign.com West Elm westelm.com.au
Country Road 1800 801 911, Mecca Cosmetica 1800 007 844, Wheel & Barrow wheelandbarrow.com.au
countryroad.com.au meccacosmetica.com.au Williams-Sonoma williams-sonoma.com.au
The Country Trader (02) 9698 4661, The Minimalist theminimalist.com.au
thecountrytrader.com.au Mud Australia (02) 9569 8181, FARE EXCHANGE (p30)
The Design Hunter (02) 9369 3322, mudaustralia.com Ester 46-52 Meagher St, Chippendale, NSW,
thedesignhunter.com.au My Theresa mytheresa.com (02) 8068 8279, ester-restaurant.com.au
Elements I Love (02) 9560 3067, Net-a-Porter net-a-porter.com Frank 1 Franklin Wharf, Hobart, Tas,
elements.net.au No Chintz (02) 9386 4800, nochintz.com (03) 6231 5005, frankrestaurant.com.au
Francalia (02) 9948 4977, francalia.com.au Ondene (02) 9362 1734, ondene.com Gas-Light Izakaya 484 Smith St, Collingwood,
Freedom 1300 135 588, freedom.com.au Our Corner Store ourcornerstore.com.au Vic, (03) 9416 3335, thegasometerhotel.com.au
Funkis (02) 9358 3093, funkis.com Papaya (02) 9386 9980, papaya.com.au The Tamarind Spicers Tamarind Retreat, 88 Obi
Garden Life (02) 9517 3633, gardenlife.com.au Parlour X (02) 9331 0999, parlourx.com.au Lane South, Maleny, Sunshine Coast Hinterland,
Ginkgo Leaf ginkgoleaf.com.au Plenty Kitchen & Tableware (02) 9369 4520 Qld, 1300 311 429, spicersretreats.com
PHOTOGRAPHY BEN DEARNLEY

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175
RECIPE INDEX

SOUPS STARTERS Agave pork belly with

SNACKS AND SIDES grilled piña GA ................................ 110
Africola chakalaka SGVA................ 123 Avocado-leaf short ribs with
Butter-fried bread with serrano chilli creamed
eggplant and herbs V ................... 93 corn GA................................................109
Butter-fried bread with Barbecued chicken with
tomatoes SV....................................... 93 blackened okra S.............................. 36
Charred sweet potato, goat’s Barbecued lamb ribs with
curd and almonds SG .................... 32 yuzu-sesame yakiniku
Coleslaw SV.............................................88 sauce A.................................................. 32
Corn and quinoa soup S.................. 40 Barbecued tomahawk with
Corn salad with prawn salt SG.... 126 tomato relish SA.............................105
Curried young coconut salad Barnsley chops with charred
with sorrel SVG...............................128 lettuce and peas SG.................... 100
Green salad with
vinaigrette SV....................................96
Grilled corn with whipped
Burgers with pickled
beetroot S............................................ 36
Grilled flank steak SG.........................96
96
sesame butter, lime and Lamb loin chops with smoky
coriander SV....................................... 39 eggplant, and farro and Grilled salmon chops with asparagus Prosecco jelly with melon and

PHOTOGRAPHY WILLIAM MEPPEM GLUTEN-FREE ADVICE CLAIRE MURRAY

Homemade white bread VA...........85
Kerabu rice salad SGV.......................43
Oyster dipping sauce SG ................. 93
Peach, basil, jamón and
pumpernickel salad S .................... 36
Pulpo tostadas G.................................112
Quinoa and broccolini
salad SGV............................................ 40
Quinoa and haloumi fritters SV.... 40
Roasted garlic oil and roasted
garlic GVA............................................111
tomato salad S.................................105
Lamb with lemon, mint and
shanklish S........................................... 39
Malaysian barbecued
chicken GA...........................................43
Prego rolls A ......................................... 123
Roasted rib of beef with
ndolé G ................................................ 124
Soy-glazed pork cutlets with
Japanese slaw S............................. 100
T-bones with pickled chilli, corn
and lemon relish SG .....................102
Grouper with white bean salad
and coriander crema G .................113
Jerk snapper with pineapple
and lime SG......................................... 39
Mussels with beer and bacon S..... 36
Smoked mulloway with
apricots and lager.......................... 126
DESSERTS AND SWEETS
Brandy plum cake SV.........................96
buttermilk granita GA.................178
Quinoa pancakes SV.......................... 40
DRINKS
Afterglow SGV.......................................116
Belafonte SGV.......................................118
Black Rock Chiller SGV ..................... 23
Cerise GVA..............................................118
Chambéry SGVA..................................116
Evergreen GVA.....................................116
Pisco, lime and strawberry

Southern barbecue beans with
burnt ends SA ...................................89
Steamed spinach S..............................96
Texas-style barbecue sauce SA.....85
Watermelon rind pickles SGVA......85
MEAT AND POULTRY
12-hour barbecue beef
brisket GA............................................88
and avocado SG............................. 100
Turmeric pork chops with green
chilli and coconut sambal SG ...102
SEAFOOD
Barbecued prawns with brown
butter and tamari SG..................... 32
Ceviche de aguja with ginger
and mescal SG................................. 110
(CLAIRESHOLISTICPURSUITS.COM)
Blueberry and coconut slushies SGV....................................... 36
ice-cream sandwiches SV........... 39 Provence SGV .......................................116
Cameroonian spiced banana Wildlife GVA...........................................118
gateaux VA........................................128
Cast-iron peach cobbler with GUIDE TO SYMBOLS
buttermilk ice-cream V ................89 S SIMPLE G GLUTEN-FREE
Lime tart with lime caramel V......113 V VEGETARIAN
Pineapple with ginger beer sorbet A CAN BE PREPARED AHEAD
and coconut mousse G................. 33

MEASURES & EQUIPMENT * RSPCA Australia’s recommendations for killing * To sterilise jars and lids, run them through the

COOK’S * cup and spoon measures are

All
level and based on Australian
NOTES metric measures.
* Eggs have an average weight of
59gm unless otherwise specified.
* Fruit and vegetables are washed, peeled and
medium-sized unless otherwise specified.
* Oven temperatures are for conventional ovens
and need to be adjusted for fan-forced ovens.
* Pans are medium-sized and heavy-based; cake
tins are stainless steel, unless otherwise specified.
COOKING TIPS
* When seasoning food to taste, we use sea salt and
freshly ground pepper unless otherwise specified.
* To blanch an ingredient, cook it briefly in boiling
water, then drain it. To refresh it, plunge it in
plenty of iced water (this stops the cooking
process), then drain it.
* We recommend using free-range eggs, chicken
and pork. We use female pork for preference.
* To dry-roast spices, cook the spices in a dry
pan, stirring continuously over medium-high
heat until they’re fragrant. The cooking time
varies depending on the spices used.
crustaceans humanely are to first render the
animals insensible by placing them in the freezer
(under 4C – signs of insensibility are when the
tail or outer mouth parts can be moved without
resistance); crustaceans must then be killed
quickly by cutting through the centreline of the
head and thorax with a knife. For crabs, insert
a knife into the head. This splitting and spiking
destroys the nerve centres of the animal.
* All herbs are fresh, and both leaves and tender
stems are used, unless otherwise specified.
* Non-reactive bowls are made from glass,
ceramic or plastic. Use them in preference to
metal bowls when marinating to prevent the
acid in marinades reacting with metal and
imparting a metallic taste.
* Eggwash is lightly beaten egg unless otherwise
specified, used for glazing or sealing.
* Sugar syrup is made of equal parts caster sugar
and water, unless otherwise specified. Bring the
mixture to the boil to dissolve the sugar, remove
it from the heat and cool it before use.
* Acidulated water is a mixture of water and lemon
juice; it prevents discolouration.
hot rinse cycle in a dishwasher, or wash them
in hot soapy water, rinse well, place on a tray in
*
a cold oven and heat at 120C for 30 minutes.
To blind bake, line a pastry-lined tart tin with
baking paper, then fill it with weights (ceramic
weights, rice and dried beans work best).
* To test whether marmalade, jam or jelly is at
setting point, you’ll need a chilled saucer (place
a couple in the freezer before you start cooking).
Remove the pan from the heat, spoon a little
mixture onto the saucer and return it to the freezer
for 30 seconds, then draw your finger through
the mixture – it should leave a trail, indicating
that the mixture has reached setting point. If not,
cook for another few minutes before testing again.
If you prefer, use a sugar thermometer to
measure when the mixture reaches 105C; once
it does, you can begin testing for setting point.
* To clarify butter, cook it over low heat until the fat
and the milk solids separate. Strain off the clear
butter and discard the milk solids. You will lose
about 20 per cent of the volume in milk solids.

176 GOURMETTRAVELLER.COM.AU
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LAST BITE
Ready, set, rock
Jelly never loses its charm. This grown-up version with granita and
melon makes a soigné finish to any summer meal.
Prosecco jelly with melon and
buttermilk granita
Begin this recipe a day ahead to set the jelly and
freeze the granita.
Prep time 20 mins, cook 5 mins (plus cooling,
setting and freezing)
Serves 8-10
750 ml prosecco
165 gm (3/4 cup) caster sugar
6 titanium-strength gelatine leaves,
softened in cold water for 5 minutes
¼ each rockmelon and honeydew melon,
seeded and flesh scooped into balls with
a melon-baller
Mint leaves, to serve
Melon and buttermilk granita
100 gm caster sugar
½ rockmelon (about 1kg), peeled, seeded
and flesh coarsely chopped
150 ml buttermilk, well-shaken
Juice of ½ lemon, or to taste
178
1 Stir prosecco, sugar and 250ml water in a
saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar
dissolves, then bring to a simmer. Squeeze
excess water from gelatine, stir into prosecco
PHOTOGRAPHY BEN DEARNLEY STYLING AIMEE JONES
mixture to dissolve, then pour into a large
serving bowl and refrigerate overnight to set.
2 For melon and buttermilk granita, bring sugar
and 60ml water to the boil in a saucepan over
RECIPE & FOOD STYLING EMMA KNOWLES
medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves,
then remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, purée melon in a food processor, then
pass through a fine sieve, pressing on solids to
extract juice. Stir in sugar syrup, buttermilk and
lemon juice, then pour into a deep, wide metal
tray and freeze overnight, scraping occasionally
with a fork to form ice crystals.
3 Pile melon balls on the jelly, top with a dollop
of granita, scatter with mint leaves and serve
with extra melon and buttermilk granita. #
PROSECCO JELLY
Glass bowl from Wheel
& Barrow. All other
props stylist’s own.
Stockists p175.
 Vibrant, sexy and
simply delicious
contemporary japanese cuisine

SYDNEY THE ROCKS | DOUBLE BAY BRISBANE EAGLE STREET PIER

MELBOURNE HAMER HALL | BOURKE STREET (COMING SOON)

sakerestaurant.com.au
OYSTER PERPETUAL YACHT-MASTER 40