Australian chef Guy Turland has lengthy loved a love affair with contemporary seafood.
The Sydney restaurateur, who has educated at plush venues reminiscent of Est and Bondi Icebergs, is aware of exactly the best way to spot the right oyster and what wine to pair along with your grilled white fish.
Talking to 9Honey Kitchen, Turland says novice cooks at house usually mess up their seafood feasts as a result of there’s an assumption it must be closely cooked.
“It is easy to go from completely cooked to overdone when cooking seafood,” Turland, who runs his personal café, The Depot at North Bondi.
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“The meat is so delicate and usually not as thick or dense as a roast or ham, so seafood cooks a lot sooner than your typical meat.”
Turland fancies himself fairly the sommelier and has loads of expertise pairing his seafood with an excellent drop.
He says most individuals wrongly consider white wine is the one alcohol that works effectively with fish, oysters or prawns. Surprisingly, he enjoys a purple wine when settling down with fruits de mer.
“A Pinot Noir or different gentle purple wine can go extremely effectively with seafood, relying on the spices you utilize or the way it’s ready,” he explains.
“Seafood is a terrific choice to experiment with totally different flavour combos because it takes on flavour so effectively, which means there are various totally different prospects and flavours to discover.”
Turland’s favorite wines to pair with seafood embrace Taylors Estate Pinot Noir Chardonnay Brut Cuvée NV, a bubbly that may be a welcome addition to a plate of oysters.
For one thing like prawns, he recommends a Clare Valley Riesling – just like the Taylors Estate Riesling 2022 – which Turland describes because the “good hit of shiny acidity to go alongside the frivolously grilled, barely candy meat of a prawn”.
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“I additionally wish to experiment with some pairings in relation to serving one thing like a complete fish,” Turland reveals.
“In the event you use a marinade or rub with deep flavours or spice, one thing like a Pinot Noir or Tempranillo goes effectively with the wealthy, advanced flavours of the dish.”
Summer time is oyster season – and Sydney Rock Oysters are in peak season between September and March.
Turland is a professional at choosing out a flawless bivalve and shared his suggestions for recognizing a contemporary, delicious-tasting oyster.
“Ask whoever you are shopping for the oysters from the harvest date. Unshucked oysters, or these with the highest and bottle shells intact, can preserve for a few week in the best situations,” he says.
“Shucked oysters, with the shells eliminated, needs to be eaten in 1-2 days because the scrumptious meat is uncovered. A very powerful factor is preserving the pure sea brine ‘liquor’ inside the shell, which is crucial to preserving the oyster meat and enhancing the flavour.”
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Turland warns to by no means buy oysters with damaged shells, nevertheless in case you are shopping for pre-shucked oysters, they need to have “shiny, moist and vibrant” meat inside.
Like all chef value his salt, Turland additionally has a handful of go-to summer time recipes the place he can simply incorporate seafood.
One among them is his grilled, butterflied prawns, seasoned with a contact of olive oil, salt, pepper, chilli and garlic.
“It is a tremendous simple weeknight meal and can go effectively with any aspect dish like a summer time salad or rice dish,” he mentioned.
“A crumbed white fish is the best way to go in order for you a basic fish & chip platter with out all of the fuss of creating and frying a batter.
“Add some baked chips to the oven whereas the fish is cooking, and it is nearly as good because the takeaway model!”
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Warming seafood on your soul
