What i cook when...
The Age
Friday November 27, 2009
Fresh back in his home town, Luke Mangan serves seafood with panache for Christmas lunch with friends."Giddy up," says Luke Mangan, saucing the last plate of grilled salmon and cantering with it to the Christmas table before sitting down to feast with friends. Well might Mangan celebrate: 2009 has been another ballistically busy year, culminating in the opening of the Palace, the first Luke Mangan restaurant in his home town. The South Melbourne gastropub will be classic Mangan: elegant but hearty grills, a Japanesque sprinkling here, a Moorish tinge there, augmented, of course, by Luke Mangan-branded olive oil, spice blends, vinegar and wines. The glam pub will be Mangan's seventh opening and the fourth restaurant in his current stable, joining Sydney's Glass, San Francisco's South Food + Wine Bar, and Tokyo's Salt. This year, Mangan has also sealed a deal to design menus for the pointy end of Virgin planes flying the Sydney to Los Angeles route, he's opening Salt Grill on the P&O cruise ship Pacific Jewel, and he's continued to top up with books, TV appearances, product endorsements (a car here, a fridge there) and special dinners - Bill Clinton and Princess Mary of Denmark are among those who have booked Mangan for a meal.Being a celebrity chef involves a fair bit of hullabaloo but Mangan's philosophy is disarmingly simple. "I'm into casual dining backed up with great Australian produce," he pronounces. Still, there's no doubt that his version of easy ends up pretty special. Today, even when he's engaged in basic tasks - shredding Vietnamese mint in a blur of natty knife skills, topping rocket with prawns that sit poised, pert and appetising - Luke Mangan makes it clear he's got Christmas under control.Mangan, 39, grew up in Melbourne but hasn't cooked here since the mid-1990s. He left school when he was 15, then apprenticed under Swiss taskmaster Hermann Schneider at South Yarra fine diner Two Faces between 1985 and 1989. Mangan moved with Schneider to Delgany at Portsea before flitting from under the master's wing to London. He elbowed his way into a job at the Waterside Inn, winner of three Michelin stars and bedrock of the famous Roux brothers' empire, working for a month without pay to prove his mettle, then staying for two years, rising through the ranks and getting an unbeatable education in classic French cookery. Mangan moved back to Australia in 1993, cooked in Melbourne (at South Yarra's Hats and Richmond's Cafe Kanis, both of which closed down under his watch), then looked for a fresh start in Sydney.He got his break in 1994 when, at 24, he became inaugural head chef of the fashion-cum€‘hotel-developing Hemmes family's CBD Restaurant. "It was the right place at the right time," says Mangan, who quickly gained acclaim for his fresh, frisky food. After four years, he opened his first restaurant, Salt, with then partner Lucy Allon. Salt instantly became the hottest ticket in town: A-listers such as Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman went mad for dishes such as tempura quail and roast barramundi with preserved lemon risotto. The more casual Bistro Lulu followed a year later, then Moorish at Bondi, before Mangan faltered, selling Moorish in 2004 and closing Lulu in 2005. The rebuild began the very next day, when the upmarket Glass Brasserie at the Sydney Hilton opened and Mangan slowly started to take over the world.To hear him tell it, Luke Mangan has just been lucky. "I can't put my finger on why it's worked." But there are reasons. He has a knack for creating food that's special without being too precious; he's focused on good experiences rather than culinary masterworks. "A lot of young chefs think restaurants are all about food but they're not," he says. "They're about service, ambience, lighting, music, the wine list and being flexible for the customer. If the customer wants a steak well done with a fried egg on top and tomato sauce on the side, we should do it because we can do it." In the home context, he admits to serving dinner party guests the same dishes over and over again. "There's nothing better than a beautiful barbecued bit of fish or a roast chicken with a simple salad and good wine. It tastes good and it gives me time to spend with my guests rather than standing in the kitchen." Mangan wouldn't have become a brand without a keen business eye: when the GFC hit restaurant spending, he swooped with his take-home range of condiments. He spruiks a team mentality, peppering his conversation with phrases such as "what we're doing next" and "our plans" and gathering around him partners and less ego-driven cooks who he nurtures and promotes. So he's the boss (with 400 employees at last count) but he's also got a charming, knockabout air.The guests gathered for today's Christmas spread lap up the Luke Mangan show, which he delivers with cheerful largesse. Six-year-old Romy is roped in to stir the chocolate sauce and Mangan beams at her like Santa. "You want to taste it?" he asks, rhetorically, before spooning the rich goo over an ice-cream pudding. The dessert is reminiscent of the Christmas treat his mother, Marie, used to make for her husband and seven boys, Luke being the youngest. "Look at that, just like my mum's pudding," says Mangan admiringly. "It's Christmas on a plate."Natural oysters, eschalot dressing, salmon roe2 dozen oysters, freshly shucked50g jar salmon roe 125ml chardonnay vinegar 100g eschalots (about five), finely diced 1 tsp caster sugarsalt and pepper to seasonmicro cress to garnishPour vinegar into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from heat, add eschalots and sugar and allow to cool to room temperature. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place oysters on a serving platter. Spoon some dressing over the oysters and top with salmon roe and sprigs of micro cress.Kingfish sashimi, soy ginger eschalot dressing, goat feta125g pickled ginger25g sugar100ml rice wine vinegar75g eschalot, finely diced50ml soy sauce50ml extra-virgin olive oil200g sashimi-quality kingfish filletpink salt to seasongoat feta, to garnishchives, finely chopped to garnishDrain the pickled ginger and dice finely. Add sugar, vinegar, eschalots, soy and olive oil and mix well to combine. Slice the kingfish finely and arrange on an Asian spoon. Season with salt and top with a little dressing. Crumble over some feta and garnish with chopped chives. (Any leftover dressing can be stored in a screwtop jar in the refrigerator.)Tomato salad8 vine-ripened tomatoespink salt to season1/2 cup pitted black oliveshandful basil leaves, torn4 eschalots, finely diced100ml red wine vinegar300g goat fetaCut each tomato into 12 thin wedges. Season with salt. Add olives, basil and eschalots, then place on a serving platter, drizzle with red wine vinegar and crumble feta over the top.Pan-fried salmon, alinghi mushrooms8 x 160g Atlantic salmon fillets, skin onsalt to season 60ml canola oil8 alinghi mushrooms (or Swiss browns), sliced150g butter at room temperature8 cloves garlic, finely chopped80ml freshly squeezed lemon juice cup chopped parsleysprigs of chervil to garnishPreheat oven to 200C. Season the skin side of the salmon. Heat canola oil in an ovenproof pan and add salmon fillets, skin side down. Place in oven for 3 minutes, or until just cooked. Melt half butter in a separate pan and cook the mushrooms and garlic, then finish with chopped parsley and half the lemon juice. Set aside. Remove fish from oven, then add remaining butter and lemon juice. With a spoon, drizzle the sauce over the fish. Place the mushrooms on a plate and top with the salmon. Scatter over chervil and drizzle over lemon butter sauce.Lamb loin with mushroom duxelle in puff pastry3 lamb back straps, cut in half lengthways 180ml canola oil500g button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced6 cloves garlic, crushed5 eschalots, peeled and sliced1/2 bunch thyme250ml port250ml red winesalt and pepper to season4 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawedHeat 100ml canola oil in a frypan over high heat. Add mushrooms, garlic, eschalots and thyme and cook for 10 minutes until there is no liquid. Add port and wine and cook for a further 15 minutes to reduce the liquid completely. Remove thyme sprigs and puree in a food processor. Season to taste.Preheat oven to 200C. Place a sheet of pastry on the workbench and lay one-and-a-half lengths of lamb on top, along one edge of the pastry (you may have to trim the lamb to fit). Spoon over a quarter of the mushroom puree and roll up tightly. Repeat with remaining lamb and pastry. Heat the remaining 80ml canola oil in a frypan over medium heat and cook the lamb pastry rolls, in batches, on all sides until golden, starting seam side down. Remove from pan and place on lined oven tray. Place in oven and continue to cook for 10 minutes until the lamb is cooked to your liking. Remove and rest for 5 minutes, cut into thick slices and place on serving platter.Potato salad8 pinkeye potatoes, peeled8 tbsp creme fraiche1/4 cup chopped chivespink salt to seasonSlice potatoes 3mm thin. Steam for 5 minutes, until tender. Remove and allow to cool slightly. Gently toss with creme fraiche, chives and salt in a bowl until combined.Roasted prawns, mango salsa, rocket salad24 medium green prawns, peeled, deveined, tails intact 2 mangoes1 red onion, peeled and finely diced1/2 bunch Vietnamese mint, picked and chopped1/2 bunch coriander, leaves picked and chopped120ml extra virgin olive oil30ml white wine vinegarpink salt and freshly ground black pepper to season100ml lemon juice (from about 2 large lemons)100g rocket2 tbsp canola oilPreheat oven to 200C. Peel the mangoes, finely dice and place in a medium bowl. Add onion, mint and coriander and toss to combine. Add 20ml olive oil, 30ml vinegar and a pinch of salt. Set aside. Mix remaining 100ml oil with lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and dress rocket leaves. (Reserve any extra dressing for another use). In a frying pan over high heat, add canola oil and sear prawns for 1 minute on each side, then finish in oven for 2 minutes. Place over rocket salad. Serve with mango salsa. Luke's ice-cream plum pudding1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds1/4 cup chopped red and green maraschino cherries (or glace)1/4 cup sultanas1/4 cup chopped dried mango2 tbsp mixed peel1 tsp ground cinnamon1/2 tsp ground nutmeg1/2 tsp ground ginger60ml brandy30ml Irish Cream liqueur15ml Cointreau1 litre vanilla ice-cream150g dark chocolate, meltedmixed berries for garnish (optional)175ml ( cup) whipped creamIn a saucepan, place all the dried fruits, nuts and spices, add brandy, Cointreau and Irish Cream and cover. Place over heat and bring to the boil. As soon as it comes to the boil, remove from heat and let cool. Tip the ice-cream into a large bowl and chop coarsely. Add the cooled fruits, spices, nuts and liqueurs. Mix gently until combined (you can put on some gloves and use your hands). Spoon the mixture into eight half cup-capacity moulds and level the tops. Cover and freeze overnight or until firm. Dip the base of the moulds in warm water for a few seconds and run a butter knife around the edges. Invert the moulds onto serving plates and spoon over melted chocolate. Serve immediately garnished with fresh mixed berries and whipped cream.All dishes serve 8
© 2009 The Age