 The wait is over! Guillaume Brahimi's new restaurant in Paddington is opening this week. Here is a sneak peak into his new "Guillaume", courtesy of the Australian Gourmet Traveller. Can't wait to go!
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It is winter in Australia, and even if most people don't believe it can be cold here, I can attest that we even have snow in some part of the country, including the Blue Mountains which are only a two hours drive from Sydney. So, it seems appropriate (to me, at least...) that we should populate this newsletter with winter warmer recipes. Over the next few weeks we will add French regional recipes, most of them classic dishes like Boeuf Bourguignon shown above, a few with a twist for good measure!
To access it, subscribe to our Newsletter and we will send you the link and password. Enjoy with no moderation! 
Morrocan monkfish with couscous and spicy tomato sauce
I love monkfish! and for many years, I couldn't find it here in Sydney. Over the last three-four years it has sporadicly appeared at the Sydney Fish Market and each time I bought some to cook at home. My most common way to prepare it is as a curry, or on a bed of crushed potatoes and olives - see recipe here - but today I felt quite adventurous and trawled my favourite website and magazine Cuisine I found a Morrocan-inspired recipe that I decided to make my own as I didn't have all the ingredients in my pantry...So off went the almonds and the saffron and in went pine nuts and dried chillies instead! So here is what I did: Put some olive oil in a pan, add sliced red onions and cook until transparent, then add canned tomatoes and tomato paste. You can use fresh tomatoes, but it will take more time to reduce. 
Red Onions,tomatoes and tomato paste to start with...
Then add crushed garlic, pine nuts, basil, sliced ginger and chillies... 
Crushed garlic and pine nuts in...
Add basil...
Have ginger, lime and dried chillies at the ready!
Sliced ginger and chillies in...
Now it is time to prepare the monkfish and the couscous. Before doing so I put the tomato sauce in another pot and removed the garlic, ginger and basil, and let it simmered for another 10 mns. I found beautiful fillets of monkfish, so I just had to cut two of them into rough cubes and I have enough leftover for another family dinner later in the week. So, I just cleaned the pan I used to prepare the tomato sauce, poured some more olive oil and waited until it was hot enough again. During that time, I put some water to boil in another pot, just enough to cover the couscous that I have measured beforehand, as well as cutting a small amount of butter into small cubes, ready to incorporate into the couscous. Always pour the couscous in the just boiling water off the heat and mix with a fork until all water is absorbed, then incorporated the butter until it "gels" somehow. In the meantime, throw the monkfish cubes into the hot pan and cook gently for 5 mns. Once cooked through, squeeze half a lime onto the fish and season to taste. Remove heat and cover until ready to plate. It is wise to keep the plates warm, in your oven at 40 deg for instance. 
Beautiful monkfish from New Zealand
Monkfish cooked, seasoned and limed, ready to plate!
Couscous and butter, ready to use...
Almost ready...keep incorporating the butter into the couscous until...
...it looks like this and start plating!
Add the sauce...
Top up with the monkfish...
The final touch: a few mint leaves (or coriander if you prefer..) Bon appétit!
Et un petit Chardonnay avec çà , peut-être?
 AWBS Australian Wine Experience at The Oak Barrel - The scene is set!  I have known Ben Hughes - the Head of Liquids - as he likes to call himself, at the Australian Wine & Beer School - for quite some time, and we stroke a friendship out of common interest for food and wine. So much so, that Ben surprised me with an invitation to join one of his July classes on Australian Wines. Having recently acquired my full Australian citizenship, I thought it would be appropriate to investigate the local liquids with a friendly expert. Ben has over 25 years of experience in the wine industry and being originally from the UK, he has a vast knowledge of both local and international wines. And what I particularly like about Ben is his no non sense, down to earth and simple approach to help you understand wine and get a good and common sense understanding of food/wine matching. If you are a regular reader of this blog, then you will know that cheese is also one of my passions and the prospect of matching Australian wines to European Cheeses was irresistible. So, I went last night... I was not disappointed, and Ben had a few surprises in store for me... Methode Tasmanoise - JANSZ Not really a surprise here, though, as Jansz has been my second best choice after Chandon for many years. Delicate taste, fine bubbles, cold climate out of Tasmania. Great choice! We had a Brie to match, and although pasteurised, as all Bries & Camemberts in Australia, it was a perfectly ripe fromage, and the surprise came as how good the two were playing together!  Brie and Goat Cheese to match with the bubbly and white wines  Cheese data sheet RIESLING - CLARE VALLEY - SOUTH AUSTRALIA - WATERVALE - JIM BARRY Watervale Riesling 2013 - Jim Barry We had a chance to match an Italian goat cheese called Brunet with this young but robust Riesling whose acidity cut through the fat of the cheese. A bit more info on the Brunet: Brunet is a great choice for goat’s cheese lovers and novices alike. It is named after a local goat breed in the Piedmont region, and it is made in the style of the traditional ‘robiola’ cheeses of the area. The flavour is rich and creamy with a fresh finish and clean goat’s milk flavours. The texture is smooth and even, dense and a little fudgey. Chardonnay - MOUNT BARKER - WESTERN AUSTRALIA - WEST CAPE HOWE West Cape Howe Chardonnay from Mount Barker - WA Ben believes that the best food match for a Chardonnay is Roasted Chicken, so much so that I bought a Pouilly Fuissé for my wife's recent birthday and our children cooked a Poulet Provençale or Pollo alla Cacciatora in the Italian version if you prefer this implementation. I will soon post the recipe in our upcoming Winter Newsletter, so you might want to subscribe here In this particular case, we had to content ourselves with a second serving of Brie in my case, as this is a more robust wine than the Riesling and I though the Brie would be a better match, and it was! Harvested in cool weather, fermented in stainless steel and finished in French Oak, it has strenght and flavours and complexity not dissimilar to a Chablis or that Pouilly Fuissé  Pouilly Fuissé Château des Rontets - Clos Varambon - 2009 for the Birthday Girl!  Poulet Grillé à la Provençale - Pollo alla Cacciatora for the Birthday Girl GRENACHE ROSE - BAROSSA VALLEY - SOUTH AUSTRALIA - Rogers & Rufus - A SURPRISE! Rogers & Rufus - Grenache Rosé Well, let's be straight here: I don't like Rosé much, mainly because it has been traditionally not a very good wine. There are exceptions as in Cassis and Bandol in Provence, but I prefer to avoid them. Having said that, Ben recommends Rosé as a picnic wine, and I do agree with that, as it is lighter than other wines generally and you are not transporting elaborate food if you are trekking the Gorges du Verdon or ascending the Mont Ventoux. Charcuterie, cold pizzas and quiches would certainly thrive against a Rosé, and this particular example from the Barossa Valley was certainly a great and good surprise, so maybe once the weather warms a bit here in Sydney, a walk in the Blue Mountains will be "de rigour" and my food basket will certainly include a bottle of this amazing discovery! Time to move to the Reds and Fortified!PINOT NOIR - MORNINGTON PENINSULA - VICTORIA - Kooyong MASSALE Pinot Noir - Kooyong Massale Well, I really like Pinot Noir and this one is a fine example of the genre. We went to the Mornington Peninsula two and a half years ago after the Australian Open and the now legendary match between Federer and Murray. We celebrated the Scot victory in style with a great lunch and wine at Montalto, so we didn't get a chance to visit Kooyong, although we heard plenty good things about them there. We had a new set of cheeses with the red wines: a gorgonzola from Italy and a Manchego from Spain.  Gorgonzola and Manchego SHIRAZ - HUNTER VALLEY - NEW SOUTH WALES - ALLANDALE Allandale "Matthew" Shiraz 2011 from the Hunter Valley Well, when it comes to Shiraz, I am a little biased as my almost daily consumption of French GSM makes me always wary of these big Australian reds. And this one is no exception, although I found it more subtle and layered than let's say a Barossa one...so goodnya Ben! I had not drank a red from the Hunter in a long time, and it was interesting to see that there is a movement away from heavy reds. Although fermented for 12 months in American Oak, it is almost light at 13.5% alcohol and at 30$ a bottle, it is a steal. So, I will certainly revisit this one at home with a rack of lamb for instance... Tempranillo - Barossa Valley - SOUTH AUSTRALIA - RUNNING WITH BULLS Running With Bulls Tempranillo from the Barossa The only wine that Ben decanted for our liquid pleasure! That tells you something about the body of this wine! Tempranillo, the Spanish grape behind the (now..) famous Rioja, this Australian version, and hence the name of the winery: clever! This is a big wine that needed the gorgonzola cheese. "The 2013 Barossa Tempranillo has an expressive bouquet that opens up in the glass to reveal fruits of the forest, bramble and dark chocolate with hints of cinnamon and dried lavender. The wine is juicy and plush exhibiting flavours of Satsuma plum and chocolate, finishing with pomegranate crunch and long rustic tannins. Try with a spicy chorizo, red onion and capsicum pizza." I really enjoyed this one! Tokay - RUTHERGLEN - VICTORIA - SeppeLTSFIELD Solero DP57 Grand Tokay - Seppeltsfield Clearly - or not so clearly - my camera is becoming tipsy by now, or is it just me?. Our last wine of the evening is a Tokay from the Rutherglen Valley in Northern Victoria, a region I am dying to visit, as it is a treasure trove of good food and wine, as well as astonishing beauty. The region is famous for its Ports and fortified wines, but produces also a very interesting range of cool climate wines. Allow me to be straight with you, I am not a great fan of fortified wines, and even a good Sauternes with a thick slice of Foie Gras on Brioche is not something I have been really missing in my 17 years in Australia. I found this wine lacking character. Yes, it was sticky, but I thought it was a bit too sweet and fairly flat, and even with the Gorgonzola, I was not convinced, but that what education is all about!  A great night at the Oak Barrel, with great people. Thanks Ben ! In conclusion, we all had a great time tasting these wines and being carefully and expectedly guided through the maize of flavours and stories of wine and food pairing. Ben has acquired the casual professionalism which is the trademark of good Australian business people. His evenings are smartly structured, and his enthusiasm and his deep knowledge don't get in the way of you feeling like this is the first time he is doing this presentation, and he is doing it just for you! A great talent...
It is well oiled (!) and the range of wines gives a wide and knowledgeable picture of the Australian wine landscape. The cheeses supplied by Ocello don't disappoint and certainly added another dimension to the tasting. Ben organises European wine (that includes French...) tastings - called the European Wine Experience, as well as a Champagne only gig - The Champagne Showdown - all events will be bookable soon via a new website that should be up in a few days. I will have to go back then, and so should you! 
Beyond spending time watching Phillippa's baking, I had a chance to actually do my shopping at the market as well, and primarily for salads and veggies. I did manage to buy some lovely salads from Darling Mills Farm, an all time favourite, had a great chat with James Viles of Biota Dining that we are going to revisit later this month, and discovered David's Larder and their wonderful sausages, which were sold out by the time I was finished with Phillippa. You can buy their products from David Jones Food Hall and other fancy food shops as well as their own shop in St Marys. 
My favourite honey supplier: Australian Honey Cellars, here "en famille"
Organic veggies at Block 11
Roots, Shoots & Leaves: They do the foraging for you!
More of RSL
Farewell to Whisk & Pin, who are no longer coming to this market after a ten year presence. You can catch up with them at the Fox Studios Market though and in many shops as well...
Mr Ocello holding the fort himself - more on Ocello Cheeses in an upcoming post!
David's Larder: A Taste of Scotland...virtually
Phillippa Grogan's new book: Phillippa's Home Baking
Using the best quality natural ingredients and family recipes, Phillippa's specialises in producing products that are no longer regularly made in the home, keeping alive the art of bread, pastry, and preserve making based in Melbourne. Phillippa Grogan opened Phillippa’s Bakery and Provisions Store in High Street, Armadale in May 1994. The shop is a local provisions store that you can visit daily to buy your bread, cheese, eggs, biscuits and olives. You may also enjoy a pastry or lunch and a coffee at one of the four inside or five outside tables. Nestled in among antique dealers, art galleries and designer clothes shops, the store has a relaxed and cosy atmosphere. Our staff encourage customers to try new products and discuss recipe ideas. The Brighton bakery opened in February 2006. Along with their popular tin loaves and rolls, the on-site bakery produces several signature products available only at Brighton. Phillippa and Andrew took advantage of the school holidays to bring the whole family to Sydney and grace our shores with an appearance at the SMH Growers Market in Sydney. It was also a good opportunity to promote her new book - Phillippa’s Home Baking - which is now available in store, sure to become a kitchen classic which she co-wrote with Richard Cornish from The Age newspaper. I was almost tempted to skip the event, as I am not really a good baker or cake maker. One of our favourite family stories is one of failing at making a strawberries tart with my cousin when still teenagers, and I suppose that the humiliation attached to it, specially as we had two distant "cousines" visiting from Spain, stuck and although I make the occasional tarte fine aux pommes, I usually rely on my favourites bakers to supply me with my cakes and breads (C'est Bon and Labancz in Rozelle...) But the crowds were assembling, the winter weather beautiful and clement enough, so I stayed. Phillippa went through the way she makes puff pastry, and a "tarte fine aux pommes". I was sold! Below a few photos of the process to roll and fold the dough four times until you get 81 layers. Also note the difference between the apple tart made out of rested dough, rather than not. Enjoy! 
The dough is ready and passed around
The dough is being rolled and then folded for times to create 81 layers
Pastry ready, thin apple slices set...
sugared and buttered
Final result, just off the oven: we had a chance to taste, delicious!
Tarte fine aux pommes - with rested dough (background) and freshly made puff pastry
Joanna Savill, Editor of the SMH Good Food Guide, presenting Phillippa's Home Baking book
Phillippa signing her book, surrounded by her family. A great bunch of people!
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 In Sydney - October 2019 AuthorBorn in France, well travelled, relocated to Sydney in 1997. Archives
October 2021
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