Whisky and fish? Josh Niland thinks so
The chef behind Saint Peter is determined to set the record straight on when it comes to pairing fish and whisky.
As if his plate wasn’t full enough, chef Josh Niland is busy making the final touches to his latest venture, a pop-up restaurant in Sydney’s North Head with an unusual premise.
Boathouse, a two-day dining experience in collaboration with heritage Scotch whiskey label Talisker, centres on an uncommon pairing: fish and whisky. Naturally, the chef behind Saint Peter, Charcoal Fish and Fish Butchery is up for the culinary challenge.
“The mindset of just about everybody on the planet is that fish is a delicate protein that requires a delicate touch. [They say] not to be combative with flavours that would overtake or surpass the quality of the fish,” says Niland. “That was the fun part about saying yes. I’m like ‘alright, let’s have fun creatively.’”
On October 21 and October 22, guests will dine atop the Manly’s rugged cliffs and enjoy either a three-course menu or a two-hour guided whisky experience with bar snacks. The pop-up is designed to look and feel like the heritage Scottish distillery and marks the Australian launch of the brand’s oldest release to date, Talisker 44-Year-Old: Forests of the Deep Single Malt Scotch Whisky.
The opportunity to partner with Talisker arose three months ago and since then, Niland has undergone many tastings to finesse the finished menu.
“There were things that fit within the puzzles straightway and then other things needed to be interpreted in terms of level of seasoning,” he says.
With smoke, salt and spice the dominating flavours found in Talisker whiskey, Niland has created a unique and sustainably-sourced seafood menu he hopes will be memorable and provocative, “because memories change things,” he says.
With a little incentive from Talisker, a brand known for its maritime accents andcommitment to preserving underwater ecosystems, Niland hopes the experience will carry out his mission to revolutionise how people consume fish.
“My food isn’t set up to be intrusive or show any sense of belittlement towards people to say ‘why didn’t you think of this?’ or ‘you should be doing better,’” he says. “It’s celebratory towards really unique fishers that catch our product all over the country. It’s celebrating diversity that goes outside the realm of salmon, barramundi and kingfish. I hope when people leave they will never think of fish in the same way, nor will they accept anything other than what they’ve just eaten,” he says.
Taste of Talisker is available exclusively on October 21 and October 22.