Image courtesy of Aron Habiger, @a_ronthechef
No worries, that’s just a hashtag often used by Aron Habiger, one of the chefs who recently took a trip Down Under to see Aussie beef and lamb up close. Aron is an industry vet now enjoying the freedom of the pop-up dinner scene in Los Angeles and Orange County with Feastly and other partners. We caught up with him to talk Aussie lamb, and find out about a dish he prepared with us recently at an event in Palm Desert. The dish: “Harissa-rubbed rack of lamb with chickpeas and charred romaine lettuce.”
“We definitely went all-in with the umami on this dish! I love harissa in general, and find it a lot more versatile than people give it credit for. It’s so much more than a Middle Eastern flavor; it goes great with fish sauce, for instance! The fish sauce (even just a few shakes) not only gives you those savory, umami notes, but the sugars in there caramelize beautifully on the grill or in the oven. Because the lamb is so lean, it can take a little added fat around it, so we browned the butter on the grill, and steeped kombu and mushrooms in it for even more earthy, umami flavor, then used it to cook the garbanzo beans. I love those ocean and forest elements coming together like kombu and mushrooms. I find they work together beautifully, and remind me of the Pacific Northwest where I was born. The breakfast radishes are meant as a palate cleanser, like having pickled ginger with sushi.”
“Since I got back from Oz I’ve been using Aussie lamb; I love the ‘clean-ness’ of it. To me it tastes like it has more integrity. And there’s a story behind it. I love the pop-up format for the same reason; it’s made for storytelling, attracting the kind of guest who wants to interact with me and hear that story. We see this more and more among our guests — it’s what they want! They want to learn about food and where it comes from, they love the allure of the chef and getting closer to the ‘magic' that goes on in the kitchen."