Australian Gourmet Traveller - (07)July 2019 (1)

20 GOURMET TRAVELLER

ONTHEPASS

You’vemovedfromSydneyto

runthekitchenatGerard’sBistro.

What’sonthenewmenuyou’ve

launched,weddingAustralian

ingredientstoa MiddleEastern

theme?Kangarookoftawith

fermentedtahini-misopasteand

chillioil;rawcoraltroutwithsea

tabbouleh,spicedbushtomato

andcorianderoil;andpressed

Jerusalemartichokewithgarlic

sauce,desertlimeandcrisps–

oneofthechefsheresaidit’slike

a “vegosnackpack”.

YourSydneypop-up,Ételek,was

knownforitsoutstandingbreads.

WhatwillyoubakeatGerard’s

Bistro?A Persianflatbreadcalled

barbari,whichhasa ridgedpattern

withnigellaseedsontop– it’ssuper

tasty.I’vealsobroughtmyeight-

year-oldsourdoughstarterandwe’ll

bedoinga friedpitathat’ssimilarto

thelángoswedidatÉtelek.We’ll

serveit withmatbucha,a traditional

Moroccancondiment,exceptour

versionusesvegetables,fruitsand

plantslocaltothearea:peppers,

plantains, strawberry gum.

Anyotherexcitingcondiments

planned?Wehada lotofleftover

flatbread,soI thoughtit’dbecool

tocreatea flatbreadmiso.We

fermentedit andit hadthissalty,

sourflavour,nottoodifferentto

kashk,a Lebanesefermentwith

yoghurtandburghul.

WhenyouworkedatYellow,you

wereknownforyourvegetarian

dishes.Willvegetablesplayan

equallybigroleatGerard’snow?

They’llbeanintegralpartofthe

menu.I’llmakea versionofkataifi,

withpotatoinsteadofpastry,

andI’mstartingtoworkwith

a lotoflocalgrowers.

Doyouthinkmorechefswillmake

themovetoBrisbane?I hope

toseemorechefsmovinghere.

Theseasonsaren’tasdramaticas

inthesouthernpartofAustralia.

ThecoastlineofQueenslandhas

someofthebestfruit,vegetables

andseafoodintheworld;I’mvery

fortunatetobesoclosetoit all.

Gerard’sBistro,14/15JamesSt,

FortitudeValley,Qld,(07) 3852

3822, gerardsbistro.com.au

Adam Wolfers

GERARD’S BISTRO, BRISBANE

OLD GUARD

Youthisn’teverything.JustaskDanielZivkovich,who

runsOldGirls,a Canberrabusinessthattradesin“meat

fromwell-livedandlovedanimals”.Analternativeto

typicalfarmingmethods,OldGirlssourcesmeatfrom

animalssuchasretireddairycows,andaimsto

celebratethecomplexflavoursandtexturesthatcome

withage.“Theflavouris unique,”hesays.“Ourpalates

aremoreusedtosomethingthat’sclosetoveal.”

Zivkovichcurrentlysourcesspentlayinghens,roosters

andretiredordual-purposecattle,andis experimenting

withdry-ageing.Pilot,BarRochfordandAubergineare

amonghiscustomers,whilelocalChineserestaurants

LazySuandBabySuhavebeenorderingroosters.

“Congeeis reallygoodwithroosters,”hesays.

“Especiallyroostersthathavebeenaroundfor

three or four years.” instagram.com/oldgirlscbr

InthefalloutofSeptember11,

38 planeswereforcedtolandin

theCanadiantownofGander,

strandingnearly 7000 peoplein

Newfoundland.Thehitmusical

ComeFromAway(20Julyto 29

SeptemberatMelbourne’sComedy

Theatre)conveysthewarmwelcome

theyreceived,andhasinspiredmore

than a few trips.comefromaway.com.au