Into the fire

No photos for this one and an "after dinner" and a glass (or 2) of wine post. Just got home from a typical busy Friday night shift. Cooked up one of my favourite quick diners. Some linguni with a simple sauce of slow cooked garlic. chilli and olive oil. Some mussel meat, flat leaf parsley and knob of butter and 1/2 glass of "chardy" into the just cooked pasta and pop a lid on for 3 minutes to let the flavours marry, top with plenty of cracked black pepper and "channel surf" TV. I have becomea bit of a fan of the new SBS Food channel and just happened across a show called "Anthony Bodaine Into the fire". A story of a "celebrity chef" getting back on the pans; fascinating TV and capturing the absolute essence of our industry. Look it up on You-Tube. Pour yourself a glass a wine, settle in with a nice bowl of pasta and take a glimpse inside the world of a restaurant as told by a true story teller. I have just lived this show. I live it every night. I have never seen it explained better and still love what I do.

kev

Golden Snapper Moon

This time of year as the water heats up during the early summer, and barramundi season comes to a close a fish I just love becomes a target. Locally called “Finger-mark” they are better known as “Golden Snapper”. A member of the lutjanid family which include all the “tropical snapper” they look a lot like Mangrove Jacks but with a deep golden hue and, particularly in the smaller sizes, have a dark blotch (thumb/fingerprint) towards the tail. I love fishing for these on the larger tides and early flood, which in our neck of the woods always coincides with a full or new moon. An evening spent in the deep hole at what is locally known as “the 5 ways” in a system called “The Inlet”, located  in the North Western corner of Repulse Bay. Located about 20 25 39.6 S and 148 48 15.2 E, have a look at this on Google Earth. It is just about a creek fisherman’s idea of heaven. Barra, Crabs, Jack and, of course, finger-mark. To fish this system, as we just did, as the golden “super moon” crested the mangroves was an awe inspiring experience. A dead calml night just made it even more special as was the run back across the bay to the ramp in the Proserpine River by the light of the moon. The only thing missing was live herrings. No matter how hard I tried I could not find any herring and these baits are the difference between an ordinary “bite” and a hot one. There were clearly plenty of fish in the area but these are very fussy feeders and really only respond well to live herrings or prawns. None the less we got enough for a feed and this is my absolute favourite eating fish from our local creeks. Treat it well and treat it simply. Nothing more than a light dust of seasoned flour and pan fried in a little olive oil and clarified butter with a squeeze of lemon and a little salt and cracked pepper. This is “the” best eating fish in North Queensland but seldom appears in fish shops and restaurants as it requires too much specialist effort to catch them.

White on Whitehaven

I know we live somewhere special. It is why the entire world beats a path to our door. While the Great Barrier Reef is an iconic tourist attraction, it is accessible from many points along the coast.

There is however only 1 Whitehaven Beach, and it is right here, off Airlie Beach. Consistently voted the best beach in Australia and amongst the best in the world our company has a permit to undertake event catering on Whitehaven and we have just completed our biggest night time event. Billed as “White on Whitehaven”, this was a formal high end dinner for members and guests of Abell Point Yacht Club. Guests came in their own yachts, from the humble 30 foot sail boats to glamour 90 foot motor yachts, they just kept coming as the weather gods smiled on us after 3 weeks of rough seas.  

Guests dressed in white with a formal table setting and dined while the tide rose almost to the very edge of the table setting.

Our staff team arrived by barge and turned this deserted stretch of paradise to the ultimate “pop-up” restaurant.

When we debrief after a major event we pick up any little errors or things we will do a little different next time. At this debrief, I am so proud of our staff because there is just nothing that needs to be done differently. From the time the barge hit the beach till we packed up and left it was perfect.

 All the team left back in Airlie at the restaurant and the catering operation did an amazing job on the prep and then had a smashing night at the restaurant as well. It all makes us very proud and a little humbled by what a wonderful group of people we employ and that they love the “outside the square” challenges of turning our “thought bubbles” into magnificent reality.

Let the pictures tell the story and tomorrow, I’m going fishing. The last full moon before the end of the barramundi season and I think I just might know where to find a few!

Another side to the Whitsundays

There is something magical about a mangrove creek at first light. The water is usually mirror calm and the smells, the buzzing insects, the first birds up and about looking for a feed. I grew up fishing mangrove systems and while past years have spent more time on the blue water I just love getting back to my roots in a mangrove creek. As barramundi closed season gets closer and the water warms I took the opportunity for a morning on the Proserpine River. A set of new moon tides meant a dead low at first light with the first push of the run in tide signalling the start of the typical feeding burst for barramundi and king Threadfin which are the prime target this time of year. The “Prossy: river now has a wonderful new ramp and launching facility, a long way removed from the very “ordinary” old ramp and dirt track I started using there over 20 years ago and it has meant a definite upswing in the size and style of boats we now see on the river. The river is ever changing, new banks, island where they never used to be, old island just gone the river is like a living thing. I don’t spend as much time on the river as I used to and some of my favourite old spots are gone but the fundamentals are still the same. Find the bait and you find the fish, work up onto the flats in shallow water on the rising tide, fish light and be patient. It can be a very relaxing way to spend a few hours. I saw more baby crocodiles than I have ever seen so I guess this is a great sign for the health of the river, and I saw enough big ones to remind me we do live in Crocodile country and to be careful around the water. A great day, a nice feed of fish and just another side of the wonderful and diverse waterways within a few minutes’ drive of the tourism hub of Airlie Beach.

As good as it gets

One of the great things about our company is a reputation for “Any Time, anywhere, anything” and when this relates to catering it means we get to cook and serve in some remarkable places.

The pictures tell the story and while this is not really “fishing” related, we did have to use boats to get there, so it is kind of relevant. I also passed a nice big school of Tuna feeding on the surface off the back of Whitsunday Island but was too loaded with function gear to even have room for a fishing rod.

This is the famous Whitehaven Beach, a dinner at dusk, a full moon and the corny old cliché about being “as good as it gets”.

The guests for the dinner arrived on the “birthday boys” private super yacht and got to enjoy a very special experience.

Our next Night time function on Whitehaven Beach is the much anticipated “White on Whitehaven” dinner for members and guests of the Abell Point Yacht Club.

We love what we do and where we get to do it. The best job in the world is when your hobby is also your job. Cooking, fishing and messing around in boats……it just doesn’t get any better.

The doggy in the window!

As promised I have taken a few pictures of filleting, preparing and cooking the Dog Tooth Tuna as well as using the yellowfin as high end sashimi. Plus a little image of “to the victor goes the spoils”. One certainty when I am filleting tuna is the other chefs hovering and shaving any left-overs from the bone, straight into a soy/wasabi mix and an instant lunch. We tried both the Dog Tooth and Yellowfin side by side with the yellowfin having a slight edge but to sear and cook with it is the dog tooth by a country mile.

In order of appearance.

A Dog Tooth ready to fillet

Filleting a dog tooth and see the “white/paler flesh.

Side by side with a small Yellow Fin

The 2 fish filleted and side by side

The “Chefs lunch”

How much is that doggy in the window? (sorry oldies will know what I mean)

Dinner is served…seared and sliced rare with ratatouille

Yellowfin the best way.

Who Let The Dogs out!

News Flash! We have some “Doggies”, Dog Tooth Tuna that is. Actually a member of the Bonito family, the pictures pretty much says it all as to the name. Our main commercial fisherman is back from the reef today and called ahead to say he has 2 dog tooth on board and this is a fish we only see about 3 or 4 times a year…and we are excited. Far and away the best of all the “big tuna” this pale pink flesh is just about as good as fish gets. We will be doing sashimi and coating thick steaks with finely chopped fresh herbs and cracked pepper before searing to rare on a char grill and slicing over a bed of ratatouille. I will post some pictures of the filleting, preparation and cooking in my next post but if you are in town and thinking of going out to dinner this weekend, don’t miss this. Trevor also has a good haul of Red Throat, beautiful Coral trout, Long tail and Big Eye Tuna and some Spanish Mackerel trunks. All in all, a good weekend to eat fish and THE BOAT’S IN.

I should also acknowledge the photos I have used in this are not mine. They have been downloaded from the net. I just couldn't wait to get the word out that we have some 'doggies".

Deep Water, Red Fish and having a whale of a time in the Whitsundays

There is something quite magical about fishing the deep shoals at this time of year. Typically dead calm days, crystal clear water and red hot bites as the “red fish” on the deep water shoals feed actively into mid-morning. Usually located a few miles off the main reef areas these shoals are easy to find on any good GPS and it is just a matter of reading the charts and looking closely at your sounder to pick up the schools of nannygai, Red Emperor and other deep water targets which inhabit these shoals. Aggressive feeders, hard fighter and always we look over the side, deep into the clear water to catch the first silver pink flash as the fish is pulled from the depths. Is it a “Nanny” or a “Red”. The nannygai, while they don’t have the glamour appeal or reputation of the mighty Red Emperor are just as good to eat and now marketed as “Ruby Emperor” it is a very popular addition to the menu when we get some in. A very versatile fish which can be grilled, crumbed, battered or curried it has a firm flaky texture, outstanding flavour and rates amongst the very best fish on the reef. There are 2 sorts of “Nanny’s”,  a small mouth nannygai (Ruby Emperor) and Large Mouth Nannygai (Crimson emperor), both members of the lutjanid species and by a whisker I think the small mouth is a better eating fish while the large mouth grows much bigger and pulls a far bit harder.

The images on the sounder photo are a school of small mouth nanny’s taken this morning. They are very distinctive on a sounder. If you ever find a “show” like this make sure you mark it. Even if you don’t get a bite, because at times they just don’t, fish this area on the last ¼ of a neap run out tide, ideally very early or at dusk and get ready to get your arms stretched. A “show” like this on your  sounder, in deep water will always be small mouth nannygai.

The other "secret" to catching these fish is "position". Often it can be a very large school of fish but located in a relatively small area and anchoring to get the right "hang" is problematic in such deep water and the drift often too quick. This whole problem has been solved and is, I think, the best single advance in fishing equipment since the GPS. The Minn Kota electric motor with I-pilot facility and "spot lock" allows you to hold a fixed position , based on GPS telemetry in an exact spot (i.e. right over a school of fish in very deep water) without ever having to put an anchor down.

The other great part of this time of the year is without doubt the whales. I must have seen close to 50 this morning, including the largest pod I have ever seen of some 15 whales all playing together.

I love that this is on our very doorstep and I get to enjoy it almost every day. The plus side is business is good, both the restaurant and our catering operation are going great guns and I also know my favourite professional fisherman is out there tonight, somewhere on the reef, catching fish for us to use this weekend.

To anyone going to “shaggers” this weekend, hope to see you there and drop in to “Rum..bling” for a cold one (or 2).

Cheers

Kev

Big Mack for Breakfast. G n' T for lunch

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I’m planning a Big Mack for breakfast and maybe a G n’T for lunch. Anyone up for it? I will be leaving the ramp just on dawn……………………and , by the way with has NOTHING to do with a hamburger and Gin & Tonic

Lamb Shanks of the sea

What years ago was simply “crab bait” have become an “insiders” special as we have learnt from different food cultures more and more about the fish we take for granted. A wonderful “trend” is treating every bit of the fish as precious. Using the frames for stocks, soups and chowders, the wonderful Polynesian custom where the tribal chief is gifted the must succulent cut of a whole baked fish…the cheek, and learning that just like a lamb shank (which we used to feed to the dog years ago), the old adage about the sweetest meat being nearest the bone, we have discovered “Fish Wings”. If these ever make it to the menu (i.e. the staff don’t get them first) I describe them to guests as ‘The Lamb Shanks of the Sea”. Soft, sticky, incredibly juicy meat that falls from the one big flat “wing bone” like an overcooked lamb shank. Best off larger fish like barramundi, Red Emperor or large nannygai or Coral trout they are just amazing.

I recently hosted a long lunch for friends at my place and was blessed in the days leading up to get my hands on some really big Trout and a ‘Reddy”, suffice to say the wings were "quarantined", and became the basis of a great Sunday arvo balcony lunch. Way too much wine, too much food and too many lies but I put some real effort into making the wings the star of the show for the sceptics coming to lunch. Needless to say, never again will fish frames make it to the crab pots in those households without a bit of” tax collection” first.

The pictures tell the story but scale well, rub with olive oil, salt and pepper. Char grill on a hot BBQ for a few minutes and then transfer to a baking dish. Lace with paper thin lemon slices, some thyme, salt, pepper and a splash more olive oil. At this stage, just as I closed the BBQ lid I threw a large handful of wood chips over the char grill (not sure the neighbours upstairs shared my enthusiasm) and cooked under the “lid” for 15 minutes. This added a beautiful Smokey wood fired flavour to the soft juicy fish, which my lunch guests just devoured with a salad of rocket, pear, shaved parmesan and toasted pecans with a little blue cheese and olive oil dressing.

The attached pictures just about capture the whole process and, if you must, give the screen a little lick…when no one is watching, you can taste them!

Ultimate in Organic Food

The term takes the mind to images of poorly presented fruit and vegetables sitting in the corner of the fruit and vegetable shop. Untreated with chemicals and pesticides, no artificial fertilisers or growth stimulation; food just as nature intended. Pity few people actually buy the stuff, despite the trend towards being seen to eat healthy. Better sales trends with organic eggs, or chicken or beef exist because the visual appeal is still there, albeit often with a premium price tag.

If anyone really wants to think about and eat “organic”, is there anything more organics than wild caught salt water fish. Fish, not from polluted urban waters but from the open ocean, the reef and unspoilt rivers, creeks and beaches in North Queensland. The ultimate “free range”.

Almost the exact opposite of our fruit and vegetable market “organic” seafood presents perfectly. Skin blemishes and lack lustre presentation is more a feature of fish farmed fish or fisheries from urban waterways. Bright full eyes, pink gills, scales and skin that glisten, our fish is the ultimate organic health food. It is absolute locavore dining with our oceans the same as the fields and forests in terms of sustaining us with wonderful heathy food stuffs.

Every meal of fish we consume, is one less meal of often high intensity farmed animal protein and ultimately an environmental plus in the long term’

The vast bulk of the Great Barrier Reef fishery is line caught and a really interesting “number” is that the entire Great Barrier Reef fishery, commercial and recreational combined is roughly 3% annually of biomass. That is to say for every 100 fish which exist, we collectively take 3, and the remaining 97 need only produce 3 offspring a year to maintain the status quo. One of the great green myths is the whole “reef is in trouble from overfishing” rubbish. No, it’s not.

It is incredibly well managed and controlled, a little on the overcautious side. It is the case that, just like any dynamic living system, the fastest way to get it to grow is by controlled harvesting, creating “available habitat” and triggering spawning recruitment within the fish stock. In simple terms, the fastest way to get your grass to grow….is mow it regularly.

All available scientific evidence suggests that areas that are regularly fished have a far more dynamic breeding population than areas closed to fishing. Closed areas (Green Zones) have a very stable population of bigger fish, and are, in effect “full”, with little or no annual recruitment each year because there is no “available habitat”. While green zones are seen to be good for tourism, good for feel good environmentalism and I agree, it is great to have pristine populations, if we consider our waterways the same as we consider our farmlands as a resource we are lucky to have to sustain and feed our population, then part of the long term management needs to have long term sustainable harvest as part of the strategy. In this regard our fisheries managers have done a pretty good job. Total allowable catches on commercial fisheries, bag limits on most species and closed seasons for breeding congregations all help ensure we will be eating and enjoying “organic” seafood for as far into the future as it is possible to imagine.

Whether locking up large areas in never to fish again green zones are using a harvestable sustainable resource in the best way. Well, maybe that is…………….Food for thought?

Providence and the story of us!

I watched an interesting TV show the other night about the most expensive foods in the world. Pretty OTT (over the top) and at times plain silly and snobbish, but, a really interesting factor was the issue of the providence of the products and the story being every bit as important as the finished product. With coffee at $720 a cup (I kid you not) and desserts at over $800 a single plate it needed to be a bloody good story but clearly the super-rich are just as interested in the where and how of their food as the rest of us mere mortals who love to know more about what we eat.

This has always been critical to us and more so in recent times as we have moved into the social media space and instant information age. It is one thing to drag a box of frozen fish out of a freezer and another altogether too actually know all there is to know about the fish and seafood we are using each day.

We are blessed to have established relationships with local fisherman. Trevor Draper, Keith Brenan, Matt Vickers and his dad Paul. Ronny and Buck and Terry. Not just to know them, but know their boats, the bait they use and reefs and drop-offs and bays and creeks they fish and crab in. To know when they put to sea, what each season brings. When the Tiger prawns run and the flush of the wet that brings on the barramundi and banana prawns.  I can talk a creek corner or beach, a reef system or shoal and know exactly where it is because I will have fished it myself at some stage. I love that I know this and get to talk to guests every night about the history of everything in the window.

Our seafood window is our showcase. Nothing to hide, nothing we are not proud of and as much a part of the restaurant as the rum bar. Our Chinese guests take endless photos, new and interstate visitors ask a million questions and every local pops out from the restaurant to have look and see what’s on special today.

I often wish I was an artist and could draw, I can’t, but doing my “window” is my canvas and a chance to showcase everything wonderful about Whitsunday seafood.

Today I collected an amazing array of wonderful fish from Trevor and Tina. I know they are pretty chuffed to see fish they care so much about, go out in a blaze of glory. The future of seafood in the Whitsundays is in very good hands while fisherman like Trevor and his crew supply venues like ours who care just as much as they do about the providence and end result. This is not a box of non-descript fish on the market floor. This is bait to plate at its very best.