CLAYTON WELLS IS A

busy man. As well as helming his inner-city Sydney fine-diner, Automata, he’s spending one week a month at Blackwattle, his restaurant in Singapore. Then there’s his latest Sydney venue, A1 Canteen, which is set to open any day opposite Automata in The Old Rum Store in the Kensington Street dining precinct.

The demands on his time didn’t stop the hot-shot chef putting together this collection of recipes that showcases “the line we’re going to be travelling on with A1 Canteen – it’ll be a fun, casual place”.

Wells’ cooking style is heavily influenced by his global travels and overarching desire to showcase the best and freshest local produce – clearly evident in the recipes here and, he says, an ethos that will carry through to the more casual surrounds of the 55-seater canteen: “It’ll be a nice eclectic mix of different flavours.”

Adds Wells: “We like to play around with a lot of different things at Automata, and now we’ve got the more casual setting [with A1], it’s great to use things we might not use at Automata.”

BABY GEM LETTUCE, EGG SALAD AND CURRY VINAIGRETTE SERVES 4

4 eggs, at room temperature

1/ 3 cup (100g) whole egg mayonnaise 2 baby gem lettuce, halved lengthways Baby parsley leaves, to serve

CURRY VINAIGRETTE

21/ 2 tsp curry powder 21/ 2 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp chardonnay vinegar 1 tsp lemon juice 100ml grapeseed oil

For the curry vinaigrette, combine curry powder, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice and 1 tsp salt flakes in a bowl. Whisk in oil in a slow, steady stream until well combined. Stir through 2 tsp hot water and set aside.

Meanwhile, to make egg mayonnaise, bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Carefully add eggs and boil for 8 minutes for hard-boiled. Drain and transfer to a bowl of iced water. When cool enough to handle, peel and halve, separating yolks and whites. Press yolks through a fine sieve into a bowl. Finely chop whites and add to yolk with mayonnaise, stirring until combined. Chill until needed.

Heat a frypan over high heat. Add lettuce, cut-side down, and cook for 1 minute or until lightly charred. Transfer to a platter and scatter with salt flakes. Top with egg mayonnaise and drizzle with vinaigrette. Scatter with parsley to serve.

SALT BEEF BAGEL, MUSTARD AND PICKLES MAKES 8 BAGELS

Begin this recipe 4 days ahead.

8 poppyseed bagels, halved, toasted

cup (70g) Dijon mustard 250g creme fraiche 1 bunch dill, sprigs picked 1/4

PICKLED GHERKINS

100g table salt 1kg gherkins or small cucumbers 4 cups (1L) white vinegar

1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar 1 tsp each black peppercorns

and coriander seeds 1 bunch dill, sprigs torn

SALT BEEF

250g table salt 200g brown sugar 4 garlic cloves 1 bunch thyme 4 bay leaves 2 tbs each black peppercorns

and coriander seeds 1 tbs cardamom pods 8 whole cloves 2 star anise 2kg uncorned beef silverside,

trimmed, quartered 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil 2 each onions, carrots and celery

stalks, chopped

Four days before serving, for the pickled gherkins, combine 8 cups (2L) water and salt in a bowl, stirring until salt is dissolved. Add gherkins to salt mixture. Cover and chill for 24 hours to brine. Drain, discarding brining liquid. To make pickling liquid, combine vinegar, sugar, peppercorns, coriander, 2 tsp salt flakes and 900ml water in a non-reactive bowl. Add dill and brined gherkins. Cover and chill for 3 days to pickle.

For salt beef, combine all ingredients except beef, oil and vegetables with 3.5L water in a non-reactive bowl, stirring until salt is dissolved. Add beef, cover and chill for 48 hours to brine. Drain, discarding liquid and reserving beef.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery, and cook, stirring, for 8 minutes or until softened. Add beef and enough water to just cover. Bring to the boil, cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook, turning beef halfway, for 2 hour 30 minutes or until beef is tender. Remove from heat and stand beef in cooking liquid until cooled. Transfer 1 cup (250ml) cooking liquid and beef to a bowl and set aside to cool completely.

To assemble, spread bagel tops and bases with two-thirds mustard. Cut beef into 8mm-thick slices, drizzle with a little cooking liquid, then layer on bagel bases,