Australian Gourmet Traveller - (06)June 2019 (1)

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incemovingtoTasmanianearlytwoyearsago,I’ve

rekindledmylovefortheseasons.Thisis oneplacein

Australiathathasfourverydistinctseasonsthatinfluence

whatwecook,pick,divefor,andhowwedine.Andeach

bringssomethinguniqueandspecialtothetable.

I’velearnt,forinstance,thatspringis thetimeforwildgarlicand

herbs,summerforpreservingtheseason’sbounty,autumnforwild

mushrooms,applesandpepperberries,andwinterforseafood,and

indoorpursuitssuchas cheesemakingandcuringmeat.

It mayseemoddtocooksomuchwithseafoodduringwinter,

butreally,thisis whenmuchofit is at itspeak.Theicyoceandown

herebringsa sweetnesstoit thatrivalsmymemoriesofScottish

langoustinesandNormandyscallopswhenI workedinLondon.

InTasmania,winteris allaboutcookingandkeepingwarm

neara woodfire.Myfavouritewaytospenda Sundayafternoon

is infrontofa firewitha bottleofwineandsomefriends,slowly

grillingwhateverthedayhasgivenus.

I feelaboutSatelliteIslandthewayI feelaboutfewplaces:it’s

somewherethatalwayslivesuptoitspromisenomatterhowhigh

theexpectations.Somewhereyoucanbuilda fireona rockshelf

thenjumpofftheendofthejettyandresurfacewithabalone,sea

urchins,andinnumerableangasiandPacificoysters.

It’sa beautifulplacetosharewithfriends.It’sprettyspecial,after

all,tobeabletohosta lunchmadefromseafoodwe’vedivedfor,

localvegetableswe’veharvested,cheeseswe’vemadeandlocalgame

fromBruny,anislandoffanisland,offanisland.

Onlythesimplestfinishesareneededfortheproducewehave

at ourfingertips.Preparethemaheadsocookingovercoalstakes

centrestage.TheXOsaucehereaddspunchtoabaloneanda whole

cabbagecharredovercoals,forexample.Seaweedbutteris fittingfor

freshlypoppedoysters,andbeetrootroastedintheovenorovercoals

arewelcomeat anywinterlunch.Tofinish,a simplebakedpudding

withpoachedwinterfruitis a greatloveofmine,withorwithoutfire.

Franklin, 30 Argyle St, Hobart Tas, (03) 6234 3375, franklinhobart.com.au

Menu

GrilledSatelliteIslandoysters

withseaweedbutter

Flatbreadwithmisoeggplant

andurchin

NVAlessandroViola“Blancde

Blancs”catarratto,Alcamo,Sicily

2017 MomentoMori“GiveUp

theGhost”grecoditufo,

Heathcote,Victoria

Wallabytartarewithanchovydressing

Roastedbeetrootwithbottarga

andcrèmefraîche

2015 Tschida“HimmelaufErdenRosé”

cabernetfranc,Burgenland,Austria

Lobsterandabalonewith

wakamebutter

CharredcabbagewithXOsauce

2016 GreenIslandchardonnay,

BirchsBay,Tasmania

2009 Jean-PierreRobinotL’Ange

Vin“Enuaj”cheninblanc,

LoireValley,France

Walnutpuddingwithquince

andfennelpollen

2018 Manon“APQ”Cider,Adelaide

Hills, South Australia