delicious September 2022

IT’S BEEN A heartwarming month. Our annual Best of Australia issue has reinvigorated our hearts and minds. From surprising riffs on Aussie classics and great ideas for the entertaining season ahead to revitalised local travel spots and inspiring stories of triumph over adversity rippling through our delicious. Harvey Norman Produce Awards, there’s never been a more exciting time to enjoy Australian food. Granted, there are challenges – from climate change to supply chain issues. But there are green shoots of optimism, be it innovative new restaurants and chefs or sustainability champions making more from less. In this issue, our contributors have risen to the occasion to reinvent homegrown favourites, such as Matt Moran’s new takes on pub classics to make at home (p 66). On p 82 we’ve challenged ourselves to…

OUR MOST-LIKED POST 1,650 likes, 20 comments Step aside baked cheesecake, your place at the top of the ricotta pyramid has been taken by Georgie Esdaile and Helena Moursellas’ torta di ricotta e pere (pear & ricotta cake). Find the recipe at delicious.com.au #MAKEITDELICIOUS POLENTA, PLEASE: Ottolenghi’s polenta and parmesan bake (July, 2022) ticked all the boxes. Hearty, warming and economical, it was the perfect vegetarian winter meal. Growing up in Europe, polenta was enjoyed on an almost daily basis, yet it remains undiscovered for many Aussies. I am certainly doing my best to educate their tastebuds and will add Yotam’s recipe to my recommendations. Nicoleta Sica THE WINNER IS… The best Christmas present I bought for my 28-year-old son was a delicious. subscription. He moved across the country to live and work in Katherine, NT.…

ASPARAGUS AND POACHED EGGS WITH CAVIAR MUSTARD CREAM SERVES 4 AS A STARTER 3 bunches (500g) asparagus, trimmed4 sprigs thymeJuice of ½ lemon4 eggs, at room temperatureChervil leaves and lemon wedges, to serve CAVIAR MUSTARD CREAM 50g unsalted butter1 large eschalot, finely chopped50ml white wine400ml pure (thin) cream2 tbs Dijon mustard¼ cup salmon roe caviar, plus extra to serve¼ tsp ground white pepper To make the caviar mustard cream, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add eschalot and cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes until softened but not coloured. Add wine and reduce for 1 minute, then whisk in the cream. Bring to a gentle simmer and simmer, whisking occasionally, for 12-15 minutes until reduced by half (the sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.) To finish the…

@erinastarkey GREAT DANE Move over Noma, a new Nordic restaurant has opened in Melbourne. In the heritage-listed Olderfleet building on Collins Street, Freyja has been given an oh-so-Scandi update that combines earthy red brick with the warmth of oak. Jae Bang, of Norway’s two Michelin-starred Re-Naa, pairs Aussie ingredients with ancient techniques like fermenting, smoking and pickling. Swing by at lunch to try smørrebrød, an open sandwich piled with prawns and cabbage. TABLE TALK 1 Pack the car. The team from The Greens, The Growers and The Fernerv have opened a sprawling new eaterv in the tiny seaside town of Tomakin on the NSW South Coast. Despite what the name suggests, The Patch seats an impressive 226 diners, and boasts its own leafy outdoor terrace with a shipping container bar and interactive children's playground.…

TUCKED INSIDE A 100-year-old timber mill within the burgeoning Craft’d Grounds precinct in Albion, Hervés Restaurant and Bar offers French-informed food and wine for a new dining age. The first thing diners notice when entering the chic locale, where timber accents bring warmth to a space astutely decorated by Katie Cameron, is an open kitchen beckoning them further inside. During his esteemed career, French-born co-owner and venue namesake Hervé Dudognon has worked in some of the world’s most admired kitchens. In his first restaurant in Queensland’s capital, he’s joined by wife Cristina and his business partner, David Lyons. Curated in collaboration with lauded husband-and-wife team, executive chef Chris Norman and executive pastry chef Alex Norman, Hervé’s menu sees fresh produce cooked over coal, applying a culinary prowess steeped in classic French technique to…

THE VENUE: LOTI, 14–16 The Esplanade, St Kilda THE VIBE: The contemporary pastel dining room at the Saint Moritz apartments’ ritzy new restaurant reads more Chapel St. cafe than Mediterranean coast-inspired, which is a little jarring considering all the super posh food and tweezer cheffing at play. But the energy in Elijah Holland’s (inset) cooking is palpable. WHAT’S COOKING? Expert forager Holland has a penchant for threading proteins on twigs, using ingredients you can’t pronounce, and artful plating almost too pretty to eat. He did it for two years helming South Melbourne’s uber-fancy Lume, at Noma Australia and in Sydney’s Quay. At LOTI (an acronym for ‘lady of the ice’ and an ode to the old Saint Moritz skating rink) expect more of the same – with ingredients made from scratch or…