128 GOURMET TRAVELLER
I
t’sthelittlethingsthatcount.Certainly,that’sthe
casewithAdamWolfers’cookingat MiddleEastern
restaurantGerard’sBistroinBrisbane’sFortitudeValley.
SincemovingnorthearlierthisyeartorunGerard’s
kitchen,theformerSydneychefofÉtelekandYellow
famehasbeenbusyreworkingthemenu.
MyriadcleverdetailsnowelevateGerard’scontemporary
takeonMiddleEasternshareplates,makingyoupauseand
reassesswhatyouthinkyouknowaboutthecuisine.It’s
progressiveMiddleEastern,remastered.
A caseinpoint:Wolfers’hotriffonzhoug,thespicygreen
Yemenisaucewhich,at Gerard’s,seesfieryfermentedchilli
mixingit upwithintenselyflavouredcorianderroottopowerful
effect.“Thefermentedchilligivesit a realkick,”saysWolfers.
“Traditionally,zhougis a spicycondimentthatusesrawchillies,
garlicandcorianderleaves,butwedoit differently.”
Wolfersalsorejigsthestandardköfte,addinga doseoflocal
flavour. Kangaroo mince is served moulded around a bone,witha tahinidippingsaucethat’sfermentedandgivena boost
withchickpeamiso.It’sanumami-ladenexplosionthatworks
perfectlywiththespiced-uprooandaccompanyingchillioil.
“There’ssomuchdiversitytoMiddleEasterncuisine.We’re
justscratchingthesurface,”saysWolfers,who’stappingintohis
family’sSephardiclinksat Gerard’s,aswellastakinginspiration
fromlocalproduce.“I’vebeendoinglotsofreadingandwe’re
workingwithfarmstocreatediversity.It’sreallyexciting.”
Wolfers’dishesarepresentedsimply,butthey’rerichly
layeredwithtextureandflavour.Skillspickedupworkingat
Sydney’splant-basedYellowalsoinformwhat’sonthetable,
withvegetablestakingcentralroles:cabbagethreadedonto
skewersandsmoked,forexample;celeriac“flatbreads”providing
a tortilla-likeaccompanimenttolambtartare;orpotatoconjured
intocrispgoldenshredsimitatingkataifipastry.Nativewattleseed
bringscoffeenotestodesserts,whiledriedfigleafaddslocal
flavourtoa za’atarspicemix.
“Thefigleafhasanamazingaromaandit’sdeliciousin
za’atar,”saysWolfers.“Traditionallyza’atarhastheactualshrub
as aningredient,butit’snota nativeherb.If it doesn’tgrowhere,
I don’tseethepointofbuyingit if I canmakemyownversion.
Wedousea fewnativeingredientsthroughthemenu– the
kangaroo,forexample,andwattleseed.Wewanttocelebrate
ingredientswe’vehadhereforthousandsofyears.”
ImpressedbythequalityofproduceinQueensland,Wolfers
is takingthingsa stepfurtherbycollaboratingwithfamily-run
TheFallsFarmintheSunshineCoasthinterland.“I’vebeen
askingthemtogrowa lotofstuffandthey’rerunningoutof
room,”hesays.Onthewishlistsofar,saysWolfers,aredifferent
lettuceandchillivarieties,includingthefruityAleppopepper,
aswellasspicessuchassumacandtheza’atarherb.Buckleup,
people,it soundslikethereareplentymoregoodtimestocome.
Gerard’sBistro,Gerard’sLane,14/15JamesSt,Fortitude Valley,
Brisbane, Qld, (07) 3852 3822, gerardsbistro.com.au25 gmblackstrapmolasses
25 mlextra-virginolive oil
1 tspdriedyeast
480 gmbreadflour
75 gmwholemealkamutflour
(seenote),plusextra
fordusting
25 gmwheatgerm
Toastedblacksesame
seeds,toserve
GARLICOIL
3 garliccloves,halved
lengthways
200 ml vegetable oilPanpita
MAKES 10 // PREPTIME 20 MINS
// COOK 1 HR 40 MINS(PLUSRESTING,
PROVING)Pictured p126.1 Forgarlicoil,combinegarlic
andoilina smallsaucepan,
simmerverygentlyoverlow
heat(about120°C,butnotabove
130°C)untilgarlicis tenderand
golden,andoilis infused
(50minutesto1 hour).Straininto
a heatproofbowl(reservegarlic
foranotheruse)andsetoilaside
tocool.Storeoilcoveredand
refrigeratedforupto2 months.
2 Meanwhile,whiskmolasses,
oliveoil,yeastand420mlwater
ina bowluntilcombined.Cover
andsetasideuntilfrothyon
top(30minutes).Mixflours,
wheatgermand2½tspfine
saltina largebowltocombine.
Makea wellinthecentre
andslowlyaddyeastmixture,
stirring to combine and scrapingdownsideofthebowltocollect
alltheflour,untila doughforms.
Coverandsetasidetorest
(30minutes).Stretchandfold
doughwitha spatulatoactivate
thegluten(30seconds),cover
againandresttorelaxthe
dough(30minutes).Repeat
stretching,foldingandresting
twicemore;thiswillstrengthen
thedoughbydevelopingthe
gluten.Coverandrefrigerate
torest(2hours,orovernightfor
thebestflavour).
3 Preheatovento230°Cand
placea largeheavyoventrayin
theoven.Dusta sheetofbaking
paperwithflour,dividedough
into 10 ballsandrestonbaking
paper,leavinga 5cmgap
between each, until theycometoroomtemperature
(1 hour).Lightlycoatballsin
flour,thenrolloutonanother
flouredsheetofbakingpaper,
addingmoreflourtoprevent
sticking,to20cmrounds.
4 Bakepitas,inbatches,in
thepreheatedpan,turning
once,untillightgoldenand
slightlypuffed(2-3minutes
eachside).Brushlightlywith
garlicoil,scatter9 pitas
withblacksesameseeds
(reserveonewithoutseeds
fortheceleryfattoushrecipe
(seep132)andcoverwithfoil
tokeepwarm.Servewarm.
NoteKamutflouris madefrom
khorasan,anancientwheat,
andis availablefromselect
health-food shops.