twisted.tales - Sean Connelly, CRAVE 2010

  sean connelly, seans kitchen

crave, sydney international food festival 2010,

contemporary creative showcase program

sunday, 10th october 2010 written by sally  t. ridden

 

Over the last 6 years Sean Connelly’s career catapulted into an astral phenomenon. Born in Yorkshire 43 yrs ago he learnt early on he was interested in cooking and when politely asked to leave college, he started in a kitchen of cooking creatives – testosterone, tattoos and toothless chefs. Working on the QE2 for 18-20 months, traveling he fell in love with Australia and has been here for 23 years with his wife Jo (nicknamed the longest suffering Jo) and now has 3 kids.   Anything Sean does at home in his kitchen, he brings into the restaurant kitchen.

 

Sean created a simply beautiful Lobster Burger, with buns purposely baked to fit the brightly hued cooked lobster. Without politically offending the audience by first naming or numbering the lobster, the luxe burger was all inclusive of equal portions of indulgent ethical foie gras and french butter, a true heart stopping dish with only 180g of each. The piled high watercress, the preferred leaf of choice by Sean, with its pepper light flavour highlighting the dish is dressed in chardonnay vinaigrette.  The few lucky audience members who got to sample the end result, did not allow us any photo moments whilst they devoured the burger. You can order the burger from the menu at Sean’s Kitchen.

The King Salmon (which was actually ocean trout), is preferred to Atlantic Salmon, unfortunately it has not been readily available to the public over the last 18 months.  The trout had been marinated overnight in a light consommé stock, and a good chardonnay for a rich creamy velvet mouth fill along with one of Sean’s favourite spices, Star Anise and a little bay leaf, so as not to overpower.  The tasting sample dish, had been smoked with an appliance that looks very similar to illegal smoking paraphernalia.  The trout had sat wafting in the smoke for approx 3-4 mins, along with the blanched translucent sago pearls (an extracted starch which can be interchangeable with Tapioca)  infused in Simon Johnson chamomile tea, preferred due to its hints of orange, and the lemon crème fraîche topped with pretty sweet pea tendrils was presented to us each with its own smoking cone.   A total sensory experience, visually exciting, smoke wafting into your face, glistening delicate trout, a mouth fill of layers of rich creamy velvet, black salt, butter, sweet and lemon.