Lilydale has partnered with famous chefs to share the flavourful regional producers who inspire them, appearing in a new cooking platform called ‘Cooking with Lily.’
Australia’s “favourite” free-range chicken, Lilydale, has partnered with The Cook Up’s Adam Liaw, ‘Masterchef’s’ Brendan Pang and well known food creator Jessica Nguyen to hero regional producers who put their heart and soul into growing local ingredients, and ultimately inspire Australians to return to the kitchen with gusto through its inspirational food hub ‘Cooking with Lily.’
Almost a third (32%) of Australians found themselves reigniting their love for cooking, with two-thirds admitting they had a desire to continue creating meals from scratch more often (source: IRI analysis, Covid-19 Shopper Survey; May 2020).
Lilydale has worked with cooks including two of the ‘MasterChef’ alumni to create inspirational videos mapping their ‘taste trails’ across Australia. Each episode sees a chef visit regional producers and dedicated farms in and across Australia, providing tips and tricks along the way to make sure your experience is smooth, simple and tastes as the chef created it.
The episodes are housed on the website, along with flavour-punch chicken recipes and expert tips from the chefs themselves.
Adam Liaw discovers the best garlic in NSW
Adam Liaw’s dedication to taste can be found three hours north of Sydney in the Hunter Valley.
He said: “I’ve travelled the world, hungry for inspiration. It was found right on my doorstep in the Hunter Valley. I often visit the local farmers here for ingredients for my dishes. Each producer is dedicated to one thing, which makes them incredible at what they do.”
During his time in the Hunter, Mr Liaw visited Bellbird Garlic, a small family-run farm that organically grows giant garlic, and specialises in processing it into cold smoked and black garlic.
Peter and Michelle Forster from Bellbird Garlic swapped their suburban home on the Central Coast for the idyllic Hunter Valley NSW five years ago. They said: “We were originally only going to sell fresh and smoked garlic, but after we tasted Black Garlic at a market, we were hooked.”
Inspired by Taste Trails, Mr Liaw created the Black Garlic Chimichurri and Farm Salad. “Black Garlic is a unique ingredient often used for flavour in various Asian cuisines for centuries. With its softer, molasses-like flavour, it’s a more delicate option to your chicken dish compared to the raw bulb.”
Jessica Nguyen uncovered the Black Truffle in the Yarra Valley, Victoria
Famous for its wine and gourmet cuisine, Jessica Nguyen visited a range of growers in the Victorian region of Yarra Valley one hour north-east of Melbourne, to take inspiration for her distinctive dish.
Stuart, the owner of Yarra Valley Truffles, one of Victoria’s longest-serving producers of the culinary delicacy, said: “After experiencing a truffle mashed potato at a restaurant I was so impressed by their flavour and aroma that I started a farm.”
“In the orchard, our truffle dog Lani helps us find which ones are ready to harvest. Once she scents a truffle, she communicates with us in several ways as to its exact location and ripeness.”
After exploring the best produce in the Yarra Valley, Ms Nguyen was inspired to create Gin Brined and Truffle Stuffed Whole Roasted Chicken with a Mushroom & Gin Gravy.
“Black Truffle is an excellent complement to anything, and will be the star of any dish you add it to. Paired with the Four Pillars Gin, you’ll create the perfect brine for your chicken with the juniper and lemon myrtle smells coming through. You can see the effort all these farmers go to, making sure their product is the freshest.”
Brendan Pang finds one of the most unique supplies in the Margaret River region, WA
Home to passionate producers that inspire the senses, Perth-born Brendan Pang travelled around Margaret River searching for the freshest ingredients for his Fried Macadamia Crusted Chicken with a Sticky Honey Glaze and a Fresh Asian Green Salad.
To source the freshest green leaves for his salad, Mr Pang visited the Margaret River Aquafarm in Forest Grove, an aquaponic farm expressly set up dedicated to creating pure healthy produce, free of pesticides, with a commitment to reducing water and farm waste.
John Bowskill from Margaret River Aquafarm said: “When I first told people I was starting to grow fresh produce with fish waste, they were definitely sceptical. Fast forward a couple of years and the future of the Earth’s climate and global food supplies are uncertain. It’s starting to make more sense to those around me.”
After exploring the region to find his ingredients, Mr Pang said: “Margaret River is my foodie heaven as it’s home to some of the country’s best producers. My Grandmere taught me that there is nothing better than fresh, local produce and I’ve kept this mentally since I started cooking.”
To make it even easier to create dishes at home, people can now scan Lilydale products and be automatically directed to the hub to get inspired and purchase the ingredients they need.
Discover more recipes with Lilydale’s new cooking experience ‘Cooking with Lily.’
