1 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:07,640 Six cooks, six countries, six incredible journeys. 2 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:12,840 Stepping outside their comfort zones... 3 00:00:14,040 --> 00:00:17,320 It's not for the faint-hearted, for sure. 4 00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:19,640 ..our cooks will travel far and wide... 5 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:23,200 Route 7, all the way. 6 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:26,320 ..to find some of the most exciting food on the planet. 7 00:00:27,440 --> 00:00:31,080 If you're back in the UK you get tandoori chicken nothing like this. 8 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:35,160 It's beautiful. The best food I've had in Egypt. 9 00:00:35,160 --> 00:00:38,560 It's pure, it's got heritage. It's got love in it, you know? 10 00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:40,920 They'll go off the beaten track... 11 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:44,360 Crocodile sausages. 12 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:46,440 ..meeting extraordinary people... 13 00:00:48,160 --> 00:00:51,640 ..exploring ways of life unchanged for centuries. 14 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:55,360 No electric blenders in the jungle. Have to do everything by hand. 15 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:00,480 Take your life into your own hands, we're on the road now. 16 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:04,080 As they travel they'll see how the language of food transcends 17 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:05,840 cultural differences... 18 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:07,800 I've never huffed on a cheese before. 19 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:09,800 ..and a world away from home. 20 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:11,320 This is why I love Australia. 21 00:01:12,320 --> 00:01:14,360 There's no excuse for a bad pie in Australia. 22 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:16,560 This is the beginning, where do we end? 23 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:20,960 They'll learn lessons that will change the way we cook forever. 24 00:01:20,960 --> 00:01:24,960 I've been cooking a barbecue wrongly all my life. 25 00:01:24,960 --> 00:01:26,360 Wow! 26 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:35,600 This time it's Rick Stein down under. 27 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:37,840 I'm in love with abalone. 28 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:42,960 Still prawns on the barbie... Bit of Pernod, olive oil, garlic. 29 00:01:42,960 --> 00:01:45,760 ..but Australian tastes are shifting. 30 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:48,040 I sense there's a seismic change happening. 31 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:51,440 Rick's going south... You know where you have to go? Where? 32 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:53,520 ..to Tasmania. 33 00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:56,000 It's the wild foodie frontier. 34 00:01:56,000 --> 00:02:00,360 That's gorgeous. Wow! An island of new ideas... 35 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:02,760 This is in a class of its own. 36 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:04,520 ..and old-fashioned hospitality. 37 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:08,560 "If you choose to steal my produce I hope you choke." 38 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:26,520 In 1966 I was 19 years old, and in a bad place. 39 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:31,720 I wanted to be in a good one, somewhere sunny, optimistic, 40 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:34,440 somewhere nobody could have the blues. 41 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:36,440 And this was it, Australia. 42 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:41,520 I love this beach. 43 00:02:42,640 --> 00:02:45,280 When I first came to Australia when my father died, 44 00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:47,400 tragically, he committed suicide, 45 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:53,040 and I was completely sort of pent up and not sure what I wanted to do. 46 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:56,440 And I thought, "I know, I'll run away to Australia." 47 00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:02,640 And when I came here, one of the things is people associate me 48 00:03:02,640 --> 00:03:06,200 with the Atlantic and the fish and all that. 49 00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:10,440 But when I came here I was just amazed about the variety 50 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:12,560 of fish, the quantity of fish. 51 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:16,800 How you could go fishing anywhere and just catch fish, big ones, 52 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:20,440 colourful ones, the sort of fish I'd never seen before. 53 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:25,320 And I think it was that and cooking fish that almost kick-started me 54 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:27,880 off to opening a restaurant back in Britain. 55 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:32,400 Fifty years on I have a home in a small town called Mollymook, 56 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:34,480 south of Sydney. 57 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:42,040 Mollymook is a sleepy, salty place, home to people who love to be near 58 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:46,480 the water and a resort for families who want a bucket and spade holiday. 59 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:52,040 It's a bit like Padstow without the advantages of rain and gales 60 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:56,640 and fog, but with the splendid advantage of having a fish 61 00:03:56,640 --> 00:03:59,160 restaurant in it, owned by me. 62 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:00,680 Morning. 63 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:03,760 'This is my Australian home from home. 64 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:06,400 'The number one topic of conversation is fish. 65 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:10,240 'What's fresh and what's trending out in the dining room. 66 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:14,480 'Knowing what people are asking for is how 67 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:16,720 'you monitor changing tastes. 68 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:20,400 'Over the years I've seen Aussie food fashions come and go. 69 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:25,720 'Old French, slow food, fast food, Pacific Rim, Asian fusion 70 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:27,720 'and of course nouvelle cuisine.' 71 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:32,240 I've been coming here for 50 years. 72 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:35,120 Wow! But in that time it's just been amazing how it's changed 73 00:04:35,120 --> 00:04:38,800 because when I first came here the food was what I'd 74 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:41,360 describe as pies and pints. 75 00:04:41,360 --> 00:04:43,600 Or more correctly pies and schooners. 76 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:46,400 It was really simple sort of British-based food. 77 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:49,080 But everything's changed and it keeps changing. 78 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:51,040 And you've just got to keep up with it. 79 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:54,920 As a restaurateur you have to, otherwise people don't come 80 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:57,440 to your restaurant. So I've got to know what's happening. 81 00:04:57,440 --> 00:05:01,560 And I sense there's another seismic change happening again. 82 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:04,760 My house. 83 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:08,680 Sundown. A little party - because I've just had another birthday. 84 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:13,600 My guests are foodie friends and neighbours. 85 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:15,600 Everybody needs good neighbours. 86 00:05:18,280 --> 00:05:21,000 They've always looked to the rest of the world for culinary 87 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:25,400 inspiration, but I think the feeding habits of Homo Australis 88 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:28,800 are changing. Going local, that's my instinct. 89 00:05:30,280 --> 00:05:32,080 I think I've got everything right. 90 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:35,040 I think I know what Aussies like at a good barbecue, but you can 91 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:37,880 never be too sure because things are moving all the time. 92 00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:41,360 And that's part of why I want to do this barbecue. 93 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:44,800 Just to ask a few people who I know 94 00:05:44,800 --> 00:05:48,200 know a lot about food in Australia, where we're going next. 95 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:54,320 'The humble Australian barbie is a good example of how things change. 96 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:59,560 'Blokes used to stand about talking sport and incinerating sausages. 97 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:02,320 'Now they want to know what's in your marinade.' 98 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:07,440 It's just a little bit of fennel, bit of Pernod, olive oil, garlic. 99 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:11,160 'Here's another change. 100 00:06:11,160 --> 00:06:14,800 'Almost all this food came from within 100 miles. 101 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:17,920 'Even ten years ago lots of it would have been imported.' 102 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:21,920 Ding-ding! Can we just start eating cos it's getting cold. 103 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:25,920 I gave it a few minutes for the food and 104 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:31,120 the wine to take effect, and then I began by talking to Helen Patience. 105 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:33,480 She grew up on tinned spaghetti. 106 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:37,000 These days she's all sun-dried tomato. 107 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:39,320 We're so lucky here. I know. 108 00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:42,240 I think our appetite is becoming more sophisticated. 109 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:46,200 We used to be more like steak and sausages 110 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:49,720 and all that basic food but now the Australian food's fantastic. 111 00:06:49,720 --> 00:06:53,240 We spent the last 15 years searching for an Australian cuisine 112 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:56,200 and there isn't one and we're happy with that now. 113 00:06:56,200 --> 00:07:00,960 All there is now is the best produce where we can add all those 114 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:04,240 flavours from around the world and make it work. 115 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:06,480 You are so right, Simon. 116 00:07:06,480 --> 00:07:09,960 We can grow everything from Mediterranean to cold climate 117 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:12,200 to tropical. We've got everything. 118 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:14,240 Why would you want to cook anywhere else? 119 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:16,600 To look at Australia as a whole the climate makes all 120 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:18,200 the difference, doesn't it? 121 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:21,440 You've got to get down to Tasmania. Apparently that's where it's at. 122 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:23,280 'I've heard this before. 123 00:07:23,280 --> 00:07:28,520 'The island of Tasmania is the new go-to place for wonderful produce.' 124 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:32,080 You know where you have to go? Where? Tassie. 125 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:36,080 Everybody keeps telling me that. Why, what's so special about it? 126 00:07:36,080 --> 00:07:41,080 There's no pollution. So you've got a pristine environment. 127 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:45,320 Some of the best-tasting apricots are coming out of Tassie right now. 128 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:47,920 Fishing, beautiful. 129 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:52,920 Listening to those people, they're really into local produce. 130 00:07:52,920 --> 00:07:57,080 I'm so interested in what they had to say about Tasmania 131 00:07:57,080 --> 00:08:02,560 because I think they see Tasmania as being this almost mystical island 132 00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:05,560 with the best produce anywhere in Australia. 133 00:08:06,880 --> 00:08:08,960 ♪ And if I should become a stranger 134 00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:12,240 ♪ You know that it would make me more than sad. ♪ 135 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:15,160 'So, I'm going to have to go to Tasmania. 136 00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:18,200 'I've only been there once before, which is possibly 137 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:20,680 'once more than most Australians. 138 00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:24,160 'It's always been a backwater, until now.' 139 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:36,680 But my culinary journey has to start in Sydney where all foodie fads 140 00:08:36,680 --> 00:08:38,920 and fashions kick off. 141 00:08:38,920 --> 00:08:41,920 If there are seismic changes due, 142 00:08:41,920 --> 00:08:44,400 Sydney's where I'll feel the earth move. 143 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:51,520 From Mollymook it takes about 3.5 hours to get to Sydney, 144 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:54,160 a drive of 200 miles. 145 00:08:54,160 --> 00:08:57,960 It's also a 50-year step back in my own story, 146 00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:02,080 the place where I first got off the boat, in 1966. 147 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:06,880 In the '60s I was incredibly influenced by rock'n'roll. 148 00:09:06,880 --> 00:09:10,120 And rather more American rock'n'roll than British. 149 00:09:10,120 --> 00:09:13,560 Obviously, the Beatles and the Stones I was really keen on. 150 00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:20,040 But in the mid-'60s I started to get into surfing music. 151 00:09:20,040 --> 00:09:22,720 And particularly the Beach Boys. 152 00:09:22,720 --> 00:09:27,240 And about that time the local council in Cornwall started 153 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:30,600 employing Australian lifeguards. 154 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:35,200 And I was very taken with those Australians. 155 00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:38,600 They were so lean and tanned. 156 00:09:38,600 --> 00:09:41,560 And they spoke of the Beach Boys. 157 00:09:41,560 --> 00:09:46,080 And they spoke of beautiful Australian, sun-tanned girls. 158 00:09:46,080 --> 00:09:49,800 So I didn't head for California. I headed for Australia. 159 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:56,200 Back then, Australia seemed to be a place where anything was possible, 160 00:09:56,200 --> 00:09:59,680 and that was partly because of the attitude of the people. 161 00:09:59,680 --> 00:10:01,760 They were extremely friendly. 162 00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:06,240 'An hour into my journey, a chance to see 163 00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:09,840 'if what Australians call mate-ship is still as strong today. 164 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:14,040 'In the '80s this all-in-it-together attitude 165 00:10:14,040 --> 00:10:17,280 'led to the creation of the Driver Reviver, 166 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:20,480 'saving lives with free tea and biscuits. 167 00:10:20,480 --> 00:10:22,000 'It's also a bastion 168 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:28,000 'of unreconstructed, but possibly reconstituted, Aussie tucker.' 169 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:31,200 The great contribution to world cuisine, 170 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:32,760 the Australian meat pie. 171 00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:35,920 Hello. Hello. 172 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:41,520 What can I get you? I'd quite like a cup of tea, if it's possible. 173 00:10:41,520 --> 00:10:43,640 Cup of tea. 174 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:48,280 You haven't got any pies, have you? Meat pie? Yeah, I'd love one. 175 00:10:50,680 --> 00:10:54,360 I'm very impressed with this. Do you do this every day? 176 00:10:54,360 --> 00:10:57,120 Only during the summer we do it at the weekends. 177 00:10:57,120 --> 00:11:03,240 This is a government-sponsored idea to get people to rest. 178 00:11:03,240 --> 00:11:08,400 I'm getting on a bit. I sometimes get a bit sleepy when I'm driving. 179 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:12,400 That's a safety thing. You should stop every couple of hours. 180 00:11:12,400 --> 00:11:17,720 Want some sauce? I'd love to... Oh, God! Brilliant. 181 00:11:19,200 --> 00:11:21,920 You can wear that. Good Aussie sauce. 182 00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:24,840 I've always slightly wondered what's in them, though. 183 00:11:24,840 --> 00:11:28,800 You don't think about it. You don't. Don't ask questions. 184 00:11:28,800 --> 00:11:31,360 Roadkill, kangaroo, all that sort of thing. 185 00:11:32,920 --> 00:11:36,360 I'd call this Aussie meat pie calibration. 186 00:11:36,360 --> 00:11:39,280 Cos I can remember these when I first arrived in the '60s. 187 00:11:39,280 --> 00:11:40,840 So this is one end. 188 00:11:40,840 --> 00:11:44,440 This is a way of saying this is where we start with Aussie food 189 00:11:44,440 --> 00:11:45,640 and where do we end? 190 00:11:45,640 --> 00:11:48,240 This is the beginning, where do we end? 191 00:11:48,240 --> 00:11:50,760 This is the primeval Aussie food. 192 00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:54,240 So... 193 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:02,360 Sydney's changed a lot in my time. 194 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:07,800 Today it feels comfortably middle-aged, but back in 1967 195 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:11,840 it seemed very young - even the Opera House was under ten. 196 00:12:13,320 --> 00:12:17,040 The ship I arrived on docked at a wharf that's now a trendy 197 00:12:17,040 --> 00:12:18,800 boardwalk full of restaurants. 198 00:12:20,320 --> 00:12:22,400 Food wasn't fashion, it was fuel. 199 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:26,440 And the local food culture was an import - like me. 200 00:12:28,160 --> 00:12:31,560 After that initial visit I then started coming here again and again. 201 00:12:31,560 --> 00:12:32,840 I couldn't stay away. 202 00:12:32,840 --> 00:12:37,000 And what I did notice right back from the early '80s was 203 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:41,400 the growth of, first of all Italian, Greek, but then... 204 00:12:41,400 --> 00:12:42,480 There was 205 00:12:42,480 --> 00:12:45,840 always Chinese, but Vietnamese, really good Thai restaurants. 206 00:12:45,840 --> 00:12:49,200 And the great thing was they were all easy to get at. 207 00:12:49,200 --> 00:12:51,200 You could walk to really good food. 208 00:12:54,640 --> 00:12:58,360 Today I'm a pillar of the community, but at 19, 209 00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:02,640 when I first arrived here in Sydney, I was all bum-fluff and backpack. 210 00:13:03,680 --> 00:13:06,280 I'd had a bit of catering training in London, 211 00:13:06,280 --> 00:13:09,320 but I wasn't here to cook - I wanted adventure. 212 00:13:16,520 --> 00:13:20,280 'I took off for the interior of Australia, looking for work 213 00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:24,600 'as a labourer and looking for love with sun-tanned girls. 214 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:29,040 'It was when I came back here, to Sydney's Kirribilli neighbourhood, 215 00:13:29,040 --> 00:13:34,000 'that I started cooking in a student flat in a grotty back street.' 216 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:41,840 I don't think students can afford to live round here now. 217 00:13:44,840 --> 00:13:47,120 This is it. 218 00:13:47,120 --> 00:13:51,000 This is the flat. Ground floor, that was my room. 219 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:52,040 There's the door. 220 00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:57,000 We used to have fantastic parties in there, just unbelievable. 221 00:13:57,000 --> 00:13:59,800 I remember once I managed to get this nurse from the 222 00:13:59,800 --> 00:14:04,840 Royal North Shore Hospital into bed but I was so drunk I fell asleep. 223 00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:08,160 And I woke up in the morning and one of my friends was banging 224 00:14:08,160 --> 00:14:11,120 on this door and I told him what had happened, 225 00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:15,640 how I'd just fallen asleep and he said, "You're a true Aussie now." 226 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:24,080 It's not much of a view but it's pretty iconic, the view. 227 00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:25,920 See the old ship passing by. 228 00:14:28,480 --> 00:14:32,520 I mean, it's sure bringing back some memories for me, I must say. 229 00:14:32,520 --> 00:14:34,040 Very happy to be back here. 230 00:14:38,040 --> 00:14:41,800 There's a really good fishmonger up in Kirribilli. 231 00:14:41,800 --> 00:14:45,320 And I started cooking for my flatmates and it was sort of that. 232 00:14:45,320 --> 00:14:48,840 They said, "You really can cook." I only used to do grilled fish 233 00:14:48,840 --> 00:14:52,480 and things like pasta and bolognese sauce and that. 234 00:14:52,480 --> 00:14:58,840 But it was in this flat, 97 Kirribilli Avenue, that I began to 235 00:14:58,840 --> 00:15:03,320 realise I could cook and have people enthused about what I was doing. 236 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:07,280 Back then, 237 00:15:07,280 --> 00:15:11,320 despite being surrounded by bounteous seas with gorgeous fish, 238 00:15:11,320 --> 00:15:14,640 most Australians just wanted meat and two veg. 239 00:15:14,640 --> 00:15:17,440 The Sydney fish market was a bunch of sheds 240 00:15:17,440 --> 00:15:20,200 full of blokes off the boats haggling with dealers. 241 00:15:21,880 --> 00:15:24,640 Now, it's a magnet for Sydney's foodies. 242 00:15:26,640 --> 00:15:30,600 And what is great about this market is it's absolutely packed 243 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:34,600 with people who can see how wonderful Australian fish is and 244 00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:39,200 when I first came here and saw fish like this I was just blown away. 245 00:15:39,200 --> 00:15:43,400 Because fish is so theatrical anyway. I love fish. 246 00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:52,120 Incredibly, 70% of the fish eaten in Australia is imported. 247 00:15:52,120 --> 00:15:55,320 But most of these fish are from native waters. 248 00:15:55,320 --> 00:15:59,720 They're costlier, but look at the crowds they draw - 249 00:15:59,720 --> 00:16:02,080 exactly the evidence I'm looking for, 250 00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:04,440 for a growing interest in eating Australian. 251 00:16:08,280 --> 00:16:11,760 Hi. Hey, mate. How are you? Very well. 252 00:16:11,760 --> 00:16:15,640 Could I have a small trevalla? Blue-eye, they're normally called. 253 00:16:15,640 --> 00:16:18,800 Certainly. Just one side? Yeah, that would be great. 254 00:16:18,800 --> 00:16:20,320 And I'd like a garfish. 255 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:23,560 Maybe I'll have a small sand whiting. 256 00:16:23,560 --> 00:16:26,400 A little bit of a fillet of a scorpionfish. 257 00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:29,640 Just one side of that? That would be lovely. No problem. 258 00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:31,840 I will have a flounder, as well. 259 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:35,240 I think that for me is the best flatfish over here. 260 00:16:35,240 --> 00:16:38,840 I'm like they say in Aussie, a kid in the lolly shop. 261 00:16:44,360 --> 00:16:48,440 Understandably, a lot of people can't wait to get eating. 262 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:51,760 So they'll cook your fish for you on the spot, from net to pan 263 00:16:51,760 --> 00:16:53,680 to plate. 264 00:16:57,280 --> 00:16:58,640 I'm looking forward to this. 265 00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:00,840 I must say, I've probably ordered a bit too much 266 00:17:00,840 --> 00:17:04,400 but I just wanted to try it and... Oh, my gosh. 267 00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:07,760 I certainly have ordered... And a bit on the side too. 268 00:17:09,320 --> 00:17:12,800 Oh, good lord! I think I'll start with the garfish. 269 00:17:15,280 --> 00:17:19,480 Fish is wonderful. Next, my favourite fish. 270 00:17:20,840 --> 00:17:22,880 And this is sand whiting. 271 00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:25,960 Not a bit like our own whiting. 272 00:17:25,960 --> 00:17:28,960 Really, really good flavour. 273 00:17:28,960 --> 00:17:30,480 And this is the blue-eye. 274 00:17:34,120 --> 00:17:36,560 That is good flavour. Now then... 275 00:17:38,640 --> 00:17:44,120 ..I often say that in Australia you don't get really good flatfish. 276 00:17:44,120 --> 00:17:46,920 But I would make an exception for this which is called 277 00:17:46,920 --> 00:17:49,840 the yellowbelly flounder. 278 00:17:49,840 --> 00:17:51,720 'This may look like gluttony, 279 00:17:51,720 --> 00:17:54,680 'but the crew will devour what I leave like gannets.' 280 00:17:55,920 --> 00:17:57,040 Ah! 281 00:17:59,320 --> 00:18:01,800 The Aussie seas are a fishmonger's delight, 282 00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:04,760 and the land is one big meat department. 283 00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:09,400 Overrun by kangaroos, infested with rabbits, 284 00:18:09,400 --> 00:18:11,160 and besieged by wild camels. 285 00:18:15,680 --> 00:18:19,160 'Might a nation that's now discovering its fish 286 00:18:19,160 --> 00:18:22,000 'be persuaded to try these challenging meats as well?' 287 00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:28,760 Have you got any Australian meat like kangaroo or anything? 288 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:31,760 It's over there. Over there. Thank you very much. 289 00:18:31,760 --> 00:18:33,440 'Seems they might.' 290 00:18:34,600 --> 00:18:39,200 Here we are. So you've got kangaroo mince, kangaroo burgers. 291 00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:42,480 Wow, that is really amazing, camel burgers. 292 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:44,160 Crocodile sausages. 293 00:18:44,160 --> 00:18:48,640 Tail steak. "Unleash your wild side," it says. 294 00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:50,040 Oh, my God. 295 00:18:50,040 --> 00:18:52,080 'Heston's got his sausage in first.' 296 00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:53,120 Look at this. 297 00:18:54,800 --> 00:19:00,640 'But of course he's ahead of the game with wild fruits and berries.' 298 00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:04,120 He's got bush tomato in there, which are very tasty, I must say. 299 00:19:04,120 --> 00:19:07,240 And there he's got pepperberry. 300 00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:09,440 'Heston's offering his services 301 00:19:09,440 --> 00:19:12,680 'at the supermarket, but what about other top chefs? 302 00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:15,480 'Is there bush tucker on Sydney's poshest menus? 303 00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:19,200 'Rockpool is the creation of one of Australia's greatest chefs, 304 00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:21,000 Neil Perry. 305 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:24,080 'When the food press started writing 306 00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:26,600 'about food found or foraged in the wild, 307 00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:29,960 'like me, Neil's head chef Phil Wood took notice. 308 00:19:32,240 --> 00:19:34,560 'When I called him up, he said 309 00:19:34,560 --> 00:19:38,400 'native plants weren't as easy as your common or garden veg.' 310 00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:42,000 If anybody's doing cutting-edge cooking it would be you 311 00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:44,560 and are you using any of these ingredients? 312 00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:46,840 It's quite challenging to use them, to be honest. 313 00:19:46,840 --> 00:19:49,040 The biggest thing is the seasons are so short. 314 00:19:49,040 --> 00:19:51,440 With these little fruits and vegetables maybe I'll get 315 00:19:51,440 --> 00:19:54,320 it for three weeks or two weeks and then you'll never see it again, 316 00:19:54,320 --> 00:19:55,920 until the next year. 317 00:19:55,920 --> 00:19:58,960 So by the time you've worked out what to do with it, it's gone. 318 00:19:59,920 --> 00:20:01,760 And you've got to wait a whole another year 319 00:20:01,760 --> 00:20:02,880 and you may get moved on. 320 00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:05,160 So, you know, they're hard to use. 321 00:20:05,160 --> 00:20:06,680 What's this one? 322 00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:09,240 That's actually got quite a pretty name, lemon aspen. So... 323 00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:10,880 Oh, that is really nice. 324 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:12,800 It is, it's really bright, acidic, 325 00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:16,360 and it's got this lovely sort of fresh lemon flavour. 326 00:20:16,360 --> 00:20:19,960 But cooked, just absolutely terrible. Horrible. 327 00:20:19,960 --> 00:20:21,200 And this one, then... 328 00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:22,640 Yeah, it's a riberry. 329 00:20:22,640 --> 00:20:25,200 So... Not quite so good. 330 00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:28,280 Not quite so good, yeah. Sort of a little bit eucalyptus. 331 00:20:28,280 --> 00:20:30,320 Yeah, yeah. Yeah, and quite acidic. 332 00:20:30,320 --> 00:20:31,680 And these, then? 333 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:34,000 These are my favourite, actually. They're muntrees. 334 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:35,640 Muntrees? Muntrees, yeah. 335 00:20:35,640 --> 00:20:39,360 So they're a little berry and they kind of taste like a bruised apple. 336 00:20:39,360 --> 00:20:40,560 A definite apple flavour. 337 00:20:40,560 --> 00:20:43,600 Yeah, so to market them, they call them a native apple. 338 00:20:43,600 --> 00:20:44,920 This looks like a plum. 339 00:20:44,920 --> 00:20:46,760 And it is, yeah, it's a Davidson plum. 340 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:48,480 So... Crikey! 341 00:20:49,520 --> 00:20:51,480 What sort of plum is it? Davidson plum. 342 00:20:51,480 --> 00:20:54,640 These are the ones that have sort of make it out of the country. 343 00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:57,880 You see them on trendier menus around the world. 344 00:20:57,880 --> 00:20:59,720 Finger limes. Finger limes. 345 00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:02,560 So you just open it up and then you can just squeeze out 346 00:21:02,560 --> 00:21:04,640 all these little caviar-like citrus. 347 00:21:04,640 --> 00:21:08,440 Not only do they taste like a lovely, fragrant lime... 348 00:21:08,440 --> 00:21:10,800 Yeah, but they've got a beautiful texture. 349 00:21:10,800 --> 00:21:15,280 Do you think people like you can make these things happen? 350 00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:16,560 I hope so, yeah. 351 00:21:16,560 --> 00:21:20,040 It would be nice if we could start using things that actually grow 352 00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:21,880 and are indigenous to Australia. 353 00:21:21,880 --> 00:21:24,360 And give us a bit more of a voice. 354 00:21:24,360 --> 00:21:26,520 You know, it'd be good to base a little bit more 355 00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:28,200 around the stuff that we have here. 356 00:21:29,360 --> 00:21:33,480 Almost 90% of Australia's plants are found nowhere else. 357 00:21:34,480 --> 00:21:36,280 A lot of them are edible, 358 00:21:36,280 --> 00:21:39,840 but until Delia finishes How To Boil A Muntree, 359 00:21:39,840 --> 00:21:43,560 cooking with them is a matter of trial and error. 360 00:21:43,560 --> 00:21:46,520 But the knowledge I need isn't found in cookbooks. 361 00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:51,280 The first Australians didn't write their recipes down. 362 00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:54,480 For 40,000 years, they didn't just survive - 363 00:21:54,480 --> 00:21:56,600 they thrived on wild foods. 364 00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:02,560 It was really interesting talking to Phil about native fruit, 365 00:22:02,560 --> 00:22:04,040 vegetables and herbs, 366 00:22:04,040 --> 00:22:05,600 but I'm on the beach now 367 00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:08,920 and I'm going to meet a local Aboriginal chef 368 00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:12,320 and I think she's going to teach me a whole lot more. 369 00:22:17,880 --> 00:22:21,720 This is Botany Bay, where Captain Cook first landed. 370 00:22:23,440 --> 00:22:25,320 It's also where today's visitors 371 00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:27,800 are constantly coming in to land overhead. 372 00:22:31,560 --> 00:22:32,960 My guide is Jo Walles - 373 00:22:32,960 --> 00:22:36,640 she's a chef trained in the classical French tradition, 374 00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:41,560 who first learned to cook at the knee of her Aboriginal mum, Donna. 375 00:22:41,560 --> 00:22:45,640 So her food is a bit of a fusion of ancient and modern. 376 00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:48,760 Well, I didn't know I was going to be taken on as a sort of sous-chef, 377 00:22:48,760 --> 00:22:51,760 but Jo's got me making pesto. 378 00:22:51,760 --> 00:22:54,720 I've got some garlic in here, a bit of olive oil. 379 00:22:54,720 --> 00:22:57,400 It doesn't sound that Aboriginal, but we'll see. 380 00:22:57,400 --> 00:22:59,400 Some macadamia nuts. 381 00:22:59,400 --> 00:23:01,640 Yes, they're very Aboriginal. 382 00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:05,280 'But this is what makes it really authentic. 383 00:23:05,280 --> 00:23:07,760 'In place of basil, warrigal greens - 384 00:23:07,760 --> 00:23:10,440 'straight from the bush. Literally.' 385 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:13,720 So are these more of the warrigals? 386 00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:17,200 Yeah, these are the warrigal greens, Australia's native spinach. 387 00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:21,280 They're found around Botany Bay here, which is where Captain Cook landed. 388 00:23:21,280 --> 00:23:23,600 Would Captain Cook have known about warrigal greens? 389 00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:25,440 Yes, he did, he fed it to the crew 390 00:23:25,440 --> 00:23:28,280 so they wouldn't pick up scurvy along their travels. 391 00:23:28,280 --> 00:23:29,920 Can I taste a bit? 392 00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:32,280 I mean, I'm only asking you, they're not poisonous 393 00:23:32,280 --> 00:23:34,640 when you eat them, like...? You can eat a little bit raw, 394 00:23:34,640 --> 00:23:36,640 but you're not allowed to eat too much of it 395 00:23:36,640 --> 00:23:38,960 because it does have a bit of a poisonous... 396 00:23:38,960 --> 00:23:40,160 Excuse me. 397 00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:43,200 But once we blanch it, we can use it for pesto, 398 00:23:43,200 --> 00:23:46,160 we can use it like normal European spinach, 399 00:23:46,160 --> 00:23:49,120 and this is one of the local area's staples. 400 00:23:49,120 --> 00:23:50,160 So, which first? 401 00:23:50,160 --> 00:23:54,280 Jo had told me we'd be able to forage for all the vegetables 402 00:23:54,280 --> 00:23:56,960 for our meal within 50ft of her fire. 403 00:23:58,040 --> 00:24:01,200 This saltbush, you can add it to fish. 404 00:24:02,320 --> 00:24:03,880 It's salty but it's quite bitter. 405 00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:05,560 Not poisonous? No. 406 00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:06,600 Phew. 407 00:24:06,600 --> 00:24:08,520 Once you've got your eye in, 408 00:24:08,520 --> 00:24:11,800 turns out the beach is a super market garden. 409 00:24:11,800 --> 00:24:14,520 So this is...? This is the sea mustard. 410 00:24:14,520 --> 00:24:17,240 I reckon I could use this in my fish cooking. 411 00:24:17,240 --> 00:24:20,920 We would have used it to flavour our seafood, our shellfish, 412 00:24:20,920 --> 00:24:22,400 it brings the fish to life. 413 00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:24,520 This I like. I mean, I've liked the other stuff, 414 00:24:24,520 --> 00:24:27,160 don't get me wrong, but... This is the best you like so far. 415 00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:31,760 Back at the kitchen, dinner's still roasting at 200 degrees, 416 00:24:31,760 --> 00:24:33,520 about gas mark 6. 417 00:24:33,520 --> 00:24:36,440 Not that Jo's told me what it is we're cooking. 418 00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:41,320 Be gentle, it's one long piece right there. 419 00:24:42,520 --> 00:24:44,200 So we'll just shake all of that off. 420 00:24:44,200 --> 00:24:46,480 'It's a sort of fish-shaped package.' 421 00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:50,720 Oh, you've got some roo in there. I've got some roo for you to try. 422 00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:53,480 Kangaroo in a paper pouch. 423 00:24:54,880 --> 00:25:00,080 So it's a bit charcoaly but we'll just slide the paper bark off. 424 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:01,280 This is flathead. 425 00:25:02,320 --> 00:25:04,440 And so I've already stuffed it 426 00:25:04,440 --> 00:25:08,840 with some lemon myrtle and some native limes. 427 00:25:08,840 --> 00:25:11,520 Now is the time to try. Warrigal green pesto with your fish. 428 00:25:16,560 --> 00:25:17,640 That's very good. 429 00:25:17,640 --> 00:25:21,480 Sometimes I think, actually, a bit of well-cooked fish is no bad thing. 430 00:25:21,480 --> 00:25:23,240 But I love this. 431 00:25:25,160 --> 00:25:27,920 The next course is that roast kangaroo. 432 00:25:29,080 --> 00:25:31,800 I've actually used a Davidson plum with the kangaroo here. 433 00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:34,640 Can I try a bit while you're carving? You sure can. 434 00:25:38,240 --> 00:25:40,280 I didn't think it was going to be terribly good, 435 00:25:40,280 --> 00:25:41,920 but it's very nice. 436 00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:45,280 They're the limes that I used inside the flathead. 437 00:25:45,280 --> 00:25:46,600 They pack a punch. 438 00:25:46,600 --> 00:25:48,880 They pack a punch, wow! 439 00:25:48,880 --> 00:25:50,440 And these are our native limes. 440 00:25:50,440 --> 00:25:51,960 Got to try everything. 441 00:25:51,960 --> 00:25:54,880 I love using that as a lemon curd tart. 442 00:25:54,880 --> 00:25:56,320 That's got tang. 443 00:25:56,320 --> 00:26:00,040 I think that Australians are starting to become aware 444 00:26:00,040 --> 00:26:02,560 of how great their local produce is. 445 00:26:02,560 --> 00:26:05,400 And this is only the tip of the iceberg that we have here today. 446 00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:10,720 There's one final treat left in the embers. It's crocodile. 447 00:26:10,720 --> 00:26:13,320 There is the croc. So this would be one portion. 448 00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:15,080 This is what they could do in restaurants 449 00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:16,520 for chefs that say it's too hard. 450 00:26:16,520 --> 00:26:20,440 Yeah. As a cartouche, with the paper bark and the banana leaf. 451 00:26:20,440 --> 00:26:22,600 So we just chop that up. It's gonna be hot. 452 00:26:22,600 --> 00:26:24,400 If you didn't tell me what it was, 453 00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:26,080 I'd say it was some sort of fish. 454 00:26:26,080 --> 00:26:27,480 I like it. 455 00:26:27,480 --> 00:26:29,560 There's a lot you could do with Aboriginal food, 456 00:26:29,560 --> 00:26:32,920 I think we've tended to... Not we, Australians have tended to 457 00:26:32,920 --> 00:26:35,480 sort of look towards Europe, look towards Asia. 458 00:26:35,480 --> 00:26:39,120 I would be glad to see a lot more of this produce widely used. 459 00:26:39,120 --> 00:26:41,560 It is fresh, it's vibrant. 460 00:26:41,560 --> 00:26:44,080 It's seasonal and it's local, 461 00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:45,800 and it's 100% Australian own, 462 00:26:45,800 --> 00:26:49,920 Aboriginal cultivated and looked after. 463 00:26:49,920 --> 00:26:52,520 Why can't the rest of the world enjoy what we've been enjoying 464 00:26:52,520 --> 00:26:54,240 for thousands and thousands of years? 465 00:26:54,240 --> 00:26:56,840 Well, I think it's up to you Aussies to make more of it. 466 00:26:56,840 --> 00:26:58,720 I'm hoping in the next five, ten years 467 00:26:58,720 --> 00:27:01,600 that this is the forefront on a lot of main menus. 468 00:27:02,880 --> 00:27:06,960 Beating about the Australian bush offers tantalizing possibilities 469 00:27:06,960 --> 00:27:10,200 and extraordinary taste sensations. 470 00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:15,040 After seeing two great chefs trying their hand with foraged ingredients, 471 00:27:15,040 --> 00:27:18,080 I know wild is the next big thing. 472 00:27:18,080 --> 00:27:22,240 And the wildest place of all is nestled in a silver sea 473 00:27:22,240 --> 00:27:24,560 a thousand miles to the south. 474 00:27:25,880 --> 00:27:28,920 Tasmania used to be seen as a bit of a joke, 475 00:27:28,920 --> 00:27:31,520 "rustic" and "wild" - meaning backward. 476 00:27:31,520 --> 00:27:36,640 But wild is suddenly hot, meaning Tassie's newly cool, 477 00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:38,760 the future of Aussie cuisine. 478 00:27:38,760 --> 00:27:40,840 So who's laughing now? 479 00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:47,560 In a country where popping down to the shops can mean a 100-mile 480 00:27:47,560 --> 00:27:51,160 round trip, the flight south is only a short hop. 481 00:27:51,160 --> 00:27:56,360 But it's not so much about distance as time, and travelling back in it. 482 00:27:59,320 --> 00:28:05,440 Tasmania's old-fashioned - as in charming, innocent and unspoilt. 483 00:28:13,200 --> 00:28:16,520 I did once visit the capital, Hobart. 484 00:28:21,160 --> 00:28:23,960 But this Eden is new to me. 485 00:28:27,600 --> 00:28:29,560 It doesn't feel like Australia... 486 00:28:31,160 --> 00:28:34,440 ..but you never realise how truly wonderful something is 487 00:28:34,440 --> 00:28:36,360 until you experience it itself. 488 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:43,480 As well as beauty, I can already see that there is bounty here too. 489 00:28:43,480 --> 00:28:45,840 They're everywhere, signs for fresh fruit. 490 00:28:47,360 --> 00:28:51,440 Apricots, raspberries, cherries. 491 00:28:51,440 --> 00:28:54,760 Pink-eyes. I think that's some sort of potato, not a fish. 492 00:28:54,760 --> 00:28:57,280 And there's fruit farms everywhere. 493 00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:00,760 A lot of these are small scale operations, 494 00:29:00,760 --> 00:29:03,000 sort of second-job farming. 495 00:29:03,960 --> 00:29:06,880 There's not a combine harvester in sight. 496 00:29:09,920 --> 00:29:12,600 I keep thinking shall I stop or shan't I? 497 00:29:12,600 --> 00:29:14,680 Maybe around the next corner. 498 00:29:14,680 --> 00:29:17,040 Eventually, it got to me. 499 00:29:17,040 --> 00:29:20,680 Time for the driver reviver, Tassie style. 500 00:29:20,680 --> 00:29:23,880 I couldn't carry on without stopping. 501 00:29:23,880 --> 00:29:25,040 Blueberries. 502 00:29:25,040 --> 00:29:27,120 I just can't resist blueberries. 503 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:33,400 And apricots. We don't get enough apricots back home. 504 00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:38,360 Delicious. 505 00:29:39,320 --> 00:29:40,920 I mean, this is heaven for me. 506 00:29:40,920 --> 00:29:42,600 I love my fruit 507 00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:45,920 and just being able to stop and get it on the roadside... 508 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:48,080 ..perfection. 509 00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:51,040 I'm feeding the meter. 510 00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:54,520 I'm not sure if you're actually supposed to 511 00:29:54,520 --> 00:29:56,360 eat out of one of these stalls, 512 00:29:56,360 --> 00:29:57,920 but I do like that. 513 00:29:57,920 --> 00:30:02,480 "If you choose to steal my produce, I hope you choke!" 514 00:30:07,680 --> 00:30:09,760 Dollars lighter and pounds heavier, 515 00:30:09,760 --> 00:30:11,400 back on the road, 516 00:30:11,400 --> 00:30:16,040 now able to pass signs for fruits that can stay forbidden. 517 00:30:16,040 --> 00:30:17,720 But amongst them, 518 00:30:17,720 --> 00:30:21,440 a sign for something that's just too intriguing to pass by. 519 00:30:22,720 --> 00:30:25,640 Now, as I've said, I reckon bush meat is the future, 520 00:30:25,640 --> 00:30:29,240 but the wallaby must be a mammal too far. 521 00:30:29,240 --> 00:30:31,880 Most Aussies think of it as vermin. 522 00:30:31,880 --> 00:30:35,320 This bloke thinks of it as gourmet food. 523 00:30:35,320 --> 00:30:39,640 OK. And the farm is just near there. Brilliant. 524 00:30:39,640 --> 00:30:41,960 OK, see you later, Ross. 525 00:30:45,360 --> 00:30:49,600 That was Ross O'Meira, he's a pig farmer by day 526 00:30:49,600 --> 00:30:51,880 but a wallaby hunter by night! 527 00:30:54,760 --> 00:30:57,400 Tasmania is about as remote as you can get, 528 00:30:57,400 --> 00:31:00,680 but to see Ross means taking a ferry to somewhere 529 00:31:00,680 --> 00:31:04,560 even more out of the way, the tiny island of Bruny - 530 00:31:04,560 --> 00:31:09,840 only accessible by ferry, a kind of marsupial Jurassic Park. 531 00:31:12,320 --> 00:31:16,320 He farms somewhere in the woods, and tells me that alongside 532 00:31:16,320 --> 00:31:21,480 his pig business he's set up a wallaby operation that's thriving. 533 00:31:21,480 --> 00:31:25,720 Apparently, there are 500,000 Tasmanians 534 00:31:25,720 --> 00:31:28,720 and ten million wallabies. 535 00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:33,720 That's bad for the animals and for the environment, which they destroy. 536 00:31:33,720 --> 00:31:36,280 Ross O'Meira has a solution. 537 00:31:37,920 --> 00:31:41,280 Hi. Ross. Hi, Rick, nice to meet you. 538 00:31:41,280 --> 00:31:43,040 You're a pig farmer 539 00:31:43,040 --> 00:31:46,760 but this is hardly what I'm sort of imagining when you say pig farming. 540 00:31:46,760 --> 00:31:50,680 I imagine, you know, big pig stalls. Concrete, yes, yes. 541 00:31:50,680 --> 00:31:51,760 That stuff. 542 00:31:51,760 --> 00:31:54,360 I would love to say you sort of slip under the net in a way. 543 00:31:54,360 --> 00:31:57,800 Yes, completely. Look at that! He's just having a crawl. 544 00:31:57,800 --> 00:32:01,440 This is what everybody dreams about free-range pork, isn't it? 545 00:32:01,440 --> 00:32:03,080 He's beautiful, with the young ones. 546 00:32:03,080 --> 00:32:05,760 And as you can tell, they like hanging out with the big fella. 547 00:32:05,760 --> 00:32:06,840 Don't they just?! 548 00:32:14,440 --> 00:32:16,280 One thing I'll say in Tasmania, 549 00:32:16,280 --> 00:32:18,640 wallaby is the main source of the diet. 550 00:32:18,640 --> 00:32:21,000 There's a lot of Tasmanians that have always eaten it. 551 00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:23,720 I've got a few Tasmanian friends that will make a roo-strone or 552 00:32:23,720 --> 00:32:26,640 they'll make wallaby bolognese. It's a beautiful meat. 553 00:32:26,640 --> 00:32:29,120 I'm looking forward to trying it. I've never tried it. 554 00:32:29,120 --> 00:32:30,920 The best part about it, it's organic, 555 00:32:30,920 --> 00:32:33,960 grass fed, free-range meat, so it's a fantastic product. 556 00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:39,520 To get hold of wallaby meat we need to hunt - by night. 557 00:32:39,520 --> 00:32:41,480 The population's exploded 558 00:32:41,480 --> 00:32:44,920 because there are so many delicious crops on Bruny, 559 00:32:44,920 --> 00:32:47,200 and no natural predators - 560 00:32:47,200 --> 00:32:49,120 except hunters like Ross. 561 00:32:50,400 --> 00:32:54,080 We are just off to a neighbouring property that have asked 562 00:32:54,080 --> 00:32:56,400 Ross to come in and cull the wallabies. 563 00:32:56,400 --> 00:32:59,520 I get the impression that when they took the property over 564 00:32:59,520 --> 00:33:02,520 they thought that wallabies were really cute 565 00:33:02,520 --> 00:33:05,400 and now they've realised how the wallabies devastate 566 00:33:05,400 --> 00:33:08,640 the habitat, they've asked him to come in all the time. 567 00:33:13,320 --> 00:33:16,080 Tasmania is the only place in Australia 568 00:33:16,080 --> 00:33:19,120 where you can legally kill wallabies for food. 569 00:33:19,120 --> 00:33:21,440 Much of it goes to feed pets. 570 00:33:21,440 --> 00:33:25,080 Ross is out to harvest meat destined for discerning diners. 571 00:33:26,880 --> 00:33:29,960 So, what we'll do is, if you can see down there on the fence line, 572 00:33:29,960 --> 00:33:31,600 they'll sit there in the bushes 573 00:33:31,600 --> 00:33:33,840 and they'll slowly work their way out and we will sit 574 00:33:33,840 --> 00:33:36,760 until it gets a little bit dark, they'll come out and start feeding. 575 00:33:36,760 --> 00:33:40,640 Then, once you put the spotlight on them, it kind of stuns them and they just kind of stop. 576 00:33:40,640 --> 00:33:43,200 And that is when you pick them off? That's it, yes. 577 00:33:48,440 --> 00:33:52,480 Sure enough, it's not long before the wallabies make an appearance. 578 00:33:52,480 --> 00:33:55,120 There's one there on that side of the fence. 579 00:34:01,680 --> 00:34:06,160 If it's for human consumption, Ross must get a clean head shot. 580 00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:12,760 Gosh! Wow! 581 00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:14,840 Always good to get it straight off the bat. 582 00:34:14,840 --> 00:34:16,960 And you got it in the head? 583 00:34:16,960 --> 00:34:20,320 Yeah, he just dropped straightaway. He just went down like that. Yeah. 584 00:34:22,320 --> 00:34:25,840 I'm very impressed with that. It must be a very small target 585 00:34:25,840 --> 00:34:27,720 and it's a clean shot right in the head. 586 00:34:28,800 --> 00:34:31,960 Thanks to Ross's skill, the kill was instantaneous. 587 00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:44,040 Next morning, the wallaby's roasting in an anchovy stock. 588 00:34:45,200 --> 00:34:48,200 Being fresh it needs slow-cooking to tenderize it. 589 00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:54,200 This second one's been hanging for a few days and can be simply fried. 590 00:34:55,920 --> 00:34:57,720 So, I will take the shanks off now. 591 00:34:57,720 --> 00:35:01,120 You can cook them like you would any other shank, like a lamb shank. 592 00:35:01,120 --> 00:35:04,160 They braise up really well. There's the two shanks there. 593 00:35:04,160 --> 00:35:07,480 Ross has carved out two prime wallaby cuts - 594 00:35:07,480 --> 00:35:12,560 topside, and one from close to the spine, known as the backstrap. 595 00:35:13,520 --> 00:35:15,280 I've just got a bit of salt and pepper. 596 00:35:15,280 --> 00:35:17,640 I'll just drop a bit of olive oil on it. 597 00:35:17,640 --> 00:35:19,760 There we go. I'll get these ones in the pan. 598 00:35:21,800 --> 00:35:24,160 Put the other one on the other side, 599 00:35:24,160 --> 00:35:26,320 and I'll get the backstraps in. 600 00:35:27,640 --> 00:35:29,600 A bit more salt and pepper on this side. 601 00:35:29,600 --> 00:35:32,880 I like the fact you are cooking it just with salt and pepper because 602 00:35:32,880 --> 00:35:36,280 I just have a feeling that there would be a lot of people out there 603 00:35:36,280 --> 00:35:39,440 who would be marinating it for three weeks in all kinds of rubbish 604 00:35:39,440 --> 00:35:42,800 and basically all I want is to taste what it's like. Probably put a bit 605 00:35:42,800 --> 00:35:45,960 of a teaspoon of bacon fat in there, just to get a little bit of 606 00:35:45,960 --> 00:35:48,160 crackling going and a little bit of moisture. 607 00:35:48,160 --> 00:35:50,960 I love bacon fat. Do you cook with a lot of bacon fat? 608 00:35:50,960 --> 00:35:54,000 I do because I tend to have a lot of bacon around the house! 609 00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:57,160 Drop that fat in there now. Can I taste a bit? 610 00:35:58,760 --> 00:36:00,680 Oh! That is lovely! 611 00:36:00,680 --> 00:36:02,720 It's good, clean fat, isn't it? 612 00:36:02,720 --> 00:36:04,680 A slight bit of smokiness, 613 00:36:04,680 --> 00:36:06,760 a lovely savoury taste to it. 614 00:36:06,760 --> 00:36:08,760 Take it off to the side to rest. 615 00:36:10,440 --> 00:36:13,800 A delicious smell has started to permeate the air. 616 00:36:13,800 --> 00:36:15,200 Kiki! 617 00:36:17,160 --> 00:36:21,360 The family pooch is as fit as any butcher's dog I've ever met. 618 00:36:22,600 --> 00:36:25,480 Time for me to try the slow-roast meat from last night. 619 00:36:25,480 --> 00:36:28,280 My first taste of wallaby. 620 00:36:28,280 --> 00:36:31,320 See the way it... Oh, yes, it's peeling off. 621 00:36:31,320 --> 00:36:33,560 Can I try a bit? Oh, yeah, go for that. 622 00:36:33,560 --> 00:36:35,520 It's like a little drumette. 623 00:36:38,760 --> 00:36:40,360 That's gorgeous! 624 00:36:40,360 --> 00:36:41,960 That is really lovely. 625 00:36:41,960 --> 00:36:45,800 That's sort of like a lamb shank only much lighter in flavour. 626 00:36:45,800 --> 00:36:47,080 Fabulous! 627 00:36:47,080 --> 00:36:49,400 'Delicious and fragrant. 628 00:36:49,400 --> 00:36:52,400 'Now to see if the older, hung meat is gamier.' 629 00:36:52,400 --> 00:36:54,000 Have a little bit of a taste. 630 00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:56,760 I must say it looks very appetising. 631 00:36:56,760 --> 00:36:58,400 Go for that bit there. 632 00:36:58,400 --> 00:37:00,560 I'll give you this one first, the topside. 633 00:37:00,560 --> 00:37:03,840 I reckon it's got a bit better flavour. 634 00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:07,440 Fabulous. 635 00:37:08,720 --> 00:37:10,840 A little bit chewy, but... 636 00:37:10,840 --> 00:37:13,200 do you know, that is really lovely. 637 00:37:13,200 --> 00:37:15,000 So there's the backstrap there. 638 00:37:18,320 --> 00:37:21,360 Fab! I'd say it's a bit like bavette, you know, 639 00:37:21,360 --> 00:37:25,160 like a slightly less than totally tender beef cut, 640 00:37:25,160 --> 00:37:26,880 but it's got a better flavour to me. 641 00:37:26,880 --> 00:37:28,200 Yeah. 642 00:37:28,200 --> 00:37:32,200 And I'm just amazed that it's held in such sort of low esteem. 643 00:37:32,200 --> 00:37:34,160 I mean, this is like gourmet food to me. 644 00:37:34,160 --> 00:37:36,720 Yeah, it's great meat that's just there, you know? 645 00:37:36,720 --> 00:37:40,600 So basically we're having something nice to eat... Yeah. 646 00:37:40,600 --> 00:37:43,560 ..and you are doing good for the environment. 647 00:37:43,560 --> 00:37:45,600 Correct. And everyone's a winner, 648 00:37:45,600 --> 00:37:47,280 even the wallabies. True. 649 00:37:47,280 --> 00:37:49,120 Not this wallaby! No. 650 00:37:52,360 --> 00:37:55,400 Wallaby meat is nothing short of a revelation. 651 00:37:56,400 --> 00:37:58,440 I really do think we're on to something here. 652 00:37:58,440 --> 00:38:02,320 I think something like that will be the next big thing. 653 00:38:02,320 --> 00:38:04,920 And, of course, wallaby meat is wild meat, 654 00:38:04,920 --> 00:38:09,280 so Ross and others like him will always be small-scale producers. 655 00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:13,880 In a place seemingly unsullied by the modern world 656 00:38:13,880 --> 00:38:18,240 this is farming far removed from the almost industrialised 657 00:38:18,240 --> 00:38:21,400 food production I'm used to on the mainland. 658 00:38:21,400 --> 00:38:26,160 And on the evidence so far, the result is superb quality. 659 00:38:27,560 --> 00:38:31,360 It does have this wonderful image of purity, clean air, clean water, 660 00:38:31,360 --> 00:38:35,120 and I think that is what it means to the rest of Australia, 661 00:38:35,120 --> 00:38:39,160 so the products from Tasmania seem to be top quality. 662 00:38:40,360 --> 00:38:43,000 The search for emerging Tasmanian products 663 00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:47,480 leads just a little north to the island's capital, Hobart. 664 00:38:51,440 --> 00:38:54,800 This is the only bit of Tasmania I'd visited before. 665 00:38:56,520 --> 00:38:58,440 On the mainland, things have moved on, 666 00:38:58,440 --> 00:39:01,080 but Hobart is just as I remembered it. 667 00:39:01,080 --> 00:39:04,560 Gosh, I've been coming to Australia for a long time! 668 00:39:04,560 --> 00:39:08,080 When I first arrived in Sydney, it looked a bit like this. 669 00:39:08,080 --> 00:39:10,920 I can remember the first shopping malls being built. 670 00:39:12,040 --> 00:39:14,120 But now, Sydney... 671 00:39:15,240 --> 00:39:16,600 ..just like that. 672 00:39:16,600 --> 00:39:19,240 And this...is the capital of Tasmania. 673 00:39:20,920 --> 00:39:23,080 That's rush hour over there. 674 00:39:25,400 --> 00:39:27,600 I mean, it's hard to believe, 675 00:39:27,600 --> 00:39:32,360 but it just reminds me so much of when I first came to Australia, 676 00:39:32,360 --> 00:39:34,480 and it's wonderful. 677 00:39:34,480 --> 00:39:39,120 But it's patronising to think of this place as a twee backwater. 678 00:39:39,120 --> 00:39:42,480 I'm here to find out what the future holds. 679 00:39:42,480 --> 00:39:46,280 What's drawn me to Hobart is a brochure for a product 680 00:39:46,280 --> 00:39:48,880 I wouldn't have associated with Tasmania 681 00:39:48,880 --> 00:39:53,560 and, even more surprising, seems they do it better than anyone else. 682 00:39:53,560 --> 00:39:59,280 Did you know that the world's best single malt whisky comes from here in Tasmania? 683 00:39:59,280 --> 00:40:02,800 I sort of did, mate, but I didn't know whereabouts from. 684 00:40:02,800 --> 00:40:05,440 You didn't? No. So you've never tasted it? 685 00:40:05,440 --> 00:40:07,880 No, I haven't, mate, I'm not a whisky drinker. 686 00:40:07,880 --> 00:40:12,960 Fair enough! Maybe when you drop me off I could get them to give you a taste. 687 00:40:12,960 --> 00:40:16,920 Er, yeah, once I knock off from work, mate, yeah. 688 00:40:16,920 --> 00:40:21,680 Seems Tasmania's quiet food revolution really is quiet! 689 00:40:21,680 --> 00:40:24,200 Even the locals haven't heard about it. 690 00:40:26,240 --> 00:40:29,960 In my day, Aussies mostly drank beer, and so did I - 691 00:40:29,960 --> 00:40:31,920 like a beery fish. 692 00:40:31,920 --> 00:40:34,880 Later, their wines emerged. 693 00:40:34,880 --> 00:40:39,680 But now this distillery has conquered the whisky world. 694 00:40:39,680 --> 00:40:45,400 In 2014, theirs was voted the best single malt anywhere. 695 00:40:45,400 --> 00:40:49,960 It's even more amazing when you consider that Patrick McGuire 696 00:40:49,960 --> 00:40:53,800 and his team only started making whisky 15 years ago. 697 00:40:53,800 --> 00:40:58,560 What's so special about your Tasmanian whisky, do you think? 698 00:40:58,560 --> 00:41:01,320 We're lucky to be small, 699 00:41:01,320 --> 00:41:04,040 unknown, with no demands on what we're doing. 700 00:41:04,040 --> 00:41:06,160 We didn't have demands. 701 00:41:06,160 --> 00:41:08,200 So we've got the luxury of time. 702 00:41:08,200 --> 00:41:10,600 So we do things in a very old-fashioned way - 703 00:41:10,600 --> 00:41:13,600 we take months to dilute and 704 00:41:13,600 --> 00:41:19,760 allow whiskies to settle so it's an old-fashioned, raw style of whisky. 705 00:41:19,760 --> 00:41:22,480 It's a natural for Tasmania - 706 00:41:22,480 --> 00:41:24,280 we've got a nice cool climate, 707 00:41:24,280 --> 00:41:27,600 we've got a lot of high quality barley grown here, 708 00:41:27,600 --> 00:41:29,080 our water is fantastic, 709 00:41:29,080 --> 00:41:32,400 so all the ingredients are there. We're a long way away 710 00:41:32,400 --> 00:41:35,320 from anywhere else in the world 711 00:41:35,320 --> 00:41:38,000 so if we're going to compete, we have to produce a very 712 00:41:38,000 --> 00:41:40,440 high quality product. It doesn't matter what it is, 713 00:41:40,440 --> 00:41:43,720 it'll be small quantities but high value. 714 00:41:45,640 --> 00:41:49,480 Now, I'm not a big whisky drinker, but this is work. 715 00:41:49,480 --> 00:41:51,240 I have to steel myself. 716 00:41:52,400 --> 00:41:54,000 There you are, Rick. 717 00:41:54,000 --> 00:41:56,360 Have a little glass of... 718 00:41:56,360 --> 00:41:58,520 It smells a bit strong. ..our matured whisky. 719 00:41:58,520 --> 00:42:01,800 This one's around 14 years old now 720 00:42:01,800 --> 00:42:05,360 and will be - be careful - up around 70% alcohol. Wow! 721 00:42:05,360 --> 00:42:07,520 I can smell it from here. 722 00:42:07,520 --> 00:42:09,320 Is this the one that won the prize, then? 723 00:42:09,320 --> 00:42:11,880 That barrel was bottled out in its entirety. 724 00:42:11,880 --> 00:42:15,080 Is there any left? We've got three bottles. 725 00:42:15,080 --> 00:42:17,280 Are you going to sell them or keep them? 726 00:42:17,280 --> 00:42:18,920 What would they be offering? 727 00:42:18,920 --> 00:42:22,000 We've been offered some very serious money for those. 728 00:42:22,000 --> 00:42:24,400 Like how serious? Up to 20,000 a bottle. 729 00:42:24,400 --> 00:42:26,400 20,000 a bottle. Blinking hell! 730 00:42:26,400 --> 00:42:29,120 Yeah, I know, that's what we said! 731 00:42:29,120 --> 00:42:31,520 Let me just tell you what I think of this! 732 00:42:31,520 --> 00:42:36,560 Being poetic, this tastes like some trout stream somewhere in Tasmania. 733 00:42:36,560 --> 00:42:38,840 I always find good whisky 734 00:42:38,840 --> 00:42:41,080 and water have a sort of affinity. 735 00:42:41,080 --> 00:42:43,520 I think it's slightly sort of brackish, 736 00:42:43,520 --> 00:42:46,040 up a mountain water, trouts... 737 00:42:46,040 --> 00:42:48,560 Sounds good, doesn't it? It does. 738 00:42:48,560 --> 00:42:50,760 Perhaps we should get the rods out! 739 00:42:56,920 --> 00:42:59,480 It's about quality not quantity. 740 00:43:01,000 --> 00:43:03,080 I think the secret of Tasmanian success 741 00:43:03,080 --> 00:43:06,040 is keeping it small and artisanal... 742 00:43:08,600 --> 00:43:11,400 ..and trading on the purity of products 743 00:43:11,400 --> 00:43:15,320 from the sort of environment that's a copywriter's dream. 744 00:43:26,600 --> 00:43:31,800 Looking out of my window, whisky seems more and more at home here. 745 00:43:32,840 --> 00:43:36,640 But for the gum trees, Tasmania could be Scotland. 746 00:43:36,640 --> 00:43:40,120 I mean, when you look out of the window and you see all this water 747 00:43:40,120 --> 00:43:43,440 and the hills and mountains behind. 748 00:43:43,440 --> 00:43:47,080 Here in the south, the valley floors are full of sea lochs, 749 00:43:47,080 --> 00:43:50,640 and they're home to an industry that's familiar in Scotland 750 00:43:50,640 --> 00:43:53,160 but a bit of an innovation here. 751 00:43:58,200 --> 00:44:02,120 These big inland areas of seawater are covered with fish farms. 752 00:44:02,120 --> 00:44:03,880 I've been passing them all day. 753 00:44:03,880 --> 00:44:06,760 30 years ago, nothing! 754 00:44:06,760 --> 00:44:09,920 It's a well-known story in the Aussie food business - 755 00:44:09,920 --> 00:44:13,600 in just three decades the Tasmanian salmon industry 756 00:44:13,600 --> 00:44:17,560 has gone from literally nothing to world-beating. 757 00:44:17,560 --> 00:44:21,360 Pristine waters and careful attention to welfare 758 00:44:21,360 --> 00:44:25,640 have produced fish that fetch the highest prices in Japan. 759 00:44:27,480 --> 00:44:31,520 And now one of Japan's best sushi chefs has come over here 760 00:44:31,520 --> 00:44:35,000 and caused his own mini culinary revolution... 761 00:44:35,960 --> 00:44:38,800 ..which is how I come to have a Tasmanian salmon 762 00:44:38,800 --> 00:44:42,080 on the back seat and a bit of a deadline. 763 00:44:42,080 --> 00:44:46,600 30 years ago when I started doing TV, you wanted to do something, 764 00:44:46,600 --> 00:44:50,920 you said, "I'm going to take this from A to B," and you did it. 765 00:44:50,920 --> 00:44:54,080 But these days you have got to sort of jazz it up a bit. 766 00:44:54,080 --> 00:44:57,400 They call it jeopardy, I call it melodrama. 767 00:44:57,400 --> 00:44:59,800 It goes a bit like this... 768 00:44:59,800 --> 00:45:02,600 I've got a monster salmon in the back, but I've got to get it 769 00:45:02,600 --> 00:45:06,360 to a sushi chef in time for lunch, but there's a problem. 770 00:45:06,360 --> 00:45:09,680 I've got directions and a sat nav and I don't really know how to 771 00:45:09,680 --> 00:45:14,720 read the map or work the sat nav, and worse still, it's getting warm. 772 00:45:14,720 --> 00:45:17,240 The salmon's beginning to heat up. 773 00:45:17,240 --> 00:45:20,000 Well, there's air conditioning but it's not working very well. 774 00:45:20,000 --> 00:45:24,720 It's 90 degrees outside and I can only go at 55mph. 775 00:45:24,720 --> 00:45:27,160 Will I make it in time for lunch? 776 00:45:27,160 --> 00:45:28,440 Will I...? 777 00:45:29,960 --> 00:45:33,040 Bit more of that and I could be on Top Gear! 778 00:45:35,520 --> 00:45:38,840 The master chef I'm seeking is Maasaki Koyama, 779 00:45:38,840 --> 00:45:40,560 formerly of Osaka, 780 00:45:40,560 --> 00:45:44,280 but now living in the bijou town of Geeveston. 781 00:45:46,760 --> 00:45:48,880 I've heard of tiny towns, but this one, 782 00:45:48,880 --> 00:45:52,800 it's supposed to be just off the main drag. Where IS the main drag? 783 00:45:52,800 --> 00:45:56,560 Is this the main drag? There's a swearing chemist. 784 00:45:56,560 --> 00:46:00,720 It's supposed to have colourful language. I love his trousers! 785 00:46:00,720 --> 00:46:04,360 There we are. Sushi. Fab. 786 00:46:05,800 --> 00:46:10,240 In just six years Masaaki has transformed local tastes, 787 00:46:10,240 --> 00:46:13,320 just as all those immigrant chefs did in Sydney. 788 00:46:13,320 --> 00:46:16,160 The neighbours can't get enough of his sushi. 789 00:46:19,480 --> 00:46:22,360 He's already setting about my salmon with aplomb. 790 00:46:26,840 --> 00:46:28,760 This is good for sashimi. 791 00:46:28,760 --> 00:46:30,080 I love salmon sashimi! 792 00:46:31,080 --> 00:46:35,640 I just love watching the way really well-trained sushi chefs work. 793 00:46:35,640 --> 00:46:39,040 There's such a delicacy about the way they cut everything. 794 00:46:39,040 --> 00:46:42,520 It's like a form of massage to me, it's just so peaceful. 795 00:46:46,080 --> 00:46:48,920 I'm just cutting off the fatty part, 796 00:46:48,920 --> 00:46:50,640 leaving the fishy flavour. 797 00:46:50,640 --> 00:46:51,760 When he first arrived, 798 00:46:51,760 --> 00:46:55,720 Maasaki opened seven days a week to put himself on the map. 799 00:46:55,720 --> 00:47:00,040 Today his sushi is so popular, he opens just twice a week, 800 00:47:00,040 --> 00:47:02,200 and then only for lunch! 801 00:47:02,200 --> 00:47:06,440 His few tables and tiny takeaway counter pull in locals 802 00:47:06,440 --> 00:47:09,360 and enthusiasts from all over the island. 803 00:47:09,360 --> 00:47:14,280 Wow, look at that! You must think you've died and gone to heaven! 804 00:47:14,280 --> 00:47:17,280 Actually, I was Masaaki's very first customer. 805 00:47:17,280 --> 00:47:20,680 I was waiting outside the door when I heard there was a sushi place 806 00:47:20,680 --> 00:47:24,760 opening in town. The ex-premier came three times before she could get in! 807 00:47:26,840 --> 00:47:30,160 People come and it's sold out within an hour. 808 00:47:33,320 --> 00:47:36,160 Geeveston is a town in love with sushi. 809 00:47:36,160 --> 00:47:40,400 But local tastes weren't always so sophisticated. 810 00:47:40,400 --> 00:47:43,760 It was very interesting for me to start at first. 811 00:47:43,760 --> 00:47:48,960 I never met people who never eat rice before. They had never eaten rice! 812 00:47:48,960 --> 00:47:51,120 I was a sushi virgin! 813 00:47:51,120 --> 00:47:53,840 I just wanted to introduce my food 814 00:47:53,840 --> 00:47:58,280 and then, people started coming back again and again. 815 00:48:00,440 --> 00:48:02,880 The locals have embraced Masaaki's sushi, 816 00:48:02,880 --> 00:48:07,120 and Masaaki has done the same with the outstanding local ingredients. 817 00:48:07,120 --> 00:48:10,440 I thought the best way is using local produce. 818 00:48:10,440 --> 00:48:14,400 For example, beetroot, we don't have beetroot in Japan. 819 00:48:14,400 --> 00:48:17,440 But I just loved it. Very tasty. 820 00:48:17,440 --> 00:48:20,160 What about the salmon, how did you find that, the quality? 821 00:48:20,160 --> 00:48:22,000 Salmon quality is very good. 822 00:48:22,000 --> 00:48:25,200 Never seen this fresh before in Japan. 823 00:48:25,200 --> 00:48:30,200 I was very lucky, I could do a lot of experimenting all the time. 824 00:48:30,200 --> 00:48:34,640 Using the finest Tasmanian produce seems to have freed Masaaki up 825 00:48:34,640 --> 00:48:37,120 to take sushi to the next level. 826 00:48:38,360 --> 00:48:40,680 This one's a yellowfin tuna and snow pea. 827 00:48:40,680 --> 00:48:44,760 This is a cooked tuna, this is a cold smoked ocean trout. 828 00:48:44,760 --> 00:48:46,960 We have prawn and avocado here 829 00:48:46,960 --> 00:48:48,880 and this one is the Japanese egg omelette. 830 00:48:48,880 --> 00:48:51,560 And this is a beancurd pouch 831 00:48:51,560 --> 00:48:54,240 with rice, honey brown mushrooms, beetroot, 832 00:48:54,240 --> 00:48:56,680 sesame seeds and carrot. 833 00:48:56,680 --> 00:49:01,280 As a chef, it's just a privilege to see someone like Masaaki at work. 834 00:49:03,640 --> 00:49:06,800 I often go on about how I like watching people 835 00:49:06,800 --> 00:49:09,800 do things they do well, but this is in a class of its own. 836 00:49:11,360 --> 00:49:15,480 Masaaki trained for three years, much of it spent in A&E, 837 00:49:15,480 --> 00:49:18,080 then honed his craft for another 22. 838 00:49:19,480 --> 00:49:23,240 So what is the perfect way to treat the perfect salmon? 839 00:49:23,240 --> 00:49:26,680 Nice size - not too big, not too small. 840 00:49:26,680 --> 00:49:32,160 Just harvested the right way, rest about one day or two days. 841 00:49:32,160 --> 00:49:34,800 Of course you have to have good skill to fillet. 842 00:49:34,800 --> 00:49:39,040 Eat with friends - that is best, I think. 843 00:49:39,040 --> 00:49:44,360 When I look at that, I virtually can't keep my chopsticks off it. 844 00:49:44,360 --> 00:49:45,680 It looks so beautiful. 845 00:49:47,760 --> 00:49:52,160 'For me, when a product of this quality meets a chef this skilled, 846 00:49:52,160 --> 00:49:56,080 'the result is - well, it's a kind of poetry.' 847 00:50:00,280 --> 00:50:03,480 That's it, they're closed now, for five days. 848 00:50:03,480 --> 00:50:05,920 They need to get on with the more serious things in life, 849 00:50:05,920 --> 00:50:08,440 surfing, fishing, maybe gardening. 850 00:50:08,440 --> 00:50:12,720 And for me it's a great business model, it's called less is more. 851 00:50:12,720 --> 00:50:16,480 Because this is some of the best sushi I've ever had in my life, 852 00:50:16,480 --> 00:50:19,320 in this tiny town - it's unbelievable. 853 00:50:21,880 --> 00:50:26,640 On the mainland, Australian industry shouts a lot about its success, 854 00:50:26,640 --> 00:50:29,720 but these islanders seem happy to whisper 855 00:50:29,720 --> 00:50:32,800 and wait for people to notice their genius. 856 00:50:34,080 --> 00:50:36,200 Which isn't always a good thing. 857 00:50:36,200 --> 00:50:40,280 One of the most famous Tasmanian foodstuffs is virtually unknown 858 00:50:40,280 --> 00:50:41,320 on the mainland. 859 00:50:45,840 --> 00:50:48,920 Getting to the point of production is a bit tricky. 860 00:50:52,040 --> 00:50:56,320 Getting there is half the fun! Got to roll up my trousers! 861 00:51:04,760 --> 00:51:08,960 What I'm after seeing is abalone, a large sea snail. 862 00:51:11,120 --> 00:51:14,240 They're found all around the island in bays and inlets, 863 00:51:14,240 --> 00:51:18,080 many of them are known only to the fishermen who go after them. 864 00:51:28,680 --> 00:51:31,560 Abalone and crayfish is one of the main specialities 865 00:51:31,560 --> 00:51:33,360 of the local fishing bay. 866 00:51:33,360 --> 00:51:37,040 We see those guys come in and out in remote spots around the coast. 867 00:51:38,560 --> 00:51:41,040 Abalone are sub-sea fat cats. 868 00:51:41,040 --> 00:51:45,280 They lead a jet-set life, gliding about on sunlit rocks, 869 00:51:45,280 --> 00:51:48,920 sucking in the rich nutrients that drift by on the currents. 870 00:52:02,120 --> 00:52:04,800 Who needs runaways when you've got a seaplane? 871 00:52:05,800 --> 00:52:08,120 Abalone grow very slowly. 872 00:52:08,120 --> 00:52:11,200 Scott Palmer and his fellow fishermen don't moan 873 00:52:11,200 --> 00:52:16,040 about fishing quotas - they've asked the government to impose them. 874 00:52:16,040 --> 00:52:21,960 Nobody wants to upset this trade. 25% of all the wild abalone 875 00:52:21,960 --> 00:52:25,720 eaten on earth comes from Tasmania. 876 00:52:25,720 --> 00:52:29,400 To make a fishing trip worthwhile, Scott and his divers stay out 877 00:52:29,400 --> 00:52:34,560 harvesting for days, but to get a sample catch, one dive is enough. 878 00:52:36,160 --> 00:52:40,520 This is what we're looking for, Rick. You trust me? Yep. 879 00:52:43,960 --> 00:52:46,080 So, this is them. 880 00:52:46,080 --> 00:52:49,040 This is our Tasmanian black lip abalone, Rick. 881 00:52:49,040 --> 00:52:53,920 And how do they rate, Tasmanian abalone, in the scheme of abalone? 882 00:52:53,920 --> 00:52:57,240 World's best. Of course! 883 00:52:57,240 --> 00:53:01,240 And where's your biggest market? It's in China. 884 00:53:01,240 --> 00:53:05,440 We have about 70% going live into China now. 885 00:53:05,440 --> 00:53:07,560 Do Aussies eat this? 886 00:53:07,560 --> 00:53:11,560 Um... Melbourne, Sydney in Chinatown you see abalone 887 00:53:11,560 --> 00:53:16,320 but you don't see a lot of abalone in the rest of the restaurants, no. 888 00:53:16,320 --> 00:53:19,520 And why is that, do you think? I think just... 889 00:53:19,520 --> 00:53:20,880 People haven't tasted it. 890 00:53:20,880 --> 00:53:23,440 If it's not cooked properly, it comes out like boot leather. 891 00:53:23,440 --> 00:53:27,800 People kill each other in other parts of the world for abalone! 892 00:53:27,800 --> 00:53:31,200 'It's big business - they fetch around 100 a kilo 893 00:53:31,200 --> 00:53:35,200 'or even more - that's 25 bucks each!' 894 00:53:35,200 --> 00:53:36,880 So how much you come home with? 895 00:53:36,880 --> 00:53:41,120 When these tanks are full, we have got three live tanks on board. 896 00:53:41,120 --> 00:53:43,080 When these are all full of abalone, 897 00:53:43,080 --> 00:53:45,320 she's got six tonne of abalone on board. 898 00:53:45,320 --> 00:53:49,160 Six tonne? Six tonne. Well, that's nearly 300,000! 899 00:53:49,160 --> 00:53:50,760 It's getting close to it. 900 00:53:50,760 --> 00:53:54,760 How often do you go to sea? About 80 to 90 days a year. 901 00:53:54,760 --> 00:53:56,600 Ah, I see! 902 00:53:56,600 --> 00:54:00,440 No wonder you're smiling! Diesel's very dear, Rick! 903 00:54:00,440 --> 00:54:05,080 Oh, come on! That's what fishermen always say! 904 00:54:05,080 --> 00:54:09,000 Scott's sitting pretty as long as the Chinese market remains steady, 905 00:54:09,000 --> 00:54:13,440 but the trick will surely be to alert Australia to what they've got 906 00:54:13,440 --> 00:54:15,040 just off their own coast. 907 00:54:19,880 --> 00:54:23,360 First the meat gets a good bashing to tenderize it. 908 00:54:26,320 --> 00:54:27,360 OK. 909 00:54:31,960 --> 00:54:33,040 There you are. 910 00:54:33,040 --> 00:54:36,920 'Scott's a man after my own heart - keeping seafood simple.' 911 00:54:38,280 --> 00:54:40,520 I'm liking the look of this, I must say. 912 00:54:40,520 --> 00:54:43,360 They've got quite a lot of flavour. 913 00:54:43,360 --> 00:54:46,200 So I don't think you need to do a great deal with them. 914 00:54:46,200 --> 00:54:49,520 We're just about ready to start frying these. 915 00:54:49,520 --> 00:54:51,760 What do you fry them in? In ghee. 916 00:54:51,760 --> 00:54:54,680 Ghee! Indian ghee? Yes. Great. 917 00:54:54,680 --> 00:54:57,640 I like seafood fried in ghee, I picked it up in India. 918 00:54:57,640 --> 00:55:00,160 I thought I could smell ghee. That's very unusual. 919 00:55:01,720 --> 00:55:03,480 I don't cook it really hot. 920 00:55:03,480 --> 00:55:06,240 No, I never do either. You just burn stuff. 921 00:55:06,240 --> 00:55:09,480 They're not far from done. That's quick. 922 00:55:09,480 --> 00:55:11,440 Smells great! 923 00:55:11,440 --> 00:55:12,760 Look at that! 924 00:55:12,760 --> 00:55:16,200 Now, would you like a little bit of salt on that or not? 925 00:55:16,200 --> 00:55:18,520 Yeah, I'll have a bit of salt. 926 00:55:18,520 --> 00:55:22,240 Here, I've got a very good Chardonnay from Tasmania. 927 00:55:22,240 --> 00:55:24,840 Wow! Now you're talking! 928 00:55:24,840 --> 00:55:28,440 Abalone, Chardonnay. We've got the fine china! 929 00:55:28,440 --> 00:55:32,760 Let's go for it. A premium Tasmanian wine. 930 00:55:32,760 --> 00:55:35,040 Good health. Good health. 931 00:55:37,600 --> 00:55:40,080 Oh, that's nice! Really good! 932 00:55:40,080 --> 00:55:43,960 Full of fruit, bit of oak, lovely. And now for this. 933 00:55:46,160 --> 00:55:47,400 Oh! 934 00:55:47,400 --> 00:55:49,520 Tender. You're a seafood cook! 935 00:55:51,280 --> 00:55:53,440 I can't tell you how good that is. 936 00:55:53,440 --> 00:55:55,280 Really, seriously. 937 00:55:55,280 --> 00:55:59,480 If the average Aussie could taste that, they would be converted 938 00:55:59,480 --> 00:56:04,120 instantly. Because it's like a prawn fritter, it's almost as sweet 939 00:56:04,120 --> 00:56:06,880 and as tasty as a prawn. And it's as tender. 940 00:56:06,880 --> 00:56:12,080 You tenderized it so well. That is absolutely delicious. 941 00:56:12,080 --> 00:56:15,760 I love abalone! I'm in love with abalone! 942 00:56:17,560 --> 00:56:22,200 Abalone has got to be the best seafood Australia isn't eating. 943 00:56:22,200 --> 00:56:26,080 And I reckon the Tasmanians should be shouting about them 944 00:56:26,080 --> 00:56:27,440 from the rooftops. 945 00:56:33,440 --> 00:56:35,720 I started this journey with an inkling 946 00:56:35,720 --> 00:56:39,800 that what I call the Australian national palate is changing - 947 00:56:39,800 --> 00:56:43,440 that they're starting to look to what they grow and harvest 948 00:56:43,440 --> 00:56:45,000 in their own backyard. 949 00:56:45,000 --> 00:56:47,600 And I think the Aussies are on the right track. 950 00:56:47,600 --> 00:56:53,040 The foods I've tasted here have been as good as anything, anywhere. 951 00:56:54,600 --> 00:56:58,240 Australia's tended to look towards the rest of the world 952 00:56:58,240 --> 00:57:01,560 for ideas, for materials, for food - 953 00:57:01,560 --> 00:57:05,360 they've tended to import all the best stuff and only now 954 00:57:05,360 --> 00:57:07,840 are they beginning to realise they don't need to do that, 955 00:57:07,840 --> 00:57:12,280 that if they work hard enough at what they're producing here, 956 00:57:12,280 --> 00:57:14,000 the world will look at them. 957 00:57:15,440 --> 00:57:19,200 I came here trying to find my place in the world, and so were they. 958 00:57:20,800 --> 00:57:22,760 We were both very young - 959 00:57:22,760 --> 00:57:26,560 modern, federal Oz was only about 200 years old. 960 00:57:26,560 --> 00:57:31,680 And I've been coming here for a considerable chunk of its existence, 961 00:57:31,680 --> 00:57:35,640 and in that time, it's made me the happier man I am. 962 00:57:36,920 --> 00:57:39,560 There's this optimism about this country 963 00:57:39,560 --> 00:57:44,520 and it's about being a new world and having boundless opportunities 964 00:57:44,520 --> 00:57:48,200 but it always lifts me up whenever I come here. 965 00:57:49,160 --> 00:57:54,240 I think Aussie cuisine is about to take a great leap forward - 966 00:57:54,240 --> 00:57:56,120 well, backwards if you like, 967 00:57:56,120 --> 00:57:58,520 to where it all began, with local. 968 00:57:58,520 --> 00:58:04,280 And with around 2,900,000 square miles of local 969 00:58:04,280 --> 00:58:09,640 to leap into, watch this rather large space. 970 00:58:11,200 --> 00:58:15,520 Next time, in Malaysia, cook and food writer Rachel Khoo 971 00:58:15,520 --> 00:58:18,040 journeys to the heart of her own family history. 972 00:58:18,040 --> 00:58:20,400 Oh! That's my dad! 973 00:58:20,400 --> 00:58:23,400 She goes off the beaten track to find out 974 00:58:23,400 --> 00:58:26,800 whether food can unite a multicultural society. 975 00:58:26,800 --> 00:58:28,240 This is at another level.