WHO:      Nat Locke from Nova
WINE:     2007 Stella Bella Viognier
WHAT: Teriyaki Salmon with Asian Inspired Avocado Salad

Nat Locke from Nova 93.7′s breakfast show loves wine.  She also loves food – but the wine bit is the part she likes best.  Oh and travelling. She likes that, especially when she gets to taste amazing food from different cultures and of course the wonderful wine!

Here she gives us her very tasty Teriyaki Salmon with Asian Inspired Avocado salad along with some great advice on impressing your guests!  She always washes it down with the sublime 2007 Stella Bella Viognier.

Teriyaki Salmon with Asian Inspired Avocado Salad – serves 4

4 salmon fillets
Teriyaki sauce1 chopped avocado
½ finely chopped red chilli
½ red onion
10 cherry tomatoes cut in half
Handful of Vietnamese mint
Juice of one lime
Fish sauce
Sesame Oil
Handful of roasted, unsalted peanuts

Method

Marinate salmon fillets in a quality teriyaki sauce (you could make it from scratch, but life is way too short for that!)

Throw into a non-stick frypan and cook until teriyaki sauce is a sticky mess and salmon is cooked almost all the way through.

Mix together chopped avocado, finely chopped red chilli, finely chopped red onion, halved cherry tomatoes and a handful of coriander leaves and/or Vietnamese mint.  Squeeze in the juice of a lime (you could also add some lime zest if you’re feeling fruity), stir in a dash of fish sauce and a slightly larger dash of sesame oil.  Chuck in a handful of roasted unsalted peanuts.

Plate up (I’ve always wanted to say that) and if you want to impress the pants off someone, pack the salad into a mould to make a little tower (with some slivers of chilli and a sprig of coriander on top. My how fancy!).

Leave the dishes (especially the sticky frypan) to someone else.

Catch Nat each weekday morning from six on Nova’s Nathan, Nat & Shaun McManus.

WHO:      Anthony Schell @ The Brisbane Hotel
WINE:     2008 West Cape Howe Cabernet Merlot
WHAT:    Grilled venison loin, char-grilled kipfler potato, roasted beetroot and rocket salad with Baba Ghannouj

Anthony grew up and started cooking in Canberra but fond memories of Perth from a short stint of living here as a teenager drew him back over 13 years.

Originally training in small family run Italian restaurants gave him a great appreciation of “getting your hands dirty” in learning the feel, smell and of course the flavours of fresh quality produce.  Drawing on these experiences was instrumental in developing the “pub’ kitchen at The Brisbane Hotel.

“We wanted to focus on offering fresh, honest food. Nothing more, nothing less by letting the flavours and quality or produce speak for itself.  I found the 2008 West Cape Howe Cabernet Merlot versatile; the berry characteristics of the wine gave great balance to the earthy undertones of the beetroot and the game flavour of venison. This dish is great for a BBQ as you can prepare the salad ingredients and Baba Ghannouj earlier in the day and then put it all together in a few minutes in the evening.”

Grilled venison loin, char-grilled kipfler potato, roasted beetroot
and rocket salad with Baba Ghannouj (Serves 4 to 6 people)

For the Baba Ghannouj
2 Eggplant1 Garlic bulb
11/2 Tablespoons Tahini
1 Lemon Juice
150 gm natural Yoghurt

For the Salad
200gm Rocket
4 Beetroot
400gm Kipfler Potato
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
Extra Virgin Oil

800 gm Denuded (trimmed) Venison Loin

Method:

Place washed potatoes in well-seasoned boiling water and simmer until just tender, strain and refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 160 C. Top and tail the beetroot, rinse under cold water then wrap individually in aluminum foil and place on a roasting tray in the oven. They will take up to two hours depending on the size of the beetroot. Once tender – if in doubt cook longer, raw beetroot may be good in a juice but not for dinner – remove from oven and cool in the foil. Once cool enough to handle peel the skin and trim any remaining pieces of the head and chill in the fridge. Once cold, cut the beetroot into slices or wedges depending on how you would like to present the salad.

While your beetroot is cooking prick the eggplant a few times around the fruit with a fork and place on a baking tray in the oven as well. Cook until very tender at the top of the eggplant. Again depending on the size of the fruit, it could take up to 11/2 hours.

Break the garlic bulb in half and place in the oven with the eggplant and roast until cloves are soft, cool slightly then pop the cloves out of their skins.

Put the yoghurt in a clean tea towel and hang it in a sieve above a bowl in the fridge.

When the eggplant is cooked cool slightly then remove the flesh from the skin and drain in another sieve for about 10 minutes then place in a food processor with Tahini, roasted garlic. Pulse a few times then add yoghurt 1/3 at a time pulsing in between. Add lemon juice and adjust salt and pepper to your liking. Cover and refrigerate. It will keep in the fridge for a day or two so you can have it with some grilled bread the following day.

Rinse the rocket and spin in a lettuce spinner or drain well in a colander and refrigerate.

Season and oil the venison then grill until well sealed on each side and then rest it on rack above the grill for a few minutes before carving.

While the venison is resting cut the potatoes into discs or lengthways toss in a bowl with some extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on the char grill and mark the potatoes on both sides and they should be heated through. Toss in a bowl with the cut beetroot and the rocket, season and drizzle with a little more olive oil.

You can either serve the salad in a communal bowl or place a portion in the centre of each plate.

Slice each portion into 4 and fan the larger slices on top over the salad.  Place 5 teaspoons of Baba Ghannouj around the plate and enjoy!

WHO:       Anthony Georgeff – SPICE Magazine
WINE:      Watershed Shades Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2009
WHAT:     Pink Snapper, Stuffed with Prawns and Wrapped in Banana Leaves

Anthony Georgeff is editor and co-owner of SPICE magazine. Publishing a food and wine mag is thirsty and hungry work and, since SPICE is entirely local, he was more than happy to find some great Western Australian food to have with some great Western Australian wine.

With a good SSB blend like the Watershed, there’s always a few things going on in the taste department so there are a few levels of flavour to the fish. The cooked snapper flesh stays nice and clean and light with just a hint of zing from the chilli, a little bit of sharpness from the lemon, and some aroma from the garlic. All of the punch is in the belly with the prawns.

Fresh green banana leaves make for a lovely grassy vegetative wrap and with the unpretentious hot weather and friends vibe of SSB, it’s like a fancy pack of fish and chips you can tear open and enjoy.

Whole Pink Snapper, Stuffed with Prawns and Wrapped in Banana Leaves
(Serves 4-6)

2kg whole pink snapper, gutted and scaled
a dozen tiger prawn tails, cleaned and peeled (yabbies are great too)
50g butter
4 cloves local garlic, finely sliced
1 large red chili, finely sliced
1 lemon, halved lengthwise and sliced
2 rolls of banana leaves
splash white verjuice or white wine

Slash the fish with 4 deep diagonal cuts. Then on one side, stuff the cuts with a slice of lemon, chili, garlic, and a little butter. Fill the cavity loosely with the prawns and the rest of the lemon and butter. Secure the belly with a skewer. Splash a little verjuice over the fish.

Now wrap the fish in the banana leaves (easier said than done – they tear like a bastard). A good way is to just fold a leaf from tail to tail via the head and then wind and overlap to wrap along the length. Tie with string.

Cook in a 220C oven for about 40 minutes. Times will vary so have a cheeky feel (firm) and a peek (white).

Take it to the table, cut open the leaves and have at it with forks or fingers all while enjoying a bottle or two of Watershed Shades Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2009.

WHO:            Russell Blaikie @ Must Winebar Perth
WINE:           2007 Madfish Gold Turtle Chardonnay
WHAT:          Western Rock Lobster & Fennel Risotto

Russell Blaikie left the country town of Cowaramup for ‘the smoke’ of Busselton when he was just 6 years old. The dairy and sheep farm that he was brought up on holds many cherished memories, warm milk from the dairy on morning cereals, fresh mushrooms picked from the paddocks at dinner and fresh fruits plucked from the trees planted around the farmhouse.

Those memories gave Russell an understanding of seasonality, which today is expressed in Must Winebars produce driven menu of classic French Bistro food with a modern touch and expert technique. “Food from the heart to feed the soul” is how he describes the food at Must Winebar in Perth and Must Margaret River.

“When I think of summer, I think of lobster and great chardonnay… and we have both right here on our doorstep!  Our pristine west coast is home to the highly regarded (and sustainable) Western Rock Lobster fishery and November signals the start of the season. The texture and weight of Chardonnay from the South West such as Madfish Gold Turtle is the perfect match to this delicious early summer dish.”

Western Rock Lobster & Fennel Risotto (serves 4 as a starter)

1 small brown onion, finely chopped
1 clove fresh garlic, crushed
1/2 cup fennel bulb, finely chopped
2 tbs olive oil
250g arborio rice (Ferron is a great brand)
1/2 cup white wine
1 litre good quality chicken stock
200g raw lobster meat, (more if you are feeling decadent) chopped into 1cm cubes
2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
50 grams grated parmesan cheese
1 tbs chopped chives
1/2 tsp freshly grated lemon rind
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To Garnish
Shaved fennel
Cherry tomatoes
Extra virgin olive oil

Method:
Using a wide heavy based saucepan, cook onion garlic and fennel in olive oil without colouring.  Add rice and cook a further three minutes over low heat stirring constantly.

Add white wine, increase heat to medium high and commence adding chicken stock little by little (so that the cooking rice is the consistency of runny porridge!).

Cook a further 15 to 20 minutes, adding stock when required, still stirring all the time. To check the rice is almost cooked, chew on a grain or two, it will be quite firm to the bite but not chewy or chalky…that’s undercooked.

Stir in the lobster flesh then take from the heat immediately (it will cook in the residual heat).

Add the mascarpone, parmesan, chives and freshly grated lemon, season and stir to combine. Allow to sit another minute or so before serving into bowls.

Garnish with shaved fennel, cherry tomatoes and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

WHO:            Aurelio Costarella @ POST Emporium
WINE:           2007 Stella Bella Sauvignon Blanc
WHAT:          Squid Ink Linguine with Seared Salmon

Perth’s very own Aurelio Costarella is the creative powerhouse behind Aurelio Costarella and Aurelio Costarella Couture.  Launched in 2000, he has earnt a formidable reputation internationally as he turns his Western Australian based company into an international luxury brand.

His exquisite evening wear designs have been admired and worn by a plethora of national and international stars including Rihanna, Dita von Teese, Eva Mendes, Dannii Minogue, Melissa George, Tina Arena and Sharon Stone.

Aurelio has a love of Western Australian wine and he was very happy to contribute one of his favourite recipes mentioned below.

Squid Ink Linguine with Seared Salmon (serves 4)

2 x 250gm squid ink linguine
2-3 medium size pieces of Atlantic salmon
2 cloves of garlic
Small bunch of coriander
1-2 red chillies (to desired taste)
5 medium spring onions
3-4 tlbs good quality extra virgin olive oil)
2 tlbs soy sauce (low salt if preferred)

Preparing the sauce
To prepare the sauce, finely chop garlic and red chillies, with or without seeds to taste.  Wash and pluck leaves from coriander and finely slice the spring onions and set aside.

Combine olive oil, soy sauce, garlic, chillies, coriander and shallots in a dish, keeping a few shallots aside for garnish.

Boil water for pasta and cool until al dente.

Sear the salmon on a hot pan with a little olive oil.  In a large bowl add the sauce to the pasta and toss through until all strands are covered.

Finally crumble seared salmon through pasta and garnish with the remaining spring onions and coriander.

Serve immediately with a glass of Stella Bella 2009 Sauvignon Blanc.

WHO:            Patria Jafferies – Founder of Dome Coffee
WINE:            2007 Voyager Semillon Sauvignon Blanc
WHAT:          Thai Marinated Chili BBQ Snapper

If you’ve drunk a cup of coffee in Perth over the past 20 years, chances are you have one person to thank.  That person is the founder of Dome Coffees Australia, Patria Jafferies.

Her larger than life personality has made a huge difference to the food and wine industry, having also been involved in beginnings of the now famous Matilda Bay Brewing Company.

We recently caught up with Patria who was celebrating her daughters 20th birthday.

“Rather than go out for a huge celebration at a restaurant, we had friends drop around for a dip in the pool and a BBQ”, she said.  “Nothing that symbolizes a summers night in WA more than a bottle of cold Voyager Semillon Sauvignon Blanc and some of the amazing fresh seasonal WA produce we are lucky to have available to us all year round”.

She goes on to say, “This dish is so easy, delicious and simple, the most time consuming part is waiting for the marinade to infuse into the fish, so we poured ourselves a glass of wine, prepared the salad and we were ready to go!”

Thai Marinated Chili BBQ Snapper (serves 4)

1/2 cup lime juice, fresh
Zest of one lime
4 garlic cloves, chopped fine or pressed
1 finger of fresh ginger, minced very fine
4 TBS coriander, chopped
2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil
1 diced fresh red chili pepper
4 pieces of fresh snapper
Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Marinate the snapper for 20 minutes the place on a hot grill 2 minutes each side.  Serve with mash and a rocket salad.