Gabriela FERNANDEZ

Direction by Gabriela Fernandez

The NEW age in culinary

Meet one of Sydney’s most renowned culinary directors

PRIMAVERA

Creative

I Model I Angel Fernandez

Gabriela

Studying a Bachelor of Design in Creative Direction and Styling at Whitehouse Institute of Design, Gabriela’s trademark as a creative, is a fusion of her environment, being Western Sydney, and its lifestyle that represents an array of diverse cultures and art forms. Alongside the rich culture embedded in the visual identity of her influences, another sense to highlight is taste. Since 2019, Gabriela has worked closely with her father within the hospitality industry where a spark of interest within the food realm ignited. An upbeat yet minimalistic style and approach with a refreshing outlook through her personal experience.

‘PRIMAVERA’ is an ode to the relationship Gabriela has with the Culinary Arts and lifestyle in hospitality. This food and lifestyle magazine aspires to merge both of these worlds together. In essence, the editorial explores multiple narratives based on the hard work within the industry of food. Taking visual cues from current trends throughout the design world, the styling is clean and rich in textures; this ultimately presents the application of colour in food with a Spring/Summer feel. Throughout this editorial, she communicates the parallels of a chefs kitchen; the tools and the intensity behind the curtains, in contrast to the sweetness of her childhood with her father. The informed creative direction is influenced by Angel Fernandez a culinary director to be celebrated, as someone who has watched him use his passion to create art through food in many famous Australian restaurants.

I have featured the process in making a menu, the end creation of a dish and a profile on Culinary Director Angel Fernandez.

Photography I Gabriela Fernandez

Decor in Botswana Butchery Sydney I Photography I Gabriela Fernandez

What is it that you like about working with fire/wood?

“Fire? What is there not to like about fire? Fire was the beginning of it all, I think going back to my childhood it was always present. We lived in the southern part of Chile for a long time, there was no gas, well there was but it wasn’t strong enough to warm up houses so they would have their cast iron stoves fuelled by wood. At parties, all I remember was that we would gather around the fire watching these crucified animals cook. Then when we moved to Australia, dad kept going with the tradition and refused to cook his bbq on gas, and a matter of fact until now he still has his big half of tin parrilla he made 30 something years ago.

So when I got asked to join Neil Perry on his new venture(the Rockpool Bar & Grill ) 17 years ago, I went straight away, we were the pioneers in Australia, no one had heard of having a humongous fire pit in the middle of the kitchen. So now I could never go back, in fact the second Dante in West Village New York which is one of the restaurants I set up it has no stoves just a big fire pit and the biggest Josper charcoal oven and all food is related to that”

Angel Fernandez

TAP OUT

What is it about food that brings out your passions?

“I think it relates to family; I have been very lucky to have a family who loves food. Since I remember I’ve been surrounded by people who loved to cook, my grandmother on my dad’s side had 10 children, she cooked for all of them plus found time to cook at a college for a hundred more (for a living). We would gather at her house, all help prepare for these massive meals. It was beautiful seeing a family of over 40 people helping and then sitting down to a meal that they all helped prepared. We conversed, laughed, and really enjoyed sharing.

I tried to do the same with my children, often when I used to cook at home, they would be involved So, I can firmly say that it brings people together and I love people, that’s what drives me.”

What’s this year’s Spring Menu like for Primavera?

“Well, I think on these three dishes I tried to capture as much of spring as possible, berries, green vegetables, and flowers. I think Spring bring us different smells, colours and textures and its one of the more exciting seasons in the year.”

What do you enjoy most about your career?

I think its probably seeing people happy after eating at any of the restaurants I run, also I love being in kitchens, I love the people who work in them, I love my teams, I enjoy seeing them grow. The buzz during service, the performance. I think all that has impregnated in me, its in my blood now.”

Angel Fernandez

In the zone

gem of the sea

Premium Quality Oysters

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By selecting and grading their oysters from the 60+ farms in the Australia’s Oyster Coast (AOC) family. They can ensure that only the most beautiful oysters will be awarded Appellation status on that particular day.

Botswana

Butchery Sydney I Photography I Gabriela Fernandez

CONNECTING WITH HYDROPONICS

COOKING WITH URBAN GREEN FARMING

Who they are?

Urban Green Sydney is Sydney’s first commercial indoor farm. They specialise in microgreens and sprouts, but have plans to start farming small lettuces and other baby greens. Started in 2016, and now supply product to many different restaurants around Sydney.

“Our goal is to be able to supply the local marketplace with sustainable, guilt-free, affordable plant products. Everything from the packaging, to the growing medium, to the way we deliver, is based on having as little environmental impact as possible.” Urban Green owner states

Why Urban Green?

As Urban Green states “Soon, almost 70 % of the human population will be living in urban centres. Among the most pressing challenges is how we are going to grow enough food to sustain such large numbers of people. Urban farming will therefore be an extremely important part of the solution.

But it’s not enough to simply grow food - the process must also be sustainable, and be based on creating as little environmental impact as possible. Head over to our sustainability section to learn more about our business model and our ambitions to be 100 % sustainable.”

Urban Green Sydney I Photography I Gabriela Fernandez

Botswana Butchery Sydney I Photography I Gabriela Fernandez

Botswana Butchery Sydney I

Photography I

Gabriela Fernandez

GREEN TOMATO SALAD & GARLIC FLOWERS

INGREDIENTS

2 x medium size green tomatoes

30mls mustard dressing 40g tomato jelly

10 sprigs micro-tarragon 10small sprigs of dill 40g buffalo curds

8 garlic chives flowers (white)

4 society garlic flowers (purple)

1 pinch salt

1 drizzle extra virgin olive oil

For the Curds

8 Litres Buffalo Milk 350 ml pouring cream 22 g salt

11 g liquid vegetable rennet 30ml spring water

For the Jelly

1Litre tomato water

7 sheets gelatine 2 t/s salt

0.5 t/s sugar

METHOD: Curds

Place milk, cream, and salt in a pot. At medium heat bring to 78 degrees and quickly place on an ice bath. Bring temperature down to 41 degrees and remove from ice. Add the rennet diluted in the water and let it sit for 1 hour. Cut across the curds so they start releasing the way and let it sit for ½ hour. Strain the curds

Tomato Jelly

Bring tomato water to the boil/ meanwhile soak the gelatine leaves in cold water. Add the salt, sugar, and gelatine. Whisk. Strain and let it set in a shallow tray.

To Assemble the salad

Slice the 2 tomatoes to 1/3 cm thickness and season with salt. Arrange tomatoes in a circle on the centre of the plate, overlapping each other. Once you have a perfect circle, arrange curds, jelly, and mustard dressing in blobs. Then arrange flowers and herbs finalising with a good drizzle of olive

Photography I Gabriela Fernandez

ROASTED DUCK BREAST WITH STAR ANISE & LAVENDER

2 x medium size green tomatoes Ingredients

1 x Aylesbury Duck Crown 300 ml Chifa Marinade 50 g blueberries 50 ml Duck Sauce

1 x Star Anise 2 x lavender flowers

2 Parsnips 100 g Butter Salt/ Pepper

METHOD

For the parsnip puree

Peel and chop parsnip into 3cm pieces.Place in a pot with butter and salt and cover with water. Cook at a medium heat until soft.Strain and blend until smooth custard consistency. Adjust seasoning

The sauce

Place sauce in a pot with 1 lavender flower and star anise/bring to the boil and infuse for 5 min. Add blueberries and serve.

The duck

Poach Crown in salted boiling water for 30 seconds and let it cool down on a rack. Once this is cooled place in the fridge to dry out for 12 hours.Then taste every hour with the chifa Marinade for another 6 hours. Then roast at 200 degrees for 12 mins and let it rest for 15 mins. Place 3 blobs of the parsnip sauce on a large white plate. Carve one of the breasts from the crown slice in half lengthways an arrange on top of the parsnip. Bring anise and lavender infused duck sauce to the boil and place the blueberries. Drizzle sauce over each duck piece making sure there are about 10-12 blueberries scattered around. Garnish with lavender petals

STRAWBERRY & ROSE CHAJA’

INGREDIENTS

1 x small sponge cake

50gm strawberry and rose gel

1 tin Dulce de leche 50 g strawberry and rose compote 3 x meringue shells

Strawberry and Rose gel

1 x punnet strawberries 100ml Rose water 100gm sugar 6 gelatine leaves

Mascarpone Mousse

375gms mascarpone 50gm Icing sugar 200gm pure cream 10gm vanilla essence For the crystallised rose petals 10 organic rose petals 1 egg white 100g caster sugar

Compote

1 x punnet of strawberries 30ml Rose water 50g icing sugar

METHOD

Strawberry gel

Chop strawberries, mix with sugar, rose water and cook till soft. Soak gelatine in cold water when it is soft drain and squeeze. Add gelatine to the hot strawberry mix and blend till smooth. Set the jelly in a shallot tray, once it is set blend again to a smooth mixture

Mascarpone Mousse

Whip mascarpone with the sugar and vanilla essence. Then whip cream to a soft peak and fold through mascarpone. Place in a piping bag

Crystalized rose petals

Whisk the egg white a little so it is a runny mixture, brush each petal with the egg whites making sure all surface is covered. Dust the sugar over the petals making sure it all sticks to the petal. Using tweezers place petals on a tray line with greaseproof paper. Dry them over night

Compote

Dice the strawberries, then add the icing sugar and lime and let it rest to macerate

The chaja’

Cut the sponge cake across in sheet of about 1cm thickness. Then cut them again into 6cm circles. Place them into a 6cm ring and layer them with the gel, dulce de leche and mascarpone mousse.Then freeze for a couple of hours, take them out the ring and place the layered cake inti a 8cm ring. Fill the gap with more mascarpone mousse and freeze again, take the cake out of the rings.Cut in half and decorate with the compote, more gel and the crystalized roses

Photography I Gabriela Fernandez

Photography I Gabriela Fernandez I Models I Sebastian Fernandez, Angel Fernandez

Botswana Butchery I Photography I Gabriela Fernandez

Photography I Gabriela Fernandez I Botswana Butchery Sydney