Food service may (2015)

1816 Who came top in Dish of the Year 2015?

Flowers are the star of Dragoncello chef Roy McVeigh’s luscious brie dish

FIXING WHAT AIN’T BROKECan redesigning a successful restaurant pay off?

14 The Hiramasa Kingfish proves its versatility in the kitchen

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FOODSERVICENEWS.COM.AU MAY 2015 03

INSIDE

COVERPutting the finishing touches to Estelle Bistro’s Wagyu beef with pine mushrooms, potato and nasturtiums. Image by Tim Grey.

FEATURES

INDUSTRY06 Australian Food Trucks

Association established06 Attica’s Ben Shewry

in top doc07 Restaurant

industry blooming07 Melbourne mayor

considers smoking ban

REGULARS04 Comment06 Industry08 Rant10 Dining16 Masterclass30 Produce31 Mouthful

MAY 2015

1816 Who came top in Dish of the Year 2015?

Flowers are the star of Dragoncello chef Roy McVeigh’s luscious brie dish

FIXING WHAT AIN’T BROKECan redesigning a successful restaurant pay off?

14 The Hiramasa Kingfish proves its versatility in the kitchen

FOR THE PROFESSIONAL CHEF AND RESTAURATEURPRINT POST APPROVED 100008067

FOODSERVICENEWS.COM.AU

MAY 2015

FSN MAY COVER 2015.indd 1 20/04/15 4:26 PM

08 RISKY BUSINESS Inspired by his recent trip to New York, Anthony Huckstep pleads the case for taking risks to access the sweeter, greater rewards, in foodservice and beyond.

10 FIXING WHAT AIN'T BROKE

It's a bold, potentially detrimental move to redesign a popular restaurant. Tim Grey gets the inside line from a popular restaurant on the benefits and risks of shaking things up.

14 KING OF VERSATILITY Explore the potential of this versatile fish with some recipes from top chefs that utilise different cuts.

16 FLORAL FLOURISHES Foraging and flowers are close to the heart of chef Roy McVeigh, who's brie dish is one of the rising stars of his new restaurant Dragoncello.

18 DISH OF THE YEAR 2015 Who will come top in this year's dish of the year? Check out the winning burger, pizza, bacon and egg roll, fish 'n chips and dessert.

30 BUDDHA'S HAND Strange to look at but sublime to eat, the Buddha's Hand is a citrus fruit with more versatility than you expect. Justyn McGrigor outlines the virtues of this 'lucky' fruit.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

DRESSED IN FARM GEAR AND OVER-SIZED WELLIES, I WOBBLED ALONG BESIDE HIM AT A PIG FARM IN ALBURY

SARAH REES – EDITOR

4 FOODSERVICENEWS.COM.AU MAY 2015

SWEATING THE SMALL STUFFTHE endless battle to win the hearts of customers in a saturated market seems to have found a stellar tactic: taking the simple stuff seriously. Whether it be house-made butter, pork from a happy pig or serving soup in a bowl fired just down the road, chefs are increasingly sweating the small stuff, and I’m all for it.

It may seem like just another trend, but to the foodservice craftsmen (and women), the emphasis on simple things is a much-needed, back-to-basics shift in an industry that has too long been over-egged with complexity.

“We are going foraging,” announced chef Roy McVeigh when I arrived at Dragoncello to interview him for this month’s Masterclass. It could have been an exercise in trendiness, yet as I watched McVeigh plucking flowers that would end their lives as a delectable bottle brush syrup, I realised foraging was an integral part of his cooking.

From ‘roo hunting with his father to stretching tiny budgets as a young chef, foraging filled the belly when money was tight and offered a seasonal framework to ensure his food was, and is, always ‘the best it can be’.

The next gent to inspire me with his dedication to produce was chef Manu

Fidel. Initially sceptical of celebrity chefs’ intentions, I was impressed by the charismatic Frenchman’s genuine passion for animal welfare and providence. Dressed in farm gear and over-sized wellies, I wobbled along beside him at a pig farm in Albury as he asked question after question, eager for info and delighted by the farm’s efforts to make piggy welfare paramount.

Sweating the small stuff was taken to a new level when Attica’s superstar

Ben Shewry told me about his beloved and very pricey steak knives. At a cost of $10,000, Shewry recently took a team of chefs to work with a master knife maker and craft their own utensils for the dining room. It was an expensive exercise in touching base with the tools of the trade, but one deemed priceless in terms of experience for the staff and realising Attica’s philosophy and approach to dining.

The trio of chefs and their commitment got me wondering: if we wound the clock back a few years,

would a customer have been willing to pay more for a pork fillet from a happy pig, sliced with a knife hewn by the chef and accompanied by flowers plucked from the tree outside? As always, the trends of the industry have to be supported by the diners and their cash, but it seems they too are recognising and valuing the small things.

It’s a good philosophy for humanity, it’s good for the industry, and my goodness its good for the grub – a

well-cared for pork fillet tastes so much better, as did that bottle brush syrup from a flower picked at its zenith. Let’s just hope, in an industry that moves faster than dumplings at Tim Ho Wan, that this trend sticks around.

EDITOR Sarah Rees (02) 9213 8335 [email protected]

CONTRIBUTORS Tim Grey Anthony Huckstep Justyn McGrigor

NSW SALES MANAGER Melanie Hird (02) 9213 8241 Mobile: 0478 065 599 [email protected]

SALES MANAGER (VIC, QLD, SA, WA & OS) Michael Northcott 0420 403 044 [email protected]

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TALK TO US

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AS the prevalence of food trucks across the country increases, a group of ‘truckers’ in Sydney have joined together to establish the Australian Food Trucks Association (AFTA).

The 10 food truck operators founded the group in March with an aim to support the growing number of food trucks across Australia, helping owners to access services and assisting in their business operations and event organisation.

The not-for-profit organisation will also serve as an interface between suppliers, consumers and operators and ensure more local areas can access good quality food.

The group will focus initially on supporting the restaurant- cum-vehicles belonging to the City of Sydney Food Trucks Program before extending their reach further afield.

Founding member Stephanie Raco, from Cantina Movil, said the formation of the AFTA “will help support and strengthen the food trucking scene, here in Sydney and potentially Australia-wide”.

Fellow founder Yudi Loefti, from Tsuru, added: “As a united alliance we strive to be the resource hub for food truck operators nationwide and to work cooperatively with both private and governmental stakeholders to achieve a thriving future for this new industry”.

The other eight founders are Urban Pasta, Agape, Caminito, Sarazine-La Crêperie, Eat Art Truck, Monster Rolls, Nighthawk Diner and Bite Size Delights.

Sydney is not the only city with a thriving food truck scene. The recent foodie festival, Eat Drink Perth, included a Food Truck

Rumble featuring 30 of the 70 mobile food and beverage vendors operating in the city. The event, which took place in April, is well supported, and the number of participating food trucks has doubled since it’s inaugural year in 2014 when 16 ‘trucked’ up.

Melbourne is touted as being the city with the largest food truck scene – the Lonely Planet travel guide lists the city’s food trucks as one of Australia’s best food experiences. It is thought around 80 foodie vehicles are currently operating in the city including Beatbox Kitchen, the first ‘proper’ food truck in Melbourne that hit the streets in 2009.

More details can be found on the members and aims of the AFTA on www.australianfoodtrucks association.org. •

CHEF’S Table, a new documentary to be aired on Netflix, promises to ‘go inside the lives and kitchens of six of the top chefs across the world’ in each hour-long episode and will feature Attica’s Ben Shewry.

The six-part show comes courtesy of the director of Jiro Dreams of Sushi, David Gelb. Each episode will showcase a chef from a different part of the world with an innovative approach to food and cooking.

Shewry is joined by culinary masters Magnus Nisson (Fäviken, Sweden), Francis Mallmann (Restaurante Patagonia Sur, Argentina), Niki Nakayama (N/Naka, Los Angeles), Massimo Bottura (Osteria Francescana, Italy) and Dan Barber (Blue Hill, New York).

Gelb, in an interview with Bon Appetit website, described the show as “inspiring for anybody who endeavours to do something creative”.

“These chefs’ journeys and how they got there will reveal a lot of lessons for people who are aspiring to do creative things.”

The show is available at www.netflix.com/WiMovie/80007945. •

AUSTRALIAN FOOD TRUCKS ASSOCIATION ESTABLISHED

ATTICA’S BEN SHEWRY IN TOP DOC

FOOD TRUCK RUMBLE 2015 (CYNTHIA CHEW, THE FOOD PORNOGRAPHER)

ABOVE: ATTICA’S BEN SHEWRY IS RECOGNISED FOR HIS CREATIVITY


IBIS World Industry has published a new report into Australia’s restaurant industry, predicting a continued growth of 3.6 per cent per year for the next five years.

The global business intelligence company also stated the industry could expect to see a two per cent rise during the current year, with revenue reaching $11.7 billion by the end of 2014.

It is hoped that the sustained growth will facilitate a recovery from the wobble caused by the recent global financial crisis.

The healthy blooming of the industry has been credited to people living “busier lives with increasingly diminished leisure time”. The hectic nature of their lives is causing consumers to begin “combining

dining with leisure and avoid spending time on food preparation”.

The prevalence and popularity of reality TV shows such as My Kitchen Rules and Masterchef have also played a part and “reconnected people with the pleasures of eating out,” said Stephen Gargano, IBIS analyst for the report.

Opportunities for further growth across the industry come from the evolving food culture and an increased interest in healthy eating among consumers, said Gargano. Profit-seekers should be focusing on “better quality meals and ingredients, for which consumers are willing to pay a premium price” and take advantage of “consumers’ move towards informal dining”.

Despite the buoyant predications – revenue is expected to hit $13.1 billion by the end of 2020 – the report urged restaurants to be “diligent, focusing on operating efficiencies and consumer trends in order to keep costs down and profits up”.

The report also warned the industry would face competition from other venues looking to capitalise on the current consumer trends – pubs, cafes and supermarket-prepared meals were all listed as potential competitors. •

07

INDUSTRY

MELBOURNE’S lord mayor, Robert Doyle, has expressed his concerns over the city being the only major Australian capital yet to ban smoking in outdoor eating areas – “we are used to leading, not following,” he told news.com.au.

At the beginning of 2014 it was announced that smoking in all outdoor dining areas of hotels, clubs, restaurants and cafes in NSW would be banned from July 2015, with South Australia set to introduce similar restrictions mid-2016.

Meanwhile, Melbourne remains the only major city in which smokers are allowed to light up near diners, albeit in outdoor areas, prompting mayor Doyle to tell the news site: “I do think it is time to start considering the banning of smoking where food is served.”

“People are more likely to eat in locations that are smoke-free.”

His comments have caused mixed reactions from the city’s foodservice industry and diners, but mayor Doyle stressed to Fairfax Radio that the ban wouldn’t represent a major change: “most smokers now get up and walk away from where people are eating. I think [a ban] is the logical next step”.

Sarah White from Quit Victoria is among the supporters of the potential ban, telling ABC news she thought the move would be “a huge benefit for our culture”. In an interview with Gold FM, premier Daniel Andrews also expressed his support: “I think the time’s come to have a proper debate about that and I think that’s what the Lord Mayor is talking about.”

FOODSERVICE NEWS.COM.AUMOST VIEWED ONLINE 1-31 MARCH 2015

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Watch: The low-down on the paleo diet

Five anticipated restaurant openings in Sydney in 2015

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A RECENT poll among readers of Elite Traveler, a high-end lifestyle magazine based in the US, has placed Australia as the ninth best dining destination in the world. Sydney earned a place as one of the top five international cities for fine dining and Melbourne made it into the top 15.

The magazine is targeted at the luxury traveller – most readers own private jets – and the 2015 top 100 generated by the annual poll sees Australia earning ninth place in the world. Three Sydney-based restaurants and two Melbourne eateries made the top 100, with the highest performer being Sydney's Tetsuya at number 64. Melbourne's Attica came in at 72nd place, and the three other Australian restaurants featured were Marque (80), Vue de Monde (81) and Quay (97). •

MELBOURNE MAYOR CONSIDERS SMOKING BAN

RESTAURANT INDUSTRY BLOOMING

FIVE AUSTRALIAN RESTAURANTS IN ELITE TOP 100

High risk verse high reward. Upon dining at Sepia last

November, Ripert was compelled to invite Martin and Vicki to cook in New York, and they didn’t hesitate in taking up the offer. They found the money to make it happen and hit it out of the ballpark. It was, in truth, an awakening for those that experienced the seven-course meal.

Now sure, there’s different levels of risk. Sepia’s is an extreme example of such, but how much are you willing to risk to get ahead, no matter how small?

If you just sit back and wait for people to come to your establishment then guess what, they won’t. In fact soon enough they’ll forget about you. If you’re not actively rolling the dice then chances are they already have.

The art of restaurateuring isn’t just about good food and great service; it’s about risk verses reward. It’s about understanding your market, about being proactive and taking your customers by surprise. Adapting, evolving and getting that little bit better each day. You and your staff.

What you give is what you get. You can draw the line on risk wherever you want – that's your call, but don’t be afraid to take yourself out of your comfort zone occasionally, because the rewards are often greater.

You and I both know that there have been moments when you could have taken a risk, but you let it go. We’ve all done it. But what if you gave it a shot?

Hell, I dropped everything last year upon relinquishing the editor’s chair on this ‘ere magazine. As a result I’m now ranting in some of our best

mastheads and standing in the way in Michelin-starred restaurants in New York to do so. And thus, it need not be about ‘money’, because we all have our own vision of happiness and success, right?

But most success stories lie on the back of risking it all to get it all.

You’re more than welcome to continue on the monotonous road of mediocrity if you want to pass the time ‘til you push up daisies, but ask yourself this: Would you rather spend your life regretting doing something, or regret not doing it at all?

So what if an idea or opportunity fails? You’re human. You’re fallible. Get over it. Move on and try another angle. I’m not suggesting you risk it all, what I’m suggesting is to seize the day, take the odd risk. Surprise yourself. Surprise your customer.

Hell you’ve already taken the chance on running your own restaurant. It’s a greater risk than most of us consider in our lifetime. You don’t need me to tell you what its like managing the slimmest of profit margins in the business community.

So really, it’s not that great a leap. Take a few chances, no matter how small.

Maybe you’ll f ind what you’ve been looking for. •

RANT

YOU AND I BOTH KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN MOMENTS WHEN YOU COULD HAVE TAKEN A RISK, BUT YOU LET IT GO. WE’VE ALL DONE IT. BUT WHAT IF YOU GAVE IT A SHOT?


RISKY BUSINESSINSPIRED BY HIS RECENT TRIP TO

NEW YORK, ANTHONY HUCKSTEP

PLEADS THE CASE FOR TAKING RISKS

TO ACCESS THE SWEETER, GREATER

REWARDS, IN FOODSERVICE AND

BEYOND.

I had a moment of realisation in the oddest of scenarios recently. I was in New York, on assignment for delicious. magazine to pen a ‘behind the scenes’ gonzo rant on Sepia’s lunch at Eric Ripert’s Le Bernardin, when Martin Benn said something more profound than perhaps he’d intended:

“It’s hard making money in restaurants. When you get an opportunity you’ve got to give it everything you’ve got, otherwise what’s the f*#king point?”

If you missed the news, Sepia cooked for 16 of the most inf luential food writers in the USA at the three Michelin-starred Le Bernardin. It’s pretty much the toughest room you could cook for. These scribes take no prisoners. They could have burnt Sepia on the world stage.

It was an incredible risk, even though Sepia’s product is quite incredible. Not only that, but it came at an incredible f inancial cost to owners Martin and Vicki Wild too. They f lew over key staff (housing them in a nice hotel), equipment, crockery, Australian produce, artwork and even f lora.

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FIXING WHAT AIN’T BROKE

IT'S A BOLD, POTENTIALLY DETRIMENTAL MOVE TO RE-DESIGN A POPULAR RESTAURANT, YET THE

TEAM BEHIND THE ESTELLE HAVE A TRACK

RECORD OF SUCCESSFUL OVERHAULS. TIM GREY

GETS THE INSIDE LINE ON WHAT PROMPTED THE

LATEST RE-DESIGN.

The restaurant went through its second rethink when Flaherty left in 2013. Pickett has become increasingly involved with Saint Crispin, his wildly-successful second venture on Smith Street, Collingwood. The chefs began to diverge on what they thought The Estelle should be, and while both men vied for the business, Pickett hung on in the end.

With sole ownership, Pickett reinvested to make the restaurant closer to his own. He weather-proofed the courtyard – doubling the seating capacity – and made The Estelle more flexible with numbers and times.

The dining style changed again, too. Six, eight or 10-course options were creating problems for the small kitchen and service staff, so Pickett cut back to five and eight-course options for $80 or $120 a pop. “You’ve got to get the balance right,” he wrote. “What the customer wants, what the kitchen and front-of-house can manage, and the cost.”

Fast forward to 2015 and Pickett decided it was time

IT’S not like The Estelle wasn’t working. Scott Pickett’s eatery, in the fashionably ruffled suburb of Northcote, has long been a favourite of punters and critics alike. But, somehow, the pink-tiled walls and eight-course degustation menu were hangovers from a restaurant that wasn’t entirely his. So this summer, at about three-am one morning, Pickett and manager Stuart Neil pried off those tiles and set about making The Estelle fit their vision of a local bistro.

The Estelle had been a protean entity long prior to this latest re-design. Even before Pickett and former business partner, Ryan Flaherty, purchased the venue in 2011 it had been, in no particular order, a bar, a restaurant, and a cafe. “Estelle was a bit run down, but it had the bones of a good business,” said Pickett in his recent book, SP. “It took everything we had to get it. I had some money saved, we borrowed everything the bank would loan us, and kind of passed the hat around for the rest.”

Pickett was coming to the end of his run at The Point and had previously worked under Phil Howard at The Square and Paul Bocuse at Bocuse d’Or. Flaherty, meanwhile, had just returned from the little-known restaurants The Fat Duck, elBulli and Arzak.

At first, the chefs tried tapas and charcuterie to keep the fare in line with their vision of a truly local eatery, but Pickett quickly realised that, in the long run, it simply wouldn’t work:

“On the second Friday, a group of four women came in and sat at the table for eight. They were there for three hours, chatting. They shared a dozen oysters, they shared a plate of charcuterie, they had a glass of wine each. Their bill came to less than $100. I realised we would go broke in a few months,” he said.

This incident prompted Pickett and Flaherty's first revision of The Estelle, introducing a fixed-price three, five or seven-course degustation menu that drew from French classics and molecular gastronomy alike. People loved it.

“When they opened, it was with everything that Scott could scrape together and that was fuck all,” recalled Neil. “They were cooking on milk crates on a single burner. Their rationale? They didn’t have a rationale in those days, but they were doing some pretty incredible food for what they had.”

11

DINING

TOP: ONE OF THE CHEFS BRIEFS THE WAIT STAFF

BOTTOM: A MORE MUTED INTERIOR IS THE PRODUCT OF THE LATEST RE-FIT

OPPOSITE: WAGYU BEEF WITH PINE MUSHROOMS, POTATO AND NASTURTIUMS

IMA

GE

: TIM

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“THEY WERE COOKING ON MILK CRATES ON A SINGLE BURNER. THEIR RATIONALE? THEY DIDN’T HAVE A RATIONALE IN THOSE DAYS, BUT THEY WERE DOING SOME PRETTY INCREDIBLE FOOD FOR WHAT THEY HAD.”

Retaining the exposed brickwork along the southern wall, the team pulled off the aforementioned tiles and rendered the northern wall. They kept the wooden bar (originally reclaimed from a nearby bowling alley), created shelving with copper piping and added a gold-hued mirror. The overall effect is more reservedly masculine than the former Estelle.

“The general tones in the place are a bit darker,” explained Neil. “It’s the result of looking at lots and lots of things, going to different places, looking through windows in the night time, building all these mood-boards and flipping magazines.”

The changes, however, went further than the merely aesthetic. In order to be true to Pickett’s conception of The Estelle as a Northcote local, the chef decided to ditch the compulsory set-menu and re-introduce a la carte dining. The rationale was to change The Estelle from a twice-yearly to a twice-monthly venue for customers.

“The restaurant was certainly very busy and no-one’s complaining about the amount of trade we were having,” he said. “But just in terms of where the dining style was going, we were chockers on the weekend and Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, we might do 20-30 people. No-one really wants to spend $150 on a five-to-eight course degustation on a Tuesday.”

Together with head chef Josh Pelham - Young Chef of the Year and a graduate of The Square - Pickett transformed the menu from The Estelle to The Estelle Bistro. Charcuterie boards with top-class selections of prosciutto and jamon came back, and bistro classics such as rillette, terrine and whole roast chicken were introduced.

Pickett didn’t give up on the degustation though. In fact, he’s doubling-down on the eight-course set-menu, opening a new high-end venue just next door; Estelle by Scott Pickett (or ESP for short).

This silver-service restaurant will be built around a Noma-style kitchen that extends out into the restaurant. The site is being designed by international firm Hirsch Bedner and will feature bespoke light fittings by Christopher Boots, Philip Starc furniture and handmade crockery.

“It’s going to be very much destination, very much boutique,” explained Neil. “The beauty of it is the look and feel of will be super-high-end. But, the price point, we don’t want it to be too far off what it was here - $120 for eight courses. You don’t have to reach in for Fat Duck money, or Shannon Bennett money, and still have that amazing experience.”

Whether or not ESP will replicate the success of Pickett’s other venues is yet to be seen, but converting The Estelle into Estelle Bistro has paid off immediately. “We’ve gone from 300-350 covers a week to doing 650-700 covers a week,” said Neil. “It really has gone gangbusters. We got absolutely flogged.” •

DINING

THE INTERIOR RE-DESIGN WAS COMPLEMENTED BY A MENU REFINEMENT TO BETTER SUIT THE COMMUNITY


for a serious overhaul. Using Pickett’s car as a meeting space, the owner-chef and manager Neil took the restaurant back to it's core principles with pointed questions: what did they really want to achieve with The Estelle? How did it function in the context of the neighbourhood? Where was The Estelle headed?

“I’d like to think that we thrashed around what the restaurant meant to him,” said Neil, whose CV includes Taxi, Cutler & Co, Stokehouse and his own venture, The Town Hall Hotel. “He lived in an inherited space for four years. Those pink and grey tiles were never really his. But everything now is Scott’s. Nothing is inherited. We’ve got complete control of the design and the aesthetic.”

“THE GENERAL TONES IN THE PLACE ARE A BIT DARKER, IT’S THE RESULT OF LOOKING AT LOTS AND LOTS OF THINGS, GOING TO DIFFERENT PLACES, LOOKING THROUGH WINDOWS IN THE NIGHT TIME.”

CLEANSEAS

INGREDIENTS• 6 Hiramasa Kingfish cutlets• 100ml olive oil• 2 garlic cloves,

crushed• ¼ bunch thyme• 10 basil leaves, bruised• 1 head cauliflower• 500g red grapes• 60ml olive oil• Pink salt flakes• 200g hazelnuts,

roasted and peeled• ½ bunch each

of green and purple kale• 6 lemon cheeks (to serve)

METHODPreheat BBQ grill and oven to 130 degrees Celsius. Place fish in 100ml oil, garlic and herbs. Marinate for two hours. Blanche cauliflower florets then plunge into ice cold water. Drain and set aside. Drizzle grapes with oil and two pinches of salt. Place on a tray and cook in the oven until grapes start to shrivel. Fry cauliflower in hot oil until golden brown and top with sherry vinegar dressing. Put kale on the BBQ until it starts to wilt. Combine green and purple kale, cauliflower, grapes and nuts and dress with vierge dressing. Remove Kingfish from the marinade and cook on the hot BBQ grill plate for four minutes each side. Serve with salad and lemon cheeks.


THE HIRAMASA KINGFISH IS A HIGH-QUALITY, VERSATILE FISH

OPTION FOR CHEFS ACROSS THE INDUSTRY. WHAT ARE THE

EXPERTS DOING WITH IT?

INGREDIENTS• 1kg Hiramasa Kingfish,

filleted, boned and skinned• 30 vongole• 300ml fish stock• 1tbsp coriander seeds• 1tbsp fennel seeds• 150ml extra virgin olive oil• 60g carrots, diced• 60g shallots, diced• 60g fennel, diced• 10g orange zest• 10g garlic, chopped• 1 orange, zested and juiced• 1tsp tarragon, chopped• 1tsp chives, chopped• 1tsp parsley, chopped• 1 orange, segmented• 1 blood orange, segmented and diced• Sea salt and pepper• Micro coriander to garnish

METHODPlace the fish stock in pan. Crush aromatic spices and gently toast in a dry pan. Add to the fish stock, bring to a simmer and reduce the liquid by half. Allow to cool, then strain.Pour the olive oil into a pan and cook vegetables and orange zest until tender. Add to the fish stock mixture and allow to cool.Whisk olive oil and orange juice into the mixture, season with salt and pepper and add chopped herbs. Add the cooked vongole.Arrange the sliced Kingfish on a plate and arrange the vongole meat and aromatic vinaigrette around the fillets. Scatter with micro coriander.

For more recipes or further information, visit www.hiramasakingfish.com.au.

KING OF VERSATILITY

GRILLED HIRAMASA KINGFISH CUTLETWITH MIXED KALE, FRIED CAULIFLOWER, SALTED GRAPE AND HAZELNUT SALAD by Carla Jones, 4Fourteen

HIRAMASA KINGFISH SASHIMIWITH VONGOLE AND AROMATIC VINAIGRETTEby Donovan Cooke, The Atlantic


FLORAL FLOURISHESFORAGING AND FLOWERS ARE CLOSE TO THE

HEART OF CHEF ROY MCVEIGH, WHO’S

BRIE DISH IS ONE OF THE RISING STARS

OF HIS NEW RESTAURANT,

DRAGONCELLO.

CHEF Roy McVeigh seems happiest when he is armed with a bowl and a pair of scissors, exploring his rooftop garden (one of three) and the local area for flowers to create a dish that is done a dis-service by the term ‘cheese course’. “The menu is all about the garden” he says with a contented smile. “The flowers are seasonal, so we’ll change this dish at some point when the flowers become unavailable. It’s good – it keeps it new and fresh.”

New and fresh are just two of the

encouraging adjectives applied to his restaurant, Dragoncello – the experienced chef ’s first venture as a restaurant owner – by diners since it opened in December 2014.

Compact and intimate, the restaurant attracts diners for its seasonal menu and delicate flavours, the careful presentation of dishes merely a finishing touch for a chef determined to make each mouthful an experience - “it’s more about how something eats than how it looks”.

With the garden as the central component, ingredients fluctuate depending on freshness and availability, serving to make McVeigh’s food unique: “being different is a big deal; it’s important to have your own identity. Plus using your own produce keeps costs down”.

He is also crafting food as per instinct – as a boy he hunted with his father and as a trainee chef he was continually foraging the 10,000 acres of Laguna Quays in the

17

MASTERCLASS

CHEF ROY MCVEIGH IN HIS SURRY HILLS RESTAURANT

ALMOND MILK GRANITE• 400g blanched almonds • 600ml milk• 25g caster sugar• 7g salt• 2 bay leaves

Roast the almonds until dark and remove from the oven. Combine all ingredients in a pan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and blitz with a stick blender. Leave for

two hours at room temperature. Strain and cool. Freeze.

BOTTLEBRUSH SYRUP• bottlebrush flowers• 200ml honey• 800ml water• 1% agar

Combine water and honey in a pan and bring to the boil. Pour liquid over the flowers until just covered. Cool

and refrigerate overnight. Strain the liquid into a measuring jug. Weigh 1% of the liquid volume in agar. Combine in a pan and heat to above 80 degrees Celsius. Transfer to a tray and leave to set. Blend until smooth.

ROASTED SALTED ALMONDS• 100g almonds• pinch powdered milk• 75g unsalted butter• pinch sea salt

Roughly chop almonds and place in a pan with powdered milk and butter. Heat until foaming and continue to cook until the nuts are golden. Strain and discard the liquid. Place nuts on a lined tray and season with sea salt.

TO ASSEMBLEWeigh 50g of Le Dauphin triple cream brie and heat slightly. Plate on top of the bottlebrush syrup and top with granite, almonds and society garlic.

LE DAUPHIN BRIE WITH SALTED ALMONDS, ALMOND GRANITE AND BOTTLEBRUSH SYRUPby Roy McVeigh, Dragoncello

Whitsundays, gaining an education in botany alongside the culinary arts.

Flowers are a key component of his brie dish, one of two cheese courses on a small but f lexible menu that works as a five-course experience or for casual dining. “I wanted to give people choices for cheese – not everyone likes blue cheese and if that’s all you have, they won’t order.”

While cheese is the centre piece of the dish, the concept is a sensory one: “I wanted to play with texture and temperature,” he explains. “Warm, frozen and then sweet, sour and salty. It could be anything really, any ingredients, as long as it’s balanced.”

The creation process was swift but

the finished product is a multi-faceted experience that combines frozen, salty almond milk granite with creamy warm brie and a floral sweet gush of bottlebrush syrup that hints at the mead it takes its process from.

The hot crunch of salted almonds sprinkled on top helps temper the sweet and creamy flavours, while a speckling of society garlic pleases the eye and surprises the tongue with its unexpected f lavour.

Triple cream brie is key to achieve the desired richness of the cheese component, with McVeigh using a French cheese while keeping his eye on the local market. “The Australian brie isn’t quite there yet. It’s not

mature enough. But I’d like to use the local cheese if I can.”

Considering Dragoncello’s youth, the brie’s three-month stint on the menu is an encouraging sign – “it’s popular,” says McVeigh happily. “I think it could become a signature if it sticks around long enough.”

Even if it remains, the brie dish will f luctuate, reflecting the seasons and the changing produce to ensure the f lavours are always at their best. “If the bottlebrush isn’t available, I’ll use something else,” McVeigh says casually. “It’s about the balance, the product and the quality of the ingredients. And of course it’s about the garden.” •

DISH OF THE YEARDISH OF THE YEAR18 FOODSERVICENEWS.COM.AU MAY 2015

DISH OF THE YEAR 2015AS THE FOOD INDUSTRY CONTINUES TO PUSH FOR NEW AND COMPLEX WHEN IT COMES TO EDIBLES, THE SIMPLE THINGS CAN GO UNAPPRECIATED.FOODSERVICE’S DISH OF THE YEAR IS A REMEDY, RECOGNISING AND CELEBRATING THE SIMPLE CLASSICS BEING DELIVERED TO INDULGENT PERFECTION, AND THOSE CRAFTING THEM. AFTER MONTHS OF EATING IN CITIES AND TOWNS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THE JUDGES HAVE MADE THEIR FINAL DECISIONS, AND THE 2015 DISH OF THE YEAR RESULTS ARE IN...

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BEST BACON & EGG ROLLBEST BURGERBEST PIZZABEST FISH ‘N CHIPSBEST DESSERTWHO SCORED THE TOP PRIZES FOR 2015?

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New KNORR Pronto Napoli sauce is perfect for all your tomato dishes.

Ø With real tomato chunks throughout

Ø Beautiful red colour

Ø Delicious fresh tomato flavour


Ø Harvested and canned once a year - from vine to can in 24 hours

Simple and versatile, Napolitana sauce is an Italian classic and a

staple in every kitchen.


Ø Suits all your tomato based dishes

Ø Suitable for vegetarians

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DISH OF THE YEAR20 FOODSERVICENEWS.COM.AU MAY 2015

BEST BACON AND EGG ROLL

BACON AND EGG ROLL WITH DEEP-FRIED PORK BELLY ON SOURDOUGHBY THE RUNCIBLE SPOON, CAMPERDOWNFINALISTS: CIVILIAN BAR & KITCHEN; SINGLE ORIGIN ROASTERS

THE Runcible Spoon occupies a physical space within the old Westons biscuit factory in Camperdown, Sydney, but an emotional space in the hearts of customers for the indulgent, creative breakfasts and brunches that change to showcase seasonal produce.

Chef and owner Alex Watts, who started the cafe almost five years ago after a stint as Head Chef at The Welcome Hotel, is committed to cooking food he loves and can now add 'award-winner' to his CV.

The winning dish is what Watts calls the “spoon roll” and initially lurked only on the staff menu before a customer caught sight of it and fancied a taste. “They picked up on what we were eating and decided to try it for themselves, but with the addition of twice-cooked deep-fried pork,” says Watts, “and the dish was born.”

The roll – which Watts deems “good hangover food” – is steadily gaining popularity among diners and now enjoys a place on a menu, from whence it draws on elements of other dishes. That said, the spoon roll still shines with individuality:

“I think what makes the dish stand apart is the addition of salt and pepper fried pork belly. Also, the home-made chilli jam and aioli combination that is added is a knock-out,” says Watts.

“Customers like it as they share our passion for home-made food and creative, off-centre breakfasts.”

THE RUNCIBLE SPOON CHEF AND OWNER ALEX WATTS WITH HIS TROPHY

For a decade, PorkStar has joined forces with brilliant chefs to inspire a nation to “Get Some Pork on Your Fork”.

Together we have transformed the humble pig from a menu afterthought into a menu “must have”.

So to all the pork passionate chefs across the nation, we salute and applaud you.

Happy 10th Anniversary PorkStar!www.porkstar.com.au

Celebrating a decade of joy

NBW00607_Celebrating Ad_275x232_V2.indd 1 15/04/2015 3:04 pm


DISH OF THE YEAR

BEST BURGER

MARY’S BURGER WITH TRASHCAN BACONBY MARY’S, NEWTOWNFINALISTS: ROCKPOOL BAR & GRILL; ROCKWELL & SONS; THE ROYALE BROTHERS; CHEEKY BURGER BAR

“IT'S comforting, it's easy, it's greasy, it's tasty, and you can hold it in one hand with a beer in the other,” says Kenny Graham, co-owner of Newtown's favourite burger joint, on his winning burger.

Along with partner-in-crime Jake Smyth, Graham launched Mary's Burgers in Newtown in April 2013 as an establishment that combined the “guilty pleasure of smashing McDonalds without the taxi fare for the drive-through”. The menu is straightforward: burgers or fried chicken.

The classic Mary's burger – a beef patty – topped with trashcan bacon earned this year's title of best burger and is described by its creator as “an amalgamation of several of the world's most popular burgers”.

Quality is key, and Graham stresses “we care a

lot about what we do and use the best ingredients wherever possible... and we have upgraded our beef supply to O'Connors grass fed, one of Australia's leading cattle farms”.

The trashcan bacon is smoked on a (clean) trashcan lid and joins the burger in a soft white bun alongside the usual accompanying toppings, impressing both the foodies and foodService judges.

Mary's has recently spread its wings to grace a take-away store in Sydney's CBD, but the original Newtown venue offers the whole package of dine-in food and drinks as a “fun and friendly experience” says Graham.

“Burgers have always been synonymous with groups of friends getting together for good times, whether it be on the way up over a few beers or on the way down, the day after the night before.”

MARY’S BURGERS CO-OWNERS JAKE SMYTH AND KENNY GRAHAM

Promotion runs from 15 April 2015 to 15 June 2015. Goods must be invoiced between 15 April 2015 to 15 June 2015. Conditions apply. Open to Australian businesses who are end user customers of the Promoter and not the Promoter’s distributors, and any other business deemed ineligible by the Promoter in its absolute discretion. Final claims must be received by 5pm on 30 June 2015, unless specified otherwise. *Purchases must be made in one invoice to be eligible. Max 5 claims in total per eligible business.

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DISH OF THE YEAR

NAPOLETANA PIZZABY VIA NAPOLI, LANE COVEFINALISTS: LUCIO'S PIZZERIA, 400 GRADI

LUIGI Esposito, the Italian third-generation pizzaioli behind the family-friendly Via Napoli in Lane Cove, is no stranger to receiving awards for his dough-based creations. Deemed ‘Sydney’s Best Pizza 2014’ by Time Out magazine (“an edible catwalk” is how they described it), Esposito’s pizzas are authentic and traditional, created using high quality ingredients that include imported Caputo f lour and San Marzano tomatoes.

Fittingly for a proud Neopolitan, it was Esposito’s Napoletana that earned our top pizza prize, the recipe one “created by our ancestors” says the chef.

“We have kept it exactly the same way: simple with great flavour. It combines Naples tradition and passion. It’s authenticity is what makes it shine as a pizza.”

The Napoletana, one of 15 pizzas on a menu that extends into pastas and other Italian

specialities, is a dough base topped with San Marzana tomatoes, fior de latte, anchovies, capers, basil and olives, and comes in three sizes.

This winning pizza is “very popular, especially with older customers for its simplicity,” says Esposito, confirming the Napoletana has been on the menu since the establishment opened and remains a top seller.

The reason? “The soft supple Neapolitan pizza dough and unique ingredients allow you to take a bite and taste the sea of Naples.”

Fittingly, the Napoletana epitomise the bustling restaurant itself, founded in Novermber 2011 to recreate the experience of visiting a pizzeria in Naples. “The food, atmosphere and staff allow you to be transported to the streets of Naples,” says Esposito of his establishment.

CHEF LUIGI ESPOSITO WAS THRILLED WITH HIS AWARD

BEST PIZZA

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DISH OF THE YEAR

DUSKY FLATHEAD IN BATTER, HANDCUT CHIPS, PICKLES AND TARTARE SAUCEBY FISHFACE, DOUBLE BAYFINALISTS: TOMMY RUFF; BONDI’S BEST

BEST FISH AND

CHIPS

THE proof of a good dish is in dividing the critics, and FishFace’s award-winning fish ‘n chips has been fielding complaints and compliments for the 14 years it has been on the menu. Owner chef Stephen Hodges (pictured) is philosophical – “you can’t please everyone” – and credits his win to the freshness and quality of the fish.

“We only we only use dusky flathead,” he explains. “We dry fillet all our fish at the restaurant but leave the skin on to enhance the flavour and fat.”

The fish ‘n chips is the star of one of Sydney’s most beloved seafood restaurants, which opened in Darlinghurst before moving to its current, seaside spot in Double Bay in December 2013. The emphasis is on sustainable seafood, with Hodges bringing skills garnered at Rose Bay’s Pier, where

he worked alongside Greg Doyle, to what is his first solo venture.

Despite its longevity on the menu, the fish ‘n chips has undergone four face-lifts during its lifetime, with one of the most recent inspired by the former chef Josh Niland’s stint at The Fat Duck with Heston Blummenthal.

The batter is all important to the success of the dish, with Hodges admitting he ate “a lot of bad fish n’ chips” and experimented with many different batters before reaching what is now a major selling point for the dish – “customers like the crispness and lightness of the batter”.

FishFace’s menu may extend into sashimi and sushi, but for Hodges, the fish ‘n chips is a staple – “Fishface wouldn’t be FishFace without the fish ‘n chips,” he says.

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DISH OF THE YEAR

ANDREW BOWDEN, the pastry chef responsible for crafting our award-winning dessert, is on a quest for the “head nod of appreciation” with his decadent peanut butter and banana sundae.

“My favourite response is silence, and then when a diner looks up at the person they are sharing it with, they nod to acknowledge that they are both feeling it before digging back in.”

The epic sundae may fit neatly into the American Deep South vibe of Hartsyard where Bowden currently works, but it started life as a peanut butter and banana milkshake Bowden tasted in New York. At Hartsyard it is one of the signatures, having occupied a spot on the menu since the joint opened three years ago. Some customers visit solely to indulge in spoonfuls of the peanut butter and banana creation topped with stuffed home-made doughnuts, home-made pretzel ice cream and lashings of chocolate sauce.

“It ticks all the important categories in a dessert,” Bowden says of his dish: “When it's looking at you, you just want to eat it. It's completely over the top, its massive, but at the same time its well-balanced and everything just works.”

It most certainly achieves Bowden's intention – creating a dessert “you see and want to put your face in” – and he describes it as “something that people get excited about when they see it coming their way”.

Despite his thrill at his dish being crowned Best Dessert, Bowden doesn't have far to look for a justification. “I guess it has something to do with it being so damn delicious,” he adds cheekily. •

PEANUT BUTTER AND BANANA SUNDAEBY HARTSYARD, NEWTOWNFINALISTS: MERRICOTE; PRIX FIXE

BEST DESSERT

ANDREW BOWDEN IS THE MAN BEHIND HARTSYARD DESSERTS

Australia’s Favourite

SINCE 1926

When quality and consistency matter, look no further than the iconic Western Star range to deliver a star performance in the kitchen each and every time.

Visit fonterrafoodservices.com.au for further information and recipe ideas.

IT’S the Kraken! Or at least that’s what immediately came to my mind when I looked at the Buddha’s Hand. This fruit is surely one of nature's more unusual-looking creations courtesy of the ‘fingers’ that protrude and splay in all directions, providing inspiration for its name and giving it the underwater-creature vibe that is sure to raise a smile on the face of the busy chef.

The Buddha's Hand is thought to be the oldest cultivated citrus, with history placing its origins in India from where it was brought to China by Buddhist monks sometime after

the fourth century BE, hence the religious slant to the name.

The Chinese have long viewed this clawed hand fruit as a symbol of happiness, wealth and longevity, placing it as a centrepiece on tables or on altars. The 'closed-hand' versions of the fruit are the most prized for offerings as they most closely resemble the Buddhist hand gesture for prayer. The fruit is also hung up around the home as a natural air freshener thanks to its luscious citrus aroma.

In Japan, Buddha's Hand takes the name bushukan and is often given as a New Year gift to bring good fortune for the household in the year ahead. It is also used there to make tea among other things.

Superstition aside, China is the world's leading producer of Buddha's Hand, with six different varietals grown in the country, while in Australia we just enjoy one – sarcodactylis. This is grown commercially in Northern NSW where the Citris Medica tree thrives and available from May to July.

Sizes can vary from around 15-to-30cm, the price reflecting the size. Expect to pay around $6 for the smaller/mid range fruits but more for the larger, more mature specimens with a fuller, more intense f lavour.

The fruit has a brightly coloured, rough skin, akin to a lemon with a similar strong and citrusy smell. Just to make sure there is no doubt of its uniqueness, the fruit starts deep purple with the fingers clenched like a fist. The colour changes to green as it matures and to a very bright, sunny yellow when it’s ripe.

Given it's minimal flesh or juice, what’s to be done with this Kraken-like fruit? Shaved or finely sliced, the rind of the Buddha's Hand can be used to top an array of dishes such as steamed fish, used as a base for marmalade, or even candied to produce ‘Candied Hand’.

The fragrant oil can be

extracted from the skin and infused into dishes and drinks, the latter covering everything from tea to Limoncello, Vodka and even beer. You can even try a ' f inger' of this fruit in the top of your next Corona rather than a lime wedge – it delivers the same f lavour to the drink but makes for a great conversation starter!

If inspiration fails, the Buddha's Hand makes an eye-catching table decoration until creativity sparks and this unusual but strongly f lavoured citrus fruit finds a place on your menu. •

Justyn McGrigor operates top supplier Murdoch Produce. Contact him on: 02 8543 9999 or murdochproduce.com.au

PRODUCE

SHAVED OR FINELY SLICED, THE RIND OF THE BUDDHA’S HAND CAN BE USED TO TOP AN ARRAY OF DIFFERENT DISHES


BUDDHA’S HAND CITRUS MEDICA VAR. SARCODACTYLIS

STRANGE TO LOOK AT BUT SUBLIME TO EAT, BUDDHA’S HAND IS A

CITRUS FRUIT WITH MORE VERSATILITY

THAN ITS UNIQUE APPEARANCE

SUGGESTS, SAYS JUSTYN MCGRIGOR.

IN SEASONFRUIT: fresh almonds, Gala apples, cumquats, custard apples, persimmonVEGETABLES: artichoke (globe), borlotti beans, cardoons, rappe, sea grapes

FOODSERVICENEWS.COM.AU MAY 2015 31

MOUTHFUL

MOUTHFUL

THE HOG’S BREATH CAFE HAS APOLOGISED TO A BRISBANE CUSTOMER AFTER SHE FOUND A SINK PLUG IN HER SALAD DURING THE WEEKEND. BRISBANETIMES.COM.AU, 22 APRIL 2015

PROVIDENCE OR PRICE?40% of people feel passionate about supporting local farmers71% of people feel its important to know where food is from70% of people still buy on priceInformation from Weber Shandwick’s Food Forward 2014 report

TO PINTEREST OR NOT TO PINTEREST?

As Pinterest hits it’s fifth birthday, the company share some stats on the journey so far:50 billion pins collected by on more than 1 billion boards80% traffic from a mobile deviceEach year, Pinterest serves 1.5 trillion recommendationsOver 1.7 billion recipe pins

REVIEWER’S RHETORICThey call it a rum-drunk doughnut, but the outrageously syrup-soaked dough ball that comes to the table with a caramelised cheek of good peach and crumbs of milk powder is a dumpling in my book, and a bloody good one at that. The crowning glory? A scoop of saffron-scented crème fraîche where you’d expect the obviousness of ice-cream. Clever. Pat Nourse on Bang in Surry Hills, Gourmet Traveller, April 2015

SPUD YOU LIKEWe eat potatoes 14 times each month on average, with the humble spud consistently in the top five of vegetables purchased.Information from Potato Tracker, conducted by Colmar Bruton

RESTAURANT RANTS“I think restaurant staff instantly determine whether you are prime-table worthy or whether you should be consigned to table Siberia, where the sight of you eating doesn’t upset the delicate constitutions of the clientele that the restaurant is seeking to cultivate.” Table manners ensure waiter gives me a seat with a view, Bernard Salt, The Australian, 20 March 2015

COFFEE CULTUREIn any given month, 38.4% of Australians buy fresh coffee and 52.6% buy instant. Sydneysiders are more likely to buy fresh coffee than folk from any other state – 43.7% each month, but 45.5% buy instant. Information from Roy Morgan Research, research period 2010-2014

with95%

ITALIAN TOMATOES

FROM EMILIA ROMAGNA


Authentic

Napoli



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