Part of our job with Qantas sees us look at lots of different manufactured products.  Some good, some not so good and every now and again a real star!

We generally get the team at Rockpool and Kate’s fine palate together to assess these things.  Just recently we had a look at a range of readymade curry sauces by Eurng Luang out of Thailand – they exceeded expectations by some way. It was amazing to see a shelf stable curry sauce display all the character of a fresh made sauce.  We tasted 7 varieties including; Green curry, Red Curry , Panaeng Curry , Chu-Chee Curry , Massaman Curry , Yellow Curry Thai Style , Honey Chilli Sauce.

I made the comment that there are many Thai restaurants in Sydney not serving such delicious curries. I’m sure we will be using them in some way this year. Hopefully we will find some more products as good as this one.

I would like to wish everyone a great Christmas and New Year. 

Rockpool Group employees, thanks heaps for an amazing year, particularly the last few weeks. You slaved away and made the restaurants better.

To all our wonderful customers out there, thanks so much for all your support, I hope you have a wonderful day tomorrow.

To all those tuning into the blog have the best time, I know I will be relaxing, so hopefully you will be doing the same.

 Lots of love to everyone this holiday season!!!

~ Neil

Rockpool News – December 2009 – Christmas Edition

Serves 4

4kg live mud crabs
Extra virgin olive oil
Lemon juice
Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
½ cup chopped Italian parsley

Place your mud crabs in the freezer. This puts them to sleep and is the most humane way to kill them (it will take about 2 hours). Remove the string, turn the crab upside down in the sink, pull the ‘v’ shaped flap at the back up and remove the whole shell. Remove the lungs by scraping them off with a spoon and clean the crab under running water. Snap off the flap. Chop the crab in half and clean out any remaining internal organs. Cut the crab in half again, between the claw and legs. Using the back of a knife or a meat mallet, crack the claws a couple of times from the nippers down to the elbow and what we like to call the forearm. Remove any excess cartilage from around the head.

Put each crab and top shell in a bamboo steamer basket and layer them up (it is a good idea to have a plate sitting under the baskets to catch all the liquid). Place the stacked baskets over a pot of boiling water and steam for 6 to 8 minutes, rotating the baskets so they all cook evenly. When done, the flesh will be white (check the thick part of the claw).

Add all the crab pieces to a large bowl and toss with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, chopped parsley, salt and pepper. Serve with freshly made aioli (or the Neil Perry fresh version available at Woolworths), a finger bowl, a strong napkin and a good glass of Riesling or Champagne.

Coming soon (flying as of 1 December 2009) to a Qantas premium cabin menus is Spanner Crab Omelette with Oyster Sauce.

This omelette, in its’ wok fried version, is a Rockpool classic and appeared on the restaurant menu for many years.   The texture of the crab, egg and bean sprouts, and the perfume of the sesame oil make this a truly wonderful taste and texture treat. The crispy exterior, melting interior, and the crunchiness of the bean sprouts all work so well together.  Make sure the oil is very hot and smoking so that the eggs do not soak up the oil.  

It is served with steamed fragrant rice, bok choy and a spoonful of oyster sauce. This recipe is enough to feed one but is best served as part of a banquet style meal. 

SPANNER CRAB OMELETTE WITH OYSTER SAUCE
 
Vegetable oil
3 small free range eggs, gently whisked
100g steamed spanner crab meat, free from any shell
100g bean sprouts
50g snowpea sprouts
6 no. Chinese yellow chives, washed & cut in 5cm lengths
Broth (see recipe below)
Steamed Jasmine rice, to serve
Bok choy, to serve
Oyster sauce, to serve

Preparation
Heat vegetable oil (about 6-8cm deep) in a wok. When oil begins to smoke, add egg. The egg will puff up and bubble immediately, hit the egg bubbles with an egg slice to knock out the air, cook for 10-15 seconds or until base of omelette is golden.

Remove from heat then drain excess oil from wok. Spoon crab along centre of omelette and top with sprouts and chives. Roll one side over filling and roll omelette over to form a cigar shape. Pour in broth and place wok back onto heat. Allow to simmer for a minute to heat through crab and soften vegetables.
Remove the omelette from the wok with an egg lifter and place on a board.  Trim off the ends.

BROTH
2/3 cup fresh chicken stock
1 teaspoon light palm sugar, grated
2 table spoons yellow bean sauce|
Two drops of sesame oil

Preparation
To make the broth, combine all ingredients except sesame oil in a pot. Bring to boil, ensure sugar has melted and remove from heat. Check balance of seasoning then add sesame oil. 

To serve:
Serve with freshly steamed Jasmine rice and bok choy. Place omelette in a large deep bowl, pour over the hot broth and top with oyster sauce.

Rockpool inspired menus showcasing the best seasonal produce on offer are what you can expect next time you stop by the Qantas International First Lounges in Sydney or Melbourne.  Written by Jessica Sly, Rockpool Consulting Food Consultant

Just when you think there might be time for a breather things keep on getting busier out at QANTAS land. As with the restaurants we change the menus in the International First Lounges with the seasons and have recently implemented spring menus in both Sydney and Melbourne. We have a great selection of signature dishes that everyone knows and loves so we never change these – things like the Club Sandwich, Chilli Salt Squid and our amazing organic egg breakfast omelettes. Some of the new dishes we have introduced to suit the warmer weather and make the most of the new seasonal ingredients include a baby beetroot salad with soft feta, candied walnuts, vino cotto and olive oil – a terrine of rabbit and quail with citrus and watercress salad – and one of my favourites – an incredible piece of the freshest grilled fish (this changes daily according to market availability) served with a cumin spiced eggplant puree and sweet grape tomatoes dressed with  a myriad of the freshest herbs, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil – it just awakens the senses and reminds you of what good food is all about. We are blessed with these lounges because not only are they considered some of the best in the world, but we have incredibly smart a la carte dining which means our chefs are truly able to flex their muscles and strut their stuff – menu design here is certainly a whole lot less complicated than it is for in the sky!

Speaking of the sky I was lucky enough to fly to Hong Kong last week to consult with the team who will be managing our soon to be opened new Business Class Lounge up there. The aim is to tie it in with the recently upgraded First and Chairman’s Lounges in Sydney and Melbourne by improving the product, presentation and service all round. For any of you that are lucky enough to have been in these Australian lounges recently you will agree that the food is certainly more fresh and vibrant than it has ever been – with a selection of light simple options well suited to the season, time of day – and of course complimentary to that you will receive in flight.  It was amazing touching down in Hong Kong – a beautiful city drenched with neon lights and surrounded by mountains and water – three of my favourite things! The team took us out to one of their beloved local Cantonese restaurants the first night we were there – cheap and cheerful – just the way I like it – with more neon lights – don’t love them so much in doors – and big round tables with super spinning  lazy susans. We feasted on roast goose – the local specialty which was similar to duck but much fattier and with a darker more robust flesh – delicious. Jelly fish in a very simple sesame oil dressing – I’d never eaten jelly fish before and would describe it as the perfect flavour carrier rather than having too much flavour of its own – although it did have a little bite – was this a hit of chilli or the jellyfishes own sting?! It had great texture – like a super al dente mung bean noodle – cut into ribbons like fettuccine. Delicious coral trout that came flapping to the table for our approval before being steamed to perfection – sweet and sour pork like I have never had before and wonderful sauces to dip fried bits into – whether they be squid, eggplant or tofu – a chilli sauce packed with flavour and just the right amount of heat and something I had never had before a salty shallot water that I just loved…

An article by Kate Barker – Menu Planer, Rockpool Consulting

The menus we write for International First and Business Class aren’t done in quite the same way as a restaurant. There is a lot more forward planning involved to get each dish onto the plate. It’s actually quite an amazing process that can begin up to twelve months in advance of the menu flying. I am just in the middle of drafting up the next lot of menus which will start flying from September next year; I write eighteen First Class menus and forty-five Business Class menus which change four times a year, with each new season. 

The first part of this process is research. We scour through pages of magazines, from Australia and other countries, check out what our four restaurants are doing, as well as other restaurants in Sydney and overseas and review any new food books on the scene. Neil has the most amazing cookbook collection I have ever seen. I chat to Neil, Khan and Catherine (from RPB&G Sydney), Phil and Dave (from RP) and lots of other people in the Rockpool family to get a sense of what is inspiring everyone at the moment. My job is to try to reflect that passion in our First and Business Class menus. We also spend time with our suppliers to find out about any new products we might be interested in using as well as constantly be on the lookout for new and interesting suppliers. 

I will be recipe testing through December all the new dishes and ideas I have for the drafted menus. These dishes are presented to Neil and the Rockpool Consulting Team to assess the flavour profile as well as the look of the dish and if it’s appropriate for our in-flight menus. There are some dishes that for various reasons will just never work!

The next few months before testing is what we call ‘presentation season’. Twice a year either myself or Roger, another Rockpool Consultant, head to Los Angeles, London, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Singapore. During this time all of the new menus and recipes are presented to us for quality purposes. We need to make sure they have followed our recipes correctly and that premium products are being used. It also gives us a chance to see what’s happening in the local food scene with visits to food markets, restaurants and other suppliers. In-flight, we also have a chance to speak to crew and check on how the food is going. It’s such a wonderful experience to see the crew plating up a beautiful dish which was created up to twelve months earlier!

Our Spring menus from Australia have been running a month now and are getting fabulous feedback. Our First Class menus from Sydney and Melbourne include amazing Australian produce such as Italian salami made from free range pork from Quattro Stelle; sustainable Spencer Gulf King Prawns managed by the South Australian Research and Development Institute; Barossa Valley chicken which is free range and fed on a vegetarian corn based diet; and Rangers Valley dry aged beef which has been grain fed for 300 days with no growth hormones or antibiotics used. All other these products reflect Neil’s passion for food and the belief that the cornerstone of good cooking is great produce. Many of these products are used in his restaurants and are generally regarded by industry professionals as brands that support good methods of manufacturing which is better for the product and also for the environment.

 Here is a quick and easy recipe you can try at home this Spring as the weather warms up and the days start to get longer.

SPENCER GULF KING PRAWN AND GREEN PAWPAW SALAD WITH NAM JIM DRESSING

Plump King Prawns from the Spencer Gulf on Australia’s South Eastern coastline are served as part of a simple Thai inspired salad.  Green pawpaw, cucumber, coriander, Vietnamese mint and shallots, dressed with a Thai style dressing. The dressing has a thick consistency and includes finely chopped garlic, fresh coriander, fish sauce, palm sugar and red and green chillies.

The world’s largest known population of western king prawns is in Spencer Gulf. The South Australian Research and Development Institute together with local fisheries in the area have worked together to become one of the leading groups for managing sustainability of seafood stocks within Spencer Gulf and major technological advances have been made in the way the catch is handled. The prawns themselves are snap-frozen at minus 32 degrees Celsius within minutes of coming out of the water, locking in the freshness resulting in a firm and flavoursome product.

We recommend Healthy Boy or Squid brand fish sauce for this recipe.

NAM JIM DRESSING
3 no. fresh peeled garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 no. fresh coriander root, finely chopped
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons light palm sugar, crumbled
2 tablespoons fish sauce
½ deseeded fresh long red chilli, finely chopped
½ deseeded fresh long green chilli, finely chopped
2-3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, approximately 

Preparation
Place garlic, coriander root and sea salt in a mortar and pound with pestle. Do not reduce to a paste. Remove and place in bowl. Dissolve palm sugar with fish sauce in mortar with the pestle ensuring there are no lumps of sugar. Add garlic and coriander mix back in along with chopped red and green chilli and stir well to combine. Add in lime juice.

Taste and adjust if necessary, to ensure there is a balance of sweet, sour and saltiness. 

GREEN PAWPAW SALAD
12-16 no. cooked Spencer Gulf king prawns, peeled, de-veined and tails intact
2 cups green pawpaw, julienne
½ deseeded Lebanese cucumber, julienne
½ a punnet cherry tomatoes, cut in half or quarters if large
1 no. peeled small eschalots, very finely sliced
A small handful of fresh coriander leaves
A small handful of fresh Thai basil leaves
A small handful of fresh mint leaves, roughly torn
About 6 leaves of Vietnamese mint, roughly torn (if available)
nam jim dressing (see recipe above)

Preparation
Mix dry ingredients together. Add enough dressing to wet the salad well and mix through thoroughly. Share between four plates and finish with prawns on top. Serve immediately. 

With all the exciting goings on at Rockpool, Spice Temple and Rockpool Bar &  Grill, Sydney and Melbourne, we’ve not really given Qantas any blog space of late.

Fear not, beautiful meals designed by Neil Perry and the Rockpool Consulting team are still flying Qantas First and Business Class and as Winter draws near we thought it high time we shared a recipe with you, a deliciously warming soup currently flying Ex Sydney and Melbourne.  When you eat this creamy, earthy chestnut soup think of crisp Winter days bathed in pale golden light – food for the soul.

Cream of Chestnut Soup with Thyme
 40g unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely sliced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 cup good quality Chardonnay
800g double peeled chestnuts *(see note at end of page)
4 medium Desiree potatoes, peeled and diced
2 litres fresh chicken stock
2 bay leaves
2/3 cup single (pouring) cream
Freshly ground white pepper, to taste
Garlic croutons, to serve (recipe below)
Extra chopped fresh thyme leaves, to serve

In a large, heavy-based saucepan, over a low heat, melt the butter in the oil.  Add the garlic, onion, celery, thyme and salt and cook for 10 minutes until softened.  Increase heat, add wine and simmer for 1 minute.
Add chestnuts, potatoes, stock and bay leaves and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes until potatoes and chestnuts are very soft and start breaking up.
Remove bay leaves, add cream and puree contents of pot until very smooth.  If necessary, add more chicken stock to achieve desired consistency.
Add pepper, check seasoning and adjust as necessary.

Garlic Croutons
3 slices day old sourdough bread
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Trim crusts from sourdough and chop bread into 1cm cubes.  Scatter bread over baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, add garlic, season with sea salt and pepper then toss to combine.  Bake croutons at 200C, tossing occasionally, until crisp and golden; remove from oven and set aside to cool.

To Serve
Ladle piping hot chestnut soup into your favourite soup bowls.  To each bowl add a handful of golden garlic croutons and finish with a sprinkle of chopped fresh thyme leaves.

Chestnut Soup with Garlic Croutons and Thyme

With the Qantas A380 due to make it’s inaugural flight out of London in January, I am reminded of just how very lucky I recently was to be invited as part of the team flying home the first Qantas A380 from Toulouse to Sydney.

Qantas A380 Sydney Flyover

We departed France on Friday, September 19 and I really felt that we (all of us on that flight) were experiencing a very important piece of Australian history – and it was a great insight into what a true icon the flying kangaroo is.  What Marc Newson has done with the A380 cabins is spectacular…

Neil and Marc Newson on Qantas A380

Qantas A380 Business Class Stairs

A short time after this inaugural flight the big plane took off from Melbourne on it’s first true journey – to Los Angeles.  Again, I was lucky to be waiting at the other end where I boarded the plane with other Qantas ambassadors, Olivia Newton John and Captain John Travolta – we flew to San Francisco and entertained some lucky guests with a very special cocktail party in the air before returning to LA.

Qantas A380 Neil Perry Window