ABSYNTHE WINS GOURMET TRAVELLER’S TWO-STAR RATING

ABSYNTHE restaurant in Surfers Paradise has again won the two-star rating in the 2011 Gourmet Traveller’s Restaurant Awards, making it the fifth consecutive year they have held on to the title.

Absynthe also took out the number one spot in the Queensland Regional category, finishing at 46 in the Gourmet Traveller’s top 100 venues offering an exquisite dining experience.
Competition in this year’s Awards was rife, with many old favourites previously boasting the two-star rating dropping down the list to make way for new venues. 

Absynthe owner and head chef Meyjitte Boughenout said the award was a huge honour and a celebration of peer and industry recognition.

We are very excited to have held on to the award for the fifth year in a row, said Meyjitte.It is very humbling, considering the amount of talent both in Queensland and nationally.  Competition this year was of a very high standard – there are some wonderful restaurants that we were up against, so we are very pleased to be placed number one in the regional Queensland list.

Absynthe restaurant is the perfect fusion of modern French and Australian cuisine, where the freshest and most unique ingredients are delicately prepared to seduce all tastes.
The edgy, avant garde 60 seat restaurant sits in its own little nook in the prestigious Q1 building, Surfers Paradise, right in the heart of the Gold Coast.

Meyjitte’s techniques are drawn from complex traditional and unique European cooking methods to produce dishes that deliver the finest flavours and textures. The preparation of food is executed with precision and faultless presentation, allowing diners to experience something totally unique.

Absynthe is located at Shop 4, Q1, Gold Coast Highway, Surfers Paradise and is open for an a la carte or degustation dinner from Monday to Friday from 6:00pm, with Saturday dinner reserved only for degustation dining.

 

GC Food Banks Shanks, enjoy while Winter is still here….

With a few short weeks of Winter left, braise some lamb shanks and enjoy their comfort.

'there are many ways to skin a cat'

Braising is a method all Chefs love. It utilizes the second class cuts of meat that generate a far superior depth of flavour when cooked slowly. Winter is also the perfect time for a heart warming braise. This recipe for lamb shanks is a simple red wine braise. My presentation has taken the angle that in restaurants lamb shanks can be one of the most unattractive dishes to serve, with that big bone and all. By simply stripping the meat and shaping in various guises you now have a more attractive eye pleasing finish.

What you will need

For the braise
3 lamb shanks
1 carrot
1 stick of celery
1 onion
6 garlic cloves
3 bay leaves
A generous amount of fresh rosemary
8 peppercorns
1 Tbsp tomato paste
250 ml red wine
Beef stock to cover

Gremolata crust

4 tbsp bread crumbs
1 tsp lemon zest
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tsp parsley, finely chopped
Dijon mustard
1 egg yolk

a delicate sound of thunder...is braised meat

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Method

Pre heat oven to 150C. Heat a pan and brown lamb shanks, season with salt. Remove lamb and add mirepoix of vegetables. Turn heat down and caramelize slowly for 20 minutes, do not burn.

Add tomato paste, cook for 1 minute, add red wine and rosemary, reduce by two thirds. Add approx one litre of beef stock, bay, peppercorns and bring to the simmer.

Place lamb shanks in suitable sized vessel that will be able to be placed in the oven. Cover with stock and red wine liquid, add more stock if needed. Bring liquid level to just below the top of the lamb. Place a cartouche on the surface, then a lid or foil. Braise in the oven for three hours.

When cooked remove shanks from the liquid, strain liquid and reduce to a suitable sauce consistency. Pick meat from the bones and shred lightly with two forks. Season to taste and then add four tablespoons of reduced braising liquid.

On a square of plastic wrap place half of the mixture in the centre of the plastic and then roll up into a cylinder shape, twist ends to create an even shape approx 4-5cm in diameter. Wrap then in foil to allow a tighter finish. Refrigerate for four hours preferably overnight.
When firm cut into 2cm slices.

To make the crust, mix breadcrumbs with lemon zest, garlic and parsley. Mix egg yolk with a little water.

With a brush, paint on mustard to one surface or the edges of the slices. Dip mustard surface in egg yolk and then crumbs. Place in a 200C oven to reheat and crisp crumbs.

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serve with some peas and torn mint

Serving suggestions

Place lamb on a base of celeriac puree, scatter with blanched peas, mint leaves and baby carrots. Surround with reduced sauce

serves about 4 humans

 

Gold Coast Food Bank rattles the pans@Links Hope Island

A Chef’s Table @ Links Hope Island

Gold Coast Food Bank got behind the hobs as guest Chef for an intimate 10 course ‘Chefs Table’ Degustation. Executive Chef of Links, Ben James welcomed GC Food Bank to prepare 8 courses along with 2 of his own.

GC Food Bank left and Ben James right

Sommelier Mark Wilson expertly matched each course with a cracking wine to boot. 14 diners entered the kitchen for a look of just what goes on behind the closed doors of a kitchen…nowadays it’s not all that confidential.

Menu

• one – coffin bay oysters, verjuice granita
• two – zucchini flowers, ricotta, pumpkin, balsamic
• three – mushroom tea, suggestion of truffle
• four – eat it raw, wagyu carpaccio, raw heirloom veg
• five – grapefruit gelee, shochu shot
• six – duck, witlof, fondant potato, orange gastrique
• seven – lamb shank, winter vegetable barigoule, gremolata crust
• eight – blue cheese, chocolate
• nine – elements of lemon meringue pie
• ten – beetroot many ways, goats cheese

 

Fresh Pheasant…at a Gold Coast Eatery…where you ask..?

An absolute pleasure – last Friday night I was sitting down to a mighty fine meal of Fresh Pheasant…with Foie Gras too I might add.

Pheasant..where can you find it... note the dice of Foie Gras..

I am willing to take well thought out guesses of where it may be...and I’ve heard of only one other Restaurant in Qld serving Pheasant..and that is Aria in Brisbane.

it was presented 2 ways..a confit leg and here, a medium rare breast

Make a comment and let us see if anyone can pick it….where can you find fresh Pheasant on the Gold Coast??

A challenge to Gold Coast Food Bank readers…..many will surely benefit to find it’s provider.

 

Apprentice Chef Challenge Gold Coast Tafe

It was their last day of Stage 1 Cookery, Gold Coast Food Bank issued a challenge to this young group of Apprenti.

4 Courses… 3 portions of each…limited time

Their goal….to challenge themselves, unveil their capabilities and to enjoy cooking.

 

Gold Coast Food Bank is spreading its wings…a magazine you say…

For those who know GC Foodbank, you may know of the man behind the name…well I’m heading into the world of print media…Ocean Road Magazine it’s coming.

Have a look at a recent clip of a food shoot I partook in….and support a venture that will carry on the purpose behind this blog…to educate and inform!

A fan of FACEBOOK?  search Ocean Road Magazine and become a fan…cool prizes to be won…visit the website hold page www.oceanroadmagazine.com.au

 

Absynthe…and a discovery of Pinots

Pinot Noir...the peacock's tail?

What – Pinot Discovery Dinner
Where – Absynthe Restaurant, Gold Coast

Those who understand Pinot’s will relate when I say they are the Silk of wine. Being both transparent and fickle they are wines that necessitate the need for food with veins buoyant with flavour, complexity and grace.

Meyjitte Boughenout was up to the challenge, and exhibited food that went toe to toe for the duration of the dinner.

A rev up for the palate were 2 morsels. One I had sampled before…his spherical olive with vanilla crumbs…the other a  boudin blanc of chicken napped with white chocolate

Spherical Olive

2 textures of cauliflower came as part of the first dish. A vexing velvety custard that had the smallest of raw florets swimming amid. Smoked salmon frozen and then run over a microplane made up a salmon granite that offered a chilled cuff on a well thought out appetiser.

2 textures of cauliflower, salmon granite

Astute followers of food direction will be seeing the whole ‘ nature based cuisine’ thing more and more, I know I have harped on about it for some time now. A yabby with ricotta gnocchi and Jerusalem artichoke magnified nature. Check the picture and see what I saw as a yabby swimming amid the muddy waters. The broth a result of well reduced stock from the shells mounted with herbed butter. The artichokes play with the earthy water well, and I enjoyed a really ‘peasant’ offering.

sweet, earthy, thoughtful

As the menu progressed flavours became bolder, with an impressive ballotine of quail with fresh raspberries, raspberry glaze and traces of chocolate and a braised shank of lamb with a ravioli of I’m guessing black trompette de mort. The sweet finish, a bitter dark chocolate fondant with red berry sorbet.

Great night, wine was superb, food as always utterly impressive.

 

Chaines des Rotisseurs Commis Competition Gold Coast Chapter 2010

Last week 5 young Commis Chefs from The Gold Coast competed in the Annual Chaines des Rotisseurs Commis Competition.

Gold Coast Food Bank was called upon to judge the kitchen side of things…and the standard of mis en place, modern cooking, presentation techniques and dedication was of an extremely high standard.

Yellowtail Kingfish

Competitors were given a ‘mystery box’ comprising of Yellow tail King, quail, fresh chestnuts, celeriac. mango and fennel asking of each to produce a 3 course meal, 4 portions of each.

Competitors Brent O’Brien (RPR’s) Andrew Pascoe (Sheraton Mirage) and Mitch Williams (Sofitel) were among the top quality entrants.

Winning on the day was Brent O’Brien who excelled in organisation, classical cooking techniques and of course final presentation and taste. Congratulations goes out to all who competed.

Young Commis hold the key to the development of a food culture here on the Gold Coast

Seared Kingfish

quail breast, leg, celeriac and young herbs

mango panna cotta, basil jelly, chocolate fondant, lemon foam

quail ballotine, fondant potato

kingfish tortelini, confit fennel, white tomato foam

 

Absynthe Wine Dinner

Yet to have a rendezvous with the ‘Green Fairy’…now is the time to sample food from one of the standout restaurants in Qld. Tuesday the 20th April Chef de Cuisine Meyjitte Boughenout is creating a six course degustation experience to suit the wines of wine extraordinaire and owner of Melbourne’s Armadale Cellars Phil Hude along with Catherine Alapont from Maritime Estate.

The wine dinner will showcase six wines including; NV Devaux Blanc de Noirs, 2007 Tieffenbrunner Pinot Blanco, 2008 Amisfield Pinot Rose, 2005 Maritime Estate Pinot Noir, 2007 Stefano Lubiana Estate Pinot Noir and 2008 Rockburn Pinot Noir. All wines will be matched with dishes prepared by Meyjitte Boughenout and his team.

Confit Ocean trout, white chocolate, salmon pearls from the last Absynthe degustation dinner GC Food Bank attended

Menu

•Meyjitte’s signature appetiser of Soft Green Olive & Vanilla

•White Asparagus Custard with Smoked Salmon Granite

•Ricotta Gnocchi w steamed Yabbies & Jerusalem Artichoke

•Quail Ballotine with Raspberry Glaze & Traces of Chocolate

•Braised Lamb Shank and Mushroom Raviolo

•Chocolate Fondant, and Cherry Ice-Cream

The evening is an opportunity to indulge in an entire evening dedicated to the appreciation of Pinot wines and experience spectacular food.

Bookings are essential and tickets are $145pp and are all inclusive.

WHERE – Absynthe Restaurant Q1Building. Junction of Surfers Paradise Boulevard, Clifford St & Hamilton Avenue, Surfers Paradise.
WHEN – Tuesday 20 April 2010
PRICE – $145 per person, including wines.
BOOKINGS & ENQUIRIES: ph 07 55046466

 

On The Rise w Kelvin Andrews – Apprentice Chef – 3rd Year

Soon to be qualified, Kelvin Andrews recently ventured to the culinary hub of Australia. The City of Melbourne was his destination for an all-embracing learning curve as 1 of 4 Qld apprentices to compete at a National Level in Fonterra’s Proud to be a Chef Cookery Competition.

Gold Coast Food Bank caught up with Kelvin as he was putting the finishing touches to his own creations, as part of his off the job studies at The Gold Coast Institute of Tafe Contemporary Dining Restaurant.

Age – 19

Currently Cooking @ – Gold Coast International Hotel

What propelled you to pursue cooking as a career?
Sort of fell into it, my father was a butcher, and my parents also owned restaurants and pubs as I was growing up. As a student at Merrimac High School I studied Hospitality and was awarded Dux of the subject…so why not go for something I’m good at?

Pork Belly en sous vide...under pressure for 7 hours

You just returned from Melbourne, and competed in a cooking competition, tell me of your experience…
It was held over 2 ½ days where we had to create and recreate dishes we had both thought of and also seen prepared. It was an awesome experience for an apprentice, I rubbed shoulders with Australia’s best. Shane Delia of Maha Bar and Grill showed me an array of ingredients and cooking styles I had yet to be exposed to. I travelled to The Press Club, where I saw firsthand how George Calombaris goes about business as well.

veal tenderloin, pea risotto, watercress

Where to now..have you your sights set on anywhere in the future?

confit salmon, dill, angel hair pasta

Certainly Melbourne, then Europe.

Culinary Hero
Marcus Baker, my old sous chef. He instilled the passion and desire to work through adversity.

Fave cookbook/s
Pier – Greg Doyle and My Vue – Shannon Bennett

Most memorable meal
Foie Gras mousse w Jamon Iberico, apple puree and brioche @ Vue De monde

creme brulee, banana pain perdu

Food Pictures are Kelvin’s creations from his own menu written, then implemented at Gold Coast Tafes functioning restaurant.