Until April 15, Australia boasts of its way of life in France with its “Australia Now” cultural season, punctuated by dozens of events in France. And the kitchen has been part of this orchestrated operation since June 2021. In Paris, the embassy invited the coffee shop Fitzroy, one of the few establishments in the capital claiming its Australian roots, to offer cups of filter coffee to customers of the BHV du Marais district, until February 27. In September 2021, the Carreau du Temple dedicated the fifth edition of the Food Temple festival to Australian flavors. On the program, realization of “meat pie” (meat pie), tasting of Australian wagyu beef grilled on the barbecue and natural wines of the country. The avowed project of the Australian ambassador to France, Gillian Bird: to defend “the best of Australian gastronomy”. But, by the way, does Australian gastronomy exist?
“Art of good food”, proposes Robert as the definition of gastronomy. However, for many French people, Australian cuisine, often likened to simple grilled meats heavily washed down with beer, is far too simple to be elevated to the rank of art. “It’s true that we don’t really have a culinary tradition, our own techniques, or even a real national specialty apart from pavlova… which is also found in New Zealand”concedes the head of the Australian embassy in France, Katherine Witbreuk, who participated in the event at the Carreau du Temple.
At his side, the cook Luke MacLeod, originally from the Sunshine Coast, at the eastern end of Australia, nods with a smile: “We don’t have many typical products either, apart from macadamia nuts and Vegemite, a spread that tastes like a very salty broth and which the French generally find disgusting the first time they try! »
Sambal of anchovies and quince jam mixed with kaffir lime
For a long time, Australian chefs kept a low profile in French kitchens. “We were intimidated by France”, admits Luke MacLeod. But that time is over. The 40-year-old now assumes his origins in an old farmhouse in the village of Galan (Hautes-Pyrénées), transformed into a beautiful table, the Sandikala. He can cook beef on the barbecue, or use wild Manuka honey, harvested in Australia’s national parks. It offers mixed dishes: anchovy sambal, sambal being a spicy sauce used in Indonesia and Malaysia, quince jam combined with kaffir lime, a citrus fruit native to Indonesia, wok cooking boosted with Thai spices , daring sweet and savory proposals like this vinaigrette combining honey and balsamic vinegar.
Australian cuisine is indeed an adventurous cuisine that nests in that of others, and tinkers with the products it has on hand, wherever it is. “We have experienced incessant waves of migration since the Second World War: English, Chinese, Italian, Vietnamese… We are used to dealing with all traditions”underlines Thomas Vickers, who opened a tiny establishment, Inform Café, in November 2021, a few strides from the Arc de Triomphe.
The 42-year-old Australian chef, Californian cap screwed on his head, claims a cuisine without taboos. It offers a Hokkaido burger that combines homemade brioche buns prepared using Asian techniques, marinated pulled pork and Mexican ketchup. And, to quench your thirst, an “espresso tonic”: a double espresso cut with tonic, lemon juice and zest. Believe it or not, these blends are particularly successful. And, if culinary crossbreeding is an art, then yes, Australian gastronomy does exist.