Breakfast @ Danks St

Danks Street, Waterloo used to be predominantly an industrial warehouse district. Thankfully it now has evolved into a busy food and art scene, with loads of cafes, providores and galleries to enjoy.

  Jared Ingersoll and his team at Danks Street Depot pride themselves on fresh produce and a menu that changes daily. They also proudly support small-scale and artisan producers and their unique offerings. Jared has worked in some amazing places, including in London at 2 Michelin starred The Square and Hillaire as well working as head chef of Sydney's Bayswater Brasserie.

 Danks Street Depot has a relaxed feel... if you come after the early morning rush. Great for a nice hot breakfast and coffee to start the day.

 Desiree Potatoes fried with Garlic, Thyme and Jean Marc's Saucisson. Topped with a fried Egg, Cherry Tomato Relish and served with Sourdough Toast.

They use Cornucopia Farms Bio-dynamic Eggs which come from Lonstock in the upper Hunter Valley.

 Sweet and juicy Tomatoes, Basil, Avocado and Cow's Milk Feta served on Sourdough Toast.

 After breakfast we walk across the street to Fratelli Fresh.

Fratelli Fresh has a wide variety of fresh produce downstairs.
 They stock seasonal fruit and vegetables as well as some rarer varieties.

Up stairs along with their range of Italian olive oils, vinegars and pasta is the cafe.

They also host cooking lessons in their classroom like kitchen.

Danks Street Depot

2 Danks Street

Waterloo

02 9698 2201 

 

Fratelli Fresh

7 Danks Street 

Waterloo

02 96993161

 

Freshly Shucked Oysters

The warm weather is on it's way. And what's better to enjoy outside in the sun, than a dozen or so freshly shucked oysters?

The Sydney Fish Markets have a huge variety when it comes to oysters and other fresh seafood. One of my favourite stores is Christie's. They have up four or five different varieties of oyster to choose from, along with live blue marron, mud crab and crayfish.

 I've chosen two pacific varieties today.

Coffin Bay,  SA $16.90 doz

St Helens, Tas $19.90 doz

You can order your oysters pre-shucked. But I recommend buying them still closed and shucking them yourself, they work out to be $1 cheaper per dozen and are even fresher.

The oyster is actually still alive up until the point it has been detached from the shell. 

To shuck your own oyster:

First you will need an oyster shucker which range from $5 - $40 depending on quality, and a tea towel to protect your hand.

  

 

Starting on a hard stable surface. Roll one end of the tea towel up, to provide a platform for the oyster. Fold the rest of the towel over your supporting hand.

Using the sharp end of the shucker and some force, wiggle back and forth between the two halves of the shell until it pops open.

 

Turn the shucker on the side and slide it against the top half of the shell. Cut the membrane hold the oyster in place, making sure you don't damage it.

 

Clean any shell fragments from the oyster and the shucker.

Gently slide the shucker underneath the oyster to free it from the bottom half of the shell. 

Now it's ready to eat. 

 Squeeze on a little lemon juice and chew three times before you swallow.

  

Christie's 
 

(02) 9552 3333

Sydney Fish Markets Bank St

Pyrmont

Madam Char Char

 Recently opened on busy Crown St, Madam Char Char is a great new food concept. It's all about fresh seasonal produce, prepared either to dine in or to take away and enjoy at home. I was overwhelmed by the variety they had on offer.

 When you first enter, the brightly lit windows first catch your eye. Full of beautiful salads, all made fresh that day. Quinoa with roast eggplant, parsley, toasted nuts, mint and currents with a green tahini dressing. And Rocket, baby beetroot, basil, avocado and feta with Dijon mustard dressing are a sample of what was on offer. Although they do change regularly.

Three different slow braised dishes are made everyday. Perfect for taking home and re-heating yourself. Today was Braised lamb shoulder with dates and almonds which come with either brown rice or cous cous.

Salads and Braised dishes are available in:

Small $5.90

Medium $8.90

Large $10.90

Family size $17.50

 Whole Roast Lilydale Chickens Stuffed with their house blend of herbs and spices twirl in the background. $16.90 or $9.50 for half.

 If you feel like eating in, they have a huge burger menu. For just $7 you can get a grilled chicken breast burger with aioli and relish, the "Plain Jane". Amazing value.

 Madam Char Char makes all it's relishes in house, and you can sample them for free.

 There are also home-made sweets available, chocolate brownie is amazing.

Definitelty check out Madam Char Char. If you don't have time to cook, come and enjoy some fresh, delicious take away.

 Madam Char Char

285A Crown Street

Surry Hills, Sydney

9380 4411

Fresh Pasta

The word pasta first appeared in English in 1874, from Italian pasta and from Latin pasta "dough, pastry cake".


There is nothing like eating fresh hand-made pasta. And the best pasta is made with "00" flour. It is less refined than regular flour and has 11.5%-12.5% high quality gluten, which is important in producing a quality dough. Alternatively a mix of semolina and plain flour can be used, a ratio of 1:3. A pasta machine is essential to roll your dough, if you don't have one they can be purchased from good home-ware stores or kitchen warehouses for as little as $30 or $40.

Here's my pasta recipe and a step by step guide;

 

Ingredients

565g "00" flour
12 yolks
2 eggs
tsp olive oil

tsp water 

pinch salt

 

Dough
Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine yolks, eggs, water and oil. Make a well in the centre of the flour. Gradually add the eggs, stirring constantly with a fork until dough comes together. 

 

On a floured surface, knead the dough until soft and smooth. This is very important, it disperses moisture evenly and works the gluten, which strengthens the bonds of the dough. 

Wrap in cling wrap to prevent oxidisation and rest for 2 - 3 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. 

After sufficient resting time, your dough is ready to be rolled.

Rolling

First, secure the pasta machine to the bench top with a damp cloth underneath to prevent it from slipping. 

Lightly flour machine and bench top, set the machine to the widest setting. Divide the dough into smaller, more manageable pieces.  

Using a lightly floured rolling pin and surface, flatten a piece into a rectangle shape. (Keep other pieces under a damp cloth to prevent drying out).

 

Gently feed the dough through the rollers. Fold one side of the rolled dough into the centre, and the other over that to form three layers (this is called a book turn). 

  

Starting with an open side, feed back through the machine. Repeat this process four times. This ensures a smooth pasta and further works the gluten. 

Adjust the machine to the next narrowest setting. Feed the pasta through again with one hand and catch it with the other, being careful not to stretch or tear the sheet.

 

Roll pasta through at each setting until reaching the most narrow.

The pasta then can be used as sheets for lasagna or cut, into spaghetti or fettuccine.

To cut into fettuccine, attach the pasta-cutting attachment to the pasta machine according to your manual's instructions. Then feed the thinly rolled sheet of pasta into the cutting attachment, catching them by draping them over your hands as they're cranked out of the machine.

Either hang pasta on a drying rack or scattered over a tray dusted with flour. 

Cooking and Serving

Cook pasta in boiling salted water for 4 - 5 minutes, stirring periodically. Strain.

To enjoy the flavour of your fresh pasta simply toss in olive oil and lemon juice, top with shaved parmesan.