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The Israeli-British chef has a long list of foods he wants to eat on his upcoming trip to Australia, and a classic dessert is in the top spot.
It’s no secret that many of the world’s top chefs have a soft spot for Australian cuisine. Nigella Lawson has never been shy about her love for our fish and chips, while Anthony Bourdain was famously partial to a “dirty street pie”.
And then there’s Yotam Ottolenghi, who practically swoons over our pavlova – though he’s far too smart to get caught in the crossfire of the “who invented it” war with New Zealand.
“Gosh, you do it well! Particularly when mango is involved … and passionfruit,” he says. “No matter who came up with this genius idea, I always make sure to have it when I visit Australia.”
The Israeli-born British chef is back this month for Vivid Sydney, where he’ll host A Shared Table, a lunch and dinner takeover at Martin Place on May 29 and 30.
Part of his excitement for the trip is the chance to reacquaint himself with some of his favourite Australian foods. “Every time I visit, there are a few things I immediately start looking for,” he says.
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High on the list are Sydney rock oysters, which he loves to eat fresh, with just a squeeze of yuzu or passionfruit. “I love their minerality and almost cucumbery freshness,” he says. “They are so pristine in their flavour that eating them raw is the best way.”
He’s also excited to sample more of our native produce, much of which is difficult to find in the UK. “I’d love to spend more time with ingredients like native pepperberry and different bush herbs ... there’s still so much I haven’t explored properly.”
One of those must-haves is the finger lime – an ingredient he finds endlessly charming. “The little pearls bursting in the mouth always make me chuckle,” he says. “I love using finger lime over grilled fish, with some seaweed, or on top of a baba ghanoush-style smoked [eggplant] salad.”
He also singles out lemon myrtle, a flavour so essential to his palette that he’s added a lemon myrtle salt to his retail pantry range. “It is so fresh and intense; like combining lime leaf and lemongrass,” he says.
“I have used it to make a seasoned salt to sprinkle over anything: grilled chicken, fish or vegetables. I have also used lemon myrtle to infuse creams and fold through yoghurt with honey and fruit. It’s one of those ingredients that immediately evokes Australia for me.”
For his shared table event in Sydney, diners should prepare for a classic Ottolenghi-style takeover – a feast that’s unapologetically generous, vibrant and strictly NSW-grown.
Beetroot is getting a starring role – and no, we aren’t talking about the slice found at the bottom of an Aussie burger with the lot. “I’m excited about the beets – so vibrant and sweet – which I’ll be working into the canapes and the dips that come next,” he says.
As for the main event? A slow-braised lamb shoulder that is rich, aromatic and pure comfort on a plate. It’s the kind of meal that comes with a warning label. “I hope nobody needs to take a snooze after it,” he jokes.
While it’s not quite a pavlova, the meal will end in similar territory, finishing with a Middle Eastern-inspired Eton mess, made with ripe persimmons and sesame filo brittle, drizzled with pomegranate molasses.
Tickets to A Shared Table with Yotam Ottolenghi are $340 and are available at vividsydney.com.
