Ever really wondered how those chefs produce that beautiful food, to order, on time, day in day out? As part of our chef hacks series, the Sizzle brings you Simon Palmer, head chef at Philip Johnson’s famous and very acclaimed E’cco, in Brisbane.
While the industry is replete with dreadful stories of crazy chefs and sometimes unforgiveable slip-ups, on the whole? I find that the young chefs of today are knowledgeable, committed, and kind. They love their vocation, stick at it with a passion that overrides the down sides, and are happy to share their skills.
What more could you want? That we dive deep into these kitchens and bring you the best we can. Into the hot, noisy and busy furnace that makes dining exciting, and sometimes, a thing of wonder. If you try these dishes at home, just remember that timing is the most important thing in cooking anything. And timing is easier for chefs who cook day in, day out. Good chefs never stop learning – that’s one of the bonuses of being involved in such a strong and dynamic industry.
Here’s just one chef who’s damn good at his job, and loves his spot in its world.
Simon Palmer is now heading Philip’s brigade at E’cco, and entrusted with keeping up the high standard that Philip has set for his signature business. Simon started in Newcastle, and headed straight into the high end with some years at Bacca’s, Urbane, and Gerard’s.
Simon loves the modern techniques that spearhead the new wave of cooking, and the sustainable ethic that’s marking more and more businesses. The respect for the produce, and using whole beasts, nose to tail.
I’m not even going to list the recipes here, because Simon talks us through each element. For the blog, I’ve had to heavily edit time wise our session, but in the interests of spreading the knowledge and Simon’s generous sharing his dish and its preparation, you can sign up soon to join our community and watch the entire session on line, with the list of ingredients he uses for each element.
Happy viewing, and if you feel inspired, go right ahead and try your version of Simon’s dish. And never forget, don’t lose the fun in the execution.
*Next month, Sizzle launches our new subscription-only site, so you get every second of these experts talking to you, the full background of each dish, and sharing the wisdom, the techniques. There’ll be videos and posts on wine, tips for chefs and staff on how to de-stress and cope with the endless pressure, and if you’re a business owner, or just an interested foodie, there’ll be lots there for you too.
Chrissie
