one to watch
MEET THE CHEF AT THE AGRARIAN KITCHEN EATERY — ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S TOP RESTAURANTS.
ASK AN ACCLAIMED chef what inspired them to pursue a career in cooking, and there will often be touching childhood memories of cooking alongside a grandmother or helping out in the family kitchen. Ali Currey-voumard, head chef at The Agrarian Kitchen Eatery and Store in New Norfolk, Tasmania, has a slightly different take on this. “The thing that got me started was Mum asking me to do more around the house! It was between cooking dinner twice a week, or doing the laundry. And I hate laundry,” she says. “Mum was a fine cook, but I drew most of my inspiration from cookbooks — they weren’t particularly good cookbooks, just odds and ends.” Still, it goes to show that being inquisitive and motivated can take you places, too. At the age of 25, Ali heads up the kitchen of a restaurant that was awarded two chef’s hats by The Good Food Guide 2018, just four months after it opened in June last year. In a double coup, The Agrarian Kitchen Eatery, which is housed in the bright and airy Bronte building at historic Willow Court, a former psychiatric hospital, was also named Australia’s Best Regional Restaurant in the guide. For owners Rodney Dunn and Séverine Demanet, who run their sustainable farm and cooking school of the same name near Lachlan, six kilometres down the valley from New Norfolk, opening a restaurant was a logical next step. “We decided to open a restaurant because we’d been running the cooking school for nine years and were ready for the next challenge,” explains Rodney. “The Derwent Valley was in need of eating places that went beyond takeaway, and we really wanted to put the amazing produce of Tasmania on a plate and give people the experience that we enjoyed so much.” For Ali, who grew up in Hobart and started a cooking apprenticeship there at 15, it was The Agrarian Kitchen that really fired up her creativity. “I met Rodney and did a class with him before I began my apprenticeship,” she says. Instead of paying for the class, Ali spent Saturdays working in the garden for a year. “It was my happy place... so lovely and relaxing. More than anything, it was good to remember what it was all about. Rather than being in a big, stressful kitchen, it was like, ‘OK, this is why I’m doing this.’ ” Ali finished her apprenticeship in Melbourne and went on to work at chef Andrew Mcconnell’s restaurants Cumulus Inc. and the Builders Arms Hotel. In 2016, she was on the verge of heading off to Canada with her partner when she visited Rodney and Séverine, who were gearing up to open the restaurant. “Rodney offered me a job, and we moved down,” Ali says. At The Agrarian Kitchen Eatery, the menu celebrates the best of local seasonal produce. Any excess produce is made into pickles, jams and ferments, which are served in the restaurant and sold in the adjoining store. “It’s a real priority for us to only use produce that’s grown around us, and ethically. That’s good as it supports the local economy and gets people wanting to grow, and the produce is way more delicious. And that’s our end goal — to make things memorable and delicious, and exciting to eat.” Some produce comes from the cooking school garden and New Norfolk’s community gardens, across the road from the restaurant, but most comes from local growers. Menus change constantly, reflecting what’s just been harvested. “Local suppliers tell us what they’ve got and we write the menus, so there’s no real decision making.” For our menu, Ali chose local oysters from Bruny Island and stracciatella, a dish that appears a lot in the restaurant. “We like to do really simple but really memorable flavours, addling little pickles and odds and ends.” Lamb comes from Richmond — “it’s with yoghurt and cucumber pickles” — and the fish comes from local fishermen or a Tasmanian seafood supplier. The pear and walnut pie is an autumn classic. As for the accolades coming so early in the restaurant’s existence, they are as daunting as they are exciting. “It was a surprise and very exciting, and I’m hugely proud of our team. It’s crazy to be noticed this early — we just have to keep them now and stay this good.” The Agrarian Kitchen Eatery and Store is at 11A The Avenue, New Norfolk, Tasmania. (03) 6262 0011; theagrariankitchen.com
STRACCIATELLA WITH TOMATOES & LOVAGE SALT
Serves 4 A soft, fresh cheese that forms the centre of burrata, stracciatella is sold in some delicatessens and specialty food stores. This recipe uses a combination of mozzarella and crème fraîche to replicate stracciatella. Feel free to use the real thing if it’s available. 1.7kg vine-ripened tomatoes, halved crossways 1 cup (loosely packed) lovage leaves* 2 tablespoons sea salt flakes 250g mozzarella 1 cup crème fraîche extra virgin olive oil, to serve 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Preheat oven to 100°C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Place tomatoes, cut-sides up, on prepared trays. Bake for 5 hours or until tomatoes are semi dried. Meanwhile, spread lovage leaves over racks of a dehydrator and process until dried. Alternatively, if you don’t have a dehydrator, place 2 layers of paper towel on a microwave-safe plate. Spread lovage leaves over paper towel and cover with another 2 layers of paper towel. Microwave on High 100% for 2–3 minutes, checking every 30 seconds to ensure leaves don’t burn. Place dried lovage leaves in a mortar and pound with a pestle until finely ground. Add sea salt flakes and stir to combine. Tear mozzarella into strips and place in a bowl. Add crème fraîche and use your fingers to mix until combined. Season with sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until required. Spoon mozzarella mixture onto a large serving plate. Top with tomatoes and season with lovage salt. Drizzle with oil and vinegar to serve. NOTE Leftover tomatoes will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Store leftover lovage salt in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to 1 month. *This perennial herb tastes like a cross between celery and parsley. Available at farmers’ markets and greengrocers. >
“It’s a real priority for us to only use produce that’s grown around us... It supports the local economy and gets people wanting to grow.”
LAMB CUTLETS WITH PICKLED CUCUMBER
Serves 4 8 lamb cutlets 2 baby cos lettuce, halved lengthways 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 cup thick Greek-style natural yoghurt extra virgin olive oil, to serve toasted black sesame seeds, to serve* PICKLED CUCUMBER 2 Lebanese cucumbers 1 small red onion, peeled 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup white wine vinegar 2 tablespoons caster sugar
To make pickled cucumber, using a mandolin, slice cucumbers and onion crossways into very thin slices. Place in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and stir to combine. Cover and stand for 1 hour. Meanwhile, place vinegar and caster sugar in a small saucepan and stir over a medium heat until sugar dissolves. Pour vinegar mixture into a heatproof bowl and set aside to cool. Drain cucumber mixture in a sieve. Transfer to a clean bowl and pour over vinegar mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until required. Heat a chargrill pan or barbecue grill over a medium-high heat. Brush lamb cutlets and cos lettuce with oil. Season with sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Chargrill lamb cutlets for 3–4 minutes each side for medium-rare or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate, cover with foil and set aside for 5 minutes to rest. Increase heat to high. Chargrill lettuce for 2 minutes or until grill lines appear and lettuce is just wilted. Arrange lamb cutlets and lettuce on serving plates. Top lettuce with pickled cucumber. Place a dollop of yoghurt on each plate, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with black sesame seeds. Serve. *Available at Asian grocery stores and specialty food stores.
ROAST LEMON LEAF WRAPPED FISH
Serves 4 600g whole cleaned fish, such as snapper 2 cups mixed fresh herbs, such thyme, flat-leaf parsley, fennel, dill, chives 2 tablespoons olive oil about 20 fresh lemon leaves*
Preheat oven to 180°C. Rinse fish inside and out under cold running water, then pat dry with paper towel. Place mixed herbs into cavity of fish. Brush fish with olive oil, and season with sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Place lemon leaves, overlapping slightly, over both sides of fish. Wrap fish in a sheet of baking paper. Fold ends to enclose and secure with kitchen string. Place fish on a baking tray. Bake for 30–35 minutes or until fish is just cooked through. Set aside for 5 minutes to rest. Transfer fish to a serving patter and unwrap baking paper to serve. *Ensure lemon leaves have not been treated with sprays.
OYSTERS WITH MIGNONETTE SAUCE
Serves 4 (See photograph, page 91) 1 large eschalot, peeled, finely chopped ½ cup aged red wine vinegar 12 oysters, in the half shell
Combine eschalot and vinegar in a small serving bowl. Season with sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside for at least 1 hour to develop flavours and allow eschalot to soften. Place oysters on serving plates. Spoon over mignonette sauce to serve. >
PEAR, HONEY & WALNUT CRUMBLE PIE
Serves 8 2 pears, peeled, cut into 3cm pieces ¼ cup sultanas ¼ cup honey ¼ cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice ¼ teaspoon ground cloves ½ teaspoon mixed spice pure cream, to serve FLAKY PASTRY 3 cups plain flour 300g cold unsalted butter, chopped 150ml very cold water 1 teaspoon salt WALNUT CRUMBLE 1 cup plain flour 120g cold unsalted butter, cut into 1cm pieces ⅓ cup raw sugar pinch of salt ⅓ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped To make flaky pastry, place flour in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until butter is coarsely chopped through flour. Add water and salt, and pulse until pastry just comes together but pieces of butter are still visible. Shape pastry into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours to rest. Meanwhile, combine pear, sultanas, honey, brown sugar, lemon juice, ground cloves and mixed spice in a large saucepan. Bring to boil over a medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 25–30 minutes or until pears are tender and liquid has reduced to a thick syrup. Set aside to cool to room temperature. To make walnut crumble, place flour and butter in a bowl. Using fingertips, rub butter into flour until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add raw sugar, salt and walnuts, and stir to combine. Grease a 25cm round fluted tart pan with removable base. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface into a large 5mm-thick disc. Line prepared pan with pastry and trim any excess. Place in refrigerator for 1 hour to rest. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line pastry case with baking paper and fill with pastry weights, rice or dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove paper and pastry weights. Bake for a further 8–10 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Increase oven temperature to 200°C. Spoon pear mixture into pastry case. Sprinkle walnut crumble mixture evenly over filling. Bake for 20 minutes or until crumble topping is golden. Set aside for 20 minutes to rest. Transfer tart to a serving platter. Serve hot, cold or at room temperature with pure cream.
“That’s our end goal — to make things memorable and delicious, and exciting to eat.”