Stefano’s Restaurant

Go northwest from Melbourne and follow the Murray River along and you will come to the isolated oasis that is Mildura.  Basically bordering on the three states of Victoria, NSW and SA, Mildura is a known food bowl with an abundance of fresh local produce on offer.

Aside from the citrus, the wine, the salt flakes and the Mallee lamb that the region of Mildura and Sunraysia has become known for, Mildura has been notably promoted and put on the dining map by cook and restaurateur Stefano de Pieri for the past 20 odd years.

Transforming the original cellars of the historic Grand Hotel into a ‘cantina’ style restaurant in 1991, Stefano and his wife Donata Carrazza, embarked on offering diners a set menu of rustic, traditional Italian style dishes that Stefano would prepare that day. 

Over the years Stefano’s Restaurant has evolved to become one of the most recognized and respected restaurants in regional Victoria. Many have flown in from all around the countryside to experience this dining mecca that had stayed true to its traditional Italian beginnings…until now.

In late 2010, Stefano de Pieri handed over the reigns of his flagship restaurant to chef Jim McDougall.  For the first time Stefano has taken a true step away from this business enabling Jim to not only be Head Chef but co-owner.

After completing his cooking apprenticeship in Mildura, Jim McDougall broadened his horizons and worked for Shannon Bennett at Vue de Monde working his way up to Sous Chef before opening and heading up Café Vue.

Upon his return to Mildura and wanting to mark his stamp on the competitive culinary world, Jim has turned the style of Stefano’s Restaurant on its head.  He has infused it with a contemporary edge creating an absolute dining extravaganza.

Sourcing the majority of the produce locally, Jim and his kitchen team, take the art of cooking to a new dimension.  Offering either a six or eight set degustation menu, at $110 or $150 respectively, prepare to be blown away.

It’s not often that I am left speechless by my food encounters.  In fact I don’t think it had ever happened to me prior to my Stefano’s Restaurant/Jim McDougall experience.  But it did.  Still I fear that my words will not do this stunning cuisine justice.

With a menu that can be changed by the Chef on a whim, here is the listing of the dishes that I devoured on my visit:

Antipasti

House cured capocollo, melon & walnut

Loxton pork ‘caramelized’, Mildura sultana

Mackerel tartare, yuzu curd, yolk caviar

1^st – Wild Darling Yabby

Lightly pickled Shark Bay blue swimmer crab, sweet corn and toasted seaweed salt.

2^nd – Woorlong Egg Perfectly Poached

Yellow fin tuna, potato and wild anchovy.

3^rd – Murray Cod raised at Thurla Farm

Fennel, smoked butter clams and air dried pork cheek.

4^th – Risotto of Merbein Mushrooms

King brown and porcini black truffle.

5^th – River Valley Beef

Jerusalem artichoke puree, smoked wagyu, radish and bone marrow.

6^th – Cheese

Pyengana cheddar, gorgonzola picante, Buche d’ Affinois and apricot puree.

7^th - Beetroot Sorbet

Goat’s cheese and apple.

8^th – Boysenberry & Chocolate

Hazelnut, buttermilk and saltbush.

Dolce & Biscotti

Liquid lemon and white chocolate, strawberry lamington, saffron panna cotta with yoghurt.

Matched thoughtfully and impeccably with local and international wines I was truly swept off my feet.  The supreme and specialist wait staff delivered each dish on classy, apt plate ware ranging from wooden stumps to potted plates made by Shelley Panton.

If you are after the Stefano’s of old you won’t find it here any more.  Jim McDougall and his brigade are all about clean, modern, dynamic food that is delicately enhanced rather than over complicated.

It is worth the trip.  It is worth every cent.  It is pure brilliance.

Food – 10/10

Service – 10/10

Ambiance – 8/10

Stefano’s Restaurant

Cellars of the Grand Hotel, Langtree Avenue Mildura.

Phone – 5022 0881

www.stefano.com.au

Seasons Mildura

Seasons Restaurant in Mildura, northwest Victoria, is somewhat of an institution.  As the owners, Andy and Mandy Williams, go into their seventh year of trade it’s clear that their mission is not waning.  Prior to opening they believed that there was a gap in the market between cafe style dining and fine dining in Mildura so they decided to create a place where diners could enjoy a great affordable food, wine and service experience.  They wanted their guests to feel like they were returning to an old friend with the comfort of a warm and relaxed but quality atmosphere.  This set the scene and created the original foundation for their restaurant.

I have dined at Seasons several times over the years and something that remains constant is the passion and professionalism of Andy and Mandy. It’s possibly the reason they are still staying firm and strong in the competitive and sometimes difficult game of owning a restaurant. It is clear that their values are instilled in their team.  You can see that they get on with their job with that same passion and professionalism. 

From the moment of arrival at Seasons you are greeted with open arms and big smiles as you are whisked to your table with the warmest welcome.  The Seasons beverage list is comprehensive, thoughtful and smart.  Andy is to be credited for this.  He has a wide and varied knowledge and understanding of any beverage that might tickle your taste buds.  So if you find it too difficult to make a decision leave it to Andy – you won’t be disappointed.  On this particular night Andy treated the table beside me to a spectacular performance where he conducted ‘sabrage’ with a 'sabre'.  This is the traditional French way to open a bottle of Champagne by slicing the top of the champagne bottle open with a sword.  It was fabulous and the entire room was impressed.

This is what you get to understand about the Seasons menu when you open it – ‘we believe that food in season is food that is best.  When sourcing our produce we give priority to locally grown food, we know the best suppliers, where it comes from and when it’s in season.  This is our privilege.  Our seasonal menu salutes the diversity in Australian cuisine.  The menu is a fusion of modern Australian influences.  Join with friends to share our passion’.  A perfect introduction to the dishes you are about to experience.

Andy's Choice

The menu is broken up into sections – the introduction, the in between, the main event and the sweet afters.  There is also an amazing daily specials board to compliment the delicious seasonal menu.  Kids, vegetarians, gluten free are all really well catered for.  The other area they cater for so wonderfully are the people like me.  The ones who sometimes don’t want to make a decision.  Leave it up to Andy or Mandy and they will arrange something perfect for you from the kitchen.

If you are in Mildura you need to dine at Seasons. Or if you are after a prime steak from the grill Andy and Mandy also run the adjoining restaurant ‘The Spanish Bar and Grill’.  Either way you will be well taken care of and you will enjoy an excellent night.  Make sure you tell Andy and Mandy that I sent you!

Food – 8/10

Service – 8/10

Ambiance – 8/10

Seasons Restaurant

Corner Langtree Avenue and Seventh Street, Mildura.

Phone – 5021 2377

www.seasonsmildura.com.au

Chefs of the Future

This week’s post is not a review as such, it’s a food story I want to share with you.

I was invited to Mildura this week to speak at the 10^th anniversary of the ‘Chefs of the Future Cooking Competition’.  This is a cooking competition specifically for apprentice chefs from the Sunraysia region that runs over three days.  I started this competition ten years ago.

The purpose of this competition is to ignite, inspire and enable chefs in training to have the confidence to explore their creativity and think outside the square.  It was such a humble little affair ten years ago that has grown and evolved into this amazing regional event.  So when I was asked to speak at the 10^th anniversary on Wednesday night I was thrilled and could not have been prouder .

I was able to watch the six finalists (two from each year level of their apprenticeship) finishing their dishes.  They had been given a mystery box and had to create a main and a dessert with the must use ingredients – duck breast and banana.  I then viewed the judges scrutinise over the dishes.  A tough job I am sure as these young chefs had excelled in the time frame they had been given of 2 ½ hours.

That evening at a gala dinner the competing students were awarded medals for the AusTAFE Culinary Challenge and the six finalists will go on to represent Sunraysia in the next stage of this competition.  Then the winner Dalton Kendrigan was announced.  Dalton is a third year apprentice at the Rendezvous Restaurant in Mildura.  Coincidentally I had dinner at the Rendezvous the night prior.  Dalton is in great hands with his head chef and owners of the restaurant.  He has a promising career and hopefully winning this competition has empowered him to be more assured in his abilities and future as a great chef.

An absolute highlight of the night was eating the menu that had been designed by Jim McDougall – Head Chef at Stefano’s, Mildura.  Jim and a brigade of non-apprentice cookery students prepared and served a menu that was inspired by local produce.

Jim was the inaugural winner of the Chefs of the Future Cooking Competition and went on to work for Shannon Bennett as his Sous Chef at Vue de Monde for four years and Head Chef at Cafe Vue at 401 for two years before recently returning to Mildura to make his mark on Stefano de Pieri’s signature degustation restaurant.

I love that Jim has continued to support this cooking competition that he first won.  It’s a mark of the man – generous and dedicated to his craft and willing to share his expertise and time.

Jim’s menu was incredible on the night.  It was so smart, fresh and clean.  I have not enjoyed food this perfect for a long time.  I am in awe of his talent.

This was the menu –

Canapés

Smoked Murray Cod with vanilla gel and air dried pig cheek
Profiteroles with pumpkin puree and gorgonzola dolce
Tartare of Kangaroo on rye bread crouton and quail egg

Entrée

Yabby and sweet corn salad with pickled yabby, crab, sweet corn, cantaloupe and wood sorrel.

Main

Roasted dry aged beef, potato puree, beetroot, puffed rice, macadamia and wild mustard.

Dessert

Textures of chocolate – ganache, cake, aerated, sand and mascarpone cream.

Roasted dry aged beef

Textures of chocolate

In my view Jim is the next big thing.  Keep your eyes and ears open for him.  His first book in collaboration with Stefano, to be released in November, is called ‘Nuovo Mondo’ (The new world).  But if you can it is worth the trip to go and visit Jim and let him cook for you.

http://www.stefano.com.au/

Chocolate & Beetroot - really?

Over a decade ago in a lovely little cafe in Mildura, a town in the north west of Victoria, I had the delectable experience of Chocolate & Beetroot Cake - admittedly more than once!
Prior to eating it I remember thinking (and probably saying) this was one of the most bizarre pairings of food combinations EVER and I was expecting it to taste terrible.

Much to my surprise it was pretty incredible and I remember saying that it was one of the best chocolate cakes I had ever eaten. It was so moist and the sweetness was evenly balanced. Not as dense as a mud cake and not fluffy like a sponge cake. But close to cake perfection. Now I must add here that I am not a huge cake person. In fact my preferred type of cake is a dolly varden ice cream cake. I'm not even sure if that counts. I am definitely more of a savoury person. However, that said...

As hard as I tried at the time to get the recipe I had no luck. For the many years that have followed I have searched high and low for it - trying many versions along the way but to no avail - not even close.

So to my delight a couple of months ago I discovered a chocolate and beetroot brownie recipe in a magazine. I immediately raced out to the supermarket and purchased all of the ingredients and commenced baking. To make things even better it was a very quick and easy recipe to follow and in one hour I was looking at a beautiful chocolate and beetroot brownie. Excitement!

Whilst I realise that a cake and a brownie have their differences from one another - it was the flavour and the texture that I remember clearly from my past chocolate and beetroot cake experience all those years ago. When eating the brownie I had a case of deja vu - a delicious, moist and a flavour that is rich but makes you think there is a 'naughty' ingredient in there. Like when there is rum in a rum ball!

I am sure with a few minor variations this recipe would be great as a cake. It wasn't as dense as a brownie normally is. It had an airy texture which was quite cake like. It wasn't heavy or a commitment to eat like a brownie can be. It was a well-balanced chocolate hit.

Chocolate & Beetroot Brownie – WHO Magazine

What you need (makes 16) -

200 grams dark chocolate, 45-50% cocoa

125 grams butter
1 large beetroot, grated 1 ¼ cups
4 eggs
1 ½ cups caster sugar
1 cup self-raising flour
½ cup almond meal

What you do -

1.      Pre heat oven to 150oC (170oC conventional oven).  Line a 22cm x 22 cm brownie tin with baking paper.

2.      Cut chocolate into small even pieces.  Place in a medium sized bowl with butter.  Place over a pot of hot water (making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water) and stir regularly until chocolate is melted.  Once melted add grated beetroot and stir to combine.

3.      Meanwhile, using an electric beater, whisk eggs and sugar on high speed for three minutes.  Fold through flour, almond meal and melted chocolate with beetroot.

4.      Pour into prepared tin and bake for 45 minutes.

5.      Allow to cool before removing from tin.  Once cooled, slice into 16 squares.  Will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

 Tip – for a denser, richer brownie use 70% cocoa chocolate and reduce cooking time by 5-8 minutes.

FYI - I used tinned beetroot over fresh when I tried this recipe.

Enjoy friends!