René Redzepi's adventures in Sydney, Australia

René Redzepi travelled to Sydney, Australia, for the start of the Crave Sydney International Food Festival (until 31 October) during which he also promoted his book Noma: Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine. Cookbook editor Laura Gladwin went with him and reports on the days, dinners and foraging.  

Redzepi's adventures started with a trip to Middle Head Park on Sydney's North Shore with local chef and foraging expert, Mike Eggert.  The following day began with a fishy breakfast with Masterchef presenter Matt Preston, who took Redzepi to the local fish market in central Sydney.  Then, to the puzzlement of passers-by and curious pelicans, Redzepi proceeded to pick leaves from gum trees and bottle brushes in the car park.

He cooked the seafood at the market’s fish school kitchen, brushing them with a marinade of oil, soy sauce and lime juice before steaming them lightly in a large bamboo steamer filled with the gum tree leaves, bottle brush flowers, lemon grass, coriander, strips of lemon and lime zest and Asian greens.