masterclass with brent savage, carriageworks farmers' market

Masterclass with Brent Savage at Carriageworks was one good cooking class (or mini cooking class, I should say). The event was sponsored by SMEG appliances and hosted by Pat Nourse. He is a food critic and food writer at Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine as their chef restaurant critic and deputy editor. Toby (the head chef of Yellow) was there, too.

I have so much respect for Brent Savage and his teams at Bentley Restaurant and Bar and Yellow (his fully vegetarian restaurant). I love his fresh and different approach to cooking vegetables. He’s like our own Yotam Ottolenghi, when you think about it. I just wish that Brent Savage was as prolific in the cookbook writing space as Ottolenghi. He only has one cookbook which he signed for me on the day and it’s not a vegetarian one.

Anyway, at the end of the day, this event was something I wouldn’t want to miss. It’s a shame, John got sick just before the event and didn’t get a chance to see it. He would’ve loved it as much as I did. But, I took a friend with me instead and even though she is not a vegetarian, she thoroughly enjoyed it. Like I always say; it’s much better to show people what’s possible than preach vegetarianism or veganism.

The venue, Carriageworks, is another story, Peoples. It’s been renovated with its natural shape and character still attached. It’s a great place to host events like this one and you have the farmers’ market outside as well.

OK, let’s talk about what Brent Savage cooked on the day. Because we were given a recipe booklet and a pencil to scribble down our own notes, I have them all.

Recipes that Brent Savage cooked on the day were:
Roast Celeriac + Nettle + Hazelnut
Charred Heirloom Zucchini + Mustard + Seaweed
Watermelon Radish + Goats Curd + Plum
Fermented Strawberries + Licorice Honeycomb + Vanilla Cream (this is what we had a chance to try during the show)

My Notes from Masterclass with Brent Savage
• Do not boil your vegetables. Vegetables do not belong in boiling water. Boiling vegetables is the number one reason why the flavour gets dull.
• Intensify the flavours. If you have apples in your salad, for example, intensify the apple flavour by adding apple juice to your salad dressing.
• Use every part of the vegetable like leaves, flowers, shoots, roots.

About Brent Savage
Brent Savage is chef and co-owner of four highly regarded Sydney establishments – Bentley Restaurant + Bar, Monopole, Cirrus and Yellow, which in 2013 transitioned into a fully vegetarian menu, Brent is considered one of Australia’s most respected chefs and restaurateurs, with a reputation for creating inventive food with contrasting flavours and textures. He has been voted Sydney Morning Herald’s Chef of the Year and his restaurants have collectively been awarded seven stars in the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide, and seven hats in the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide.

Note: What’s not included in his background here is, his wife is vegetarian.