Page 45 - foodservice magazine September 2018

TRADE TALK
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“Finger limes, the caviar of citrus, add a zing that can balance out the flavour when paired with a sweet dessert. And quandong, a small desert peach, and wild rosella flowers are other native ingredients with unique flavours that are wonderful to work with and incorporate into my desserts.”
DESIGNING A MENU
When devising a new dessert menu, Eldridge, Polyviou and Langudas each have a unique set of criteria that they work by.
Having been raised in the Philippines, and seeing his career take him around the world, Langudas feels priviledged to have built “a collective cookbook of different flavours and techniques”. And with the convention and exhibition spaces of ICC Sydney in mind, it’s crucial for Langudas that his desserts cater to dining groups of different sizes, resources and dietary intolerances. Accordingly, his extensive tool box of ideas is put to good use while taking “taste, seasonality, visual appeal and production” into equal consideration. From there he is able to create “a great fusion of flavours”.
Above: ‘Cherry On Top’ - an Anna Polyviou creation, which can be found in her new cookbook, Sweet Street, published by Murdoch Books.
Below (L-R): Anna Polyviou; Jerry Langudas; and Lauren Eldridge.
In many ways, Polyviou is a traditionalist. Following the mastering of a classic dessert, she likes to add her own brand of creativity, either in the way of ingredients or design. Take the humble apple crumble, hers is “an apple crumble in an apple shape with cinnamon, caramelised white chocolate, vanilla, apple and ginger. I like to give people what they want but with a modern twist.”
For that same reason, Polyviou enjoys working with vanilla, putting it in everything, even a sauce or a savoury dish. “It’s really a neutral flavour and beautiful to eat, and I’ve never heard anyone say they don’t like it. Sometimes I dry out the seed and pod in the oven or dehydrator, then grind it with a coffee grinder and then mix it into salt or sugar.”
Eldridge’s philosophy has stayed strong throughout her career. Starting out in Sydney and working for five years as Mark Best’s pastry chef, she has been heavily influenced by the former Marque and Pei Modern chef ’s approach to food.
“He is self-taught,” she says, “and pushed me to become the same, always encouraging me to find solutions and come up with
ideas myself. Without him my dessert-style and technique would not be what it is today.”
Over time, Eldridge honed her approach to be minimalistic and seasonal while emphasising skill, creativity and sustainability. “At Stokehouse St Kilda, I am more mindful than ever of keeping it local and reducing waste. In Victoria, the geographical distribution differs to New South Wales, with more farms closer to the city. This means the amount of local produce I can use is ever-increasing.”
GETTING TECHNICAL
With education, training and imagination, pillars for each Edlridge, Polyviou and Langudas, it’s no wonder the three have created such extraordinary treats.
ICC Sydney’s menu collection provides clients with a varied collection of desserts to choose from. Some of the venue’s most popular items includes the golden gaytime mousse with caramel honey comb, and coconut and lemongrass tapioca with mango lime jelly, mango and pineapple salad, and mango lime sorbet.
And while chocolate is his favourite ingredient to cook
“I think Australians are really keen to eat food that has had less intervention by the chefs and is a bit more recognisable. It creates a real challenge
as a chef to constantly push yourself to provide the customers with something that is simple yet innovative.”