Pavlova with a twist for Christmas

Head Chef Anthony Telford spills all on how to make your own Eton Mess from scratch this Christmas. It's pavlova with a twist and it's great for big group celebrations with family and friends.  

This recipe could be started the day before.

Pavlova

3 egg whites

330g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp white vinegar

1 tsp cornflour

Meringue shards

2 egg whites

60g caster sugar

60g pure icing sugar, sifted

Italian meringue

300g caster sugar

1 tbsp liquid glucose (optional)

5 egg whites

2 punnets strawberries, hulled

1 punnet blueberries

1 punnet raspberries

500ml thickened cream, whipped

1 tbsp dried blueberries

1 tbsp dried raspberries

Serves 6

For pavlova heat oven to 120ºC. Place egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar beating on high speed until sugar is well incorporated. Reduce speed and add vanilla, vinegar and cornflour then add 2 tbsp of boiling water and beat until well combined.

Spoon mixture onto a baking-paper lined oven tray in a circle about 20cm in diameter and place in the oven. Reduce temperature to 100ºC and bake for 60 minutes. Turn oven off and leave pavlova to cool in the oven.

For meringue shards heat oven to 120ºC Place egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add caster sugar and beat for 6-8 minutes until very smooth and glossy. Fold sifted icing sugar into egg white mixture with a spatula taking care not to over work the mixture. Spoon dollops of the mixture onto a baking-paper lined oven tray and spread very thinly. Reduce oven to 100ºC and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

For Italian meringue combine sugar, glucose (if using) and 3 tbsp of water in a saucepan and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved then bring to the boil. Cook for 3-5 minutes until thick and syrupy (110ºC on a sugar thermometer). Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium until firm peaks form. Cook sugar mixture for a further 2-3 minutes (120ºC on a sugar thermometer) then remove from the heat. Turn the electric mixer to low and slowly pour the hot sugar syrup onto the egg whites in a steady stream. Continue to beat on low until all the sugar mixture is added then beat on medium speed for 4-5 minutes.

To serve place half the strawberries in a bowl with half the blueberries and half the raspberries and squash with a fork or potato masher. Add the whipped cream and stir to combine. Break pavlova into about 8 pieces and place on a serving platter. Add the berry cream and spoon dollops of Italian meringue over pavlova. Use a kitchen blow torch to brown the Italian meringue then top with remaining berries. Break thin meringue into shards and arrange on top then scatter over remaining berries. Sprinkle dried blueberries and raspberries to serve.

Our Head Chef Anthony Telford Profiled in the Last Ever Issue of Sydney Magazine

Not long after Guillaume featured on page 3 of the Sydney Morning Herald, head chef Anthony Telford became the focus of iCook in the beautifully big and glossy Sydney Magazine. 

Freelance photographer Jennifer Soo met Anthony and his 7 kids at their home in Marrickville and a fun birthday celebration for three of his kids was had by all. Read about it below.

I Cook … a family birthday lunch

By Esther Han

Chef Anthony Telford at home. Photo by Jennifer Soo.

Anthony Telford, head chef of Balmoral's Public Dining Room, loves to tinker with the latest in food trends but turns to simple when cooking for his large family. So who is Anthony Telford?

As a father of seven, Anthony Telford says the trick to feeding a large family and staying sane is to keep it simple. "For dinner, a 40cm large fry pan with frittata and salad on the side works well." He used his Eton mess for a joint birthday "cake" for three of his children Ty, 16, Indiana, 12, and Chile, 10, whose birthdays fall in September. "It's easy and it's fun," says the head chef of Public Dining Room in Balmoral.

Telford's first child, Jesse, was born when Telford was just 20. He met his partner, Victoria, when he was an apprentice and she was a waitress at the now-defunct Le Beauvallon on the Gold Coast. The couple had a baby every two years while based in Melbourne for a decade, where he worked at restaurants such as…

Read more, and get 6 family friendly recipes from Anthony, here:http://www.smh.com.au/good-food/i-cook--a-family-birthday-lunch-20131021-2vw68.html#ixzz2iz6WKRK0

Guillaume Zika Makes Page 3 of The Sydney Morning Herald!

When Sydney Morning Herald journalist Esther Han and photographer Marco Del Grande honoured us with a visit recently, we were excited to see what one of the city's most respected news publications would say about the happenings at our Public Dining Room. 

So when the weekend rolled around, imagine our delight when we opened up to page 3 of the Saturday Edition to find our very own Guillaume showing off his yellow spotted socks on the wharf out front! If you missed it, have a read below:

Guest chef finds new fish to fry at the end of the jetty

By Esther Han 

Beached: Guillaume Zika is the international guest chef at Public Dining Room at Balmoral Beach. Photo: Marco Del Grande

Having worked as the head chef of a Michelin-starred restaurant, Guillaume Zika thought he knew his fish. That was until he reached the end of a jetty at Balmoral Beach.

''I saw this big sign with all this fish I had never seen before. I only knew, like, two. The flathead has a crazy head,'' the Frenchman said with a laugh. ''I caught one and thought that's a fish I'm not going to eat. But I liked it.''

Zika moved to Sydney in June after an 18-month stint as head chef of Hibiscus, Claude Bosi's two Michelin-starred restaurant in London. He is the international guest chef at Public Dining Room at Balmoral Beach until December.

While he has yet to be won over by the ''mushy and strangely textured'' barramundi, he is savouring the best of… 

Read more here:

http://www.smh.com.au/good-food/eat-out/guest-chef-finds-new-fish-to-fry-at-the-end-of-the-jetty-20130913-2tq8z.html#ixzz2iz4rvWey

Wine and the Art of Drinking - Passionate, Boutique & Unique

By Somelier Stephen Thompson

On Monday the 21st October  we hosted a Gourmet Traveller Readers Dinner at Public Dining Room. It was a night that saw Public Dining Room awash with the cities most passionate foodies, many of whom follow the Gourmet Traveller trail as they alternate between selected Sydney and Melbourne restaurants throughout the year.


Chef Guillaume Zika has worked at celebrated Michelin starred restaurants in Paris, Cannes, New York and finally as head chef of the two star Hibiscus restaurant in London. He designed a five course menu featuring a modern take on classic Parisian dishes, and I was responsible for matching the wines, working alongside chosen wine supplier Ian Barr of Bibendum Wine Company.


Our wine list at Public Dining Room is constantly evolving. New discoveries, the changing seasons and vintages all play a roll in the process. We believe all the elements on the plate are complimented by the individual character of the wine to be served alongside it. 

So, why did we select Bibendum as the company to support this celebrated industry event?

Despite receiving 100’s of phone calls, emails and samples of different wines every month, we endeavour to select only the most interesting wines that best suit our clientele. We like to use small scale, boutique wineries for the most part, so annual production is small, and we may only acquire a couple of cases a year in some cases.


We buy a great deal of wine direct from individual vineyards, and building relationships with wholesalers is hugely beneficial. 

Some of these companies are heavyweight global companies selling the . Obviously these wines have their purpose in the market place, but thankfully 

Big global companies selling “big branded” wines for bottle shops up and down the country have their place in the market, but thankfully its not at Public Dining Room!

Over the years we have narrowed our preferred wine wholesaling companies down to around five impressive operators, of which Bibendum is one. All their wines are well sourced from boutique producers located in Australia and from other parts of the world, and it means we are able to buy exciting wines from the newest up and coming producers in regions that perhaps most consumers are not familiar with.

Established in 2004, Bibendum is one of Australia’s leading suppliers of artisanal or “grower” wine from across Europe and Australia. Their aim  is to source only the highest quality, most authentic wines from around the world. They count themselves as extremely fortunate to work with some of the world’s most inspiring wine estates, and some of the most passionate growers and makers. In short, they scour the globe for wines that they themselves would love to drink and cellar! Bibendum enjoys the support of many of Australia’s finest restaurants and in 2012 was awarded the “best importer” gong at the Australian Sommeliers Association awards.


In terms of matching wines for the Gourmet Traveller dinner Bibendum were an obvious choice. All wines on the evening were of course French and we decided on a grower champagne, some classic offerings from prestigious regions and some perhaps less familiar wines from Bibendum's portflolio.


We were thrilled that both diners and Gourmet Traveller's Pat Nourse agreed, with his final statement one of decided contentment: "The wines were perhaps the best matched wines I've had," he said.

TEN THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW ABOUT HEAD CHEF ANTHONY TELFORD

By Gigi Cigar

Anthony Telford is our favourite head chef. He is passionate about food philosophy, has a wicked sense of humour, runs a very well-managed kitchen, and is loved by the team. Many of our regulars already know about his pink frilly apron - he dons it while talking to guests. But there's a lot to the man behind the apron that most don't know about. Read on for ten interesting things about Telford...

1) He's a farm boy! He grew up on a farm with his parents and two brothers on the east coast Australia. His dad was an agricultural scientist.

2) DIY food: On the farm, his family milked cows, grew mixed berries, had a full avocado orchard of male and females, vegetable patches, and bred cattle. They picked and slaughtered everything they ate themselves... "If it moved, my mum would put it in a pot and bubble it!" Anthony said. "All this was happening at home before permeaculture became the "in" thing and before "organics" or "farm to table" became popular buzz words and phrases."

3) From Tragedy Came Triumph: Anthony's mum died from cancer when he was 14 years old. In a house full of farm boys - 3 brothers and a dad - someone had to prepare meals so Anthony stepped into the kitchen. It was the unfortunate start of what has become a very rewarding and successful career in food.  

4) His Food Philosophy: All this helped to fuel his deep respect for food. He subscribes to the farm to table ethos and is committed to buying direct from the farmer as much as possible. "The farm-to-table philosophy has moved on from just being about our carbon footprint. It's more about supporting the local farmer, for us to all to feel more community-minded, and ultimately because we're getting rid of the middle man who is used to fondling our fruit and veg unnecessarily!" says Anthony.

5) Committed to diners experience: Anthony goes personally to Eveleigh Markets in Redfern each week (on his day off) to hand pick the best produce for PDR restaurant guests each week, direct from the farmer.     

6) Fathers day is a big: Anthony Telford has SEVEN children! Hense the wicked sense of humour no doubt! At home, when the whole tribe is in, he is producing 27 meals (3 x 9 including himself and his now ex-wife)... that's 189 meals a week for immediate family alone!

7) Baked beans: "Chefs rarely get invited to dinner parties but I will eat pretty much anything someone else cooks... as long as its done with love. I'm very happy to be served up baked beans at a dinner party. If you're opening that can with love and you mean it, I'll eat it with joy!"     

8) Dinner party advice: For home chefs, I'd say: "Don't show off for anyone... stick to what you know when friends are coming for dinner. If you feel like the lord of lasagne, stick with the lasagne and do it well!" 

9) TV and Food Media: Anthony has done loads of it. He was a regular on Ready Steady Cook (channel ten), he was the David & Kim Show resident chef... and he's written two cook books!  

10) New blog! You can catch Anthony's food and chef-like ramblings about fresh produce, farm fodder, kitchen capers and more each month on his  new blog that will be included in our newsletter each month. Stay tuned to get a whole lot more of his knowledge and passion from October. Stay tuned.       

To experience Anthony's farm to table inspirations, book for lunch or dinner at Public Dining Room today. Phone 9968 4880 or online at publicdiningroom.com.au 

WINE AND THE ART OF DRINKING... IN SPRING!

By PDR Somelier Stephen Thompson

I would never tell anybody what they should or shouldn't be drinking, everyone has their own palate and beliefs. However, this spring, these are my musings... and I know I would enjoy every single wine mentioned below! 

Spring is the season of re-growth. The birth of a new beginning. As the weather warms, our food becomes lighter and therefore our wine selections alongside. Slow cooking, rich sauce reductions and hearty red wines will be fondly farewelled until the cold nights of next year appear.

Spring to me (I am European) evokes thoughts of oysters, broad bean’s, asparagus, seafood treated gently and new season lamb. Naturally, our wine selections should fit accordingly.

This spring, I’m thinking muscadet, riesling, gruner veltliner, viognier. And in reds – cabernet franc and the Southern Rhone’s Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre.

Muscadet, at home in France where the Loire River meets the Atlantic, a naturally ‘salty’ character is simply perfect with freshly shucked rock oysters.

Riesling is wonderfully versatile. Citrus fruit and blessed with minerality – think a pebbled plucked from a fast flowing mountain stream. Great options are found in South Australia, ACT region and in Europe – France, Germany and Austria. Crisp and refreshing in youth but left on the vine longer much greater texture can be found. The best rieslings can last for decades.

Gruner Veltliner is Austria’s native grape. It’s sauvory, herbaceous in style, and exhibiting a natural peppery spice. Great examples are appearing in Victoria’s King Valley more frequently. I recently matched lobster and seasonal radish with a Gruner Veltliner and it worked seamlessly.

Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier. The Southern Rhone is home to the Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier white blends and Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre reds. The whites are ‘heady’ and aromatic in style – perfect for a first date! Lunchtime and seafood... hello! The Barossa is famous for its G/S/M blends. Softer than straight Shiraz, the fruit is more restrained, clever oak barrel work helps, the wine is ‘funky and earthy’ and suits well to a chargrilled steak fresh off the BBQ.

Finally, I have to mention Cabernet Franc. Blended in Bordeaux, but wonderful as a single varietal in the middle Loire. Clean, pure and herbaceous, exactly what I’d match with a rack of new season lamb and spring vegetables.

Until next time, drink well and be merry!

THE GUILLAUME ZIKA INTERVIEW. WHAT CAN PDR DINERS EXPECT NEXT?

By Eloise King

Public Dining Room's Michelin star chef Guillaume Zika's 5 course Discovery Degustation sold out recently in just 48 hours. But who is Zika? And what can Sydney diners expect from his next offering? The answer is one magical night in Paris...  

Note: Guilluame's french-english has been left in unedited so you know you are consuming the french man's authentic thoughts, fully. 

Eloise: If you could explain the Michelin dining experience in three words, what would the be?

Guillaume: Creative, perfection, consistency 

Eloise: Where did you learn to dish out this kind of Michelin experience for diners?

Guillaume: I was Head Chef at “Hibiscus Restaurant” in London (2 Michelin star) and prior to that, worked at “Per Se” Thomas Keller in New York City (3 Michelin Stars), “Le Grand Vefour” Guy Martin in Paris (3 Michelin Stars), “Le Moulin de Mougins” Alain Llorca in Mougins (2 Michelin Star) and “Relais Louis XIII” In Paris (2 Michelin Star).

Eloise: You're new to Australia and cooking for Sydney diners for the first time ever. How did it feel when eight weeks worth of your Discovery Degustation dinners at Public Dining Room sold out solid in just 48 hours?

Guillaume (in unedited French-English): I wasn't expecting this at all, it is a very good things on the fact that people are interested on my food. But it is a lot of pressure for me, it's easier to be disappointed in a meal if people have high expectation of it. Even if the meal was good, people are more critical. I am very passionate about cooking and I have been very happy when such positive feedback comes back to me after they have experienced my degustation at Public Dining Room recently. 

Eloise: How do you expect your next Friday night weekly offering - A Night In Paris - to be received by PDR guests?

Guillaume: The food will be much more simple, beautiful, and I will be less risky on the mix of flavour cause when you have to choose out of an a la carte menu, most of the time people go for the safe dish unless you are an adventurous personality type. That is why a Discovery Degustation menu can be good! A Night in Paris, however, will be something new for the PDR diners. Everyone knows French food, but no one really knows it so my goal on my cooking is to transmit culture, to make you travel to France through your palate... When your spoon goes to your mouth with a warm Roquefort, crunchy candied walnut and the cold sour Granny Smith apple jelly, you will be experiencing Paris... I know it.

Eloise: Many high-profile Sydney chefs who have been to Europe for the sole purpose of becoming Michelin star trained, including Mark Best (Marque), Collin Fassnidge (Four in Hands), and Sam Aisbett (Quay). These chefs tell me that the Michelin restaurant training is tough, gruelling and tends to change people in a way that "separates the men from the boys" in cheffing. You have only ever worked in Michelin star restaurants. What do you believe are the main skills and/or qualities that Michelin restaurants tend to produce in chefs?

Guillaume: Michelin star restaurant is a crazy industry, the rhythm is so hard that you need to be young and healthy to survive, the mental conditions are extreme too, especially in Paris, all the chefs have strong skills, have worked in Michelin restaurant in the past, and try to be better than you. The competition is crazy! I remember one of the waiters of "Le Grand Vefour" (3 Michelin star in Paris) telling me that he couldn't be a chef, because to be chef, you need to be very strong in your head, it's a constant fight. But on the other side of it, you learn discipline, rigour, consistency, perfection, how to dress properly, to work smart, to respect produce and recipes. You also discover so many premium quality fish, meat, herbs, vegetable that you never heard of! This is the beauty of our job, the infinite way to learn. You also work with people who have amazing skills. You learn different techniques, my sous chef at Le Grand Vefour, Thomas l'Hérisson, used to tell me all the time, "there is 3 way to cut fillet this fish: the good way, the bad way, and my way." You realise why you are working so hard when you see chefs with bad training and backgrounds coming for trial in the kitchen, messing it up and doing sloppy work. The Michelin star kitchen is just another world professionally.

Eloise: Australia and Europe have vastly different climates and very different produce as a result. What are the biggest differences you notice with Australian produce?

Guillaume: The seasons are different, and some vegetable or fruit are longer in season here cause the sun is more out than in Europe. The fish is also very different cause it lives in warm water, so it obviously different. 

Eloise: What have you been most impressed by, or most enjoyed, about working at Public Dining Room?

Guillaume: I really like working with Public Dining Room's head chef Anthony Telford, he as a large knowledge on the Australian produce. Being a father of seven children he is a man who knows how to control himself and he will only speak out or blow up when it comes to the big important things that he has passion for around food. He knows how to manage himself in the kitchen well and he is the reason that there is such a strong team at Public Dining Room who have all worked together for a long time. That doesn't happen if the head chef only knows how to be a ball-breaker. 

Public Dining Room were sorry to see so many people turned away from the Discovery Degustation. Today, however, is a happy day as Guillaume's next highly anticipated offering titled A Night in Paris becomes available to PDR newsletter subscribers here first. Available 7 weeks only from Sept 13. To book, phone 9968 4880 or online at publicdiningroom.com.au