DARREN PURCHESE - My AUSTRALIA
Darren Purchese is one of the most sought after, creative and respected chefs working in Australia today, renowned for his exquisite and extravagant sweet & savoury creations. He is the celebrity chef behind the online popular recipe and food news platform Studio Kitchen, a regular fixture on Masterchef Australia, co-judge on The Great Australian Bake Off, ambassador of the AFL team Sydney Swans and as a contestant in the upcoming Channel 10 reality TV show Dessert Masters.
Where is your favourite Aussie getaway?
We are so lucky here in Australia as you could spend your entire life exploring this incredible country and still not see it all. I love to visit places I haven’t been before but one of the places I return to as often as possible is Tasmania. The island is pristine, beaches are fab, and the food scene is so good. Local producers are exceptional with world class seafood, wines, truffles, cheese and more. My trips to Tassie always include a food destination like King Island, Bruny Island, or the East Coast. I have a trip booked to Flinders Island in next year where I plan on foraging, cooking, and eating. I will be filming and writing recipes for my Studio Kitchen website, and I am staying at a place called the Crayshack on Killiecrankie Beach. I can’t wait to catch some Crayfish and Abalone to cook up on one of the beautiful beaches.
Are you an Aussie Winter or Aussie Summer man and why?
I am a summer man for sure and not just because of the weather allowing me to go to the beach, but because of the amazing produce in season. I love mangoes, stonefruits and fresh summer veggies. The beach is my happy place and a swim on a hot day is perfection to me. Having said that, as a foodie I love all the seasons and especially enjoy citrus in abundance during the winter. I could see myself moving to Tasmania one day and the summers there are amazing, not too hot but good for a beach day. I also spend two months a year in Sydney during late Winter and early Spring and love beach walks and swims on the Sydney beaches.
Why does Australian food have such a strong global reputation?
Aussies love food and love embracing multicultural influences and letting them sing in their food. I believe that we are uninhibited by hundreds of years of food tradition like France or Italy which means we are always inventing our own cuisine that is unique and delicious. We have brought our café culture to the world and our cuisine seems tropical, free and fun to the outside world. Our produce is sensational too and our producers make world class products like wine, cheese, bread, seafood and much more. More use of indigenous ingredients would only enhance our reputation on the global food stage.
What’s your favourite dessert?
That is too hard to answer, but of course, it is the question I am asked most! I love desserts that are balanced in sweetness, nothing too sweet or rich and I love desserts that include seasonal fruit. I love tang and zest so in Winter my favourite dessert would be a perfectly cooked lemon tart (or yuzu if I am lucky). In Summer a juicy peach or apricot poached with a sweet wine and served with lemon verbena cream is sublime. Springtime something like a Rum Baba with seasonal fruit compote and cream is delicious and in Autumn I start to cook with one of my fave ingredients Pears, perhaps in a caramelised tart tatin.
Give us Darren’s “must do’s” to remember when making a dessert?
Plan your dish, research the recipe and be exact when you measure your ingredients. Try to source great quality ingredients that are in season where possible. Think about how you want the dessert or cake to look before you start the dish and work towards your plan. When making a dessert try to think about incorporating different contrasts in temperature, texture and flavour. Also try not to overcomplicate and let the flavours of your ingredients sing!
What can people expect to see in the new season of Dessert Masters?
You can expect to see some seriously talented pastry chefs from all over the country. The calibre of chefs is so high and that is great for our industry. Personally, I plan on using every single second to try to produce eye catching and delicious desserts with my trademark style of multiple components. I will be running fast and attempting to make as many yummy elements as I can. I am sorry for all the washing up I will create but I will go toe to toe with some brilliant pastry chefs and contribute to what will be a celebration of Australian food talent. As one of the older competitors, I am keen to see if I can keep up with some of the younger chefs. It’s going to be a cracker of a competition.
