The cooking demonstrations at the 2021 Narooma Oyster Festival will see hatted chefs take to the stage with local seafood producers for a program that celebrates provenance by looking behind the menu at the important chef and producer relationship. Executive chefs Sean Connolly, Jordan Toft, Mark Glenn and Simon Evans will be paired with a
local oyster farmer, fisherman, abalone diver and sea urchin roe diver.
“This year’s chef and producer combination takes it to another level,” said cooking program host Kelly Eastwood of Eastwood’s Deli and Cooking School in Bermagui.
When asked about provenance in cooking, Ms Eastwood said popular terms like paddock-to-plate and farm-to-fork are being used to try and describe the process. “It’s an attitude that has been around for decades and is really about knowing where our food is coming from, being connected to what is grown around us and cooking seasonally.”
Festival Chair Cath Peachey is hoping that matching renowned visiting chefs with local producers will educate consumers about the incredible calibre of NSW South Coast produce.
“Most of us don’t realise just how much NSW South Coast produce is being plated in the fine dining restaurants in Sydney and Canberra. This year’s cooking demonstrations will be a very visual way to show the connection between place, producer, chef and consumer,” said Ms Peachey.
It’s a sentiment Merivale executive chef Jordan Toft shares. He understands the need to capture the experience behind his menus, like eating seafood straight from the ocean, and to recreate that in his restaurants.
“I cook quite simply, using the best ingredients that I can find. Seeing beautiful local South Coast ingredients like king fish, moon fish, strawberry clams, and oysters really inspires me to cook that way and bring it back to Coogee Middle Floor,” said Mr Toft.
The ethos of behind the menu that Mr Toft speaks of will be on display when he takes to the stage cooking with lobsters caught by Bermagui Fisherman Jason Moyce, known online by his 80,000 strong following as “The Trapman”.
The cooking demonstrations run from 10.30am to 2.30pm on Saturday, 1 May on the Narooma Betta Home Living Cooking Stage. Tickets to the festival are $25 and need to be pre-purchased from www.naroomaoysterfestival.com.
