Celebrity chef Darren Robertson shares his guide to seasonal cooking

Celebrity chef Darren Robertson has shared his guide to seasonal cooking – from his go-to sauces and pickled vegetables to his simple roast chicken recipe.

The Byron Bay co-owner of Three Blue Ducks restaurants said having a well-stocked fridge full of his favourite condiments is his secret cooking shortcut for boosting the flavours of any dish, especially when he’s time poor.

‘Arm yourself with condiments, with a fridge full of sauerkraut, kimchi, hot sauce, mustards, XO, you can make something work in no time,’ Darren told Daily Mail Australia.

Green chicken recipe 

INGREDIENTS

1 x 1.2 kg chicken, cut into 8 pieces

zest and juice of 1 lime

Marinade:

100 g coriander stalks

50 g parsley stalks

3 garlic cloves, peeled

50 g fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

100 ml grapeseed oil

1 long red chilli, halved

30 ml soy sauce

METHOD

1. For the marinade, blend the ingredients in a food processor. Rub the marinade onto the chicken pieces. 

2. Put the chicken in a dish, cover and refrigerate overnight. If you can’t leave it overnight, at least marinate it for 3 hours for the flavours to get going.

3. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.

4. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

5. Place the roasting chicken in a pan and roast for 20–25 minutes until cooked.

6. Remove the chicken from the oven, cover and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

7. Season with a little more salt, pour over the lime juice, scatter with the lime zest and pan juices and serve.

Source: Three Blue Ducks 

When it comes to cooking seasonally, Darren said the best thing to do is visit a farmer’s market so you can find the best produce. 

‘For me, I like to see what’s around and good at the time, anything that is in season is exciting, especially if I’ve never cooked with it before,’ he said.

‘Keep it simple, let the ingredients shine. During these colder months, slow cooked comforting food, slow braises, stews and soups are the go.’

As with cooking, he said you should always taste as you go.

‘Keep tasting, many cooks forget to taste their food, enjoy every step of the process and it’ll be hard to do wrong,’ he said. 

To cook chicken, beef or lamb to perfection, he said there are three basic steps to follow that will make a huge difference to the dish. 

‘Season before and after cooking, let the protein come up to temperature before cooking, rest the protein before carving so it relaxes and retains its juices,’ he said.

The co-owner of Three Blue Ducks restaurants said having a well-stocked fridge full of his favourite condiments is his secret cooking shortcut for boosting the flavours of any dish 

For the perfect roast dinner in winter, Darren suggested: ‘Plan ahead, be organised, don’t over complicate anything.

‘Prep ahead so you can relax when guests arrive. Cook something you’ve tried before, and liked, I like a good old roast chook. Turn up the music. Don’t panic. Most importantly, have fun.’

Darren Robertson was among the incredible line-up of top chefs who cooked up a storm at the 2021 Tasting Australia presented by RAA Travel across Adelaide and regional South Australia earlier this year.

Following the success of the food festival, the inaugural Tasting Australia Winter Series is set to launch from July 1 to 31, showcasing the state’s seasonal produce.

‘The series has been designed to highlight and promote South Australian eating and drinking venues and to celebrate the best seasonal produce that this time of year has to offer,’ festival director Simon Bryant said.

‘We want to inspire people to get out and about this winter, to travel regionally and discover a new side of their favourite South Australian products and venues.’