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Sydney, Australia is a sparkling, modern city with a friendly and casual atmosphere. An appreciation for the outdoors, their local ingredients and sustainability comes through in their food whether it’s the simply prepared-yet carefully handled dishes from farm-to-table restaurants like Biota or very refined, modern dining rooms like Sepia.
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South Australia - Garlic and Rosemary Studded Leg of Lamb
During my journey through South Australia I was joined by my friend and Le Bernardin Sommelier, Aldo Sohm. While I tried my hand at sheep herding, Aldo visited some of Australia's premier vineyards and wineries. Our closing dinner brought together the flavors of the region in a beautiful way and it inspired me to create this leg of lamb to enjoy with some of the wine we brought back.
Spicy Tomato Consomme
About
Inspired by our Temple Food episode in Korea.
In this recipe, we are creating “tomato water” which requires blending tomatoes into a pulp and then putting them in layers of cheesecloth set over a bowl for 2-3 hours. Bird’s eye chili peppers are also used here. This tiny, red pepper is very hot but adds a distinct flavor that is typical in Korean food. Be careful when handling them and distribute them thoughtfully when serving.
Serves 4
Directions
Set up a strainer that is lined with cheesecloth folded into at least 4 layers. Set the strainer on top of a bowl to catch the liquid that will be strained.
Remove the core from each tomato. Roughly chop the tomatoes and put into blender blender with about 1 teaspoon of salt. Pulse the tomatoes until almost pureed, but with a few chunks remaining. Pour the blended tomato into the cheesecloth-lined strainer, and refrigerate. The tomato mixture will slowly drip clarified tomato water into the bowl. This will take about 2-3 hours to completely drip out of the puree, and can be done overnight.
Once the tomato water has dripped from the cheesecloth, pour it into a medium sized pot. The remaining puree can be saved for another recipe, or discarded. Bring the tomato water up to a boil over medium heat. Foam will start to form at the top of the tomato water, and should be skimmed off. Once all the foam is skimmed off, add the garlic, lemongrass, and birds eye chilies to the tomato water. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cut the dried rice cellophane noodles into bite-size pieces with scissors, and place into a medium sized pot. Pour the boiling tomato consommé through a strainer over the pot with the noodles in it, removing the aromatics. Bring the consommé back to boil and fully cook the noodles.
With a slotted spoon, scoop equal amounts of the noodles into four serving bowls. Pour the consommé over the noodles in the bowls. Garnish the top with the scallions, sliced cherry tomatoes and a few drops of extra virgin olive oil. Serve immediately.
Ingredients
8 lbs ripe tomatoes
8 scallions, sliced thinly
4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
2 stalks lemongrass, sliced
3 bird’s eye chili peppers, stem removed and sliced thin
2 cups dried rice cellophane noodles
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 grape tomatoes, sliced
Fine sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
Sautéed Striped Bass with Green Papaya Salad and Blood Orange Vinaigrette
The 'Top End' of Australia is home to crocodiles, fresh water sharks, water buffalo and other wildlife that Eric encounters along his journey. Eric’s adventure takes him by boat up the Mary River then by helicopter to a remote fishing spot where he will try to reel in a prized barramundi...all the while avoiding becoming dinner himself. Inspired by his wildlife adventures, Eric will prepare Striped Bass with Green Papaya Salad and Blood Orange with a Citrus Vinaigrette.
Buffalo Burger
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