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Sydney Eats 2009

On Plates Now from February 2009

Fish

Now the Christmas rush is over, prawns of all kinds are down a bit in price and popping up on menus all over town. Always a tapas favourite, that Spanish institution Encasa does them in sizzling garlic oil and chilli known as gambas al ajillo, in spicy tomato sauce (gambas sevillanas) or with garlic mayonnaise (gambas con alioli).  There’s some good kingfish coming up from South Australia, too, which Cafe XXII is giving the Mediterannean touch, serving it with caponata and salsa verde.

Meat

There’s plenty of good beef available and market prices are a little lower than they were this time last year. Whether that translates into menu prices remains to be seen, but it would be hard to find a better-value meatfest than the one at La Parrillada. This popular Peruvian restaurant treats its meat simply and serves it generously on platters known as parrilladas. They arrive groaning with steaks, chorizo sausages, pork and lamb chops as well as beef and pork ribs. There’s a little salad, chips and sauces for meat relief. For those not wanting to mix their proteins, there’s a straight chicken and a straight lamb version, as well as steaks.

Fruit

An exotic fruit from the Amazon, achacha, is now grown in north Queensland and Nu’s in McMahons Point has pounced on its first delivery. The fruit tastes somewhere between a lychee, a grape and a mangosteen with a touch of tang and chef Paul Webster says he’s turning it into sorbet. Down at The Nun’s Pool in Cronulla, Toby King is pickling plums and serving them with pork and pistachio terrine.  Come dessert, you’ll find summer’s best apricots poached in vanilla syrup and served with pannacotta.

Vegetables

Zucchini are peaking at the moment and there are still plenty of flowers around, too. Grappa in Leichhardt is filling the flowers with bocconcini and anchovy before frying them as an entree and they show up again in the crab spaghettini with chicory and cherry tomatoes. Nu’s is wrapping thin slices of zucchini around prawn mousse before deep-frying these little bundles and serving them with what they call “Japanese aioli” and tomato relish.

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