Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2020 i Gourmet Traveller

THE LATEST FROM CHEFS AND RESTAURANTS AROUND AUSTRALIA RESTAURANT NEWS SYDNEY It may sound a little crazy to open a new restaurant in the current climate, and even more so without a wealth of hospitality experience behind you, but fortune favours the bold, and Marrickville is welcoming the arrival of Pepito’s. José Alkon is the Peru-born, Sydney-based cinematographer-turned-restaurant owner transferring his creative skills to hospitality via this new neighbourhood taberna. Chef Jeffrey Forrest is doing plates of house-made ham with salsa criolla, lettuce and chilli; and codorniz Nikkei (skewered quail with ginger). The wine list is a collaborative effort between nearby wine bar Where’s Nick, which champions grower-producer wines and there’s a focus on artisanal pisco-based cocktails. Arms Length has opened in Redfern, with a young-gun team led by Rebecca…

What were some of the most interesting restaurants you visited while filming? A restaurant called Banyan Tree in Tai O, for our Hong Kong episode, was definitely out there. It was in a small fishing village about an hour into the mountains. While the village was beautiful, you couldn’t get anywhere without noticing the smell of dried fish. I also thought a restaurant called The Lookout, in our Costa Rica episode, was pretty out there – it was all the way up a dirt road in the mountains. The view was beautiful, but it was very dry and you had to know exactly where it was to get there. You’ve travelled the world with work. What are the most unusual ingredients you’ve come across? I brought something back with me…

A theatrical display of fire and ice, the bombe Alaska sees a dome of chocolate or vanilla ice-cream grounded by a thick layer of sponge cake and coated with elegant whips of torched meringue. The show-stopping dessert is a fire-fuelled interpretation of the baked Alaska – a dish supposedly created in a New Orleans restaurant in 1867, honouring the United States’ acquisition of Alaska from the Russian Empire. While the baked version is put to work in an oven, the bombe Alaska is flambéed or blowtorched to create a crisp, golden exterior. THE MERINGUE The meringue is the final element, and gives this dish an exterior reminiscent of soft snow peaks. Italian-style meringue, which is already partly cooked from the addition of hot, melted sugar, is best for a bombe;…

It’s been nearly six months since Attica’s tables were last set. While other Melbourne restaurants reopened during Victoria’s brief lockdown reprieve in June, the Ripponlea dining room has been empty since March. “Attica only works as a viable financial business with 60 patrons,” explains chef and owner Ben Shewry. “A marginal one, but still viable. We can’t open with 20 patrons, or even 40.” But while the tables have been cleared, the kitchen has been far from dormant. Only days after the forced closure, Shewry and his team evolved operations quickly, wielding buzzsaws and whisks, converting tables into shelves and launching the Attica Bake Shop (offering, among other delights, a giant version of the restaurant’s signature Vegemite scroll). Attica At Home, too, sprang to life overnight, dispatching both refined classics…

Shane Delia’s take on a meze bar doesn’t let itself get overly entrenched in rules or traditions. Instead, Maha Bar looks to the Middle East for inspiration, while keeping one foot firmly planted in modern-day Melbourne. “Our whole aim is to cook unrestricted Middle Eastern food,” explains Delia. “We’re never bound by the thinking that if an ingredient or flavour doesn’t typically exist in a Middle Eastern kitchen, we wouldn’t use it.” This is exemplified in his ever popular sesame-studded beef buns, which see brisket bolstered with lemongrass, coconut cream and kaffir lime leaves, alongside harissa paste. “The filling has a South East Asian-feel to it, but the idea still comes from the great borek buns of Turkey,” says Delia. “In the good meze and arak bars all throughout the…

Aaron Carr hasn’t just witnessed the evolution of Margaret River’s dining scene from up-close; he’s been one of its key players. For 21 years, Carr was chef at pioneering Margaret River winery-restaurant Vasse Felix before joining up with winemakers Snake & Herring in 2018 to open Yarri, a warm, likeable restaurant-bar in the region’s northerly hub of Dunsborough. “Margaret River is pretty much paradise,” says Carr. “It’s got the surf, the food, the wine. There’s something to do in every season.” Even as a local, Carr finds it hard to get to every place on his list. His advice to visitors: give yourself time, break your wish-list down into regions – north, central and south – then plan your itinerary accordingly. A great local I always find myself at Settlers…

Cabn Where: Locations across SA, Qld and Vic Rate: From $209 per night Services: Self-contained, minimalist tiny houses with full kitchen and bathroom amenities cabn.life Shacky Where: Yarra Valley, Grampians and High Country, Vic Rate: From $199 per night Services: Architecturally designed tiny houses with full kitchen and bathroom amenities, board games and an outdoor deck shacky.com Sal Salis Where: Ningaloo Reef, WA Rate: From $849 per night Services: 15 eco-luxe wilderness tents located on the dunes of Cape Range National Park Plus: Sailing, snorkelling and whale watching at Ningaloo Reef salsalis.com.au Marramarra Lodge Where: Fishermans Point, NSW Rate: From $1,319 per night Services: Custom-designed open-plan luxury tents and bungalows on the stunning Hawkesbury River Plus: Day spa and restaurant marramarralodge.com Longitude 131° Where: Yulara, NT Rate: From $3,000 per…

Mandarin tart, Sean’s Panaroma Perfectly crisp pastry, silky crème patissiere, fresh mandarin and zesty ginger jelly result in a sublime dessert. 270 Campbell Pde, North Bondi, NSW. Cynthia Black, group food editor Beef carpaccio, Otto Super-thin slices of Grainge Angus beef come topped with shaved WA truffles, aïoli and salty capers. 8/6 Cowper Wharf Rdwy, Woolloomooloo, NSW. Georgie Meredith, writer & editorial coordinator Yellowfin tuna crudo, Raes The richness of raw tuna is balanced with fermented kohlrabi and a killer, umami-driven dressing. Worth the 9-hour drive. 6 Marine Pde, Byron Bay, NSW. Joanna Hunkin, editor…

CHILLI OIL, PLEASE This attention-grabbing bottle earns a spot on the shelf for its illustrated label alone, which depicts steam bursting from Mona Lisa’s ears. A subtle extra-virgin olive oil is infused with whole red chillies and dried chilli flakes, lending a soft, lingering warmth and muted aroma. It’s a solid cooking companion, which increases in throat-tickling intensity when heated. $40 for 500ml, drnks.com LAO GAN MA CHILLI CONDIMENT Dubbed “The Godmother” of chilli oil, this toasty, umami-packed jar is a flavourful Chinese classic. It brings a fierce, mouth-numbing heat that’s well balanced with a roasted-malt sweetness. A few surprise peanuts add a fun, crunchy element. Add it to steamed rice, egg noodles or congee for an instant chilli boost. $3.15 for 210gm, woolworths.com.au LULU’S REMEDY Home-made in small batches…

If you are the owner of a well-worn, sauce-splattered copy of Stephanie Alexander’s The Cook’s Companion, you have Julie Gibbs to thank for it. Not that she will take credit. “That’s the most flattering thing ever as a publisher or an author, if you see a well-worn copy of a book you have produced. It’s the best feeling.” Gibbs was 31 when she published Alexander’s culinary tome in 1996, turning the respected chef into a best-selling author and household name – something she would go on to do with many more chefs, including Maggie Beer, Kylie Kwong, David Thompson and Matt Moran. “I had been a general trade publisher and loved that but food was always a personal passion…When I started doing it, there were not many publishers doing cookery,…

All cheese begins with milk, and employs a process of fermentation that is, in essence, simple enough to master so that you can produce fresh cheese and cultured dairy products at home. While making haloumi involves a number of technical aspects, if you follow these steps precisely, you’ll soon be enjoying the best cheese you’ve tasted outside of Cyprus. The recipe below takes around five hours from start to finish and makes 480gm haloumi. We’ve added rosemary to this version for extra flavour but you can keep it simple or add any herb of choice. The equipment Cheese making relies on precision, in particular temperature, therefore a digital thermometer is a great investment and is easier to read than a regular cooking thermometer. For this recipe, you will also require…

NATHAN SASI “We had put everything we had financially and mentally into this business – it felt like our lives were on the line.” A YEAR AFTER OPENING ADELAIDE’S LEIGH STREET WINE ROOM, CHEF NATHAN SASI HAS DECIDED TO STEP AWAY FROM THE KITCHEN AS HE FOCUSES ON GROWING A MORE SUSTAINABLE, DIVERSE BUSINESS. Leigh Street Wine Room is my first venture fully owned by myself and my wife, Sali. I’m from Sydney, but my wife is from Adelaide originally. It was so uplifting to create it from the ground up and nail the concept. When we opened there was a huge snowball effect – we were so grateful to get some incredible reviews. When we had to close it was like being hit by a truck. We were questioning…

“We loved that raw feeling you get when seeing a hermit’s shack on a mountain, or tucked in a pine forest somewhere.” It’s a little after 7am when a gentle, misty light breaks through the trees and causes my eyes to flitter open. I’m bundled in linen sheets like a tightly wrapped burrito, my head on a feather-soft pillow and my feet toasty from the memory of last night’s hot-water bottle. The bed is framed by two vast windows; an invisible wall so subtle you feel you could reach out and touch the surrounding trees. I turn to my phone to perform my usual morning scroll only to discover I have no notifications or messages. In fact, there is no reception. I am officially “off-grid” and, for the first time…

STAY If an ocean escape is on your mind, there are few spots better than NSW’s Tweed Coast. Talcum powder-soft sand stretches for miles, as rolling blue waves crash hypnotically onto the shore. And there is no place better to soak in that serenity than Halcyon House in Cabarita Beach. Once a ’60s surf motel, the seaside property plays on its retro past with bold patterns and a classic blue-and-white palette throughout. Each of the hotel’s 21 rooms is unique, housing an assortment of mismatched curios, handpicked by designer Anna Spiro. Daybeds and sun loungers surround a sparkling pool, offering guests a classic resort experience, or you can dial up the relaxation with an afternoon at Halcyon Spa. Originally opened in 2015, the property underwent a refresh during the Covid…

I’m from Perth originally and I’ve been back there visiting family. There are so many special places there. We’ve always spent a lot of time in Toodyay, where my parents have a property. Then Albany is extraordinary – such beautiful beaches. And there’s Cowaramup Bay, which is just before Margaret River – we used to go there a lot when I was growing up. I live in Bowral in the Southern Highlands of NSW. I’ve lived here for three years – I love it because it’s home, but I also love that it’s so close to Sydney, but also removed. The antique stores are amazing. But we spend a lot of time travelling for work. It’s breathtaking – the scale and intricacy of the architecture is ludicrous. My kids are…

VEGETARIAN GLUTEN FREE Fish with miso-ginger butter SERVES 4 100 gm butter, softened 2 tbsp white (shiro) miso 2 tsp grated fresh ginger ¼cup (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil 4 firm white fish fillets (200gm each), skinless and boneless 1 bunch red radish (500gm), thinly sliced 2 spring onions, thinly sliced 50 gm walnuts, roasted and coarsely chopped 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 Combine butter, miso and ginger in a small bowl and season to taste. 2 Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add fish and cook for 2 minutes each side or until browned and just cooked through. Add half the butter mixture to the pan and cook until melted (30 seconds). 3 Meanwhile, combine radish, spring onion and walnuts in…

To get to Martinborough, you must first traverse the Remutaka Range, which separates the bucolic Wairarapa District from the greater Wellington region. Whether you snake your way through the hills by car, or opt for the more direct rail route, you’ll be mesmerised by the thick, prehistoric bush that guards the mighty mountain range. It’s a world away from Burgundy in France, and yet, Martinborough shares a curious number of similarities with the famed French region, including a similar climate, elevation and distance from the equator. It was these similarities that spurred a group of enterprising winemakers to plant the first pinot noir vines in Martinborough in 1980, transforming the historic rural settlement into the birthplace of New Zealand pinot noir. Today, Martinborough is home to some of New Zealand’s…

Achieve a chic restaurant vibe at home with plush velvet, marble and pops of pink.…