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The taste of Avery Island A story of 3 ingredients that shaped the culinary world
H
ave you ever heard of a man by the name of Edmund McIllhenny? His name may not be as prevalent in society as Thomas Edison or Leonardo Da Vinci but Edmund McIllheny was an inventor too. He created something that is found in restaurants around the globe, and that adds an extra dimension and heat to your meals. Guessed yet? He’s the man who created a rather special something on Avery Island in Louisiana, way back in 1868 and it’s something that has remained virtually unchanged ever since. Using only 3 ingredients - peppers, vinegar and salt - and aged for up to 3 years, Edmund McIllhenny is the man who created one of the most distinctive and widely embraced sauces in professional and home kitchens around the world; his invention – Tabasco Sauce. Tabasco has always been the sauce you can add to a meal that compliments and lifts flavours when used in moderation, all without masking the taste. As we’re sure you’ve read in our sauce feature (page 28), chefs love what it brings to a dish and understand the true range and distinctive flavour that only Tabasco can impart. We spoke with Matt McConnell of Bar Lourinhã in Melbourne about his venue, the roles pepper sauces play in his food and if you jump onto HospitalityMagazine.com.au, you can experience the amazing flavours of the recipes. Matt draws a lot of his inspiration from experiences he has encountered over the years and when developing menus he works very closely with farmers and suppliers. Having flexibility and adaptability allows him to use ingredients that may only be in season or at their best for a very short time. With first-hand experience with Eastern and Moorish influences of the Iberian Peninsula, Matt incorporates spice and heat on many levels throughout the menu. This is evident especially in the recipes we have for you, where Matt uses Tabasco Green Sauce as a light marinade for tuna and also incorporated it into a lime dressing that accompanies it. “Tabasco Green Sauce is my favourite as it has a really mild heat with a lingering flavour that marries well with lime,” said Matt. “It’s also great with a very high grade fish like Yellowfin Tuna.” For the carne cruda, another raw meat dish, he has used Tabasco Original Red Sauce as a seasoning agent for the meat. Visit tabascosauce.com.au for more inspiration.
September 2016 Hospitality 31