delectabilia

Herb crusted sea bass fillet on grilled parmesan polenta. Strawberry relish.

There is a journey here, from the sweet and sour strawberry relish, to the umami packed sea bass fillet and herb crust, and landing on the crispy yet creamy polenta base.

How to make dashi

Dashi is a foundation component of many Japanese dishes. It is packed with umami, so the taste of whatever you layer on top of the dashi is greatly enhanced.

Bánh Mì Heo Quay – Crispy roast pork belly in a baguette

Vietnamese Banh Mi has become almost as famous around the world as Pho (Phở). But there are many different versions of Bánh Mì in Vietnam, and Bánh Mì Heo Quay is one of my favorites. The key ingredient here is the crispy roast pork belly, and the hoisin based sauce.

Crispy roast pork belly, tempura mussels, cucumber, kimchi consommé

While there is a bit of a surf’n’turf angle to this dish, there is so much more. The kimchi consommé is something very special. Disguised as a light colored broth, it is so packed with flavour. The Cantonese/Vietnamese style crispy roast pork belly is decadently delicious, and nicely complemented by the crispy sweet and juicy…

Mussel fritters and potato salad are two quintessential dishes of Australia and New Zealand. This dish reimagines those classics in an Asian context. Often bacon or chorizo is added to mussel fritters – here it is chinese sausage (or lạp xưởng in Vietnamese). Instead of potatoes being suffocated by mayonnaise, here we have the much…

Simple to prepare, yet tastes so incredibly good. The star is the shiitake miso dashi broth. Dashi is all about umami, and it is present here in abundance, reinforced by the shiitake mushrooms and miso.

Scallops on a kimchi fritter with sesame mayo

Synchronicity. The three components of this dish, scallops, kimchi, and sesame mayo, complemented each other so well, and the combination so delicious, my guests wanted seconds. I had to remind them it was just the appetizer.

Lamb, marinated and grilled, on a roasted eggplant and garlic puree. Pickled fennel and mint.

If an animal is going to be sacrificed for our enjoyment, we really need to prepare it in a way honors that life. The marinade, method, and roasted eggplant and garlic puree really do accentuate the wonderful and unique qualities of the lamb.

Roasted potato skins and arugula salad

Just made some gnocchi or potato pancakes? Use the left over potato skins in this delicious and nutritious roasted potato skins and arugula salad.

Red quinoa risotto with pickled cherry tomatoes and grilled haloumi

Great colour here, visual and flavour. The red quinoa and red pepper puree “risotto” has a sweet nuttiness, enhanced by the umami from the parmesan. The pickled cherry tomatoes, infused with garlic and dill, add some “zing” which itself is nicely balanced by the creaminess of the grilled haloumi cheese.