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Pork with garlic, sage and lemon »
September 2, 2010
Chef Tom and I have a couple of food heroes in common. I guess that’s why Tom fell so comfortably into running GRAZING and the philosophies that I initially developed the restaurant with. For those that haven’t been to GRAZING, the food is about simple, rustic pleasure. It’s about what we pick fresh out of the garden; nothing tricked up – just beautiful, fresh produce cooked with excellent technique. Tom shows his respect for the produce with every dish.
GRAZING was one of the leaders in buying local, promoting local and using our own garden produce. It is fantastic to see that the rest of the restaurant world has caught on and that many places are now dedicated to the concept of buying within a small radius.
Both Tom and I love Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Jamie Oliver. They both have fabulous kitchen gardens and they cook with such respect for their ingredients.
The other night, I was watching Jamie Oliver cook pork and talk about the importance of using the whole animal. He cooked some pork neck steaks that looked so amazing that I couldn’t wait to get to the markets and buy some beautiful pork neck to reproduce his recipe.
Our meyer lemon tree is currently loaded with beautiful fragrant lemons and is conveniently under planted with sage. Our spring garlic is also ready for picking and I had all the ingredients I needed for Jamie’s recipe
The first task is to thinly slice the pork neck into steaks and then drizzle with olive oil, a couple of crushed garlic cloves, a handful of chopped sage and the zest of the lemon. I also squeezed half the lemon over the pork and then seasoned them with some salt and pepper.
You cook the steaks quickly in a hot pan. If it had been warmer, they would have been wonderful on the BBQ. You turn the steaks after only a couple of minutes. When they are ready, squeeze over the rest of the lemon and let sizzle for a moment.
Rest and then serve with jacket potatoes (with sour cream of course!)
I thought about a wine match for the pork and was originally leaning toward chardonnay. However, you have to be very careful with chardonnay and herbs. Some herbs can make chardonnay seem bitter, so I chose our beautiful little sangiovese. Oh my goodness, this was perfect. The sangiovese has beautiful acid and a cranberry character that mirrors the lemon in the pork. Also, the subtle herbaceous notes of the sangiovese work with the sage.
Jamie, I wish I could send you a bottle to enjoy. Cheers!
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GRAZING - An introductory Video »
August 30, 2010
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Chef Tom Moore welcomes you to GRAZING and his magnificent kitchen garden
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Parap Village markets - Darwin »
August 22, 2010
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The Mindil Beach sunset markets are one of Darwin's most popular tourist attractions. Held every Thursday and Sunday through the dry season (May - October), they are about the best picnic on the beach I have ever found. Darwin tourists are less familiar with the Parap Village markets which are held every Saturday (wet or dry season) from 8.00am till 2.00pm.
taken with my i-phone
The damp tropical air is infused with the smell of Asian cooking and sunscreen. Instantly the atmosphere is warm and inviting as you wind your way into the buzz of the markets.
taken with my i-phone
If you are lucky enough, you can find a table under one of the large shady trees and be entertained by music from one of the market buskers. Load up with tastes of the delicacies on offer and this is a great way to kick back and enjoy a Saturday.
taken with my i-phone
I love looking at the weird and wonderful tropical fruits. When in season, I buy my favourite pummelos for a burst of tropical citrus. Custard apples are also popular on my 'I can't buy in Canberra' fruit list. If you are prone to wok cooking, the stalls are abundant in Asian greens and herbs.
taken with my i-phone
When it comes to something to eat, it is pretty difficult to make a choice. There are a lot of stores selling laksa, noodle soups and deep fried treats such as samosas, spring rolls and fishcakes. Satay is also common with satay prawn skewers being sold in large numbers.
taken with my i-phone
Some of the more interesting things on offer are the Cambodian rice balls (with prawns, chicken and other things), made to order omelettes and the delicious BBQ pork Bahn mi rolls. The pork is minced and then marinated in a sweet soy based sauce. It is chargrilled and then served on a bread roll with carrot, coriander, cucumber and chilli. This is a seriously good sandwich.
taken with my i-phone
taken with my i-phone
Green paw paw salad can be made to order and a variety of other enticing salads, such as Thai style squid, pork and peanut or pummelo and prawn.
Refreshing tropical fruit drinks and smoothies are also popular in the heat. If you have a sweet tooth you can also find lots of interesting things to satisfy the sugar cravings.
taken with my i-phone
I normally buy some mud crabs to take back home to the family. After all, we have our beautiful, award winning 'The Whip' riesling which is superb with the delicate, sweet crab meat.
taken with my i-phone
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