Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2021 i Gourmet Traveller

Cedric’s, Sydney The demarcation between café and restaurant is delightfully blurred at Cedric’s. Here, king brown and shimeji mushrooms combine with udon noodles in a deeply savoury and life-affirming broth. It’s the new toast of the town. Regent Place, 501 George St, Sydney, NSW. Yvonne C Lam, digital editor Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia Birdwatching. Frolicking on deserted beaches. Snorkelling. Fresh crayfish. An Eco Abrolhos cruise through this archipelago off WA’s north coast ticks all the boxes for discovery, good living and – believe it or not – overseas travel. Max Veenhuyzen, WA editor Jim Wild’s Oysters, NSW I’ve never enjoyed an oyster as much as these Sydney Rock from Jim’s – a no-frills “shack” where the molluscs are the perfect tonic for a blistering summer’s day. Lot 2/170 Greens Rd,…

Farmer’s Daughters is all about championing ingredients from the Gippsland region. How does this work? The menu is a farmer’s menu, so it’s dictated by the farmers. Because they tell us what to use, when to use it and how much they can supply. Our aim is to interpret the ingredients and our cooking techniques are about elevating those ingredients. What was it that drew you to the Gippsland region? Gippsland is very privileged to have so many different microclimates and distinct regions. The coast, the alpines, and areas that have really fertile soils. We can source such a diverse range of ingredients from just one region because the geography is so diverse – it’s what initially caught my attention. In some ways it reminded me of my home in…

When I was 17 I went to Australia. It was a memorable flight experience because we missed our initial connection, but we eventually got there and I have such fond memories. We were in Cairns and everywhere we went was so beautiful. We went rock climbing and scuba-diving and skydiving. That’s something I’ll never forget. I feel so grateful that I keep getting to work with Australians. I just worked with John Polson and Xavier Samuel on Tell Me Your Secrets, and I’ve worked with Sam Worthington on something, and with this wonderful actor called Damon Herriman on The Underground Railroad. And they all know each other! I barely have to say a last name and they’re like, “Yes, of course.” I support binge-watching, I do it myself all the…

When we talk about Western Australia’s wine legacy, your mind will most likely jump to Margaret River, or Great Southern thanks to its growing popularity. Still, there is a spot often overlooked for its trendier neighbours – the Swan Valley. It’s surprising that a region which has been growing grapes continuously since 1829 isn’t at the forefront of wine lists and retail shelves in the same way we herald wines from our oldest growing region, the Hunter Valley in New South Wales. We tend to disregard Western Australia’s first and original wine region. Even when the most prolific catalogue of Western Australian wines was wiped out last year – fire destroyed more than 43,200 bottles, some decades-old, at Swan Valley’s Houghton Wines – it barely rated a mention in the…

Noilly Prat Considered by many to be the original and best dry vermouth, French-produced Noilly Prat has been powering Martinis for more than a century. $36 for 750ml noillyprat.com Maidenii Dry Vermouth Botanicals including wormwood, strawberry gum, wattle seed and river mint are added to a viognier base for this Australian vermouth. $45.99 for 750ml maidenii.com.au Regal Rogue Daring Dry For an extra dry drop with a native twist, you can’t go past this NSW-made tipple, which pairs organic sauvignon blanc with aniseed myrtle, quandong and native thyme. $32.95 for 500ml regalrogue.com…

The bad news that Longrain had succumbed to Covid-19 and was shutting up shop for good barely had time to register before, white knight-style, chef and serial restaurateur Scott Pickett rode in and saved it. But in the midst of the celebration, there was also the thought: what was Euro-leaning Pickett (Estelle, Matilda, Chancery Lane etc) going to do with one of Melbourne’s few reliable Thai restaurants? For starters, he’s retained the entire kitchen team, including longtime head chef Arté Assavakavinvong. He’s also kept some of Longrain’s greatest hits. The eggnet wrapped around the crunchy sweet-sour jumble of prawns, pomelo and bean shoots kept its place on the team as did the much-loved flavour bomb betel leaf snack with its seared scallop, finger lime, galangal and salmon roe topping. But…

Nasi goreng literally translates to fried rice in Indonesian and Malay. Yet this bowl of chill and umami-driven soul food has a little more finesse than your average fry-up. Although considered a national treasure in Indonesia, variations of the popular dish can be found on menus and breakfast tables throughout Singapore, Brunei, Hong Kong and Malaysia. And while each country brings its own regional twist, all start with cold, day-old rice. In fact, that is how the dish came into being – as a resourceful way of using up leftovers. The roots of nasi goreng are said to stem from southern China around the 10th Century, when trade to Indonesia began to flourish. Since then, variations have emerged across Southeast Asia, with meat or fish as a point of difference.…

In Praise of Veg is my tribute to the wonderful world of veg. Once you leaf (ha!) through these recipes, you’ll be able to pick up a root, a tuber, a bulb, a stalk, and have ideas and inspiration bubble forth, so that you’re never short of a meal or menu. These recipes are not purely plant-based, because that is not reflective of how my family and I eat. We are, however, plant-forward, in that we start with the veg and build dishes around them. I wanted to write a book with that principle at its heart, because I believe many of us have a desire to flex our “flexitarian” muscle – to grab more greens, reduce the load we put on the environment, and take more care with the…

Technivorm Moccamaster Brighten-up your morning with a cup of coffee poured fresh from this retro-look filter coffee machine. It’s made in The Netherlands and is available in a rainbow of bold colours. alternativebrewing.com.au Pretend It’s a City If you have yet to be introduced to the biting wit of New Yorker Fran Lebowitz, you have the most delicious treat in store. Martin Scorsese directs this Netflix docu-series, following the sardonic septuagenarian as she shares her many stories and opinions. V&A garden tool set Bring the indoors outdoors with this stylish fork and trowel set, featuring the 1912 Leicester wallpaper print from the Victoria & Albert Museum archive. monsterthreads.com.au Live at Bennelong Let’s be clear, Bennelong has always been exceptional. But the addition of live music on a Sunday afternoon and…

SYDNEY Daniel Pepperell (ex-Hubert, 10 William St and Alberto’s Lounge) has opened Bistrot 916 alongside Michael Clift (Rockpool and Fat Duck alumnus) and sommelier Andy Tyson (ex-Swillhouse). The Parisian-inspired neighbourhood diner sits on the old Lotus 2.0 site, and will bring platters of raw shellfish served on ice, steak au poivre, lobster frites, tuna tartare partnered with beef-fat fried potatoes, and boudin-noir spring rolls, which see house-made blood sausage wrapped in brik pastry then fried and served with an aromatic apple cider dipping sauce. In other bistro news, Pyrmont’s Bistro Clementine has undergone a makeover with new head chef Bilent Peel (ex-Café Paci and Sixpenny) coming on board to refresh the menu. Peel joins owner Eric Morris and partner Monica-Paula Zotti, who together have shaped the local favourite since it…

SOUTH AUSTRALIA McLaren Vale is now home to two new luxury off-grid lodgings by Cabn. The secluded dwellings blur the line between indoors and out and feature floor-to-ceiling glass walls that frame coastal views through to Port Willunga. Guests can also enjoy a sunken outdoor bath, sauna, lounge space and log fire, plus easy access to organic vineyard Gemtree Wines. VICTORIA Quincy is set to open its first property in Melbourne. Following in the footsteps of its first location in Singapore, Quincy Melbourne will bring Southeast Asian flair to Flinders Lane, and will include its own rooftop bar, pool and lounge. NEW SOUTH WALES Mister Percy has welcomed a new chef, set to revitalise the wine bar situated within Sydney’s Ovolo 1888. Head chef Courtney Blyde has spent time on…

I have been directly inspired by the visionary work of Dr Nick Rose, as he motivates all of us to celebrate and raise awareness of Australia’s urban agricultural movement. Nick is an excellent communicator, with an innate ability to empower those around him. Together with South Eveleigh’s Aboriginal educator and environmentalist Clarence Slockee (Cudgenburra/Bundjalung), I can’t wait to help Nick spread his important message about food sovereignty within South Eveleigh and beyond. Food sovereignty can be a tricky concept to wrap your head around. But it’s important that we do, says Dr Nick Rose, executive director of Sustain: The Australian Food Network. At its most simple, he says, food sovereignty is about creating a fair food system. “The idea of a fair food system is one that’s fair for farmers…

NV Sittella Sparkling Chenin, $24 You might see this wine and dismiss it as a gimmick, but Sittella takes their sparkling production seriously. The wine spends a minimum of 15 months on lees (the same amount of time as Champagne) to give a complexity that is perfect as an aperitif. sittella.com.au 2020 Dormilona Yokel Peaches, $28 A skinsy, sans-sulphur blend of chenin blanc and verdelho from fruit sourced at both Pinelli and Lamont’s family vineyards in middle Swan. One dollar from every bottle of Yokel wine sold is donated to Friends of the Western Swamp Tortoise and the Perth Zoo breeding program. dormilona.com.au 2014 Swan Valley Wines Ivy Maureen Mourvèdre, $30 Using fruit from an historic 100-year old vineyard that was once part of a farm established by Spanish Benedictine…

Stepping from a busy city intersection into Fishbank is like taking a cool, refreshing ocean dip. (It helps that the taramasalata starter – briny and tart – is itself a refreshing ocean dip.) Set in a grand old bank chamber that once housed a Jamie’s Italian, Fishbank is stately and airy with Art Deco chandeliers, long leather banquettes, and a video loop of a breaking wave on a huge screen above the open kitchen. The toilets are a highlight – the architects have kept the original bank vaults, inside which sit “The Venerable” toilets made by one Thomas Crapper. The menu is vast enough to induce choice paralysis. Luckily the staff, who lean towards young and breezy, are happy for us to take extra time to digest between courses. Fishbank…

Despite its idyllic Southern Highlands location, Paste is not a story of pared-back paddock-to-plate dining. It’s not the place where you’ll find a menu listing hyper-local ingredients, or take a leisurely post-meal stroll through the kitchen garden. What you will find, however, is flavour – and bags of it. Thai chef Bee Satongun and chef husband Jason Bailey (a Mittagong local) opened the Australian outpost of their Michelin-starred Paste Bangkok Thai restaurant (also in Luang Prabang, Laos) in mid 2020. A challenging time for any restaurant owner, especially for those serving up a bold and unapologetic cuisine in a relatively sleepy town. But, with thanks to loyal locals and an influx of city folk booking country escapes, the restaurant has thrived. The menu reads as a chronicle of Thai culinary…

To make jam, you need fruit with a good balance of acid and pectin, such as plums. Plum season starts in early summer and continues through to late autumn, depending on the variety, so now is an ideal time to make a batch of jam. For this spiced marsala version, we’ve used dark-skinned, red-fleshed Mariposa plums (also known as blood plums), however, you could also use a yellow-fleshed variety such as President, Narrabeen, or Santa Rosa. The recipe below makes 4½ cups and takes 1 hour, plus cooling. Step by step 1 Quarter 1kg blood plums and remove stones. Combine plums, 60ml (1/4 cup) orange juice and 250ml (1 cup) water in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until plums are pulpy (15…

Mabu Mabu Named after the Torres Strait saying for “help yourself”, this Melbourne café and catering company has its own line of native-ingredient-based pantry goods. Owned by chef Nornie Bero, who’s from Mer Island in the Torres Strait, the café serves dishes like seared kingfish with lemon aspen and saltbush chimichurri. Shop online for its wattleseed hot chocolate or saltbush damper-making kit. mabumabu.com.au Sobah Pepperberry IPA, Davidson plum ale, aniseed myrtle stout. Not only are these beers infused with native ingredients, they’re also alcohol-free. Launched by wife-and-husband duo Lozen and Clinton Schultz, a Gamilaroi man, this Gold Coast-based brewer aims to tackle the stigma of socialising without alcohol while fostering cultural awareness through Aboriginal arts and language. sobah.com.au Something Wild Whether it’s wallaby salami, green ant gin, kangaroo-saltbush meatballs or…

Cheer tasty cheese may have a touch of Ted Danson to it but as an alternative to Coon, its racist predecessor, twee is good. The lollies once known as Red Skins (now Red Rippers) or the Eskimo Pie ice-creams we’ll soon call Polar Pies, prove the food world is not immune to questionable product names. But the past few months have shown it’s not immune to progress either. When we talk about problematic restaurant need names to , talk we about race. When it comes to restaurants in Australia, it follows there are names that raise the ire, or at least the eyebrows, of the dining public. And when restaurant owners have so much skin in the game, why risk it on problematic monikers that have the potential to offend…

Alla Wolf-Tasker is not one to rest on her laurels. Admittedly, she has always piled project upon project at Lake House, but Wolf-Tasker and her team were just beginning to cruise along comfortably when a new place suddenly popped up. “It had such good bones and spoke to everything we’ve been talking about at Lake House – about connecting people to the food they’re eating – that we just looked at each other and said, ‘we have to do it’,” she says. The place Wolf-Tasker is talking about is Dairy Flat Farm, a 16-hectare working farm seven kilometres from Daylesford in central Victoria, home to her renowned restaurant and hotel Lake House. Since buying the farm in 2018, Wolf-Tasker and her family have turned the existing house into a luxury…

There are some clear clues that Cairns has begun polishing its jewels... and repositioning itself as the tiara of the tropics again. Almost everyone has a childhood memory of Cairns, a city of beige-rendered seaside motels and oversized laminated menus and, in ordinary times, throngs of backpackers. As I drive in from the airport it’s clear that things haven’t pivoted entirely – the motels have not magically un-rendered themselves since the 1990s – but there are also some clear clues that Cairns has begun polishing its jewels, straightening itself up and repositioning itself as the tiara of the tropics again. We start our stay at Flynn, the newest of the city’s three Crystalbrook hotels that are helping lead the charge to tilt Cairns upscale. Directly across from the marina, with…

TORENS VALE Rolling green hills studded with grazing cattle connect the peninsula’s many wineries, offering myriad photo opportunities. CORIOLE VINEYARDS Less than an hour from Adelaide and with views of the sea, the vineyards of Coriole have pioneered sangiovese in Australia. D’ARENBERG Inspired by the complexities of winemaking, the famed five-storey d’Arenberg Cube houses a contemporary art museum, virtual fermenter and wine sensory room. WINE COUNTRY Best known for producing shiraz, the Fleurieu zone (which includes Kangaroo Island) comprises five distinct wine regions with more than 100 cellar doors. To the east of the peninsula is Langhorne Creek, while in the west you’ll find McLaren Vale, where, at Maxwell Wines (pictured top right), you can book a truly unique dining experience in a subterranean limestone cave. McLAREN VALE Nestled between…

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Even on a bad day, I have enough self-awareness to know that my job is pretty fantastic. Then there are days when I find myself almost floating outside of my body, wondering how on earth I got here; how am I so lucky? Shooting this month’s cover feature at Sean Moran’s Bilpin Springs Farm was one of those days. Sean and his partner Manoo welcomed us warmly as we descended on their country homestead, cooing over their new puppies Olive and Poppy and generally causing chaos. As we sat down to capture Sean’s generous garden feast, the smiles and laughter on show were all real – as we hungrily waited for the green light to eat. (Despite being the editor, I am not the boss when it comes to shoot…

1 Le Mas, Barossa Valley Among grenache vines and ghost gums you’ll find this reimagined Provençal-style farmhouse, owned by hospitality and event specialists, Llewelyn and Geraldine Wyeth. With four guestrooms, contemporary chandeliers, stone baths and Hermès toiletries, Le Mas fuses new world luxury with the property’s original charming brickwork, arched windows and French doors. From $700 per night, lemasbarossa.com.au 2 Piermont, Tasmania These one-, two- and three-bedroom lodges combine the charm of a stone cottage with the amenities of a luxury hotel, complete with a log fire, spa bath, panoramic views of Great Oyster Bay and access to two private beaches. From $495 per night, piermont.com.au 3 The Glut Farm, Victoria This sustainable farmhouse is located 45 minutes from Ballarat, just next to the Pyrenees wine region. Alongside two wood-fired…

HOLY GOAT Skyla This wrinkly little log is produced at Victoria’s Sutton Grange Organic Farm, a sustainable, purpose-built dairy where each of the 120-strong herd has a name. Its flavour offers subtle yeasty qualities, accompanied with a beautifully rounded mouthfeel. $14 for 110gm, twoprovidores.com.au MILAWA Camembert This traditional, Normandy-style white-mould cheese is light and delicate, with a sweet finish. We tried a young one, which was pleasantly mild, but when fully matured it can develop a robust and delicious barnyard flavour. Rest at room temperature to achieve peak ooziness. $14.95 for 150gm, pennyscheeseshop.com.au BOOKARA Persian feta Very few fetas on the market are marinated in extra-virgin olive oil, mainly because canola is the better looking option (it doesn’t go cloudy in the jar). Bookara, from Western Australia, is an exception…

Harvest season March in southern Australia and much of New Zealand sees a subtle gear shift in the seasons. The days are still quite summery, but the nights begin to cool and lengthen. These changes are barely perceptible to us. But to plants, they are cues to prepare for winter. This is the month when the food garden is at its most generous. Deciduous fruits such as apples, pears and quince ripen, root vegetables such as beetroot and potatoes are at their plumpest, and fruiting vegetables such as tomatoes, pumpkins, beans, sweet corn, capsicums and eggplant are at their most prolific. It’s the month when we give up trying to keep up with zucchini, which seem to double in girth overnight, and leave them to grow into thumping great logs,…

Arguably the world’s most ubiquitous cocktail, the Martini is synonymous with both style and sophistication, served in its signature conical glass. Despite taking its name from an Italian distiller (Alessandro Martini and Luigi Rossi developed Martini & Rossi Rosso vermouth in 1863) the cocktail’s origins trace back to the United States, where it reached the height of popularity in the early 1920s. Although there are myriad versions today (dirty, wet, Gibson, porn star), a dry martini is the most classic iteration. Regardless of whether you opt for gin or vodka, vermouth is the critical ingredient when it comes to a dry martini. The less vermouth, the drier it is said to be. While many recipes employ the 2:1 ratio, two parts gin to one part vermouth, some favour only the…

VEGETARIAN GLUTEN FREE DAIRY FREE Mustard butter prawns with corn and wilted greens SERVES 4 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 16 large green tiger prawns, halved 80 gm salted butter, chopped 3 corn cobs, kernels removed 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tbsp Dijon mustard Finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon, plus wedges to serve 1 bunch spinach, trimmed 120 gm baby kale leaves 2 tbsp chopped chives 2 tbsp chopped tarragon leaves 2 spring onions, thinly sliced 1 Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add prawns and cook, turning until prawns just start to change colour (3 minutes). Transfer prawns to a plate, loosely cover and keep warm. 2 Add butter, corn, garlic, mustard and lemon rind to pan and cook, stirring, until…

It’s nearing midnight and Ross Fidden is kneeling in one corner of his runabout, arms dangling over the side as if he’s accidentally dropped something. The glow from his head lamp illuminates the calm, inky water as he reaches down into the abyss. “I’m threading the spreader into the net,” says Fidden. The spreader, a technical word for a timber pole that is forked at each end, holds the net open in the middle. He stands gingerly, readjusting his waders. “Now, we wait.” As we float peacefully on the Myall River under the cover of darkness, Fidden, a fifth-generation fisherman, explains the process of set-pocket prawning. In short, a 20-metre-wide, funnel-shaped net is strung across the river, and as the tide runs in, it carries the prawns into the net.…

Chef Sean Moran’s Blue Mountains farm is a relatively short drive from Sydney, and is a property that’s as beautiful as it is productive. The working farm, known as Bilpin Springs, grows much of the produce that ends up on diner’s plates at Moran’s much-loved Bondi restaurant Sean’s Panaroma. “The farm is the core of everything we do really, because it’s like our canvas,” says Moran. It’s a beautiful and bucolic canvas indeed. There are sprawling rows of apple, mulberry, orange and fig trees, many of which bloom year-round thanks to the rich soil (the property was formerly a fruit orchard, like many of the surrounding Bilpin farms). There’s rows of dahlias, carrots, lettuce and herbs, alongside chickens, a friendly llama, waddling geese, showy peacocks and two fluffy Maremma pups,…

Honey-baked cheese SERVES 6 AS A SNACK “Melting, gooey, sticky and dippable, baked white-mould soft cheese only needs crusty slices of bread as an accompaniment,” says Hammond. 250 gm brie-style cheese 1-2 tbsp honey 2 thyme sprigs 1 bay leaf Truffle shavings (optional) Sourdough baguette, sliced 1 Pre-heat oven to 190°C (170°C fan-forced). 2 Place cheese on a 30cm square of baking paper on a baking tray. Drizzle cheese with honey and top with thyme and bay leaf. Bring the sides of paper to the centre and loosely fold into a parcel, ensuring the paper doesn’t touch the top of the cheese. Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbling. 3 Transfer to a serving board or plate. Top with truffle shavings, if using, and serve with crusty bread.…

Oaks Kitchen and Garden 11-13 Nancy Cl, Oak Beach (07) 4098 5383 oakskitchenandgarden.com Nunu 1 Veivers Rd, Palm Cove (07) 4059 1880 nunu.com.au Hi Tide by the Beach 9 The Esplanade, Port Douglas (07) 4099 9100 hitide.com.au Ganbaranba Noodle Colosseum 7/12-20 Spence St, Cairns (07) 4031 2522 Ochre 1 Marlin Parade, Cairns (07) 4051 0100 ochrerestaurant.com.au Three Wolves 32 Abbott St, Cairns (07) 4031 8040 threewolves.com.au Prawn Star Berth 31, Pier Point Road, Cairns 0497 007 225…

It’s become almost mandatory for restaurants to have a mission statement about their produce. Mantras like “seasonal-regional” and “paddock to plate” get repeated so often they sound more like marketing than philosophy. But for the true paddock-to-plate practitioners, chefs and restaurateurs who embrace the time-consuming, expensive and often difficult task of growing as much of their own produce as they can while sourcing the rest from nearby producers, marketing is a distant consideration. Most are concerned with quality and the negative impact food production can have on the environment, but all have the same central reason for doing what they do: flavour. “To serve a plate of mulberries to someone when they’re still warm from the sun, that have never been chilled or packaged or transported, that is why we…

ORGANIC TOUCH Seek out artisan-made wares with tactile surfaces and natural curves for a layered home with depth and interest. For a warm and welcoming room combine earthy hues – burgundy and burnt orange – with retro patterns. DOWN TO EARTH…