LukeandSamuelBourkearefascinated
bynativeAustralianingredients.Thetwin
brothers(25),whomadetheirwayto
RockpoolBar& GrillviatheNational
IndigenousCulinaryInstitute,developed
theirinterestafterLuke’s 2016 stintat
NomaAustralia,inSydney.
“Itwasdefinitelythefirstexperience
whereI wasreallytaughttounderstand
nativeingredientsinAustraliaandit really
openeduptheconversation for me and
Samuel,”saysLuke.
Sincethen,thepairhasendeavouredto
exploreAustralia’svastarrayofIndigenous
ingredients,usingtheminplaceofregular
producewhereverpossible.“We’realways
tryingtogetourhandsonnewandnative
produce,”saysSamuel.“Indigenous
ingredientsaren’treallyusedenoughin
everydaycooking.Theyneedtobebrought
intothelimelightandunderstooda bitmore.”
Theboys,whogrewupinSydney’s
westernsuburbsandhavetiestoPalawa
country(Tasmania),werealwaysencouraged
toexperimentinthekitchen.“Oursisteris
a chefandbothourgrandmaswerebighome
cooks,sowewerealwayshelpingout,
whetherit waschopping herbs or plucking
a chook,”saysLuke.
Eachcompletedtheirapprenticeship
atRockpoolBar& GrillinSydney,withLuke
stayingonaschefdepartieandSamuel
takinga full-timepositionasjuniorsous-chef
atRosetta,alsopartoftheRockpoolgroup.
Usingtechniquesdevelopedinthe
Rockpoolkitchen,LukeandSamuelhave
combinedtheirtalentstocreatetwo
inherentlyAustraliandishesforthisissue.
“Wetriedtoincorporateskillswelearntat
Rockpool,”saysSamuel.“Forexample,using
oneingredienttoshowcase lots of different
elementsandflavours.”
LukeandSamuelhopetoruntheir
ownkitchensomeday,whereIndigenous
ingredientsarefrontandcentre.“Foodtalks
indifferentways,”saysSamuel.“I thinkusing
nativeingredientsis greatwayofbreaking
downbarriers,connectingwithpeople and
reconnecting with the past.”➤Luke&SamuelBourke
ChefdepartieatRockpoolBar& Grill(Luke),and
junior sous-chef at Rosetta (Samuel), both SydneyWORDS GEORGIE MEREDITH.