Other Tasmanian delights

Meadowbank Vineyard

A couple of weeks ago I went to Tasmania for Savour Tasmania and have already blogged about that. On arrival in Hobart, a friend collected me and took me to the Meadowbank vineyard for lunch. Here I was surprised and delighted to find Wayne Smith and his wife Emmanuelle. I had long been a fan of Wayne’s cooking when they had La Goulue in Crows Nest, now sadly closed down. We shared rillettes and terrine with a glass of excellent pinot noir and then had a second entrée of whiting with a remarkably mild and delicate citrus sauce matched with pinot gris. There is also a shop attached which is full of interesting products and a good range of food and wine books, including Balance Matching Food and Wine. What Works and Why co-authored with Colin Corney (Hachette $35).

Rabbit rillette, crostini & cornichons

The King of Salmon

On a recent trip to New Zealand I tasted New Zealand King Salmon and to my delight have discovered that not only is King Salmon (also known as Regal Salmon) the salmon of choice for many top restaurants but it has recently hit the Sydney Fish Market’s auction floor and is available at de Costi, Aldi, IGA stores in NSW, Victoria and Queensland as well as specialist food shops and fishmongers.

Comparable in price to local salmon, it is higher in healthy Omega-3 fat which makes it difficult to overcook and has vitamins and minerals that promote good health. Fantastic as sashimi, it is available year round as whole and portioned fish, cold smoked, wood roasted and as dips and caviar. It has clean, green credentials being grown in the remote pristine waters of the Marlborough Sounds in the South Island of New Zealand without any chemicals or medicines.

Back to my trip … we were taken on a fascinating tour of the farm and my overriding thoughts were pristine and pure. The farm is compliant to robust environmental regulatory framework and is the only salmon producing region with no antibiotics. Further, pesticides or sea lice treatments are not used and there is a pressurised water system to clean the nets rather than anti-foulant paint.

When I looked at the whole fish the fins and tails were not clubbed, this is a sign of low intensity production – these fish are free to swim around with no overcrowding. Predators, principally seals, are not treated lethally but kept out with caging and the like rather than shooting.

Duo of Greek dips

I’m reliving my recent trip to Greece through cooking.

I fell in love with Fava – a bright yellow split pea puree that is usually served as part of mezethes (or mezze). On the menu they were listed as chick peas but on further research I found that fava in fact are split yellow peas. It is delicious scooped up on fresh bread. Look for the split peas at a Greek grocer, Indian market (called yellow dal moong) or your local grocery store. Sprinkle the top with some finely sliced onion (though in Greece they would serve quarters) and some good olives. I am still not sure why in Greece they were bright yellow – perhaps some saffron was added to the cooking water? Does anyone know?

My trip to Greece also reminded me how good home made Tzatziki is, rather than shop bought, especially when made with sheep’s milk yoghurt. For best results you need to strain the yoghurt – I spoon it into a fine strainer (or piece of muslin) placed over a larger bowl and refrigerate overnight to drain. The secret to this dip is an ample slug of your best olive oil.

Here is a link to the recipes on my main site.

Savour Tasmania wrap up: Demon chef Alvin Leung at Mee Wah and Maggie & Simon’s Masterclass

I recently wrote about Savour Tasmania and having just returned from Hobart, wanted to share further details and images with you.

I was thrilled to be part of the second annual Savour Tasmania, an epicurean festival featuring Australian and international chefs and fabulous Tasmanian produce. Beginning on 27 May there were various sell-out degustation dinners and masterclasses for students and the public in Hobart and next weekend more events in Launceston and Burnie.

Guests came from around Australia to dine on the cuisine of Spain’s Paco Roncero from Casino de Madrid, Alvin Leung from Bo Innovation in Hong Kong, Philippe Nouzillat from Brasserie Wolf in Singapore, New Zealand’s Martin Bosley from Martin Bosley’s in Wellington and our very own The Cook and the Chef, Maggie Beer and Simon Bryant.

I mced two dinners by Alvin Leung, whose restaurant, Bo Innovation in Hong Kong recently catapulted up the San Pellegrino Top 100 List from position 97 to position 65. Held at Mee Wah, which brought elegant and sophisticated Cantonese dining to Tasmania, the dinners were as much fun as they were innovative.

Alvin, with his streaked hair, sunglasses, funky clothes and ‘Demon chef’ tattoos, held the audience captivated as he explained the motivation behind his dishes created with the science of molecular gastronomy. All had a recognisable basis in Chinese cuisine from his Molecular ‘xiao long bao’ transforming the much loved Shanghainese dumpling into a sphere which popped in the mouth with familiar flavours

Yia sas from Crete

Wild artichokes

Click here to read about my eating and drinking adventures in Crete.