1 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:08,480 Welcome to the Seafood Matters Podcast, a voice for the UK fishing industry. 2 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:16,839 I'm your host, Jim Cooey. Hi Roberta, Welcome the Seafood Matters Podcast. 3 00:00:16,839 --> 00:00:21,359 I'm delighted that you're able to join me and are shure. Can you 4 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:27,800 please start by telling our audience about you, where you have come from and 5 00:00:27,839 --> 00:00:32,679 who your career has progressed. Thank you, Jim. It's it's lovely to 6 00:00:32,719 --> 00:00:36,719 be able to join you all the way from Australia. Isn't modern technology amazing? 7 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:42,960 So I think you and I met through your son Anthony, because he 8 00:00:43,119 --> 00:00:48,240 was working in hospitality down here in Sydney, wasn't he. That's correct? 9 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:52,320 Yeah, And I was running Sydney Seafood School at the time, which I 10 00:00:52,399 --> 00:00:58,439 did for twenty three years. So Sydney Seafood School is Australia's largest recreational cooking 11 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:03,000 school and a lot of the chefs, including Giam who Anthony was working for, 12 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:07,040 were doing cooking classes for me. So the cooking schools at Sydney Fish 13 00:01:07,079 --> 00:01:11,680 Market, which is the largest fish market in the Southern Hemisphere, and we 14 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:18,120 were teaching about twelve thousand home cooks each year how to Prepare Fresh Austrayan Seafood. 15 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:25,879 Yeah, and I think I met you when you came down to visit 16 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:27,760 Anthony and you came along and did one of our classes, didn't you. 17 00:01:29,879 --> 00:01:38,040 That's good it one several. I think that team. We were there for 18 00:01:38,239 --> 00:01:44,079 just over three weeks and I was on the Sydney Fish Market eleven teams in 19 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:49,439 Oh my goodness for you. It's a good spot and they're building a brand 20 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:53,040 new fish market right next door, so by twenty twenty five it'll be an 21 00:01:53,079 --> 00:01:57,799 incredible new, state of the art facility. But I'm not there anymore. 22 00:02:00,319 --> 00:02:05,239 Yeah, agree with that's all. And you've progressed from there, I take 23 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:12,159 it. Indeed. Indeed, I left two years ago, so twenty twenty 24 00:02:12,199 --> 00:02:17,000 one after we got through our first big COVID lockdown and I thought it was 25 00:02:17,039 --> 00:02:22,039 all clear sailing and I left to start my own business, not knowing we're 26 00:02:22,039 --> 00:02:24,879 about to go into a second lockdown. But anyway, that is what it 27 00:02:24,919 --> 00:02:30,800 is. Yeah, yeah, if you don't mind, if I could start 28 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:38,240 with what the Seafood School said, I have to say, Roberta, I 29 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:45,560 thought the whole set up, the whole mark from this auction to the Seafood 30 00:02:45,599 --> 00:02:51,199 school and the stalls selling all the different kinds of seafood. It was just 31 00:02:51,360 --> 00:03:00,840 such a vibrant feeling and so exciting and interesting, educational, anything, any 32 00:03:00,879 --> 00:03:07,759 word you want to to bring up, and I just feel suddenly have certainly, 33 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:13,439 and and I know, although you won't tell me, I know from 34 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:19,120 Anthony that you had a major, major part in the role to get the 35 00:03:19,879 --> 00:03:23,879 Seafood School where it is. But the whole setup is so fantastic and it 36 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:35,599 brings so many people to understand the fishing industry. It is an incredible venue 37 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:43,759 and the new one hopefully will be even more amazing. It's got a lot 38 00:03:44,479 --> 00:03:47,960 as far as I know, it's unique in Australia at least that combination of 39 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:53,479 wholesale and retail, so having the early morning auction where the fishermen are actually 40 00:03:53,879 --> 00:03:59,599 all the auctioneers are auctioning that day's catch, and then having the retailers on 41 00:03:59,719 --> 00:04:02,000 site as well, and the school was certainly a very big draw card, 42 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:05,439 and it did evolve a lot over the twenty three years I was there. 43 00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:15,959 Yeah, I would say the only place, the only place I know almost 44 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:24,199 certainly in Europe and probably the world, there will not be many quite as 45 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:30,759 far ahead as the Sydney Fish Market, and the closest I can think of 46 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:39,639 any idiots come to you, is billings Get Bullie. Yes, yes, 47 00:04:41,399 --> 00:04:46,920 so do I think bullians Get's got a lot of character. But it's it's 48 00:04:46,959 --> 00:04:50,759 not it's not on the heart, it's not on the sea where there it's 49 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:57,680 not good. It's fish has been sent over land to buildings Get. It's 50 00:04:57,720 --> 00:05:01,959 not a fish market on a horror look, A lot of the seafood that 51 00:05:02,079 --> 00:05:08,319 arrives at Sydney Fish Market is sent as well. I mean, there's no 52 00:05:08,439 --> 00:05:13,240 way that a market like Sydney can be supplied just out of our local waters. 53 00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:15,920 So we do have a local I say we. I still, even 54 00:05:15,959 --> 00:05:17,439 two years later, I think of it as a little piece of meat. 55 00:05:18,639 --> 00:05:24,480 Sydney Fish Market has a local fleet, but a lot of the seafood comes 56 00:05:24,519 --> 00:05:27,800 from up and down the coast, from the various fish co ops, and 57 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:31,480 also from interstate and even as far away as New Zealand and further Afield. 58 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:38,360 Okay, okay, that's interesting then. And Billingsgate, by the way, 59 00:05:38,439 --> 00:05:43,439 the cooking school at Billingsgate is modeled on Sydney Seafood School. So when they 60 00:05:43,519 --> 00:05:46,360 were building that cooking school. They came and visited us and I gave them 61 00:05:46,399 --> 00:05:50,879 a lot of help and they went away and created their own seafood school, 62 00:05:50,879 --> 00:05:57,279 but it was largely modeled on Sydney Seafood School. Well that's interesting, I'm 63 00:05:57,319 --> 00:06:02,680 not surprised. And the girl, I'm sure you know CJ who I know 64 00:06:02,759 --> 00:06:09,439 CJ very well. Yeah, she's a lovely person as well and equally as 65 00:06:09,639 --> 00:06:15,680 I would say, equally as enthusiastic about buildings. Get seafood schoolers. You 66 00:06:15,759 --> 00:06:20,600 are a boot Sydney. I actually had the pleasure of collaborating with CJ. 67 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:30,439 She edited the or wrote the DK Seafood Cookbook and she asked me to edit 68 00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:33,000 the Australian addition, so we got to work together on that, which was 69 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:42,439 a fabulous project. Yeah. Oh is that is that what we'res that published? 70 00:06:43,560 --> 00:06:46,680 Ah, that's so d K. You might have to take this offline 71 00:06:46,839 --> 00:06:51,920 to actually get the details, but I think it's Dora Kin. I'll send 72 00:06:51,920 --> 00:06:58,240 you the details, so you might have to edit that section out. I'll 73 00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:04,199 make a note how to do it. I think DK is a British publisher 74 00:07:04,759 --> 00:07:12,040 and it was a cookbook that CJ wrote and I edited the Australian edition, 75 00:07:12,079 --> 00:07:15,639 but I'll send you a link to the details. Okay, thank you, 76 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:23,600 thank you. And it must have been. I mean I used to see 77 00:07:23,639 --> 00:07:29,240 that all the top, top the top, all the top chefs, everyone, 78 00:07:29,639 --> 00:07:32,839 even you know, Tetsuya, Neil Perry, Matt Moran, they all 79 00:07:32,879 --> 00:07:43,360 taught there. I mean it's it's clear to you for inspired in that gaze 80 00:07:43,519 --> 00:07:49,560 to come along and do that look the hospitality industry, and I really for 81 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:54,199 those twenty three years, and even now am still part of that industry, 82 00:07:54,199 --> 00:07:58,879 on the fringe in Sydney, at least in Australia. It's very much looking 83 00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:03,000 after each other. So I supported them and still do and they supported me. 84 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:07,279 I mean we even had the likes of David Thompson and Chong Lu internationally 85 00:08:07,279 --> 00:08:13,839 acclaimed chefs doing classes with us. I'm not sure that's still the case, 86 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:20,480 but it was certainly an amazing time. It must have been, because I 87 00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:28,560 mean the must have taken on a lot of talent and inspired a lot of 88 00:08:28,639 --> 00:08:33,279 people. I think during my I think I worked out during my twenty three 89 00:08:33,360 --> 00:08:37,200 years there, we had over two hundred and forty thousand people come through our 90 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:43,159 doors. So and I know I hear from some of them still, and 91 00:08:43,279 --> 00:08:48,960 I know they cook some of our recipes regularly, so the recipes became favorites 92 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:52,799 and are on high rotation, as they say in their households, which I 93 00:08:52,799 --> 00:08:56,720 guess there's no higher compliment they can pay me than to say that, because 94 00:08:56,720 --> 00:09:01,240 I wrote a lot of those recipes. Well, when you talk about that, 95 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:07,679 Robert, I've even said it, Franz, your husband, and he's 96 00:09:09,799 --> 00:09:16,799 he agreed with me. We were talking about recipe books and he reckons, 97 00:09:18,080 --> 00:09:22,600 well, I reckon it's me had said it. I think that Sydney Cookbook, 98 00:09:22,720 --> 00:09:28,679 Sydney Seafood Cookbook is one of the best ever written. Oh thank you. 99 00:09:28,759 --> 00:09:31,559 That means a lot to me because that was a collaboration with so many 100 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:37,240 dear friends that are chefs. I think we have over forty five Ossie chefs 101 00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:41,399 in that cookbook, and a couple of whom are no longer with us anymore. 102 00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:46,480 So it's a real snapshot in time. And every one of those recipes 103 00:09:46,600 --> 00:09:50,039 was taught at the Seafood School at some time or other. Is that right? 104 00:09:52,240 --> 00:09:56,120 Yeah? I thought it was a terrific book, really fantastic book, 105 00:09:56,639 --> 00:10:03,440 and it's funny who can and be you know, I've seen it in so 106 00:10:03,519 --> 00:10:07,919 many other things that we can be so far apart at the opposite ends of 107 00:10:07,960 --> 00:10:15,960 the world. But you can see a recipe and although you don't I don't 108 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:20,879 have the fish that you cook it with in Australia, you can still there's 109 00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:26,559 everywhere you go in the world there's a species you can use for that dish, 110 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:30,559 of course. And it's not just about seafood. I mean, that's 111 00:10:30,600 --> 00:10:35,480 what I love about food and cooking and recipe writing that you start, you 112 00:10:35,559 --> 00:10:39,919 use a recipe as a springboard, don't you to create your own. It's 113 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:45,440 inspiring. That's why I call my new business be Inspired, because recipes inspire 114 00:10:45,519 --> 00:10:50,000 us to go off and do our own thing. Funny, you should say 115 00:10:50,039 --> 00:10:56,480 that when I started in the Captain's Gully when I and I was never a 116 00:10:56,679 --> 00:11:01,320 chef. I just went as a very true student to the local college just 117 00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:07,840 to get the basics. And as I was doing that and then started cooking 118 00:11:07,879 --> 00:11:13,600 myself in the restaurant. If anybody was to ask me who and who did 119 00:11:13,679 --> 00:11:18,600 I get the inspiration from to start with, if I would be totally honest 120 00:11:18,639 --> 00:11:22,399 about it, it was my mother. And I tell you a lot of 121 00:11:22,519 --> 00:11:24,960 chefs have said that to me, that their inspiration was either their mother, 122 00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:31,440 their father, or their grandmother. Yeah, well my grandma me. I 123 00:11:31,480 --> 00:11:37,120 became a chef because my mother cooked so well, you know, she inspired 124 00:11:37,159 --> 00:11:39,720 me. And others say I became a chef because my mother was such a 125 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:43,960 bad cook that I had to learn to cook if I wanted to eat anything. 126 00:11:43,200 --> 00:11:50,000 A few chefs have said that to me, O, mothers are inspiring. 127 00:11:50,720 --> 00:11:54,440 I'm sure yours was a very good cook. Well she was, and 128 00:11:54,519 --> 00:12:01,120 it was all real, wholesome, good food. And she was still with 129 00:12:01,200 --> 00:12:07,080 us when we opened it in early days when we opened and I would phone 130 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:11,679 out and say, Mom, I've got this certain species cord or something like 131 00:12:11,720 --> 00:12:16,399 that, remember that you used to make. How did you what's a recipe? 132 00:12:18,039 --> 00:12:24,559 She she never ever had a recipe. It was just spontaneous. It 133 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:26,440 was just and she would say, oh, I just I said, you 134 00:12:26,519 --> 00:12:35,039 must have what what what ingredients? She would just say that handful of this, 135 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:41,440 and uh, that's how people's book. It was just on the cuff, 136 00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:46,759 you know, as she was going. There was no following recipe. 137 00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:50,600 But I think that's one of the reasons I started writing cookbooks, because that's 138 00:12:50,600 --> 00:12:56,159 actually her chef's book too. Many of the chefs that I've worked with don't 139 00:12:56,240 --> 00:13:00,759 have written recipes. Sometimes they do in their kitchens for their apprentices than their 140 00:13:00,759 --> 00:13:05,440 staff to follow. But most people who cook cook by instinct and feel and 141 00:13:05,919 --> 00:13:07,679 a handful of this, a pinch of that, cook it till it's ready, 142 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:13,279 Smell it, look at it, here it taste it. Yeah, 143 00:13:13,519 --> 00:13:18,840 Indeed, to be disciplined with our big kitchen, it's better with something doing 144 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:28,120 for on paper for chefs to follow. Definitely, the one thing I felt 145 00:13:28,559 --> 00:13:35,000 would be quite important with me anyway, would be I wanted to do it 146 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:41,759 like that and have it on paper because it didn't matter. Consistency was more 147 00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:46,919 important to me, and I want it didn't matter who was in the kitchen, 148 00:13:48,519 --> 00:13:54,080 the food was consistent. Look, I think consistency is key in good 149 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:58,639 restaurants, but I also know that chef's tweak recipes constantly. Most of the 150 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:05,000 chefs I know their recipes are ever evolving. Yeah. Well that's a good 151 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:13,960 thing as well, because it's got and it pulls good chefs away from the 152 00:14:16,200 --> 00:14:20,799 average. And I guess also ingredients change, they change seasonally. You know, 153 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:24,399 one lemon is not as sour as another. Lemon. You know, 154 00:14:24,559 --> 00:14:30,960 one head of garlic might a certain time of year, garlic might be more 155 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:35,279 pungent than other times of year. So even once your recipe is written down, 156 00:14:35,360 --> 00:14:39,600 you do have to learn to smell, to taste, to work with 157 00:14:39,679 --> 00:14:46,559 the ingredients you've got, don't you totally? Yeah, seafood it probably and 158 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:50,840 you can tell me more about this oil content. At certain times of year, 159 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:56,000 even oily fish will be more oily or less oily than other times of 160 00:14:56,080 --> 00:14:58,720 year, or perhaps depending on where they're caught. Would that not be the 161 00:14:58,759 --> 00:15:05,840 case? Oh? One, you take that well. One of the when 162 00:15:05,879 --> 00:15:11,519 you talk about oily fish in this area, we would be talking about herring 163 00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:22,519 and markrel mostly and the you know that the the the people buying herring for 164 00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:26,919 say, to smoke it for as kippers, they would buy their herring, 165 00:15:28,519 --> 00:15:33,240 their their year's supply. There they would be producing it all year round. 166 00:15:33,879 --> 00:15:39,200 They would buy their herring in June and July because its oily, because that's 167 00:15:39,200 --> 00:15:45,679 when it was at its peak, and maybe and the markrel would be later 168 00:15:45,799 --> 00:15:52,200 in the year and then they would get the it was in the autumn, 169 00:15:52,879 --> 00:16:00,639 and and that would that would was so important for depending on what what the 170 00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:07,120 market, what the market was, and they obviously remarkrel in this country. 171 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:12,519 Now a lot of it goes to Japan used in the like a sushi and 172 00:16:12,600 --> 00:16:22,200 things like that. Well it's of major importance. And even when with a 173 00:16:22,240 --> 00:16:26,559 hearing, when a lot it's not so much now. But hey, we 174 00:16:26,679 --> 00:16:30,919 used to do a lot of salting, salting herring and that would be absolutely 175 00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:36,559 we would just I still I still do it myself for giving away the old 176 00:16:37,320 --> 00:16:42,200 friends and things. And it was absolutely crucial. You caught it just before 177 00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:48,679 it spawned and you had the row and it's just at its best, yes, 178 00:16:49,720 --> 00:16:55,519 and the melt and the male and the row and the female and that 179 00:16:55,799 --> 00:17:00,159 was that was primo. So it's all it's all about the seasons and all 180 00:17:00,200 --> 00:17:04,240 about the oil content and working with what you've got. And do you know 181 00:17:04,440 --> 00:17:10,000 good smoked fish That is something we can't really get in Australia. I mean 182 00:17:10,039 --> 00:17:12,720 we get smoked trout and cold smoked salmon, but that's about it. And 183 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:17,720 when I get to Scotland, the first thing I want is some kippers. 184 00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:23,559 Yeah, I wish someone was doing good kippers here. Well i'll tell you 185 00:17:23,640 --> 00:17:30,920 what if you were does me for what's my favorite you want to try it 186 00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:37,880 a couppered marcarel Okay, no, I think because are normally hearing, aren't 187 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:44,559 they? Kippers are normally heading, but kipper kept kippering as we call it. 188 00:17:44,599 --> 00:17:52,000 Here is a you would do it differently. It's called smoked, right, 189 00:17:52,079 --> 00:18:00,799 so markarel are predominantly hot smoked. All right, you get a cup 190 00:18:00,920 --> 00:18:07,119 it and cold smoke it, just cool cool smoke the market, which is 191 00:18:07,119 --> 00:18:12,319 like a cupper kippening, and then go it or do it you would do 192 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:19,079 with a the same way as you'd cook a heading. A smoke cup it 193 00:18:21,759 --> 00:18:25,559 what it's out of this world. I'll look out for that next time. 194 00:18:26,799 --> 00:18:30,759 Yeah, I'll tell you what if you ever have you ever admitted this far 195 00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:36,480 north in the hemisphere, I'll cook going for you. Oh you know, 196 00:18:36,559 --> 00:18:38,519 I'll be back, Jim. I would never come to Scotland and not go 197 00:18:38,599 --> 00:18:44,599 to the very north. The highlands are my favorite part. Yeah. Well 198 00:18:45,799 --> 00:18:52,200 we still we still enjoy enjoy the halins. I mean, we're we're sitting 199 00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:56,880 in the garden. It's obviously better weather with us just now. We're out 200 00:18:56,920 --> 00:19:03,880 in the garden watching all the birds given as a song. And we have 201 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:08,720 egg we have nests in our garden and they're feeding their young. The sun's 202 00:19:08,759 --> 00:19:15,759 set in and the seeder he you know, it's it's just lovely brilliant. 203 00:19:17,519 --> 00:19:21,279 I'm hoping to bring a food and wine to it to Scotland in twenty twenty 204 00:19:21,279 --> 00:19:26,000 five. Actually I'm just sorry that you won't. Well you don't have the 205 00:19:26,039 --> 00:19:36,200 Captain's galley anymore. The Compain's galley is still there doing well. Yeah, 206 00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:41,400 absolutely, yeah, I'll bring my tour group to eat there in twenty twenty 207 00:19:41,400 --> 00:19:45,200 five. Well, that would be fantastic. I think there would be well 208 00:19:45,240 --> 00:19:48,880 looked after. He's a really talented cheffer as far as a chef is concerned. 209 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:53,039 He's a way better than me. I know a better about seafood. 210 00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:59,000 But on chef in Jody, the guy who's name Jody Sinklett. He's a 211 00:19:59,160 --> 00:20:03,079 really talent. But what you created their gym was very very special. Even 212 00:20:03,119 --> 00:20:08,359 having the foresight to turn that building into a restaurant, it's quite amazing. 213 00:20:10,799 --> 00:20:15,680 Yeah. Yeah, yeah, it's like I'm not going to start being sully 214 00:20:15,799 --> 00:20:21,480 and beaten myself. But yes, I think, but it's everybody's got their 215 00:20:21,599 --> 00:20:25,519 tame and sure, no, it's like me leaving the seafood school. You 216 00:20:25,880 --> 00:20:27,200 do what you do and then you get out of the way and let someone 217 00:20:27,200 --> 00:20:33,359 else do their thing. Absolutely. Yeah, I think I often see it 218 00:20:33,400 --> 00:20:37,279 to people. I think it reached the stage where we needed away and the 219 00:20:37,319 --> 00:20:45,480 Captain's Gali needed that away. Yep. Well that's possibly the same story as 220 00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:52,200 me and the Seafood School. Yeah, but you must take a lot of 221 00:20:52,920 --> 00:20:56,839 prayed and what you're talking about what I created or what you created? What 222 00:20:56,880 --> 00:21:03,440 where was it when you started? It's a long long time ago. Look, 223 00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:07,160 it certainly didn't have the profile that it had when I left, and 224 00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:11,279 I think, you know, bringing in all of the top chefs was very 225 00:21:11,319 --> 00:21:17,279 exciting for me because I love those guys and being able to collaborate with them 226 00:21:17,759 --> 00:21:19,079 put them in front of the audience. You know. Some of them were 227 00:21:19,160 --> 00:21:23,240 very experienced presenters, but some of them were just starting out and I was 228 00:21:23,240 --> 00:21:30,000 with them on that journey and that was pretty exciting. And also in two 229 00:21:30,119 --> 00:21:33,359 thousand and nine, the school turned twenty years old. I can't remember when 230 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:37,519 you saw it, but we closed for three months in two thousand and nine 231 00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:44,240 and basically gutted it and rebuilt it. And the way it is now fifteen 232 00:21:44,319 --> 00:21:48,200 years later, Nelly. It is still a beautiful, state of the art 233 00:21:48,279 --> 00:21:53,519 facility and a really really good venue. So that was one of my proudest 234 00:21:53,519 --> 00:22:03,880 moments actually leading that redevelopment. Absolutely, yeah, yeah, it's a how 235 00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:07,119 long ago was that? So that was two thousand and nine, nearly fifteen 236 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:11,240 years ago, So I can't remember if you saw it before the renovation or 237 00:22:11,319 --> 00:22:18,160 after. But it always had good bones, but what we did with it 238 00:22:18,160 --> 00:22:22,480 in two thousand and nine made it very very special. We got media accolades 239 00:22:22,519 --> 00:22:26,000 for that from all over the world because we had a really really good designer 240 00:22:26,079 --> 00:22:30,119 work on it. And he's also I brought him on board to design the 241 00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:33,839 new seafood school at the New Fish Market, which you'll open in twenty twenty 242 00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:41,880 five. All right, Okay, I think I've seen both from memory, 243 00:22:41,039 --> 00:22:47,240 because when I come up it was quite different when we were there last year, 244 00:22:47,640 --> 00:22:52,160 just after I sold the restaurant and we were there along we went for 245 00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:57,039 a session there, and it was much different than Oh my goodness, what 246 00:22:57,119 --> 00:23:04,599 of us, what facilities credible? You were all broken up in your groups 247 00:23:06,440 --> 00:23:11,440 and you're there was three of us, Anthony, Alexandra and myself and we 248 00:23:11,519 --> 00:23:17,960 all had you know, around the what you call them, the station's bench, 249 00:23:18,039 --> 00:23:21,440 yes, yeah, aliens, yeah, yeah, anything like that. 250 00:23:21,599 --> 00:23:26,759 And it was so well equipped. I was hugely impressed. I don't think 251 00:23:26,799 --> 00:23:30,599 there's anywhere else like it for hands on cooking. It would be the largest 252 00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:34,720 hands on cooking facility that I know of in for recreational cooking, at least 253 00:23:34,799 --> 00:23:41,480 in Australia. Yeah. Yeah, it was quite funny. At once stage 254 00:23:41,480 --> 00:23:47,319 Anthony was asking me and I said, oh, I'm not I'm not making 255 00:23:47,359 --> 00:23:52,119 them out and I'm not hearing them properly. And he said, there must 256 00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:56,880 be something far wrong. You're hearing that before you're when you're not hearing that. 257 00:23:57,599 --> 00:24:06,240 I says, yeah, but it's what's bah. It was better to 258 00:24:06,319 --> 00:24:17,119 me it was bah. But anyway I sorted it out. It was a 259 00:24:17,119 --> 00:24:19,960 compromise. I got hearing as when I come home as well. Did you 260 00:24:21,119 --> 00:24:27,319 okay? But no, I thought it was. It's just so inspirational and 261 00:24:27,359 --> 00:24:34,359 I just feel it brings the public to you know, it's such a great 262 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:41,559 day way of getting it. I would I could see by looking at it. 263 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:48,279 I just feel how much the fishing industry in this country would benefit if 264 00:24:48,319 --> 00:24:55,720 they had something like a facility like that. Well, you find me the 265 00:24:55,759 --> 00:25:00,160 space and I'll pop on over and organize it. Jim ah, Well, 266 00:25:00,759 --> 00:25:06,119 well, for example, the Lake of Peterhead, it's the biggest fish I 267 00:25:06,160 --> 00:25:11,240 think it's the biggest landing by landing, it's the biggest in Europe. But 268 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:19,079 unfortunately there are we behaved. As far as everything else is concerned, there's 269 00:25:19,119 --> 00:25:25,480 still it's still a talking auction. There's no electronics. And and then you 270 00:25:25,519 --> 00:25:33,400 go up to the Lake of Shetland and an Ailand community and and there they 271 00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:40,799 were all electronic and doing fantastic. Took the electronics certainly more efficient, but 272 00:25:40,960 --> 00:25:45,119 there's something charming about the voice auction as well. Up until a few years 273 00:25:45,160 --> 00:25:51,599 ago, Sydney Fish Market still did the sashimi fish by voice, and people 274 00:25:51,680 --> 00:25:53,640 used to love hearing that. You know, when we took people through the 275 00:25:53,680 --> 00:25:59,119 market for tours of the morning, they'd love hearing the live voice auction. 276 00:26:00,480 --> 00:26:08,000 Okay, I've done much for twenty five years myself, and it's a skill 277 00:26:08,039 --> 00:26:11,119 that will be lost if it's not used. You know, the real danger 278 00:26:11,160 --> 00:26:18,319 for Sydney Fish Market now that there's no voice auction as people retire is those 279 00:26:18,359 --> 00:26:22,119 clocks can break down. Electronics, you know, things go wrong and there 280 00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:25,359 needs to be someone there who still knows how to call an auction properly. 281 00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:30,480 Yeah, yeah, I would agree with that. I'm not there against it. 282 00:26:30,559 --> 00:26:36,720 I just think electronics progress. But he just said that they want me 283 00:26:36,799 --> 00:26:40,680 to come over and organize a cooking school for them, and I will because 284 00:26:40,720 --> 00:26:45,079 the one in New Zealand was modeled on Sydney Seafood School, and so was 285 00:26:45,119 --> 00:26:48,599 the one up in Newcastle. So that's three other cooking schools that I know 286 00:26:48,759 --> 00:26:52,319 of that have been modeled on what I did at Sydney Seafood School. Well 287 00:26:52,599 --> 00:26:56,839 okay, and they don't need to go to so far to see you what 288 00:26:56,960 --> 00:27:04,400 you've created, because you did the same thing for indeed. But when you 289 00:27:04,519 --> 00:27:15,119 talk about auction, they talking auctions. I remember more than once, Colin. 290 00:27:15,519 --> 00:27:18,799 And then I'm reached the end and I booked the fish. I booked 291 00:27:18,799 --> 00:27:26,200 the fish down and to one of the buyers, and another buyer says to 292 00:27:26,240 --> 00:27:30,599 me, hey, Jim, you've missed my bid. I says, I 293 00:27:30,640 --> 00:27:33,279 was still bidding. I says, oh, sorry, I didn't see you. 294 00:27:34,279 --> 00:27:37,319 And he says to me, well, you'll feel me next time, 295 00:27:41,599 --> 00:27:51,160 because I'll kick your leg fair enough. So yeah, it's it was. 296 00:27:51,680 --> 00:27:56,160 I just feel it was an era and the industries needs to be beyond that 297 00:27:56,240 --> 00:28:02,799 because people don't have to you know, to travel to the market. They 298 00:28:02,839 --> 00:28:10,319 can bed indeed, especially in Europe, because you know, people need to 299 00:28:10,319 --> 00:28:15,079 be able to source from further afield than those that are in the immediate community. 300 00:28:15,599 --> 00:28:22,759 That's right, yeah, yeah, and they're going forward. Then where 301 00:28:22,759 --> 00:28:27,720 have you gone? What you've done with yourself leaving Sydney's Seafood School. Well, 302 00:28:27,799 --> 00:28:32,799 the thing I loved most about the Seafood School there were kind of three 303 00:28:33,759 --> 00:28:37,759 different parties involved. There was all of those fabulous home cooks that were so 304 00:28:37,880 --> 00:28:41,440 passionate about what we were doing and learning how to cook. There were the 305 00:28:41,920 --> 00:28:47,079 great chefs that we worked with that were just so willing to give their time 306 00:28:47,119 --> 00:28:51,799 and their knowledge. And there were the fabulous producers and providores, whether it 307 00:28:51,880 --> 00:28:55,880 was the excellent seafood we got or greate fruit and veg, you know, 308 00:28:56,400 --> 00:29:00,119 good good meat, good dairy. We are very blessed in Sydney. We 309 00:29:00,160 --> 00:29:03,519 can get a lot of great produce. So I wanted to find a way 310 00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:07,559 to continue to work with great chefs, awesome producers and passionate home cooks. 311 00:29:08,119 --> 00:29:12,359 And the way I decided to do that was to create a new business called 312 00:29:12,400 --> 00:29:18,720 be Inspired, which is online cooking classes. And it grew out of something 313 00:29:18,759 --> 00:29:22,400 we did during COVID because when we went into lockdown like the rest of the 314 00:29:22,400 --> 00:29:27,559 world, we took the Sydney Seafood School virtual and they've stopped doing that now 315 00:29:27,599 --> 00:29:33,079 because they've resumed face to face classes, but I wanted to continue the virtual. 316 00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:36,920 So each month I choose a different cuisine. I work with a great 317 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:40,880 chef. I get a whole lot of awesome produce and we do a series 318 00:29:40,920 --> 00:29:45,720 of recipes and people can either get the ingredients along with those recipes and videos, 319 00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:48,720 or they can just get the recipes and videos. So I have people 320 00:29:48,720 --> 00:29:52,680 cooking all over the world and all over the country with me through the recipes 321 00:29:52,720 --> 00:29:59,200 and videos each month. That's brilliant. It's a lot of fun, and 322 00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:03,960 it's because I'm a very engaged online community too, so people we have a 323 00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:07,319 private Facebook group, and I know not everyone loves Facebook, but it's good 324 00:30:07,319 --> 00:30:12,319 for these sorts of things, and regardless of where you are in the world, 325 00:30:12,359 --> 00:30:17,359 you can cook. You can access me for questions by email, even 326 00:30:17,400 --> 00:30:22,079 by phone, and everyone comes together through the Facebook group to show off what 327 00:30:22,119 --> 00:30:25,680 they're cooking, to ask questions, to share ideas, and it's become a 328 00:30:25,799 --> 00:30:30,799 very supportive and engaged community, which is very exciting. Is it very time 329 00:30:30,920 --> 00:30:36,240 for you? It's a big commitment. It's my own business. Like The 330 00:30:36,319 --> 00:30:40,799 Captain's Galley was a big commitment for you. But I'm a bit like you, 331 00:30:40,920 --> 00:30:44,039 Jim. When I do something I do at one hundred and ten percent, 332 00:30:44,359 --> 00:30:48,160 So it's it's a huge commitment. I've never done anything this big before 333 00:30:48,240 --> 00:30:52,839 because everything I've got on the line, it's my own business. I've funded 334 00:30:52,880 --> 00:30:56,920 it, it's a startup. My husband France is supporting me. He's a 335 00:30:56,920 --> 00:31:03,160 great videographer and photographer. And it's seven days a week. I've had very 336 00:31:03,160 --> 00:31:07,400 few days off in the last twenty four months. We create a beautiful, 337 00:31:07,440 --> 00:31:12,680 full color E magazine every month around the theme. We create twelve to fifteen 338 00:31:12,839 --> 00:31:17,920 cooking videos which are on YouTube. Some of them are freely available, most 339 00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:22,519 of them are available with the with the E magazine. But I don't find 340 00:31:22,519 --> 00:31:30,960 it tiring because it invigorates me. It's so exciting seeing people cooking things they've 341 00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:36,920 never cooked before, trying new ingredients, trying new cooking techniques, exploring new 342 00:31:36,960 --> 00:31:42,200 cuisines. It's a journey and it's very exciting. Yeah. Sorry. What 343 00:31:42,240 --> 00:31:47,640 I meant with that, Roberta, is if it's all over the world and 344 00:31:47,680 --> 00:31:52,119 you're in Australia, it would be at all teams of the twenty four hours. 345 00:31:53,599 --> 00:31:56,680 Oh well, it's not large with a different tech with the different team 346 00:31:56,839 --> 00:32:00,200 changes. Oh I see, I thought you had art they add axis to 347 00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:04,839 you. Well they do. They can email me and if I'm asleep, 348 00:32:04,880 --> 00:32:08,400 I won't answer that email until I wake up and they can call me. 349 00:32:08,640 --> 00:32:13,759 But if I'm asleep, I'll have my phone on silent, so I sort 350 00:32:13,799 --> 00:32:22,440 of back to people within twenty four hours. So it's it's just another exceeding 351 00:32:22,559 --> 00:32:29,839 part of our really exciting career. From what I can magoda that And how 352 00:32:29,880 --> 00:32:37,720 would you tell people to you know, to say, our listeners, our 353 00:32:37,759 --> 00:32:40,480 audience to get in touch. How would you tell them to do that? 354 00:32:40,839 --> 00:32:45,319 Look, I think if they My website's very simple, it's be inspired dot 355 00:32:45,319 --> 00:32:51,440 au. Are you for Australia, so nice and short? So be inspired 356 00:32:51,480 --> 00:32:54,519 dot au? Or if you don't remember that, just google ROBERTA. Mure. 357 00:32:54,680 --> 00:33:00,319 There aren't too many of me. If you google my name you'll find 358 00:33:00,359 --> 00:33:09,119 my website. Well that's good. And where would that tick them? Well, 359 00:33:09,119 --> 00:33:13,200 that will take them to my to my website, to the b inspired 360 00:33:13,200 --> 00:33:16,599 website. And as you know, Jim, you can subscribe to my weekly 361 00:33:16,640 --> 00:33:21,440 newsletter as well, so I'll either get a pop up or there's a subscribe 362 00:33:21,440 --> 00:33:25,640 button there. And whether people are getting the recipes and videos packs or not, 363 00:33:27,119 --> 00:33:30,200 I still send out a free newsletter each week with a recipe. Plus 364 00:33:30,200 --> 00:33:36,240 there's over two hundred recipes on my website. Yeah, well I do, 365 00:33:36,759 --> 00:33:40,759 I get them. I have subscribed, and I think if you want, 366 00:33:40,839 --> 00:33:45,759 in my honest opinion, I think it's well named because it doesn't it doesn't 367 00:33:45,799 --> 00:33:50,359 spire it in each team an email comes in, I find it inspire the 368 00:33:51,039 --> 00:33:57,359 thank you that's the aim that makes my heart very happy. Yeah, absolutely 369 00:33:57,480 --> 00:34:02,400 totally. I think credit to you for for what you're doing. And you're 370 00:34:02,440 --> 00:34:10,239 obviously a glass half full kind of person rather than half empty. That's the 371 00:34:10,239 --> 00:34:15,239 Scottish way, isn't it. Remember I'm half Scottish. My dad was Scottish, 372 00:34:15,280 --> 00:34:19,440 so I think it's just and my mum was a glass half full kind 373 00:34:19,440 --> 00:34:22,440 of giral. So you just you get on with things, don't you totally 374 00:34:22,679 --> 00:34:30,920 totally yeah, yeah, yeah, no, yeah, Well that's really that's 375 00:34:30,079 --> 00:34:37,960 really fantastic. It's really exciting, and it's I like the when they come 376 00:34:37,000 --> 00:34:43,920 in, the watching the emails and seeing the as you say, the inspirations, 377 00:34:45,440 --> 00:34:49,000 even just the fact that I know your class he as a friend, 378 00:34:49,760 --> 00:34:54,880 and I just think it's great to follow your journey. Well, given that 379 00:34:54,880 --> 00:34:59,320 we're talking about seafood, I can tell you that one of the most exciting 380 00:34:59,400 --> 00:35:05,920 things for me in developing the bee inspired product is each month we do four 381 00:35:05,960 --> 00:35:10,119 menus entree and maine and sides or maine and sides, and desserts. And 382 00:35:10,639 --> 00:35:15,400 it's not just seafood. Obviously, it's red meat, it's poultry, whatever. 383 00:35:15,960 --> 00:35:20,559 But every time I do a dish with red meat or poultry, I 384 00:35:20,679 --> 00:35:24,159 create a seafood equivalent because some of the people who cook with me are pescatarians, 385 00:35:24,719 --> 00:35:29,559 so I can't cater for vegetarians, but I can cater for pescatarians, 386 00:35:29,960 --> 00:35:32,599 and I take a classic dish like a beef Wellington, because this month we're 387 00:35:32,639 --> 00:35:37,519 actually doing a month of British cuisine, so as well as the beef Wellington, 388 00:35:37,760 --> 00:35:42,880 we did a salmon Wellington as well as a roast chicken. We did 389 00:35:42,920 --> 00:35:45,880 some roast leather jackets with the same flavorings. Do you have leather jackets? 390 00:35:45,920 --> 00:35:52,639 There is leather jacket of fish that you know? No, no, I 391 00:35:52,719 --> 00:35:59,599 don't know what the closest equivalent would be. There are small fish with a 392 00:35:59,639 --> 00:36:05,039 big head with a sharp spike on it, and the meat. Tetsu Ya 393 00:36:05,079 --> 00:36:08,000 Wakuda, very famous chef, said that the texture of the leather jacket is 394 00:36:08,000 --> 00:36:13,639 the closest he knows to Fugu fish, the famous Japanese fish. It has 395 00:36:13,679 --> 00:36:17,880 a big, firm, white, flaky flesh and it's a really easy fish 396 00:36:17,920 --> 00:36:22,559 to cook as a whole trunk without the head, and I love to use 397 00:36:22,599 --> 00:36:25,239 it as a as an alternative to chicken for lots of things. Is it 398 00:36:25,280 --> 00:36:30,880 an fish? Is it a is it aroned fish? A round fish? 399 00:36:30,920 --> 00:36:37,679 No, we have very few round fish. It's it's a regular shaped fish. 400 00:36:37,719 --> 00:36:39,280 I'll have to have a look. I'll see if I can find what 401 00:36:39,400 --> 00:36:45,280 the closest. And it's called a leather jacket because it has a very thick, 402 00:36:45,599 --> 00:36:50,440 leathery skin that you peel off. It doesn't you don't cook its skin 403 00:36:50,519 --> 00:36:53,920 on because the skin would be inedible. I'll have to I've never thought about 404 00:36:53,920 --> 00:36:57,480 it, but I'll have to think what the alternative would be in the northern 405 00:36:57,519 --> 00:37:01,039 hemisphere. Yeah, I must have a look at that myself, because when 406 00:37:01,079 --> 00:37:07,000 you talk about a big, chunky, wait fleak, I immediately think of 407 00:37:07,159 --> 00:37:13,039 ling. Look, it's not dissimilar to ling in texture, but it's very 408 00:37:13,440 --> 00:37:16,880 and we have ling down here. It's quite dissimilar to ling in appearance because 409 00:37:16,960 --> 00:37:23,480 ling's quite eel like, isn't it. That's right. I'll send you a 410 00:37:23,480 --> 00:37:28,079 photo and we'll work on it. We'll figure out what the equivalent would be. 411 00:37:28,119 --> 00:37:30,639 But you could certainly use ling, but not whole. The beauty of 412 00:37:30,719 --> 00:37:36,559 leather jacket is that you can use it whole. Yeah. Yeah, One 413 00:37:36,599 --> 00:37:40,119 thing I did notice, ROBERTA have been back and forth in Australia. I 414 00:37:40,159 --> 00:37:46,679 think you are. You have the edge definitely there. As far as shellfish 415 00:37:46,840 --> 00:37:52,559 is concerned, I never really I didn't realize even that there were so many 416 00:37:52,639 --> 00:37:58,440 different kinds of prawn right. Yes, we do have a good, good 417 00:37:58,480 --> 00:38:04,400 selection of prawns and what we call bugs, some people call them slipper lobsters 418 00:38:06,159 --> 00:38:09,639 maron. We have good fresh water shellfish as well. Beautiful maron from Western 419 00:38:09,679 --> 00:38:16,039 Australia and yabbies locally, we are blessed, absolutely, but I did feel 420 00:38:16,039 --> 00:38:22,079 that we have the edge as far as wet fish is concerned. You have 421 00:38:22,159 --> 00:38:24,960 fish that we can only dream of, especially your big flat fish, your 422 00:38:24,960 --> 00:38:30,320 turbot and things like that. That's right, they're amazing. And you have 423 00:38:30,440 --> 00:38:36,239 much better scollops than us, do you think so? Oh yeah, Scottish 424 00:38:36,280 --> 00:38:43,119 scallops are incredible. They are, they are, but I wasn't aware that 425 00:38:43,159 --> 00:38:46,679 they would be better. Oh they're bigger, and Metia Australian scallops are quite 426 00:38:46,719 --> 00:38:52,760 small. They're good, but they're quite small, and they're relatively in relatively 427 00:38:52,800 --> 00:39:00,000 short supply, so often what you can buy is not good quality. Okay, 428 00:39:00,039 --> 00:39:05,039 yeah, that's interesting. I wasn't aware of that, but I know 429 00:39:05,119 --> 00:39:13,760 that the it's just a I mean ticking itut not just scallops. But I 430 00:39:13,880 --> 00:39:24,360 remember when with shellfish oysters, there was a couple had an oyster farm up 431 00:39:24,480 --> 00:39:29,280 in the Kayla Tongue, which is on the north coast here, just a 432 00:39:29,280 --> 00:39:38,719 bit further awast, and the water displacement with two big tides every day was 433 00:39:39,159 --> 00:39:44,880 fantastic. If you could imagine the nutrients and the oxygen and everything in the 434 00:39:44,920 --> 00:39:52,239 water, and she the obviously the oyster farms, like anything with the bivalve 435 00:39:52,400 --> 00:39:59,360 mollusks, muscle farmers and everything, they have to get water samples regular and 436 00:40:00,239 --> 00:40:05,239 analyzed and over the course of the year, and maybe in the summer or 437 00:40:05,320 --> 00:40:14,360 that they they would be closed. They would close officially because there would be 438 00:40:14,400 --> 00:40:22,239 an algae bloom in the water and it was just an natural thing. It 439 00:40:22,280 --> 00:40:30,519 didn't harm the animal, it didn't harm the shellfish, but it wasn't good 440 00:40:30,559 --> 00:40:35,079 for us to eat. We've had it happen in Tasmania with our muscle industry. 441 00:40:35,880 --> 00:40:43,039 Okay, okay, Well you know when they had the farming tongue twelve 442 00:40:43,199 --> 00:40:50,320 months through the year and never once where they stopped. Oh really, it's 443 00:40:50,400 --> 00:40:55,239 just an amazing you know. The quality of the water was always a double 444 00:40:55,320 --> 00:41:05,519 A and that was that was quite unique, even ruined our waters. Well, 445 00:41:05,519 --> 00:41:08,280 maybe we'll visit them in twenty twenty five on the Food and Wine tour. 446 00:41:08,320 --> 00:41:13,360 I'll have to start to pick your brains about seafood producers that we can 447 00:41:13,440 --> 00:41:21,480 visit. Well, there's a as well as that Roberta. Bear in mind, 448 00:41:21,480 --> 00:41:27,239 there's a seaweed producer here and now that would be wonderful too. And 449 00:41:27,320 --> 00:41:34,079 there's a fantastic product one of the seaweeds well known in this area. I 450 00:41:34,159 --> 00:41:38,400 got dulls dulce dults. Yes, well you know, I'll tell you how 451 00:41:38,440 --> 00:41:45,239 far how close dull sister, my heart. I remember when we were children, 452 00:41:45,679 --> 00:41:51,320 my father used to dry it on the fire at the sitting room, 453 00:41:51,880 --> 00:41:58,960 so you can you can imagine the smell in the sitting room. But when 454 00:41:59,000 --> 00:42:05,360 I cook cook it, I was using the shore the company called themselves, 455 00:42:06,039 --> 00:42:10,079 and they're dry in it, and it's a really good product. And I 456 00:42:10,280 --> 00:42:15,320 was doing a soul one of our soal dishes in the restaurant with adult butter 457 00:42:15,480 --> 00:42:21,559 sauce. Oh, that sounds wonderful. And as it was just taking me 458 00:42:21,639 --> 00:42:27,239 back to my child did when I was getting a smell. Smells very evocative, 459 00:42:27,280 --> 00:42:30,000 isn't it. It's one of the many wonderful things about food. It 460 00:42:30,039 --> 00:42:36,800 brings back such memories. Totally. I describe it. But you use all 461 00:42:36,960 --> 00:42:43,079 every everything we were given. Your eyes, you can see it, you 462 00:42:43,199 --> 00:42:46,559 taste it, even use your ear. You do. And I've known a 463 00:42:46,599 --> 00:42:52,760 few chefs who more some more than others, who describe how you know when 464 00:42:52,800 --> 00:42:55,679 something's ready by the sound that it's making when it's cooking. And I think 465 00:42:55,760 --> 00:43:01,360 that's a really underrated sense. When we're cooking, listening to the food is 466 00:43:01,400 --> 00:43:08,239 as important as tasting it, smelling it and seeing it. Yeah, I 467 00:43:08,280 --> 00:43:16,559 agree, saying I have met the Reckstein and he was doing one of his 468 00:43:16,679 --> 00:43:29,320 books around the British Isles and he was standing and scrubs the market and his 469 00:43:29,559 --> 00:43:36,000 description of when cooking. I thought it was lovely, he says. You 470 00:43:36,079 --> 00:43:42,800 know, Jim, He says, importance is not how what is the important? 471 00:43:43,000 --> 00:43:46,119 Important thing is not what you do with them when you're cooking the fish, 472 00:43:46,599 --> 00:43:52,360 it's what you don't do. That's a very good point, isn't it. 473 00:43:52,400 --> 00:43:54,320 And I think that's true with a lot of cooking. Less is often 474 00:43:54,360 --> 00:44:06,400 more. Yeah, absolutely totally. And another term somebody used once when your 475 00:44:06,440 --> 00:44:09,920 fish is in the pan on the cooker, once you start asking yourself, 476 00:44:10,280 --> 00:44:15,440 I wonder if it's ready, get it off because it's overcooked. Do you 477 00:44:15,519 --> 00:44:21,079 know the thing I was asked most often all the years at the seafood School 478 00:44:21,480 --> 00:44:23,880 media, you know, journalists would say to me, what's the biggest mistake 479 00:44:23,920 --> 00:44:28,280 people make when they're cooking seafood? And I would say, over cooking it, 480 00:44:28,679 --> 00:44:30,360 you have to be brave enough to get it out of the pan. 481 00:44:30,599 --> 00:44:35,000 Just It's like cooking pasta. You always have to take the pasta out of 482 00:44:35,039 --> 00:44:37,519 the pan just before it's ready because it's going to continue to cook in the 483 00:44:37,559 --> 00:44:45,840 residual heat, isn't it. Absolutely totally Yeah. That's the thing that I 484 00:44:45,880 --> 00:44:52,480 think. That's one of the intriguing things I learned myself as I was getting 485 00:44:52,480 --> 00:44:58,559 involved in the restaurant. It's cutting on cooking when it's on the plate. 486 00:44:59,039 --> 00:45:07,960 Absolutely yeah, ROBERTA. The full things up of a couple of questions that 487 00:45:07,039 --> 00:45:14,920 I ask each guest, I would like to get your answers. Certainly, 488 00:45:15,960 --> 00:45:22,679 best meal you've ever had? You remember? Can I? Can I name 489 00:45:22,760 --> 00:45:28,480 two? And you'll just see why in a minute. My best dining experience 490 00:45:28,639 --> 00:45:36,480 ever was at Paul Bocuse in Lyon and it was just so memorable. The 491 00:45:36,559 --> 00:45:38,639 man himself was still alive. I don't know if he was in the restaurant 492 00:45:38,679 --> 00:45:44,320 at the time. But the reason I want to name two is because a 493 00:45:44,719 --> 00:45:51,199 very very close second is relatively close to you, and it's Inner Sere restaurant 494 00:45:51,320 --> 00:45:55,719 in Wales. And if a lot of your listeners are in Britain. They 495 00:45:57,519 --> 00:46:04,639 really really need to visit in are in Wales. Y n y s h 496 00:46:04,760 --> 00:46:14,719 I r why n y s h I r in is here? That's right? 497 00:46:15,440 --> 00:46:20,760 And Gareth Ward is the cook. I think he's English, but living 498 00:46:20,800 --> 00:46:24,880 in Wales, I think it's starting to get quite a bit of recognition now. 499 00:46:24,920 --> 00:46:29,199 I think he's probably got one or two Michelin. But when France and 500 00:46:29,239 --> 00:46:35,079 I went there maybe five six years ago, it was less on the map 501 00:46:35,280 --> 00:46:38,719 and we were just blown away. It was one of It was the second 502 00:46:38,719 --> 00:46:44,639 most amazing dining experience of my life after Paul Burcus. And it's in your 503 00:46:44,679 --> 00:46:49,920 own backyard. Yes, that's something for me to go. And the other 504 00:46:50,119 --> 00:46:58,480 question I ask each person, No, not not at restaurant, You're in 505 00:46:58,559 --> 00:47:07,840 your own kitchen. It's your favorite pasta fagioli, Italian pasta and beans. 506 00:47:07,400 --> 00:47:12,559 If I if I'm being lazy and I'm if France is away and I just 507 00:47:12,599 --> 00:47:15,599 have to feed myself for a week, I make a big part of pasta 508 00:47:15,599 --> 00:47:21,360 fajoli and I live off that comfort food. It is pure comfort food. 509 00:47:21,440 --> 00:47:29,239 Those Italians they know comfort food. Yeah, fajuli beans, any beans I 510 00:47:29,400 --> 00:47:32,840 use. I use a mixture actually of Bellotti and Cannellini, and I think 511 00:47:34,280 --> 00:47:37,199 some people say it's a Venetian dish, but I think it's one of those 512 00:47:37,199 --> 00:47:43,079 dishes that's made all over Italy with its own little regional variations. Okay, 513 00:47:43,639 --> 00:47:51,079 yeah, well you've certainly you've certainly gone road the globe as far as or 514 00:47:51,199 --> 00:47:57,039 no food from road the globe from your be inspired. Well, yes, 515 00:47:57,119 --> 00:48:01,039 that's that's my thing. Food takes us traveling vicariously, and it certainly did 516 00:48:01,280 --> 00:48:07,199 in the last few years when we couldn't travel quite as much. I think 517 00:48:07,239 --> 00:48:12,679 the loveliest thing aboud Italian cook is a simplicity. Yes, I agree, 518 00:48:14,079 --> 00:48:15,679 but lots of cuisines have that. If we go back, you know, 519 00:48:15,760 --> 00:48:20,480 not so much in Asia, but in Europe, if we go back to 520 00:48:20,800 --> 00:48:24,320 the rustic foods, they often were simple foods. And then look, I 521 00:48:24,320 --> 00:48:28,719 think in Asia also it's not it. I don't understand Asian food as well 522 00:48:28,719 --> 00:48:34,119 as I do European food, but I think simplicity is where we should be 523 00:48:34,159 --> 00:48:37,639 heading. It's it's like Rick said about the seafood. It's not what you 524 00:48:37,719 --> 00:48:40,159 do to it, it's what you don't do to it. Coco Chanel used 525 00:48:40,159 --> 00:48:44,440 to say, as a woman you should look in the mirror and take one 526 00:48:44,480 --> 00:48:47,519 thing off before you leave the house, because we tend to overdress, and 527 00:48:47,559 --> 00:48:51,800 I think that applies to food and plates as well. When I'm designing a 528 00:48:51,880 --> 00:48:54,000 dish, I think, now, what's the one thing I can take out 529 00:48:54,039 --> 00:48:59,199 of this without harming the dish? And the dish is nearly always better for 530 00:48:59,320 --> 00:49:06,159 having one less ingredient. Yeah. I love that sort of terms because it's 531 00:49:06,199 --> 00:49:10,400 just so simple. Mix it so simple and simple as always the best I 532 00:49:10,400 --> 00:49:17,480 think, so simple. Yeah, keep it simple as always been my water. 533 00:49:20,320 --> 00:49:22,679 Well, I look forward to the next time I can cook for you, 534 00:49:22,800 --> 00:49:24,920 Jim. So. I hope I see you and Mary back in Australia 535 00:49:24,960 --> 00:49:30,440 sometime soon. You Well, we're certainly hoping to be as for sure. 536 00:49:30,599 --> 00:49:37,719 Yeah, yeah, definitely, And it was great to see you just I 537 00:49:37,760 --> 00:49:39,639 was going to say earlier this year, but it's actually last year now, 538 00:49:43,960 --> 00:49:47,280 it was, it was it goes by so quickly. Well, hopefully we'll 539 00:49:47,280 --> 00:49:51,480 get you back here and we can we can break bread and share a glass 540 00:49:51,480 --> 00:49:55,039 of wine. Or are we dramed together soon? Well? Maybe maybe maybe 541 00:49:55,119 --> 00:50:05,519 at all, maybe one of everything. Not. I I was in visiting 542 00:50:05,559 --> 00:50:12,159 my brother in Malaysia, and he took me to this place and the guy 543 00:50:12,599 --> 00:50:24,559 was he had fermented race Wayne thirty year old, fifty two percent proof. 544 00:50:24,679 --> 00:50:30,719 Oh my goodness. It was just quite incredible. I've did feel the next 545 00:50:30,840 --> 00:50:36,000 day. Oh I didn't have too much of it. I just got a 546 00:50:36,000 --> 00:50:39,280 tiste of it, but it was I'm sure the food in Malaysia was wonderful 547 00:50:39,320 --> 00:50:45,239 too. Oh, just to die for. I just enjoyed it so much. 548 00:50:45,199 --> 00:50:50,920 And it's exciting because it's that fusion of different cultures that have come together. 549 00:50:51,519 --> 00:50:54,440 And I think that's what makes Malaysian food so exciting. I think you 550 00:50:54,599 --> 00:51:01,239 rate, I think you rate. There's Thai, Chinese, Malai, Indian, 551 00:51:01,599 --> 00:51:07,840 Portuguese, Dutch and so many influences there. That's very true. That's 552 00:51:07,920 --> 00:51:10,800 very true. You see that in the buildings and that as well. We 553 00:51:10,800 --> 00:51:20,320 were in Malacca and very cosmopolitan. Absolutely just then figured it in as well. 554 00:51:20,400 --> 00:51:27,400 It was the Malaise people are so lovely they are. Yeah, Son 555 00:51:27,559 --> 00:51:30,679 of Malaysian Recipe Kit a few months ago and it was one of our most 556 00:51:30,719 --> 00:51:37,280 popular. We did a duck luxA that people were very excited about. Yeah. 557 00:51:37,599 --> 00:51:45,119 Yeah, well I had a duck pump panan curry. Ah. Yes, 558 00:51:45,440 --> 00:51:51,119 actually made a Panang curry the other night with duck. Actually that's very 559 00:51:51,119 --> 00:51:58,039 good. I think red curries and ducks of good combination. But it just 560 00:51:58,159 --> 00:52:04,079 keeps coming out. Its it's funny. It's just it's good talking about the 561 00:52:04,079 --> 00:52:07,480 mood. It never ends. It just ticks flo doesn't it. Well well 562 00:52:07,519 --> 00:52:15,360 done you and it's it's it's quite exciting. And even sitting talking to you, 563 00:52:15,599 --> 00:52:20,440 you know, and Jim, well done you. I mean, we 564 00:52:20,480 --> 00:52:24,360 can have a mutual admiration society. But I remember the two amazing meals that 565 00:52:24,400 --> 00:52:30,039 I've had at the Captain's Galley now, and I think you've left very big 566 00:52:30,079 --> 00:52:35,000 shoes behind to be filled. No, it's they're well filled. They're a 567 00:52:35,000 --> 00:52:39,719 well filled and I'm pleased please for that. Visits Texas tax A Restaurant to 568 00:52:39,800 --> 00:52:45,320 are different to another level, and that's brilliant and it's good to see that 569 00:52:45,440 --> 00:52:52,320 your your legacy is being well protected. Well yeah, you'll go different ways 570 00:52:52,360 --> 00:52:59,119 and he's with his own stale and that it'll be good. Well, thank 571 00:52:59,119 --> 00:53:04,360 you, thank you, Thank you so much, Jim. Thank you for 572 00:53:04,440 --> 00:53:08,840 listening to Seafood Matters podcast. You can subscribe and leave a review wherever you 573 00:53:08,920 --> 00:53:14,519 get your podcasts. You can join me on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook 574 00:53:14,760 --> 00:53:19,519 by searching for at seafood Matters Podcast, or get in touch with me through 575 00:53:19,559 --> 00:53:24,159 my website www. Dot seafoodmatters podcast dot com