Neil Perry dishes on Burger Project and Darrell Lea mash up
The mercury might be dropping but it’s never too cold for ice cream, and a new venture between the Burger Project and Darrell Lea is proving sweet enough to go the distance.
Inner East
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A stop at Darrell Lea was the only thing that made a trip to Sydney’s CBD worthwhile for a young Neil Perry.
“I remember being dragged into the city by my parents as a five or six-year-old,” Perry said.
“We’d visit the Darrell Lea on the corner of King and George streets. I’d get the soft licorice and rocky road.”
The Rockpool Dining Group Culinary Director still loves the licorice and was excited to use it in a range of desserts for Burger Project.
The $5 Smash Ups are house-made, soft-serve desserts spiked with chunks of Darrell Lea confectionary.
Flavours include licorice and chocolate, which combines chocolate soft serve with licorice, chocolate biscuit and Burger Project’s version of Ice Magic chocolate shell; Coconut Caramel, which mixes vanilla soft serve coconut roughs, malt biscuit and salted caramel sauce; and Choc Orange, which comprises orange chocolate balls, marmalade, and chocolate shell.
Perry said it made sense for the brands to team up to create the Smash Ups.
“Our Smash Ups are a true blend of great flavours and philosophies that incorporate ethical and sustainable practices,” he said.
“A lot of places use a powder for their soft serve that they just add water to,” he said.
“We use real, whole ingredients.”
And the desserts aren’t the only changes to the menu.
The original Japanese style katsu burger has been swapped out for a southern fried chicken option.
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It was inspired by a recent trip to the US.
“Michael Clift and I were in New York for a fundraiser with (chef) Daniel Boulud and we tasted the most amazing southern fried chicken burgers,” Perry said.
“Our classic version has a free-range chicken breast with aioli and pickles or diners can go for the deluxe which has cheese, lettuce and tomato.”
The $14.90 chicken burgers and Smash Ups are available at Burger Project Chadstone and Melbourne.
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