Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2016 i Gourmet Traveller

SLOW-COOK SATURDAY Twelve-hour Indian-spiced lamb shoulder with saffron pilaf (RECIPE P120) Roasted broccoli with roasted sesame sauce (PICTURED; RECIPE P94) Rice pudding fritters with rhubarb and winter strawberry jam (RECIPE P100) Normally I wouldn’t recommend a red wine with an Indian meat dish – the spiciness of the food could clash with the higher alcohol and oak of more traditional Aussie reds – but the juiciness of a light, new-wave unoaked grenache would work very well here. Oh, and with the fritters? A glass of sweet moscato. WINTER WEEKEND BRUNCH Frittata “carbonara” (PICTURED; RECIPE P37) Spinach pancakes with hot sauce and sour cream (RECIPE P110) Brioche apple custard tart (RECIPE P178) Yes, this is a winter brunch, which means you’ll probably want to drink something red and comforting, but I…

OYSTERS, CHESTNUT MILK Move over shallot vinaigrette and make way for chestnut milk. Pacific oysters in peak condition are served resting atop a bowl of chestnut shells. They’re dressed with the milk, which boosts the iodine levels of the oyster, giving them a fresh, wintry twist. Gauge, 77 Grey St, South Brisbane, Qld, (07) 3852 6734 FIONA DONNELLY EMU, POTATOES AND EMU Peter Gilmore, Dan Hunter and Neil Perry knocked the socks off New York, cooking a brunch-barbie for Tourism Australia to celebrate the news that the World’s 50 Best Restaurants moves to Melbourne next year. Attica chef Ben Shewry won the optics with a stunner of a dish combining emu egg and potatoes cooked in emu fat and served in an emu egg. Attica, 74 Glen Eira Rd, Ripponlea,…

Cloth, clay and canvas – this Sydney artist covers all manner of forms in vibrant colours and shapes. Sydney designer Christina Mclean has been addicted to colour and pattern since she was a young girl. “I remember being enamoured by the scales on fish I used to catch with my dad, and the patterns in the leaves of the plants my mum used to grow,” she says. Mclean has designed prints for leading Australian fashion designers such as Sass & Bide, Romance Was Born and Bianca Spender, but in 2014 she took a step back to start her own creative business, Trade the Mark. As a “mark maker”, as she calls herself, Mclean handcrafts the likes of indigo-dyed linen napery, cheese platters and hanging planters – each ceramic piece painted…

Tell us about Manuka Woodfire Kitchen, Kenny. We’re all about working with the seasons. We like taking underdog and side-dish ingredients and making them the stars. The wood-fired oven gets used some way in every dish on the menu. You’ve worked in a number of really big kitchens. How did it feel to downsize to a one-man brigade? It’s probably been the scariest thing I’ve done. You only have yourself to depend on, so your skill set has to change and your mindset has to adapt to cooking on your own during service. It taught me to change my techniques to really simplify the cooking and to focus more on the quality of the ingredients. What ingredients are you most excited about? I’m tapping into a new producer from Pemberton…

SYDNEY After the success of his Perth and Singapore outposts, Thai-food king David Thompson brings Long Chim to Sydney’s CBD in mid-August. The new eatery, underneath Angel Place, seats 190 across multiple levels and will dish up the likes of betel-leaf parcels with prawns and coconut from the open kitchen. Meanwhile, Josh Niland, late of Café Nice and Fish Face, is gearing up to open Saint Peter, in early September. The 34-seater in Sydney’s Paddington will celebrate seafood in all its glory (hello fish offal) and serve dishes such as dry-aged wild kingfish with salt-roasted celeriac, and fish and chips with the batter made using vodka, honey, rice flour and VB. An all-day weekend brunch menu will also offer spanner crab omelettes and sea urchin crumpets. OAKLAND Chez Panisse alumni…

There’s something to be said for doing things in situ. You’re going to love cooking from Matt Stone’s new book (see page 106), and the ways he makes minimising waste an exercise in generosity. But you’ll also love seeing how Stone does it back at his place, when “his place” in this case happens to be the stunning Oakridge estate in the Yarra Valley. Here Stone has enviable resources at his disposal – stunning local produce and the occasional edible insect among them – and puts them to great use in one of the country’s most progressive new restaurants. See for yourself at a four-course lunch to celebrate his first book, The Natural Cook. It’ll be an afternoon of great ideas framed in great food. (And the wine’s no slouch,…

The glamorous fine-diner serves an inspired menu crafted by one of the world’s top chefs. Melbourne’s Dinner by Heston Blumenthal is at the very pinnacle of dining in Australia, making it the ideal pick for a very special lunch hosted by Captain’s Choice. With a menu that includes private jet tours and tailor-made cruises and land journeys, the luxury travel specialists know all about fascinating destinations, and they don’t come more fascinating than Dinner. Born of Blumenthal’s passion for historical British cuisine, the glamorous fine-diner serves an inspired and unique menu crafted by one of the world’s most exciting chefs. This one-off lunch at a restaurant where luxury meets culinary fine art is an opportunity not to be missed. MENU Hay-Smoked Ocean Trout (c 1730) Pickled lemon salad, gentleman’s relish,…

Kouign-amann, which sounds something like “queen-ah-mahn”, are pastry cakes originating in Brittany. The name comes from the Breton words for cake (kouign) and butter (amann) – fitting, since these pastries are made by pairing a yeasted dough with a slab of butter, folded and rolled multiple times to create the many layers. As the butter melts it makes steam, which separates the layers for a fluffy interior. The pastry is then dusted with a sugar-salt mix that caramelises as it cooks, resulting in a crunchy exterior. The secret to excellent kouign-amann is ensuring that the dough and butter slab are of a similar firmness. I use iced water when making the dough to keep it cool. It’s also important to rest and chill the dough between folding and rolling. Once…

In its regular green shade, mizuna is all right. With a nice texture and subtle bitterness it’s a solid leafy green. But when it changes to red, this vegetable really lights up. As a gardening non-traditionalist I don’t pay much attention to Latin names, but on researching red mizuna I had something of a lightbulb moment. The name Brassica rapa var nipposinica actually reveals some useful information about this vegetable. Brassica is the family of vegetables from which hails the likes of broccoli, kale and cabbage. Rapa suggests turnip, and nipposinica obviously has something to do with Japan. Need I say more? My love affair with red mizuna is still young, for it was only one winter ago that I grew it for the first time at our St Kilda…

Few places could make the change from daytime café to dinner-only dégustation restaurant seem like business as usual. Then again, not too many places would start a meal with a container covered in synthetic turf bearing crunchy deep-fried coriander roots dusted with “tasty powder” and a deep-fried sardine skeleton laying on edible dirt (dehydrated mushroom, scallop and longan) inside. And then call them What Goes Up Must Come Down and Beneath the Ground. And then manage to turn a potentially disastrous collision of multiple ideas into something delicious. Not many places. But Nora does, emphatically. Understanding just how surprising this is calls for a bit of backstory. Its owners, Jean Thamthanakorn and Sarin Rojanametin and, are restaurant novices who fled the worlds of advertising and finance to open Nora in…

Hood rats Another day, another shiny new café opens in Sydney. But every now and then something comes along that’s well and truly worthy of a detour. And Surry Hills newcomer Neighbourhood is just one such establishment. It doesn’t open on weekends, and barely offers food and seats. The appeal is in the service and the frankly outstanding coffee from former Single Origin barista Seán McManus. Neighbourhood, 16b Buckingham St, Surry Hills Bros before joe With new ventures in both Bondi and Los Angeles you could be forgiven for thinking everything is turning beachy for the team from roasters Reuben Hills. But their latest, Hills Bros, instead brings a ray of sunny Surry Hills attitude to the dark heart of Martin Place. In addition to reliably excellent coffee you’ll find…

WINE INSIDER: CYRIL THEVENET, AUBERGINE, CANBERRA What’s the star on the list at Aubergine? Toby Bekkers’ McLaren Vale syrah is out of this world – silky tannins, fruity, earthy and full-bodied. Best pairing? Our roasted saltbush lamb with black garlic purée and an Anjou cabernet franc by Château Pierre-Bise. Favourite variety? I can drink riesling from 6am until 4am. What should the world know about Canberra wines? They’re cool climate and well balanced. Tim Kirk and Bryan Martin from Clonakilla are the big boys in the region, and I like what Bryan Martin is producing under his own label, Ravensworth. Hangover cure? A double-shot Bloody Mary with extra Worcestershire sauce. Aubergine, 18 Barker St, Griffith, ACT, (02) 6260 8666, aubergine.com.au EMMA HUTTON…

“ When looking for a chicken I recommend checking legs to see whether they’ve done any walking, the sign of ” freedom and deliciousness. The chicken is back! It has spent a long time in the doldrums after battery farming, salmonella, and the three-chickens-for-a-fiver in Ridley Road Market all contributed to its being banned from respectable menus. And these weren’t the only technical hitches along the way – how about chicken in a basket? And Colonel Sanders’ global invasion? (Surely the whole world can’t be wrong? But yes, strangely, it is.) I fear that the real root of the chicken’s PR problem, though, might be a simple fact of culinary economics, which boils down to this: who buys a $30 chicken when they can pay five? This thinking is wrong!…

The pristine waters in remote south-western Tasmania are where you’ll find Petuna’s superior ocean trout. The ideal conditions created where the cool waters of the Franklin-Gordon Rivers meet the Great Southern Ocean produce ocean trout with bright flesh and distinct marbling, making for a creamy, clean and delicate flavour. The fish are nurtured in prime environments under industry-leading sustainable Best Aquaculture Practices accreditation, which is why Petuna is one of the most respected fish producers in the nation’s restaurant world. Trailblazers in the field of aquaculture, Peter and Una Rockliff ’s pioneering work has been recognised with an Order of Australia Medal. THE PETUNA STORY The combined forces behind the success story of Petuna, reflected in the company name, are Peter and Una Rockliff. You may never have heard of…

Rice pudding fritters with rhubarb and winter strawberry jam Two winter favourites, rice pudding and rhubarb, combine in these sweet treats. Prep time 40 mins, cook 45 mins (plus cooling, chilling) Makes about 22 750 ml (3 cups) milk 200 gm (1 cup) short-grain rice, such as arborio 20 gm butter, diced 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped 1 piece of thinly peeled lemon rind 110 gm (½ cup) caster sugar 60 gm plain flour 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 tbsp golden rum 1 tsp baking powder Vegetable oil, for deep-frying Pure icing sugar, for dusting Rhubarb and winter strawberry jam 400 gm rhubarb, trimmed, cut into 2.5cm pieces 200 gm strawberries, hulled, halved 600 gm white sugar Juice of ½ lemon 1 Combine milk, rice, butter, vanilla bean and…

Every few weeks Ibrahim Kasif’s grandmother climbs the stairs to the first-floor dining room at Stanbuli to eat her grandson’s food – and she loves it. It’s an illustration of how Kasif’s cooking has in some ways come full circle. “It’s funny,” says Kasif. “You learn all these techniques and amazing tricks, but the default is my grandmother’s cooking and my mother’s cooking. These are the flavours I adored growing up, and that’s what I try to emulate.” The chef-patron of Stanbuli, whose heritage is Turkish-Cypriot, was first inspired to open a Turkish restaurant as an apprentice working at Peter Conistis’s modern Greek restaurant Omega. “I thought it was exciting that he was reinterpreting his own cuisine, and I thought then I wanted to do something with Turkish food.” A…

Viewed from a distance, the flat-topped houses of Ponza Porto tumble into the sea in a blur of pastel pink, orange, lemon, blue and mauve. Then the picture comes into focus and I make out the port’s semicircular quayside, built by the Bourbons in the 18th century. The water’s edge is lined by bars, wine cellars, chandlers and boat-rental agencies; above, along the curved promenade, are cafés and restaurants, hotels and small shops. The port is the only town on Ponza, but it takes no more than 20 minutes to walk through it from end to end, from the harbour to a series of pleasant sandy beaches. Much of the rest of the coastline of the island – eight kilometres long, a little over two kilometres across at its widest…

MEASURES & EQUIPMENT * All cup and spoon measures are level and based on Australian metric measures. * Eggs have an average weight of 59gm unless otherwise specified. * Fruit and vegetables are washed, peeled and medium-sized unless otherwise specified. * Oven temperatures are for conventional ovens and need to be adjusted for fan-forced ovens. * Pans are medium-sized and heavy-based; cake tins are stainless steel, unless otherwise specified. COOKING TIPS * When seasoning food 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…

There has never been a better time to be a diner in Australia. We’re spoilt for choice with a restaurant landscape that’s the envy of the world, and the constant stream of exciting new openings continues to challenge the status quo. It’s a particularly exciting time because not only are there so many downright excellent experiences out there, but there’s so much diversity, too. Take our restaurant awards, specifically the nominees in our New Restaurant of the Year category, as a case in point. They couldn’t be more different: Igni, a small ambitious dégustation-only diner in the gritty backblocks of Geelong’s CBD; Hubert, the hip, retro-flecked French bistro-bar in Sydney; and Melbourne’s Dinner, the big night-out restaurant at its most luxe, by Heston Blumenthal’s team. They all deliver and they…

New World whiskies are making a splash. In your late-night rambles through Australia’s whisky bars, you may have spotted bottles of Japanese White Oak or French Armorik dotting the shelves among the Bourbon and rye, the Irish blends, the Aberlour and Aberfeldy. “New World whiskies are an emerging trend that’s been building in Australia for eight or so years,” says Dave Withers, production manager at Sydney’s Archie Rose Distilling Co. While there’s plenty to be said for the traditional drams from Scotland, Ireland and America, the innovative likes of Tasmania’s cool-climate drops, Sweden’s cherry-scented single malts and the cola-coloured releases from Taiwan are pushing the boundaries of style. “The tried and true are more confined with what they can release,” says Withers, “whereas newer distillers are borrowing from tradition to…

Spike your next cocktail or sauce with Australian-grown yuzu. WHO Citrus grower David Arnold started propagating yuzu as a trial crop four years ago at his family’s citrus orchard in Waikerie, in South Australia’s Riverland region. Arnold chopped the tops off 40 Washington navel orange trees and grafted them with yuzu budwood. Now in their second season of commercial production, the trees are flourishing, and yuzu orders are accelerating from leading chefs around Australia. WHAT Originating in east Asia, yuzu is believed to be a hybrid of sour mandarin and Ichang papeda, a slow-growing tropical lemon. The fruit has uneven skin, and a tart flavour that recalls grapefruit, but with mandarin overtones and a highly aromatic perfume. Rarely eaten as a fruit, yuzu’s aromatic zest and juice are often used…

Translated from Spanish, migas means “crumbs”. But there’s more to this dish of fried breadcrumbs than a way of using leftover sourdough. Sometimes called “shepherd’s breadcrumbs” or migas de pastor, migas can be made simply with bread, garlic and olive oil. Or, as seen on menus of late, it can be amped up with the likes of chorizo and grapes, kale, pancetta or tomato. “It’s so regional in Europe – you travel a hundred kilometres and the recipes change,” says Catalonian expat Javier Codina, chef and owner at Brisbane’s Moda Restaurant. Codina is a fan of migas Manchegas, from Castilla-La Mancha, at Moda; it’s made with grapes and dampened rather than presoaked crumbs to reduce fat. Pancetta, chorizo and a Spanish red pepper called pimiento choricero add more flavour. While…

ESCAPE THE CHILL with our top hotels for a winter escape. SAVOURY FRITTER RECIPES for an easy Friday night snack. VIDEOS You may think of mulching as a quick fix for ugly weeds, but it’s so much more than that. Mat Pember demonstrates how to make the most of your mulch. BURNT, BROWNED OR CULTURED: our best butter recipes. HOT PLATES Our restaurant critics’ picks of the latest and best eats, updated weekly on our website: gourmettraveller.com.au FIRE UP THE OVEN – it’s slow-cooking time. Gourmet on your iPad + Interactive and made for iPad +Video content and step-by-step demonstrations + Extra images in our photo galleries + Landscape cook-mode for easy cooking SAVE 58%* when you subscribe to the iPad edition CONNECT WITH GOURMET TRAVELLER Get…

FUYU Fried cauliflower with white miso, sesame and furikake POPOLO Frittata “carbonara” SOUTH ON ALBANY Confit duck salad with honey and hazelnut dressing TEMPLO Lamb belly with pearl barley “David Coomer’s fried cauliflower at Fuyu is a dish I could eat every week. Would you share the recipe?” Dan Rodriguez, Perth, WA Fried cauliflower with white miso, sesame and furikake Prep time 20 mins, cook 10 mins Serves 4 as an entrée or side (pictured p34) Sunflower oil, for deep-frying 500 gm (about ½) cauliflower, cut into florets 2 tbsp furikake (see note) Shiso leaves, to serve (see note) White miso dressing Large pinch of instant dashi powder 1 tsp sesame seeds 2 tbsp shiro (white) miso (see note) 2 tsp sake 1 tsp egg yolk 1 tsp caster sugar…

1 Roast pumpkin, pancetta and Gruyère tarts 2 Mini lamb roast with cracked wheat, carrots and green tahini sauce 3 Soy pork and ginger meatballs with hoisin greens and rice 4 Chicken with buckwheat and mushrooms 5 Barramundi with braised green beans, dill and mint 6 Miso with soba, poached eggs and spring onion 7 Char-grilled flank steak with crisp potatoes and salsa verde 8 Warm peanut butter cookie ice-cream sandwiches with burnt honey BARRAMUNDI Bowl from The Fortynine Studio. Brass bowl from Zakkia. Chair from Citta Design. All other props stylist’s own. Stockists p175. 1 Roast pumpkin, pancetta and Gruyère tarts Makes 4 800 gm small Jap pumpkin, cut into thin wedges Olive oil, for drizzling 200 gm firm ricotta 50 gm Gruyère, finely grated 1 egg 1 tbsp…

What better way to celebrate our birthday than to take in Australia’s finest food, wine and travel experiences? Working with our friends at Abercrombie & Kent, we’ve designed the ultimate birthday itinerary – and we’re giving away this exceptional tour to one lucky reader and their guest. You’ll kick off in Melbourne with a personal cultural and architectural tour of the city before dining with GT’s Victoria editor at one of the city’s most exciting restaurants. Other highlights include the food and wine of the Mornington Peninsula, a stay at Kangaroo Island’s luxury Southern Ocean Lodge, dinner at the award-winning Appellation restaurant in the Barossa Valley and a visit to far north Queensland. For the finale, you’ll join the GT editors for dinner at one of Sydney’s top restaurants before…

Euro vision  Syracuse leapt back onto the radar recently when chef Philippa Sibley landed in the kitchen. For good reason too. Sibley’s finessed, modern take on European cooking is as compelling as ever, from pickled baby vegetables with an exquisite walnut skordalia to roasted hapuku served with white polenta and sea urchin butter. Given Sibley’s form, it’s not surprising the whimsical desserts are a highlight. Syracuse, 23 Bank Pl, Melbourne, (03) 9670 1777 Head honcho The former Hard Rock Cafe space at the Hotel Windsor is getting a last hurrah in the form of a pop-up from chef Adam Liston (Northern Light). A preview of the permanent space he’ll be running in Punch Lane, Honcho Noodle is a continuation of Liston’s love affair with Korea, Japan and China. Dishes include…

“ In a region where cabernet is so dominant, it can feel like merlot is the stepchild to a rich family. ” “People told us we were mad to plant more merlot,” says grape grower Colleen Miller of Ruckus Estate, a vineyard in Wrattonbully, just north of Coonawarra on South Australia’s Limestone Coast. “But now winemakers come onto our block and taste the grapes and can’t believe how good they are. And sommeliers taste the wine and they’re blown away. They tell us they’ve never had an Australian merlot like it before. It’s very exciting.” Ruckus Estate is just one of the vineyards helping to revive the fortunes of this overlooked grape. Merlot has fallen out of fashion over the past decade, but a growing number of producers, like David…

Okay. Things that are on the bucket list but will, I’m afraid, disappoint. One: walking through a rainforest. The clue’s in the name. They’re wet. Really wet, and full of dripping, green, slimy stuff. Two: changing the guard at Buckingham Palace. Dull, dumb and on the far side of the railing put up to keep the royal family from escaping. Three: climbing the Eiffel Tower. Exhausting, and now you’ve got to get down. Four: seeing a lounge act in Las Vegas. “You’re a wonderful, wonderful audience.” You look around and see that you’re sitting in a bouillabaisse of the fattest, ugliest flotsam that’s ever gathered in one over-air-conditioned room. Actually anything and everything in Las Vegas dashes even the meagrest expectations. And five: the Big Five. I don’t know who…

Embrace the season with the best in comfort food. Après-ski set At Yama Kitchen & Bar, Michael Ryan creates tasty pan-Asian eats to enjoy after hitting the slopes. Fritters away These savoury snacks and sweet treats make a strong case for good things coming in small packages. Act natural Matt Stone’s mission to minimise waste is all about maximising taste in his new book, The Natural Chef. Love me tender Dressed up with layers of flavour and given time in the oven, roast lamb is the definition of comfort food. Young Turk Chef Ibrahim Kasif brings the spirited flavours of Turkey to Sydney at Stanbuli – classic, contemporary and fun.…

Matt Stone wants you to think before you open your mouth. This month the chef, food-waste warrior and TV personality publishes his first cookbook, The Natural Cook, and he hopes it will encourage us to adopt more thoughtful cooking and eating habits. “Food should be much more than sustenance,” says Stone. “It should be a major part of your evening, of your day, of your morning – and we should talk about it.” Stone heads the kitchen at Oakridge winery in Coldstream, in the Yarra Valley, with the help of his girlfriend and sous-chef, Jo Barrett (late of Tivoli Road Bakery). The couple hadn’t spent much time in the Yarra before arriving at Oakridge last September, but for Stone the experience has been oddly nostalgic, having started his career as…

Nuovo Palermo A new generation of entrepreneurs is transforming Sicily’s capital, opening wine bars, rebuilding palazzi and reclaiming the streets. Jeni Porter meets the agents of change. Epic island Like generations of seafarers and exiles, John Irving is waylaid on Ponza, enchanted by its heritage and film-set beauty. Primo vino Armed with insiders’ tips and a thirst for adventure, Max Allen joins friends, Romans and countrymen at the Italian capital’s most notable wine bars. Set in stone Matera’s unique cave dwellings and labyrinthine history make the ancient city a must for curious travellers.…

So, you have a few days in Rome and you like good wine. Where to drink? The city’s piazze are chockers with options – bars and wine shops abound, there’s an enoteca on every corner. You know they can’t all be good. Some inside knowledge would be handy. Before I left home for a week’s Roman holiday recently, I asked the professionals for advice: wine merchants, importers, journalists and restaurateurs who visit regularly and love to sniff out the city’s latest wine bars, as well as revisiting old favourites. I was bombarded with suggestions and arrived in Rome with a long list. For a local perspective, I caught up for a drink with US-born Rome expert and GT contributor Katie Parla. She moved here from New Jersey in 2003 and…

1803 0411 765 662, 1803.com.au Armadillo & Co (02) 9698 4043, armadillo-co.com Arro Home arrohome.com Aura by Tracie Ellis 1300 304 269, aurahome.com.au Batch Ceramics batchceramics.com.au Brett Stone utopiaartsydney.com.au Carême (08) 8563 1490, caremepastry.com Chef and the Cook (02) 8004 6085, chefandthecook.com.au Chuchu chuchu.net.au Citta Design 1800 256 723, cittadesign.com Clay Canoe claycanoe.bigcartel.com Clinique 1800 556 948, clinique.com.au Country Road 1800 801 911, countryroad.com.au The Country Trader (02) 9698 4661, thecountrytrader.com.au The DEA Store (02) 9698 8150, thedeastore.com The Design Hunter (02) 9369 3322, thedesignhunter.com.au Dishes with Soul pitchforksandpomegranates.bigcartel.com Earth & Baker ceramichomewares.com.au The Fortynine Studio thefortynine.com.au Francalia (02) 9948 4977, francalia.com.au Giorgio Armani (02) 8233 5888, armani.com.au Hale Mercantile Co halemercantileco.com Hay (02) 9690 0077, hayshop.com.au Katherine Mahoney katherinemahoney.id.au Kim Wallace Ceramics kwceramics.com.au KitchenAid 1800 990 990, kitchenaid.com.au Koskela…

JANA WENDT Journalist and writer Jana Wendt negotiated the slippery stone stairways of the Italian city of Matera for our feature on page 158. The labyrinthine city is characterised by its sassi, or caves – first inhabited in the Paleolithic era, largely abandoned by the 1950s, and progressively restored in the past few decades. “Matera’s history spoke to me at every turn,” she says. “Little wonder directors including Pier Paolo Pasolini and Mel Gibson chose Matera as the location for their biblical epics.” SUSAN WRIGHT Australian-born photographer Susan Wright has lived in Rome since 2003, drawn by the city’s artistic and historic depth. For our feature on page 142 she travelled to the sleepy island of Ponza in the Tyrrhenian Sea, equidistant from Rome and Naples. “The Pontine islands are…

COMFORT COOKING Discover Middle Eastern flavour with Ben Williamson (17 August) and the best pies and puddings with Matt Moran (31 August) as part of August’s Gourmet Institute program. Tickets $60. hn.com.au/ gourmet-institute MEAT SWEATS Plains Paddock Lamb and Yarra Valley Dairy join other artisan, ethical and sustainable producers for the Meat Your Maker festival at Abbotsford Convent in Melbourne (7 August). Along with a meat market and wine bar, Meatsmith’s Troy Wheeler will teach attendees how to break down an animal. Tickets $25. meatyourmaker.com.au THAT’S AMORE Sydney Town Hall gets a taste of la dolce vita when the Italian Wine & Food Festival kicks off (21 August). There’ll be 250 Italian wines on offer, live Italian jazz, a Negroni bar and the Gourmet Traveller Food Market. italianwinefoodfestival.com.au BACK TO SCHOOL…

What seafood holds up the best in braises, soups and stews, John? The key to getting the most out of your seafood in winter warmer-type dishes is to consider the preparation in several different stages. Prepare the base of your dish first using the shells, frames and heads of crustaceans and fish. Roast them with your core vegetables and when they’re nicely browned and aromatic, add wine and water to quickly cook out their flavour. Once cooked (it will take less than an hour), all that’s required is to push the lot through a food mill and strain. This base can now be used to cook pulses, grains, pasta or other root vegetables. Next step is to add the prepared seafood. Oily fish such as mackerel, tuna and salmon work…

Grab the mink and the fedora – this Baxter cocktail means business. Smooth sipping with a hard-hitting finish – for the Charlestown cocktail at Sydney’s Baxter Inn, the clues are in the name. “We were inspired by the Winter Hill gang, which ran a gambling ring out of the Boston industrial suburb in the 1960s,” says general manager Stuart Morrow. In the glass, Baxter whips out the big guns with silky 16-year-old Lagavulin and a sweet vermouth. “There’s a great smokiness that punches through at the end,” says Morrow. Word to the wise: approach with caution. Knocking over a couple could equal trouble. The Baxter Inn, basement, 156 Clarence St, Sydney, NSW, thebaxterinn.com EMMA HUTTON > Stir 50ml sweet vermouth and 20ml 16-year-old Lagavulin over ice. Strain into a chilled…

1 Chilewich “Dahlia” tablemat in gunmetal, $17, from Top 3 by Design. 2 Luxe paper placemat in quartz, $18, from Uashmama. 3 “Jumbo Dot” cotton canvas placemats in black, $29 for a set of four, from Arro Home. 4 Daisy recycled cork and rubber placemat in black, $64 for a set of four, from Lightly. 5 Deer leather placemat in olive, $250 for a set of four placemats and coasters, from 1803. 6 “Double Dip” hand screen-printed cotton flax placemat in coral and pink, $39.95 for a set of four, from Aura by Tracie Ellis. 7 Dine white marble pattern placemat, $12.95, from Salt & Pepper. 8 Deer leather placemat in mushroom, $250 for a set of four placemats and coasters, from 1803. 9 Table Top Collection “Zinnia” hemp weave…

Fashions come and go, and it’s highly likely the fish chop suey on the cover of our July-August 1966 issue has gone the way of the tie-dyed T-shirt. But the New England fish chowder perched in the copper fondue pot will never go out of fashion – it’s timeless. We’ve revisited the chowder from time to time in the decades since, most recently just a year ago. The basis for the recipe remains more or less the same – onion, celery, potato, bacon and cream – although in ’66 we added nutmeg and a garnish of capsicum, and flounder was the seafood of choice, whereas our 2015 version made use of plump clams and was thickened with the classic New England addition of saltine crackers. This particular version of the…

Among our favourite Japanese larder standbys, we count a good light shoyu, furikake (the confetti-like seasoning that makes plain rice sing), and soba noodles. Soba noodles are typiclly made with buckwheat flour, with a portion of wheat flour added for stability. We like to use Japanese soba noodles made from 100 per cent organic buckwheat flour. Not only are they gluten-free, we prefer the flavour and texture; Japanese grocers and Asian supermarkets stock a wide selection of styles, green tea among them. The soba noodles from Australian brands Hakubaku and Spiral Foods, available at supermarkets, are also good choices. The first is a blend of wheat and buckwheat flours; the latter is organic and all buckwheat. It’s worth noting that 100 per cent buckwheat soba noodles break easily during cooking,…

“We wanted our own animals and we wanted to make traditional cheeses in a way that respected our environment.” Travel through the spectacular green rolling hinterland of the Northern Rivers region of NSW and you’ll find dozens of old village dairies that once played a crucial role in Australia’s booming commodity-butter trade with the mother country. By the turn of the 19th century most of the thick, indigenous rainforest growing in the region had been cleared, and dairy farmers from the southern states moved in to take advantage of the warm climate and rich farming land. A new railway was built linking the Tweed Valley towns in the region, and Byron Bay boasted the largest cooperative butter factory in the southern hemisphere. But today the small family dairy farms have…

“Cooking with quality chocolate can make all the difference to the end result.”Thomas Schnetzler, Lindt master chocolatier Rich chocolate mousse cake Prep time 20 mins, cook 1½ hours (plus cooling) Serves 10-12 290 gm Lindt Dessert 70% Cocoa cooking chocolate, coarsely chopped 250 gm butter, diced 8 eggs, separated, plus 4 egg yolks 220 gm (1 cup) caster sugar 80 gm ground almonds 100 gm crème fraîche, at room temperature, plus extra to serve Gold leaf (optional), to serve Chocolate ganache 250 gm Lindt Dessert 70% Cocoa cooking chocolate, finely chopped 300 ml pouring cream 50 ml whisky 1 tbsp corn syrup or liquid glucose 1 Preheat oven to 140C, and butter and line a 25cm springform cake tin with baking paper. Place chocolate and butter in a bowl over…

Chicken is back. It never really left, of course, but thanks to the appearance of chicken skin on everything from sandwiches to congee as the go-to garnish of the moment, and a nationwide mania for fried chicken done in the styles of Seoul, Nashville and everywhere in between, the bird is no longer a byword for boring on menus. It stars in a fricassée at Hubert, swims in a classic (ish) cream sauce at Bar Brosé, and flies off the rôtisseries at Mercado and The Paddington by the flock. And then there’s the chicken vinaigrette at No 1 Bent Street. Mike McEnearney was known for his mastery of the wood-fired oven in his time at Kitchen by Mike in Rosebery. Now he’s the proud owner of a larger, even better…

1 GORGEOUS GRENACHE 2014 Eperosa Stonegarden Grenache, Eden Valley, SA, $80 You can still find lots of big, thick grenaches in the Barossa, but they’re being eclipsed by a new wave of prettier, sprightlier, more elegant expressions of the grape. This one, made from very old vines, is a terrific example of the new style. eperosa.com.au 2 NEW HUNTER 2015 Domaine de Binet Pinot Grigio, Hunter Valley, NSW, $28 This is made in a “ramato” style, which means the pinot grigio grapes spend some time on skins to give the wine a bronze tint. I also really like the bold flavours of the 2014 Domaine de Binet Petit Verdot ($28). domainedebinet.com.au 3 BITTER SWEET Margan Off-Dry Vermouth, Hunter Valley, NSW, $50 An excellent new addition to Australia’s small but growing…

Where is the most exciting food being cooked in Australia right now? Who’s cooking it? Who’s serving it? And what are we going to drink with it? Having eaten their way across the length and breadth of the nation to produce the new edition of the GT Restaurant Guide, our review team is perfectly placed to answer these questions and more. If you want to get the jump on the best eating the country has to offer, we’ve got the story for you. Treat yourself to a double-helping of talent – some new, some established – in the following pages and then join us in celebrating them when we announce the winners of our restaurant awards in our September issue in a few short weeks. NEW RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR…

Quick, hot and tasty. That’s what Yama’s all about, says Michael Ryan. “We’re all about cooking the sort of food we wanted to eat when we went to the snow with family or a group of friends,” Ryan says. “The last thing you want in that situation is fine dining.” Ryan is best known for his acclaimed fine-diner Provenance, in the Victorian high-country town of Beechworth. Last year he and his wife, Jeanette Henderson, teamed up with long-time friends Hamish Nugent and Rachel Reed from Tani Eat & Drink in Bright to open Yama, a pan-Asian eatery in the ski town of Mount Hotham. “We wanted to create a completely different experience at Yama to our other restaurants,” he says. “We’re re-creating the casual style of dining we like in…

Lamb neck is wet-roasted to fall-apart tenderness while a nutty pilaf stuffing ramps up the comfort factor. Roast lamb neck with kale, feta and dill Lamb neck is wet-roasted to fall-apart tenderness, and a nutty pilaf stuffing ramps up the comfort factor, while plenty of fragrant dill, oregano and parsley add punchy flavours. Prep time 35 mins, cook 2¾ hrs (plus cooling, resting) Serve 4-6 2 tsp fennel seeds 1 tbsp coarsely chopped thyme 2 tsp dried oregano, preferably rigani (Greek oregano; see note) ½ tsp dried red chilli flakes 5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped 2 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh oregano, plus extra leaves to serve 110 ml olive oil Finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon, plus extra wedges, to serve 2 boneless lamb necks (about 500gm each;…

The cobblestones of Matera, a haunting city on the instep of the Italian boot, look as smooth as ball bearings. Yet there are deceiving ridges off which my two left feet slide as I pad warily uphill. The walk is an act of courage since for me, except on the straight, ambulation is a path to calamity. I soldier up the steep incline under the heat of Matera’s bald sun for a single reason: giving up would be to forfeit the extraordinary sight unfolding before me. Heading towards lodgings built into a limestone cliff, I pause to look at the other side of the deep ravine through which flows the Gravina. Deep black cavities, like eye sockets gouged into striated grey stone, mark the city’s blank face. Matera is monochrome,…

Hunter & Barrel Celebrate the perfect harmony of coal-roasted meats, barrel-aged spirits and cocktails at Hunter & Barrel in Cockle Bay, Sydney, and Eastland, Melbourne. Order the feast menus for the full Hunter s experience. hunterandbarrel.com Harvey Norman Designed for the connoisseur who allows no compromise, the DeLonghi PrimaDonna Elite Touch Coffee Machine connects to the Coffee Link app to let you create a variety of drinks with ease. harveynorman.com.au APT Experience the untouched essence of Myanmar, one of the world’s most enchanting travel destinations, on an 18-day river cruise with APT, priced from $10995 per person, twin share.aptouring.com.au/Myanmar2017, 1300 335 714 Carman’s Welcome winter with Carmans Almond, Coconut & Chia Gourmet Porridge Sachets, made with Aussie wholegrain oats, shredded coconut and a sprinkle of chia. They’re 100 per cent…

FOOD Called to the bar Bar sandwiches are a trend we’re all too ready to get behind. Grab a glass and dive in. The king and us Thai maestro David Thompson comes full circle, opening a restaurant in his hometown of Sydney. We’ve got your exclusive taste. Here’s the cheese Nick Haddow, Bruny Island cheesemaker, is all about getting high on his own supply. Get ready to take your cheese cooking to the next level. Masterclass: pho Everything you always wanted to know about making Vietnamese beef noodle soup at home, but didn’t have expert Angie Hong to ask. TRAVEL New York now From the shiniest of shining towers to the lowdown locals, we’ve combed the Big Apple for its defining eats and drinks of the moment. Tokyo express Whether…

Brioche apple custard tart Prep time 40 mins, cook 50 mins (plus proving, cooling) Serves 8 125 ml (½ cup) lukewarm milk 7 gm (1 sachet) dried yeast 330 gm plain flour 30 gm caster sugar 1 egg mixed with 1 egg yolk, at room temperature 125 gm butter, diced, at room temperature 2 pink lady or Granny Smith apples, peeled, halved and thinly sliced Melted butter, for brushing Raw cane-sugar cubes, crushed, for scattering Pastry cream 3 large egg yolks 75 gm caster sugar 25 gm plain flour 290 ml milk 90 ml pouring cream ½ vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped 1 Combine milk and yeast in an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook and stand until foamy (3-5 minutes). Add flour, sugar, egg and a pinch of…