delicious September 2017

WHO ARE THE REIGNING WIZARDS OF AUS? Where are the country’s top eats, regions, getaways and, of course, where is the top produce? Certainly, the delicious. Produce Awards, in partnership with Miele, bring the country’s bounty to the fore. Our annual round-up of Australia’s best homegrown talent is a year-long campaign and is, quite simply, a privilege to be part of, both for the delicious. team and our 47-strong state and national judging panel. You can read about the results on page 21, and support local produce you love by using the hashtag #produceawards when you post. It’s never been more important to understand the story behind what’s on your plate, and I know the country’s producers would love your encouragement. When it comes to recipes, Matt Willkinson’s update on the…

#MAKEITDELICIOUS PHOTO OF THE MONTH Pillows of beetroot ravioli, brown butter sauce, fried sage leaves, fresh grated parmesan. Such pleasure and comfort. (Valli’s kitchen diary, July 14, p 52) #makeitdelicious @foragedphotography FAN FAVOURITE: Thank you so much for the July issue – hands down the best one yet! As a pescatarian, I’m always delighted at the range of recipes in delicious. that suit my diet, but this issue could have been written for me! Such amazing ideas and flavours. Abigail Gordon COSY UP: I’m writing in the midst of absolute ‘hygge’, the Danish word approximating to ‘cosiness of the soul’. This month (July 17), delicious. appropriately features ‘soul food’. I have a crackling fire, red wine and duck stock bubbling away in a cottage in the Blue Mountains. I’ve made it a tradition to…

WHEN I WAS ASKED to write about Valli’s time at delicious. , I immediately began compiling a list of the people she’d worked with over the years who I knew would want to contribute to this piece. Editors, book publishers, chefs, home cooks, writers, food producers, photographers, stylists, recipe testers – all of whom had seen her talent, professionalism and dedication up close. Being the food director of a magazine, as Valli was for well over a decade at delicious. , brings you into a close-knit circle of food professionals for long hours of researching, writing, shopping, testing, cooking, plating, styling and shooting. But as the list of names grew ever longer, I realised it was an impossible task to include everyone whose life she had touched, and decided simply…

MENU Heritage rock oysters ‘mignonette’ Pissaladiere, onion, anchovy, black olive Cured salmon, buckwheat blinis, horseradish, creme fraiche Chicken liver parfait, sweet sour jelly Comte custard, mushroom soubise Green peas, kohlrabi, buttermilk Green leaf salad, fresh herbs Poached chicken breast, confit leg, forest mushrooms, sherry Braised lamb shoulder, smoked eggplant, celeriac, lentils Steak frites, cafe de Paris Baby carrots, pearl onions, confit lemon, harissa Mandarin curd, chocolate sorbet, Florentine Hazelnut parfait, dacquoise, banana cream WITH A TALENTED TEAM who cut their culinary teeth at restaurants including Spice Temple, Bloodwood, China Doll, Rockpool and Claude’s, Sydney newcomer Bistro Rex has wasted no time making a name for itself since opening in Potts Point in March this year. Helmed by joint head chefs Jo Ward and Michelle Powell, the restaurant has proved a hit for its modern reinterpretations of French bistro…

“I’M HONOURED TO BE ON THE PANEL. THERE WAS SO MUCH KNOWLEDGE IN THE ROOM.” COLIN FASSNIDGE IT’S CALLED A LAZY SUSAN , but the rotating tray at the centre of the delicious. Produce Awards was spinning at a frenetic pace. That morning, 10 of the country’s boldface chefs and cooks had convened in Sydney for Australia’s leading showcase of breakthrough homegrown produce. For two animated days in June, the learned judges tasted, rated and debated every single ingredient from cultured butter to Wagyu beef, pink salt to greenlip abalone, heirloom carrot to spanner crab. In the end, winners were anointed, yet not before the serving turntable almost came off its axis. Day one kicked off with laughter. When project manager Lucy Allon reiterated that tastings would be blind, new judge Colin…

DEEP-FRIED BATTERED PRAWNS WITH SWEET CHILLI SAUCE SERVES 4 AS A STARTER Sunflower oil, to deep-fry 2 tbs plain flour 1kg large green prawns, peeled (tails intact), deveined, butterflied SICHUAN PEPPER & SALT (MAKES 1/4 CUP) 1 tbs Sichuan peppercorns (from Asian food shops) 1/4 cup (20g) salt flakes SWEET CHILLI SAUCE 2 cups (500ml) rice vinegar 1/2 cups (330g) caster sugar 1/3 cup (80ml) fish sauce 3 long red chillies, finely chopped BEER BATTER 1 cup (250ml) cold beer 1 cup (150g) plain flour, plus extra to dust 1 cup (125g) ice For the Sichuan pepper and salt, heat a frypan over high heat. Add peppercorns and salt, and cook, shaking the pan, for 1 minute or until peppercorns begin to pop. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. Using a mortar and pestle, pound until finely ground. Set aside. For the sweet chilli sauce,…