Flying Fish Chef Adam Hall ATC Ambassador: Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival kitchen secrets

One of the country’s most acclaimed chefs has revealed his cooking secrets after designing what has been called Australia’s most lavish racing menu ever.

Adam Hall, the Star Sydney’s chef Flying fishis the ATCs Culinary ambassador for the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival, serving a world-class race day culinary experience at major Carnival events until April 15.

On Saturday, Hall’s team prepares for day two of the The Star’s ‘The Championship’with four Group 1s including the world’s richest 2000m race, the $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Prepared and ready to serve an estimated 2,000 fresh shrimp, 200 locally sourced mussels and 100 lobsters during Carnival, the seafood pro is excited to introduce some of his most sought-after dishes to race-goers alongside superstar chef Gerry Maher.

“We had some great Mediterranean-inspired dishes at Rosehill Gardens with locally caught Spanish mackerel with caponata and green olives and Spencer Gulf king prawns with beef hash tomato and blood lime,” Hall told FEMAIL.

“At Royal Randwick we have raw bar displays in the conservatory where race goers can experience our amazing appellation oysters with finger lime mignonette, smoked Jervis Bay mussels with macadamia and fermented chilli and Shark Bay scallops with pickled desert lime and lemon myrtle. ‘

But for those who can’t get past the track this season, Hall shared some of his best tips for serving delicious dishes at home for your own guests.

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For those unable to make it past the track this season, Hall shared some of his best tips for serving up dignified dishes at home for your own guests.

IMPRESS WITH LESS – MAKE ‘WOW’ MEALS WITH SIMPLE & AFFORDABLE INGREDIENTS

My favorite fall salad is smoked river trout with steamed baby potatoes, cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs seasoned with lemon juice, olive oil, mustard and chardonnay vinegar. Simple, full of flavor and super easy to prepare,” said Hall.

The young chef is a fan of pantry staples and said many of them are ideal for creating a delicious meal on a budget, namely canned and canned fish.

“One of my favorite dishes to make is a simple pasta that uses Good Fish Spanish mackerel fillets in olive oil,” he said. ‘The Spanish Mackerel is sustainably caught in the wild and has an incredibly rich flavour.’

‘Usually I fry cherry tomatoes in olive oil with garlic, chilli, capers and olives, then add the mackerel fillets and stir in fresh parsley, basil and lemon zest. This can be folded through any type of pasta, but I find it works best with fresh linguine or fettuccini.”

The easiest pasta you’ll ever make – but only you know that

Adam’s pantry main pasta

1. Fruit the cherry tomatoes in olive oil with garlic, chilli, capers and olives

2. Add the Good Fish mackerel fillets and stir through fresh parsley, basil and lemon zest.

3. Fold into any type of pasta, but works best with fresh linguine or fettuccini

KNOW WHAT’S IN THE SEASON

Once the weather cools and the days get shorter, Hall prefers to take his time and prepare dishes that are nutritious and full of flavor, so seasonal seafood is key.

‘I’m thinking light broths, soups or stews. Picture heaped bowls of Jervis Bay mussels steamed in white wine with loads of fresh herbs, garlic, tomato and chilli topped with crispy sourdough and cultured butter,” he said.

Shellfish and shellfish really shine when the cooler months arrive. Prices for live mud crabs, lobsters and locally caught shrimp tend to be more reasonable as demand drops from the festive summer months.

“Mussels, clams and pipis are all readily available and they’re super affordable, versatile and suitable for a wide variety of cooking styles.”

Once the weather cools and the days get shorter, Hall prefers to take his time and prepare dishes that are nutritious and full of flavor, so seasonal seafood is key

MAKE THE MARINADE THE STAR

Hall is known for his mouth-watering sauces, rubs, and marinades, and there’s one he swears by that works with almost all seafood.

“A quick and easy salsa verde always works and is great with all types of seafood,” he said.

“You make it by mixing garlic, green pepper, parsley, basil, mint, lemon juice, dijon mustard, capers and anchovies with olive oil and red wine vinegar.”

The biggest mistakes people make with seafood on a BBQ

– Boiling over – most seafood doesn’t take much time to cook through and can become very unpleasant if overcooked

– Under herbs – most seafood likes a good pinch of sea salt and lemon juice. It can be marinated or flavored in advance and can handle strong spicy flavors. Think dry spice rubs for fish or garlic and chilli for shrimp.

– Heat control – learning to handle the heat of the BBQ and grilling a piece of fish properly so that the skin is crispy and the meat remains soft and delicate takes a lot of practice. If the heat is too low, most seafood will start stewing in its own juices. If the heat is too high, it risks burning before it cooks properly inside

– Using too much oil – if you add too much oil when grilling or if your marinade has a lot of oil, it will likely cause flare-ups. When cooking delicate items such as seafood, I strongly recommend avoiding this at all costs, as the flames are likely to leave black carbon marks on the seafood and leave a bitter, unpleasant taste

– Don’t try different things – we all have our favorite foods when it comes to cooking on a barbecue, but I would strongly encourage people to try new foods. We all know that fish is great when grilled over an open fire, but so are oysters. A few minutes over hot coals and they will pop open on their own when cooked and still contain all the delicious natural juices that can be simply enjoyed with lemon or your favorite spicy hot sauce

PAIR OF OYSTERS WITH CHAMPAGNE

“When I’m enjoying champagne, I really can’t go past freshly shelled natural Sydney Rock Oysters. The balance of sweet, salty, umami and salty minerality is perfect for enhancing the taste of champagne,” he said.

…AND THEN PAIR THEM WITH THE PERFECT SAUCE

The most classic sauce combination for oysters is a mignonette, but there are endless options to adapt and change the basic recipe.

At Flying Fish, Hall uses native finger lime to give really great citrus notes and infuses local chardonnay vinegar with the zest of the finger lime to amp up the background flavor profile.

They balance the acidity with a little bit of sugar and add a tangerine-infused olive oil to give a savory richness and smooth mouthfeel.

At Flying Fish, Hall uses native finger lime to give really great citrus notes and infuses local chardonnay vinegar with the zest of the finger lime to amp up the background flavor profile

LEARN A DROOLWORTHY RUB

“I love the spice rub for salmon because it really helps balance the fatness and richness of the meat. One of my favorite blends uses native lemon myrtle, saltbush, bunch tomato and pepperberry,” said Hall.

The ATC Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival has a total prize pool of nearly $41 million and includes 18 Group 1 races, including the world’s richest race for two-year-olds, the $5 million Longines Golden Slipper (1200m), $5 million Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m ) and $4 million The Star Doncaster Mile (1600m).

For more information on dining experiences Executive Chef of Flying Fish, Adam Hall and Curator of Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival 2023 website.