Fishing around for a fresh festive feast
The hunt for the best seafood catch for your festive feast this Christmas can be tricky if you don’t know what you’re looking for.
NSW
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Australia’s silly season is as much about the Chrissy crustaceans as much as it is about the haul under the tree — but the hunt for the best seafood catch for your festive feast can be tricky if you don’t know what you’re looking for.
Sydney Fish Market tour guide Alex Stollznow said this precinct alone received more than 100 different types of seafood every day across six vendors, so there’s no shortage of options for shoppers.
The first step to getting the right one though, is having a wander around to take it all in, comparing prices and observing what is freshest by using your eyes first ... and then your nose.
“Seafood should usually look bright and shiny and inviting.
“Red gills, clear eyes, clear flesh, metallic skin are typically good signs, though there are notable exceptions. You can usually trust your instincts when it comes to freshness.
“If it looks good, it probably is, but if in doubt, have a closer inspection and use your nose.
“A good seafood retailer will completely understand and will happily assist to get you close enough to give it a good smell.
“Ideally, it should have a pleasant sea smell. If it smells bad, don’t buy it. It’s as easy as that.”
When it comes to other creatures of the sea, go for brightly coloured, lustrous shells or flesh that is firm and intact.
It should also have that same pleasant fresh sea smell and no discolouration, particularly at joints.
Alex said the biggest mistake seafood shoppers can make is to restrict themselves to what is familiar. There are experts standing behind every fish monger’s counter eager to talk about their fare.
“A good retailer will be full of information that they’re happy to share,” he said.
“Whether you’re after a tropical fish for the BBQ, a meaty fillet to use in a curry or a delicate fish for steaming whole, the staff are the experts and have plenty of insights to share on what is best available on the day and tips on how to prepare it at home.”
Fillets are not always the way to go either. Alex recommended branching out and cooking whole fish.
“Fillets are convenient but some of the best meat is cooked on the bone,” he said.
“Cooking whole fish is more forgiving as bones and skin trap heat and moisture, ensuring a better result, at a better price per kilo.”
And at the very base level, never forget your chiller bag and ice packs – the fresher you can keep your seafood purchase, the better!
WHY PEOPLE ARE LINING UP FOR THIS CARB OVERLOAD
This heavy-going dish must be a contender for the most carb-heavy creations around.
Meadowbank cafe Fork and Spoon have gained notoriety for their pasta rolls — cob loaves that are hollowed out and stuffed with pasta. More recently the crew have even introduced a 60cm long hollowed out baguette.
Choose between spaghetti and meatballs, squid ink fettuccine, gnocchi boscaiola and bow tie creamy pesto to cram into your bread.
When the pasta is gone, all that’s left is sauce-soaked bread with a crusty coat.
The kitchen has also introduced other specials including chilli mussels, lasagne and prawn and chorizo.
Located opposite the ferry wharf Fork and Spoon is open for breakfast and lunch.
AVOIDING THE V-WORD AT ALL COSTS
They don’t eat meat or dairy, but don’t dare call them vegans.
The owners of Bondi cafe Eden, Simon Hill and Tanya Smart prefer to be called “plant-based” to detach themselves from the negative stigma surrounding the V word.
Simon also runs a website called Plant Proof where you won’t find the word vegan anywhere — the same as Eden’s Instagram where captions for their pictures include “See you tonight for a fun night of delicious plants” and “Come indulge with us today with a delicious plant-based feast”.
Simon said it’s the aggressiveness and “in your face” nature of some vegans that has caused him to identify as plant based.
“Most vegans out there are very normal people,” he said.
“It’s a tiny percentage that are very aggressive and in your face but unfortunately it spreads across anyone who adopts that label.
“I get people all the time who I meet who are like ‘Wow, I didn’t think this was the way vegans were’.
“It’s hard to infer what a vegan is like off what the one or two per cent of them do.”
There is no doubt that veganism has experienced a huge boom in the past five years, but studies show more militant attitudes among some adherents are part of the reason why meat-eaters would never go vegan themselves.
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Recent examples of the eating regimen being taken to extremes, include dairy farms and abattoirs being stormed in April, protesters shutting down the streets of Melbourne in September and the customary Melbourne Cup protests.
Simon said while he believes their aggression stems from frustration, which he also shares, they should express their passion another way.
“Diet has become religion and discussion around food and animal welfare becomes very confrontational,” he said. “These are very personal decisions and unfortunately when it’s approached from that angle and there is anger and aggressiveness it’s just dividing people further.”
$2M BONDI RESTAURANT BANKING ON A LIFELINE TO STAY OPEN
Bondi Beach eatery Pacific Club is banking on a cash lifeline as the Campbell Parade eatery battles voluntary administration after being millions in debt.
The high-end restaurant opened in June last year after a $2 million-plus fit-out, and many believe that is where the troubles began.
According to new information, owners Matt Williams and Frederic Luvisutto of Footprint Hospitality took out a $2 million loan with NAB, with repayments of $30,000 per month.
However the company was only making $40,000 a month on average — well short of their forecasted revenue figure of $100,000 per month.
As a result, the company lost more than $1 million in its first year of business. Luvisutto tried to bail the business out more than once, pouring $3.5 million of his own money into the company to keep it afloat. In addition, he put up $1.2 million cash security with NAB.
Pacific Club remains open while administrators Hogan Sprowles attempt to find a lifeline to keep the business going.
The fit-out that administrators say the men “overcapitalised” on was designed by high-end agency Dreamtime Australia Design, run by Michael McCann, responsible for venues including Sydney International Airport, Mr Wong, Cyren, Bacco and “the Prada of butcheries” Victor Churchill.
Williams and Luvisutto are prolific businessmen in their own right.
This year Mr Williams took over Coopers Hotel on King St, Newtown, for a reported $13.5 million.
Mr Luvisutto was formerly the managing director of The Star Entertainment Group and is currently the COO for multi-billion dollar casino Wynn Palace Macau.
Pacific Club has entered a Deed of Company Arrangement, however if they fail to meet terms by next Friday the company will be placed into liquidation.
DUCK’S ADVICE TO AVOID CHRISTMAS QUACK-UP
If you want to do a festive feed like one of the Three Blue Ducks crew, Byron chef Darren Robertson has a few handy pointers for surviving the Christmas kitchen chaos.
“Write out a rough guide of what you want to cook, list your ingredients and do one big shop,” he said.
“Try to buy whole ingredients to maximise shelf life.
“Whole pumpkins will keep for longer than the pre-cut plastic wrapped option. You can also store on your kitchen bench so you’ll save valuable fridge space.
“If you can, buy your oysters un-shucked, they’ll keep longer and will be so much better freshly shucked (if you don’t already have one, ask Santa for an oyster knife).
“Buy potted herbs for the kitchen – parsley, basil and mint will come in very useful in all your festive recipes. You’ll be able to pick from them as you go and they’re not going to wilt in the fridge.”
The UK-trained chef and former Tetsuya’s head chef said a lot of the pain of the big day could be avoided with advanced preparation.
“Plan ahead – Christmas pudding matures with age and dressings, marinades and sauces can be done beforehand,” he said.
As for pressies, Robertson recommended a sharp chef’s knife and cookbooks (he recommended The Whole Fish Cookbook by Josh Niland or, of course, any of the Three Blue Ducks books).
Most importantly take time to enjoy it: “Don’t stress about making everything perfect, embrace the mistake. Cooking to music with your favourite drink at arms length is highly recommended.”
GETTING THE ROCK-CHAR TREATMENT IN DEE WHY
Rockstars of the chicken world Chargrill Charlie’s will open their 14th store this Saturday in Dee Why.
Despite their long list of stores sprawling from Wahroonga to Mona Vale to Drummoyne, fanatics are still clamouring for more spots to wolf down their famous chickens, stuffing, sauces and house-made wedges.
Any of their existing stores can go through 800 chickens a day and 500kg of potatoes a week.
While many brands claim cult status these days, Chargrill Charlie’s are more like a rock band with their foodie followers getting tatts of their famous logo, their branded merchandise getting sent all across the world and the chook champs attracting 20,000 followers.
Despite all this, the business is still family-owned and run by Saul Sher, whose parents opened the first location in 1989.
“It’s not a little business anymore but it’s still family run,” he said. “You’ll always see one of the bosses working in the stores. We have staff members who have worked with us for over 20 years, and some staff are now partners in the business.”
To celebrate the opening on Howard Ave, Chargrill Charlie’s is offering a free quarter BBQ chicken and chips combo from 12pm-1pm and half BBQ chicken and salad from 5-6pm.