Australian Gourmet Traveller - (02)February 2021 (1)

post-Covid.Theshowis centredarounda disgraced

celebritychef(mycharacter),hispathtoredemptionand

whathappensbehindthescenes– he’sa littlebitwashed

upandis stillbehavinglikeanabsoluteass.Youcouldget

awaywiththatbackinthe’90sbutyoucan’tgetawaywith

it anymore.Wewantedtoexplorepower,fameandfood.

ThemoreresearchI did,themoreI realisedthatcheffing,

likeacting,is anart– it’sanexpressionofsomeone’sego.

Especiallywithstageacting;youprepareandprepareand

oncethecurtaincomesup,it’sperformancetime,whichis

thesamefora restaurantservice.Giventheadrenaline

levelsarehigh,thereareactuallyquitea lotofparallels.

Everyoneis seekingperfection.Andthen the curtain

comes down and the service is over.●

ErikThomsonstarsalongsideRachelGriffithsinthenewcomedy

series Aftertaste, which premieres on February 3 on ABC.

I’vejustboughta littlerunaboutboatthatI’venamed

“MilkyWay”,aftermygrandfather’sboat.I’mlooking

forwardtogettingoutintothegulfandcatchinga few

fish;there’sa lotofsquidoutthereaswell.Myin-laws

hada placedownatMypongaBeach– somewhere

we’dholidayasa family– andtherewasa guythere

whowecalledsquidman.Hewouldstandinhisboat

andhand-catchsquidthensellit totherestaurants.

I liketocookalthoughI don’tgetwrappedupinfancy

stuff.Mystyleofcookingis moreJamieOliver– rustic,

throw-togetherkindofstuff.I preferwinterbecauseI love

tomakebourguignonandshepherd’spie.I alsoenjoy

sourcingqualityproduce,andwe’respoiltforchoicehere.

SouthAustralianKingGeorgewhitinghastobethebest

tastingfish– throwit inthepanwithsomebutter,Murray

Riverpinksaltanda squeezeoflemonjuice and it’s as

goodasyoucangetinanyrestaurant.

Aftertase, a newtelevisionshowwe’verecentlyfinished

filming, was the first production to start filming in Australia

GOURMET TRAVELLER 25

Memories

INTERVIEW KARLIE VERKERK. PHOTOGRAPHY IAN ROUTLEDGE.