George Calombaris
October 2012
Joining the Swisse family as its chef for the Melbourne Cup Carnival, famed MasterChef judge and restaurant owner George Calombaris is set to design the menu throughout all four racing days. While he spends most of the race days in the kitchen, he will be using key ingredients from Swisse products which include green tea, celery, and a variety of fruits.
Some of Calombaris’ most famous dishes from a number of his eateries will be offered across the event, including salad of grains from Hellenic Republic and prawn kataifi from Little Press. Calombaris talks to The Melbourne Review about his new partnership with Swisse and shares some of his recipes and ingredients that make up his exclusive Spring Racing Menu.
“I feel a great synergy with the Swisse team,” he says. “I have really enjoyed the process of developing the menu for the marquee and I look forward to the guests enjoying some of my most famous dishes and some that have a ‘Swisse twist’. As a proud Melburnian, there is no better time to be enjoying the city than during the Melbourne Cup Carnival.”
A true Melburnian indeed, Calombaris began his career as an apprentice at Hotel Sofitel before joining fellow MasterChef judge Gary Mehigan in opening Fenix. He won Young Chef of the Year at the age of 24 and was named one of the Top 40 Chefs of Influence in the world by Global Food and Wine Magazine in 2004. Calombaris is also the owner of a total of seven restaurants in Melbourne, as well as one in Mykonos – and reveals to The Melbourne Review that there are plans for more.
“I am currently working on a new place in Melbourne called Jimmy Grants. It’s a bottle shop/souvlaki bar. I have always wanted to do a really Athenian style souvlaki bar. Very exciting. At the moment I am looking forward to presenting the Swisse menu. That has been a very exciting project too. I have designed a menu inspired by the natural ingredients in the Swisse products. A little sneak peak of one of the dishes is an eatable snail with passionfruit slime.”
George Calombaris shares an exclusive recipe with The Melbourne Review, which is set to feature as part of the ‘Sustainable Rainforest’-inspired menu at the Swisse marquee at this year’s carnival.
POACHED YABBY, BLOOD ORANGE, CAULIFLOWER
Ingredients
4 Yabby tails, poached
1 Blood orange, peeled, segmented, squeeze heart to remove juice, reserve juice
100g Cauliflower florets that have been cut into 1cm florets
1 Baby fennel heart, shaved wafer thin on mandolin
25ml Extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons Red radish cress
Method
Place a wide based pot over high heat. Once hot, add oil then add cauliflower. Add a pinch of salt and sauté over high heat until lightly coloured. Remove to tray.
Add orange segment to a bowl along with fennel, cauliflower florets. Dress with a little extra virgin olive oil. Place on bottom of plate then top with room temperature yabby tail. Finish with cress.
The Press Club
Little Press
P M 24
Maha
Hellenic Republic
St Katherine’s
Mama Baba
georgecalombaris.com.au
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