We enjoy working long hours in hot, stressful conditions. We can talk at length our preferred cooking medium – copper, cast iron… We can look a fish in the eye and tell you if it’s fresh or not. We love to debate wood fire vs charcoal vs gas vs induction. We get annoyed when there’s too much starch in our teatowels… And we also get excited by plates. Yes, plates.
But not your everyday dinner plates, mind you. We now have, in our opinion, the most awesome plates we have seen (and trust me, we’ve seen a few plates in our collective time here at Rockpool). These new ones come via Chinchin Trader - they’re hand made in China and are all one off designs especially for Spice Temple. But, they do make a range for home so you can get in on the Chinchin action… As far as plates go, they don’t get much better.
1 iceberg lettuce heart, shredded
1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1.6kg roast chicken, meat removed from the bones and sliced
Salsa
150g silken tofu
1 ripe avocado
100g fresh ricotta
Juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
To make the salsa, mash all the ingredients in a bowl and then whisk until well incorporated. Set aside.
Divide the lettuce among 4 plates. Combine the tomatoes, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and place on the lettuce. Place some chicken on top of each salad. Serve the salsa on the side or in generous dollops on the chicken.
This recipe appeared in the Good Weekend, November 26th 2011
A few weeks ago we planned to put this recipe up on our blog today…. “Perfect weather” we said, for a grilled Thai-style salad.
Well, depending on your location in this great country of ours right now, the weather may or may not be so perfect! The weather here in Sydney has been miserable – cold and rainy – is this really November??! I think I saw a guy in a scarf this morning… it definitely feels more like braise weather.
Anyway, we’re sure that the cold won’t be lasting and that you’ll be able to whip this one up soon enough. Another classic recipe from Neil’s books…
Spicy Grilled Squid Salad
A classic Thai salad, this is fresh, hot, sweet, sour and salt, the squid can be seared in a pan but is best char grilled. The basic Thai dressing can be varied in any way you like as long as the taste is ultimately balanced.
Dressing
2 garlic cloves
4 green bird’s eye chillies
2 coriander roots, washed and scraped
1 teaspoon sea salt
6 tablespoons palm sugar
3 tablespoons lime juice
5 tablespoons fish sauce
250g squid
Vegetable oil
3 red eschalots, thinly sliced
½ cup thinly sliced red onion
¼ cup fine julienne of ginger
1 cup each of mint, coriander and sweet Thai basil leaves
2 long red chillies, seeded and cut into julienne
1 baby cos lettuce
3 red eschalots, thinly sliced and fried until golden brown
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced and fried until golden brown
¼ cup chopped roasted peanuts
1 tablespoon rice, roasted and ground to a course powder
To make the dressing, pound the garlic, chillies, coriander and salt in a mortar with a pestle, then add the sugar and mix in the lime juice and fish sauce.
To clean the squid, pull out the tentacles, then pull off the side flaps and cut the squid down the centre so that it will open flat. With a small knife, cut out the gut and ink sac and discard. Scrape the skin off the body and flaps (it will peel off easily) and cut off and discard the hard beak. Keeping a very sharp knife at an angle, score the squid lightly on both sides with diagonal cuts to make a criss-cross pattern.
Brush the squid with oil, and sear it quickly on a hot char-grill or barbecue. Put into a bowl. Combine eschalots, onion, ginger, herbs, chillies and dressing with the squid and toss gently.
Arrange the lettuce on a large platter, put the squid on top and sprinkle with the fried eschalots and garlic, peanuts and ground rice.
From “Simply Asian” by Neil Perry, Viking Penguin.
Signed copies are available through our restaurants www.rockpool.com
It is with a certain degree of sadness that we here at Rockpool have to announce that we will no longer be producing our Neil Perry Fresh range of dressings and mayonnaise. For the past 10 years we’ve been proud to provide a better alternative to the standard commercially manufactured mayonnaise – as close to home made as we could possibly get. From a manufacturing standpoint, we always tried to maintain the integrity of our products – flavour always came first.
But, the retail environment can be brutal, and at the end of the day all that matters is the number of units you’re moving and how much margin is being made for the retailer. The unfortunate trade-off for quality is reduced margin. It can be pretty tough for the little guys out there.
So, to all our loyal customers over the years, we would like to thank you for supporting of our brand…
As I’ve said in previous blog posts, any competition that results in delicious beverages is a good one. Right now, talented mixologists (that’s barmen and women, for most of the population) have been working on great cocktails for the World Class Cocktail Competition. There’s a fair bit a stake here – with the ultimate prize being crowned the best barman in the world. That certainly wouldn’t look too shabby on your resume would it?
Last year’s Australian final was held at Rockpool Sydney – cocktails matched to Phil’s 5 course menu. And boy, was the tension high:
Voting is open now for the Summer Round of the World Class Cocktail Competition 2012 – and you could win yourself a $500 bar tab just by voting for your favourite drink! Just head over to their facebook app (http://apps.facebook.com/worldclassaustralia/contests/148762) and cast away… Here’s a few drinks that I thought looked really good – just the one’s that really lept out at me from all the entries:
Charlie and the Chocolate Wine by Ryan Gavin, Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney
“A Casual mix of Pinot Noir and Chocolate, to be enjoyed with a friend or over a business lunch. Lengthened with silky Ketel 1 vodka and fresh red grapes. Served with a side of dark chocolate bark and honey cashew. Baccus be proud.”
~~~
D.D.P. by Neilson Braid, Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney
“This refreshing summer punch blends bespoke, peach and balsamic puree, apple tea, smokey spice syrup and Singleton single malt whisky. Fresh bright and easy.”
~~~
Clover Club No.10 by David Nguyen-Luu, Rockpool Bar & Grill Perth
“A twist on the great classic “The Clover Club”, this deconstructed strawberry version sees Tanqueray 10 gently stirred with house-made grapefruit sugar syrup, then topped with a lemon air (foam), and accompanied with bespoke Limoncello sorbet, strawberry jelly, fresh strawberries and the childhood favourite of pop rocks popping candy to give this refreshing summer drink a sensational explosive finish!”
~~~
My Pretty Summer Lady by Andrea Cardellini, Rockpool Bar & Grill Perth
“Tanqueray 10 and Amaro Nonino are shaken with lemon juice and sugar. To compliment the freshness of this take on A “White Lady”, a side of grapefruit granita is crowned with tanned chamomile meringue, while lime and mint sherbet sparkles the mouth feel! Enjoy summer responsibly – without the sun screen!”
~~~
There you go – my completely unbiased opinion on the four drinks you should probably vote for. Get your votes in before 31st December to win the $500 bar tab! Good Luck!
Yes that’s right – for three dates in December, Rockpool Sydney will once again be swinging open its doors for lunch. Neil will be rolling up his sleeves in the kitchen along with Rockpool Head Chef Phil Wood to cook more casual fare, all inspired by world renowned California restaurant Chez Panisse. This is going to be a great and unique way to experience one of the world’s finest restaurants.
What to expect? 3 courses of casual Italian/French Provincial cuisine, using the best seasonal produce.. all for $75pp plus beverages. That, friends, is a bargain. Expect to see suckling pig, late season milk fed lamb, whole joints of beef and veal… whatever is best on the day.
The lunches are being held on the Thursday 1st, Friday 9th and Friday 16th December. After a little breather in January, the lunches will continue in February – dates will be announced here or via our facebook or Neil’s twitter. For bookings for the December pop-up lunches call Rockpool 02 9252 1888.
Chicago is serious town indeed. It is serious about a lot if things – baseball, basketball and gridiron are like a religion in this town. But it is also a very serious food town. I find it so beautiful, the amazing blend of early 20th century sky scrapers and the most modern buildings all winding round the river and the great lake. Its physical beauty is second only to the wonderful diversity of great eating one can do in this town.
It is also home of what might be a new type of restaurant to sweep the globe. Welcome to Grant Achatz’s newest restaurant – Next. Grant is the owner and chef of the famous Alinea restaurant which is one of only two Michelin 3 star restaurants in Chicago. To say that his new restaurant is different is an understatement.
It is in both its philosophy and execution a new breed of modern eating house. For one, you don’t make a reservation at Next; you instead buy a ticket online, as you would for the theatre or a concert. It started with a bang and so much so that the second ‘season’ of Next sold out over the internet in 90 minutes. What do I mean by ‘season’? Every 3 months the restaurant moves from one cuisine to the next – firstly it was French, then went to Thai, and now their serving ’Childhood Memories’… How amazing is that?! It’s popularity is partly due to Grant’s incredible stature in America and Europe, and also very much due to how good this restaurant is. What I love about it is the charge for food, drinks and the tip is all rolled into one. There are no hidden extras, and most importantly from a restaurateur’s point of view, there are no no-shows.
It’s an incredible challenge for the chefs and the service staff, but how beautifully they pull it off. Sam and I ate there in May when the theme was ‘Paris 1906’ – an homage to August Escoffier, and it was a standout. The food and wine-matching were simply as good as it gets. And the service – the service is a tribute to all involved and their love of Grant’s philosophy. You are served by people who are proud of their restaurant and love what they do. If you do manage to get a ticket to Next, you will have the most wonderful well-crafted food, and the experience I promise you will be worth the trip abroad. It will be amazing.
Has Grant created the restaurant concept for the future? Will people buy a ticket and pay for it upfront? I’m not sure… the only thing that I do know is that Grant has created a wonderful oasis for food, drink and enjoyment and I can’t wait to get back! Here is a run-through of the dinner we ate there…
Hors d’Oeuvres
Cheese Gougères
The most amazing selection you have seen:
Oefs Benedictine - a truffle crème with really light salt cod brandade underneath
Smoked salmon mousse in pate brisee
Rabbit boudin blanc with strawberry jam
Foie Gras in brioche – really delicious with a fruit chutney
Pork rillettes
Anchovy with soft boiled quail egg
Leek and mushroom duxelle that was so flavoursome with the mushrooms
Potage à la Tortue Claire
907
A really nice, simple turtle consommé with vegetables, served with a Vin Jaune from the Jura.
Domaine De Montbourgeau l’Etoile Cuvee Spécialé’ Jura 2003
Fillet de Sole Daumont
1950
This was a nice dish – sole fillet, a crayfish head filled with crayfish mousse, crumbed crayfish roe, a stuffed turned mushroom and a delicious crayfish sauce. I loved the technique involved, the different textures and how beautifully the dish came together.
Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon Mâcon-Milly-Lamartine Clos du Four 2006
Suprêmes de Poussin
3130
Really lovely chicken breast cooked sous-vide, covered with a foie gras galze. On the side is a chicken mousse, encased in cucumber then wrapped in salt pork. The chicken had a great texture to it, very delicate and perfectly cooked.
Domaine Leon Barral Faugères 2009
Carré d’agneau
3476
Rack of lamb, lamb sweetbreads and lamb rillette served with crispy onion rings, a rich lamb jus and sauce Choron – not often seen nowadays but still great.
Michel & Stephanie Ogier, ‘La Rocine’ Syrah, Rhone 2005
Caneton Rouennais à la Presse
3476
This dish was as much about the theatre as it was the finished product. The duck is roasted, then carved and the bones are transferred to a large press. All of the flavoursome juices are pressed out of the bones, then they are added to a reduction of cognac, red wine and jus and reduced further to make an amazingly flavoursome sacue. True classical cooking.
The reduction is started on the stovetop…
The meat is carved, then the carcass is cut up with scissors and transferred to the press.
The resulting juices from the duck bones, which is then added to the reduction. Pure flavour.
Gratin de Pommes de Terre à la Dauphinoise
4200
Classic dish.
Domaine Brusset Gigondas Les Hauts de Montmirail 2005
Salad Irma
3839
A nice, light way to finish the savoury courses, with asparagus tips, radish and nasturtium flower.
Sorbet Sauternes
This was an incredible palate cleanser. De Bortoli Noble Oneis frozen in liquid nitrogen (about the only way you could ever freeze it) at the table and scooped into a beautiful antique coupe. It was so cold that it felt like it was going to burn my tongue, but instantly melted away into delicious ice-cold dessert wine.
Bombe Ceylan
4826
Coffee & vanilla ice cream on a chocolate cookie base, all encased in a chocolate shell and dusted with cocoa, served with some rum soaked cherries. Perfection.
Dow’s 10 Year Old Tawny Port
Mignardises
A really elegant way to finish the meal, with salted caramels, nougat and almond stacks…
Barbecued Beef Sirloin with Onion, Parsley and Lemon Salad
Serves 4
4 aged beef sirloin steaks (250g each)
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
4 red onions, peeled and cut in half around the equator
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Remove the steaks from the refrigerator 2 hours before you intend to start cooking and season liberally with sea salt.
Preheat the oven to 140°C. Place the onions in a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Pour the balsamic over the onions. Roast slowly for about 2 hours or until meltingly tender.
Place the onions in a stainless-steel bowl. Add the parsley, lemon zest and juice and about ¼ cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Preheat the barbecue until hot.
Splash the steaks with olive oil and shake off any excess. Grill the steaks for 2 ½ minutes (if you have a grill with bars, halfway through the cooking, rotate the steaks 90 degrees to get nice char marks). Turn the steaks over and cook the other side for 2 ½ minutes (for rare), or until cooked to your liking.
Place the steaks on a plate, cover with foil and keep near the barbecue, so they stay warm, to rest for 10 minutes.
Carve each steak into 1cm slices, then place on dinner plates. Spoon the onion salad over the steaks. Accompany with chips or roast potatoes and a green salad.
This recipe appeared in the Good Weekend, November 19th 2011
This is a dish we’ve had on the menu at Spice Temple Sydney since its inception. Rather than stir frying the pippies in the sauce, we make a dressing out of Chinese salted olives and black beans and dress the cooked pippies which have been steamed open. Salted olives can be found at most Asian grocers – they lend a lovely savouriness to the dish – but if you can’t find them you could just use the salted black beans on their own. Add some greens, rice and an ice cold beer and you’ve got a great meal.
Pippies with Black Olive and Black Bean Dressing
Serves 4 as part of a shared banquet
1kg pippies
100ml chicken stock or water
½ bunch shallots, cut into julienne
Black Olive and Black Bean Dressing
50g salted black beans
50g salted olives, finely chopped
50g salted radish, finely chopped
20g ginger, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 long red chilli, cut into rounds
250 ml peanut oil
80 ml light soy
50 ml white vinegar
90g white sugar
To make the Black Olive and Black Bean Dressing, pound the black beans to a paste in a mortar with a pestle. Transfer to a bowl and add the chopped olives, radish, ginger, garlic and chilli. Combine the oil, soy, vinegar and sugar in a separate bowl and whisk together until the sugar is dissolved. Pour into the bowl with the other ingredients, whisk well to combine.
Heat the chicken stock or water in a wok over high heat until boiling. Add the pippies to the wok, cover with a lid and cook for 2-3 minutes, shaking the wok occasionally, until the shells just begin to open. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pippies to a bowl. Discard the chicken stock.
Mix the dressing well, then pour over the cooked pippies. Toss well, transfer to a bowl and garnish with the shallot julienne. Serve with steamed rice.
We love a bit of nostalgia here at Rockpool. We thought we’d gone about as far back as we could with our Rockpool 1989 photo blog, or the 1996 Rockpool menu with its bargain basement prices. Well, we were wrong.
In the midst of an office cleanup last week, we came across this doozy. From “Successful Entertaining” Spring/Summer 1984/85, a review of Barrenjoey House including recipes from its Chef, a fresh-faced up-and-comer known as Neil Perry. Great prediction by Judy McMahon: “Before too long he’s going to be one of the best chefs in Sydney”…
