Congratulations go to our competition winners Vernica Sison, Pasquale Demaria and Mark Bennett!! You each have a signed copy of ‘Rockpool Bar & Grill’ heading your way.

Thanks for everyone who took the time to enter, there were some seriously good entries that Neil had trouble separating. The book is available in stores now, or signed copies are available from our restaurants.

Looking forward to our next competition!

Following on the success of our Hunan Regional Dinner at Spice Temple Melbourne, Neil’s going all out with an 8 course Imperial spectacular in October. But what exactly does Imperial Chinese cuisine mean you ask?

Well, China is a country with a long and rich history – almost 5,000 years’ worth, in fact. It is generally divided into three periods – the Ancient Era, the Imperial Era and the Modern Era. The Imperial Era of China began in 221 BC with the Qin Dynasty and lasted until the end of the Qing Dynasty in 1911, which heralded in the Modern Era. During this time there were many dynasties that ruled China, each contributing to the culture, politics and cuisine of modern-day China. This, however, is just about the extent of my knowledge of Chinese history – Wikipedia can sort you out with anything more you want to know. Our next Spice Temple Regional Dinner focuses on the cuisine of China during the Imperial Era – covering the vastly delicious expanse between 221 BC and 1911.

If there was one thing that the Chinese were good at when inventing dishes (besides artful presentation and making things taste good) it was coining names for their dishes. Dishes such as ‘Diced Chicken for Ding, Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent’, ‘Soup for Safeguarding the Nation’, ‘Husband and Wife Lung Slices’ and ‘Pork for the Outlaws’ aren’t likely to be seen in any of your classical French restaurants.

Some of the dishes (and their stories) that have made the cut for the next dinner include:

‘Playful Dragon and Phoenix’ c.1519 AD

A simple dish of squid and chicken is so delicious it causes an emperor to fall in love with a common girl.

‘The Most Delicious Dish under Heaven’ c.1021 AD

A dish of clams, water chestnuts and mushrooms, named so because clams really are the most delicious things.

‘First Ranking Official Pork’ c.1213 AD

In disgust at being betrayed by their prime minister, the people during the Song Dynasty bizarrely decide to immortalise him in a delicious dish of braised pork and preserved bean curd.

‘Duke Huan’s Goose’ c.643 BC

A dish of braised goose with cabbage and bamboo shoots that has been cooked for over 2500 years, and is still popular now in Central Shanxi. (Technically pre-Imperial, yes, but we’re willing to make an exception)

‘Li Bai’s Chicken’  c.701 AD

One of the greatest romantic poets in Chinese history, Li Bai spent 10 years of ’casual life’ in the country side eating, drinking and composing poems whilst his servant cooked this dish of steamed chicken and prawns for him.

‘Jade Belt Fish Rolls’ c.1680 AD

Still a popular dish in Hubei Province, this dish was invented by a mother trying to encourage her son to study hard and pay attention to his health at the same time. The eternal struggle for parents…

‘Boxed Shaped Bean Curd with Minced Meat’ c.1500 AD

Taking bean curd to another level back in the Qing Dynasty with dried shrimp, pork and mushrooms – four ingredients that really love being together.

This is bound to be another great night at Spice Temple Melbourne with the evening hosted and cooked for by Neil himself. Tickets are a bargain at $85 per person (excluding wine) for an 8-course dinner. Bookings can be made through Spice Temple Melbourne on (03) 8679 1888.

Ah, scones, jam and cream. A combination that will be eternally linked to afternoon tea. Were three things ever meant to be together more than this trio? Ok, maybe BLT. Or these guys…

Starting on October 15 The Waiting Room Melbourne will be holding Afternoon Tea on Saturday’s and Sunday’s from 2pm – 5pm, and we can’t think of a better way to while away a few hours on a weekend afternoon.

Afternoon Tea vs High Tea you ask? Well, afternoon tea, or low tea as was known back in the day, has been a quintessentially British tradition since the mid-1800s. Around this time the rich folk used to eat two meals a day – a mid-morning meal for their breakfast, and thanks to the introduction of oil lamps in affluent households, an increasingly late dinner. To satisfy the hunger pangs between the two meals, afternoon tea was created – and soon became a favourite pastime of wealthy ladies with not much else to do. High Tea, on the other hand, was a meal served between 5pm and 7pm to the working classes consisting of more heavy foods such as pies, casseroles, cheese and bread. No scones for them!

The tradition of afternoon tea continues at The Waiting Room where guests can enjoy a modern style afternoon tea in the bar’s elegant surrounds. Designed by Neil Perry and the Rockpool Group’s Executive Pastry Chef, Catherine Adams, afternoon tea will be served on a three-tiered silver stand and include the following selection of delectable sandwiches and cakes:

Parmesan Biscuits
Anchovy Twists
Finger Sandwiches
Profiteroles
Caramelised Apple Tarts
Passionfruit Miroirs
Alfajors
Peanut, Caramel and Chocolate Ganache Tarts
Vanilla Orange Scones with Strawberry Jam and Chantilly Cream
Black, Green and Herbal Loose Leaf Teas by Jing

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$42 with tea
$55 with tea and a glass of 2006 Chandon Blanc des Blancs ZD
$65 with tea and a glass of NV Duval Leroy Brut

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Bookings are recommended, call The Waiting Room on (03) 8679 1800.

Hunan is probably most famous for being the home of Chairman Mao, but it is also famous for its cuisine. At its heart the food is wonderfully peasant home-style, with plenty of garlic and chillies. Hunan cuisine is colorful and vibrant, and showcases quality ingredients. I find it has a wonderful directness – being spicy hot, but not as oily or numbing as the cuisine of its neighbour, Sichuan.

We had been planning this dinner for a few months and I was really looking forward to it. It was wonderful to sit down, put a menu together and have a few weeks of testing to get the dishes right. The other nice thing that resulted from the dinner is that we have ended up with several great new dishes that are now on the Spice Temple Melbourne menu.

Spice Temple Head Chef Ben Pollard (left) and Sous Chef Brendan Sheldrick.

Staff briefing – we had a full house booked and we wanted to make sure the evening ran like clockwork.

Ben sorting through the Pearly meat balls.

Hunan Style Pickled Cucumber and Shiitake

Shiitake mushrooms and cucumbers pickled for a month in oil, sugar, vinegar and a little chilli.

Shredded Chicken and Coriander Salad with Salted Chilli

White-cut chicken salad with coriander, garlic and spring onion. The dressing was simple but had lots of salted chillies in it – fiery and salty with some acid from the pickles – it was  perfect.

Steamed Pearly Meat Balls

Pearly meat balls are beautiful little meat balls of fatty pork, spiked with pickled mustard greens, salted radish and dried shrimp. They are then coated in glutinous rice and steamed; a simple soy broth provided the perfect counter balance. The texture has a wonderful springiness to it.

Potato Salad

Potato salad with chilli and garlic. Salads and stir-fries using potato are prevalent in the cuisines of many regions of China. When I first tried these many years ago in China I was a bit unsure, but after eating a few of them I fell in love with the wonderful crunch they all displayed, and the nice bit of chilli.

Beer Braised Duck

Duck braised in beer with fresh chillies and spring onions was a huge hit. The cooked-down beer gives the dish a really deep, rich flavour, and the heat from the chillies is the perfect foil. The duck is also rendered meltingly tender – what more could you ask for?

Dong'an Chicken

Dong’an or vinegar chicken was the perfect choice for this banquet. The chicken is first white-cooked and torn into pieces, and is then flavoured by stir-frying lots of ginger, chilli and some Sichuan peppercorns to add depth. This went straight onto the Spice Temple menu the next day.

Chairman Mao Pork

The classic and most famous Chairman Mao Pork. It is rumoured that he ate it every day. It is simple and comforting and the texture is the most wonderful part of the dish. The pork is first browned in caramel, then shao xing wine is added along with ginger, star anise, cinnamon and stock; it is then braised slowly for a few hours. After cooking it is so tender and the fat is like jelly. You add soy to the dish to balance out the sweetness before serving - a very satisfying dish indeed.

A steamed custard was served with the other dishes along with rice to cool the mouth and add another texture to the meal. I love these and have had them many times in China. They’re simple, nourishing and the perfect accompaniment to spicy dishes.

Eight Treasure Rice Pudding

The concept of Eight Treasure Rice was turned into a delightful rice pudding – very delicate, and very delicious. I personally love rice puddings of all kinds and this was the perfect end to a wonderful evening.

We’re hosting our next dinner on the 10th October – the Imperial Chinese Dinner, and I’m sure it’s going to be another success. Bookings can be made through Spice Temple Melbourne on (03) 8679 1888.

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“Tales from the restaurant and from his producers intersperse Neil’s collection of 150 recipes that bring his restaurant into your home. His advice on handling seafood, how to cook the perfect steak, how to build a wood-fired barbecue, plus his signature condiments, side dishes and desserts, make this an indispensable and inspirational kitchen companion.”

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With Neil’s new book set to be released on the 1st October, we’re offering you a chance to win 1 of 3 copies of the Rockpool Bar & Grill Book – made out to you and personally signed by Neil himself. So what do you need to do to get your hands on one of the first copies hot off the press??

We’ve dreamed up a little scenario – you have a reservation for four people booked at Rockpool Bar & Grill – but who are you going to bring with you? Tell us in our blog comments below who are the three guests you’re going to invite to have dinner with you – they can be anyone you like…  

Entries close  on Friday 30th September at 12 midday AEST, Neil will be choosing the winners and we will announce them via the blog at 2pm Friday. 

Get your thinking caps on, and may the best 3 tables win!! 

Spring, that most in-your-face – and seductive – of seasons, is upon us. As the sun’s rays warm our winter-blanched skin, pantries across the country are filled to bursting with fresh, seasonal produce.

Prosecco and Fig

Serves 4

1 ripe fig
30ml cognac
1 bottle prosecco or Australian sparkling wine

Cut the stalk off the fig and roughly slice the fruit into pieces. Place the fig pieces into a mortar with the cognac and gently crush with a pestle until it forms a puree.

Spoon the fig puree into 4 chilled champagne flutes, top with prosecco and serve immediately.

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Buffalo Mozzarella, Smashed Broad Beans and Ricotta Salata on Bruschetta

Serves 4

2kg broad beans in the pod
2 cloves garlic, peeled
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp finely sliced flat-leaf parsley leaves
4 x 1cm thick slices sourdough bread
2 fresh buffalo mozzarella
Ricotta salata (dried, salted ricotta, available from delicatessens), to serve

Pod the broad beans. Blanch them in boiling salted water for 1 minute, then refresh in iced water and drain. Peel the blanched beans, which should yield you about 1 cup of double-peeled beans.

Place 1 clove garlic in a mortar, add a pinch of salt and, using a pestle, crush the garlic to a paste. Add the broad beans and smash them to a rough puree, leaving some beans whole. Add a good grind of pepper, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and parsley and mix through; check seasoning.

Brush the bread with extra virgin olive oil and place onto a hot barbecue or grill and toast until golden on both sides. Cut the remaining garlic clove in half and, while the bread is still hot, rub the garlic into the bread.

Place a piece of toast onto each plate. Divide the smashed broad beans among the 4 toasts, drizzle with extra olive oil and grind some pepper over. Tear the mozzarella and lay it on top of the beans. To finish, grate the ricotta salata over the top and serve. 

Mango Ice-Cream with Fruit Salad

Serves 4

500g mango flesh
190g caster sugar
375g pouring cream (35% fat)
3 egg yolks

Fruit Salad

1 small pineapple
2 mangoes, peeled
4 mint leaves, finely chopped
4 lime segments, each cut into 4 pieces
Juice of 1 lime

You’ll need to start this recipe the day before.

To make the ice-cream, puree the mango flesh in a blender until smooth, then pass through a fine sieve, forcing as much puree through as possible. Discard what is left in the sieve. Add 90g sugar to the puree and mix to combine.

Warm the cream in a small, heavy-based saucepan over medium heat.

Whisk the egg yolks and remaining sugar in a bowl until pale, then, while whisking continuously, gradually add the warm cream. Return to a clean pan over medium heat and cook, stirring continuously, until the custard coats the back of the spoon. Remove from the heat, and strain into a bowl sitting over another bowl of ice.

Once chilled, stir in the mango puree. Refrigerate in an airtight container overnight.

The next day, churn in an ice-cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to an airtight container; store in the freezer until firm enough to scoop.

To make the fruit salad, cut the fresh pineapple and mango roughly into 1cm pieces and place in a small bowl. Add the mint and lime segments and juice and refrigerate until ready to serve.

To serve, divide the fruit salad among 4 chilled serving glasses and place a large scoop of mango ice-cream on top of the fruit salad.

These recipes appeared in The Good Weekend on the September 24th 2011

Our first recipe preview from Neil’s new book, due out on the 1st October. Enjoy!

We think of this as a bit of a signature dish because it uses our wonderful wood fired grill which is right at the heart of the restaurant. Each vegetable is grilled to a tender texture with a smokiness from the fire that is truly amazing. Seasoned with Forum red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil and teamed with creamy goat’s curd, this is a really memorable salad. You can achieve a pretty good result a home barbecue. The vegetables are also nice roasted.

Serves 4 

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200ml extra virgin olive oil
2 zucchini
1 leek, white part only, washed
1 red capsicum
½ eggplant, cut into 4 wedges
4 spring onions, white part only
12 vine-ripened cherry tomatoes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ½ tablespoons Forum cabernet sauvignon vinegar
20 black Ligurian olives, pitted
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
100g fresh goat’s curd
Juice of 1 lemon
Baby basil leaves, for garnishing

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Preheat a barbecue grill plate to high. Place all of the vegetables in a large tray, drizzle over 80ml of the olive oil to coat the vegetables and season to taste with salt and pepper. Chargrill the vegetables, except the tomatoes, until tender. Increase the heat to high, blister the skins of the tomatoes, then remove from the grill.

Remove the skins and seeds of the capsicum, the skins of the tomatoes and the outer layers of the spring onions and leek. Cut all of the vegetables into bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl.

Dress the vegetables with the red wine vinegar, 100ml of the olive oil and season to taste. Place on a baking tray and reheat under a medium grill.

Combine the olives, balsamic vinegar and remaining oil and season to taste. Arrange the hot vegetables on plates, top with the olive salad, then a quenelle of goat’s curd. Season to taste with salt and lemon juice and garnish with a few basil leaves.

Rockpool Bar & Grill, Neil Perry (Murdoch Books)

It’s only a week and a bit to go until the release of Neil’s new book, Rockpool Bar & Grill, and we decided to give you a sneak peek of what to expect. Once again, Neil’s book features amazing photography by Earl Carter – what better way to whet your appetite. We’ll be posting a few recipes from the book leading up to the release, and (teaser alert) we may just be offering up 3 personally signed copies for you to win Monday’s blog… but you’ll have to wait until then to find out!

Rockpool Bar & Grill, Neil Perry. Published by Murdoch Books. Available October 1st.

The Rocks, Sydney - it’s fair to say that there’s a bit of history down there. After all, it was one of the first parts of Sydney settled when the First Fleet arrived. Currently one of Sydney’s tourist hot-spots, The Rocks hasn’t always been 5-star hotels, museums and over-priced Ugg boots. The Rocks was once upon a time a slum, complete with brothels, opium dens, illegal booze and street gangs - one of which who went by the name of the ‘Rocks Push’. The Rocks Push were involved in running warfare with other street gangs in Sydney (anyone else smell an Underbelly plot here?) from the 1870′s to the 1890′s. Theft, assault, kidnapping, -  they were tough times. If you’re interested there is some fascinating reading to be had on ‘The Dirt on The Rocks’ blog… 

I would definitely be enjoying a dozen oysters for $4 followed by the duck liver pate for $2! And without a doubt for mains I would be having a steak (if only to sample ”the chef’s choice of tender cuts”!) for only $3.95 - with veggies! So I’ve just eaten 3 courses and I’ve still got 5 cents left from this crazy looking ten dollar note (remember them?). And live entertainment Tues-Sat – what more could you ask for?? If this brings back any memories for you, let us know in the comments!

On a morning when some of us from the Rockpool Group were battling up Heartbreak Hill, a few of the Bar & Grill Sydney crew took to the Southern Highlands for a spot of truffle hunting. B&G Executive Chef Khan Danis tells us about how their hunt went…

It was a cold Sunday morning in August and most of us had worked the night before, but nothing was going to keep us from our quest of seeing first-hand how truffles are farmed and harvested.

 So here we are lined up ready for breakfast at Biota in the Southern Highlands.

Perfect poached eggs, Chorizo and blood sausage. With a strong coffee, the perfect way to begin the day.

B&G Head Chef Angel Fernandez - a post-breakfast nap and dreaming of black gold perhaps?

Not too sure if this is a truffle dog or a lamb?

Here we are at Rosewood Farm at Marulan, about a two and a half hours drive from Sydney between Bowral and Goulburn. The trees are rows of 10 year old French and English Oak, as well as some Hazelnut. The soil is very poor with a steep slope facing south.

Lime had to be added to raise the pH level of the soil to 8.0. This is done for a number of reasons. One being the high pH in the soil makes the soil more conducive to the French truffle fungus, rather than the potentially competing native fungus. The lime also ties a lot of the nutrients up in the soil which enhances the relationship between the truffle fungus and the tree, meaning the tree relies more on the fungus for growth rather than fertilizers.

Truffle man Duncan Garvey from Perigord Truffles of Tasmania giving us the low down. He placed an ad in the paper 10 years ago for expressions of interest and a couple of lucky farmers are now reaping the rewards. The property will yield around 100 kilos this season. Duncan provided Rockpool with the truffles they used in their amazing Winter Truffle Dinner.

I think Lukas looks happy, but he can’t take them home with him. I wish you could smell these.

Two trained professionals, Tom and Utah.

Straight out of the ground – incredible.

A quick clean to remove any dirt from the truffle.

Then left out to dry - a pretty impressive haul.

All ready to go. These truffles would go on to fetch in excess of $1,500 per kilo.

Warm leek and potato soup with truffle cream and shaved truffle – delicious and well worth the early start and travel.