As a pom, Darren grew up with a white Christmas, and a table laden with the traditional fare, but now in his adopted home of Australia, he enjoys a hot Christmas day with his closest friends. Aaron Turner, Matt Wilkinson, and Shane Delia join Darren and his family and friends for a traditional Christmas feast.
Darren hits the highway to visit his mate James, a chef who runs Biota restaurant in Bowral in regional NSW. The restaurant embraces a dining experience that supports local farmers and growers and draws heavily from it’s own kitchen garden, which services the restaurant all year round.
Darren's in Victoria's high country visiting Dave Angellini at his green tea plantation. Cooking amid the snow capped Mount Bogong, Darren sets out to demystify the smoking process and create delicious dishes using local produce.
When we think of the bbq, we immediately think of cooking outdoors; of naked flames and smoking grills. In this episode, Darren's visiting the home of top chef Toby Puttock and exploring the gentle art of teppanyaki.
Darren starts his charcoal story at the place most of us are familiar with: the backyard barbie. Darren shows us how to use our barbie for more than just the traditional steaks and snags. In between kicks of the footy, a few beers, and a rematch for the Ashes, Darren shows us how to slow roast a shoulder of pork and chargrill a delicious salad on the barbie.
Darren's on a surfing safari with his mate Aaron Turner from famed restaurant Loam in Victoria's Bellarine Peninsula. The area is also famous for the stretch of coast know as the 'Surf Coast', which includes surfing hot spot Bells Beach.
Chef Dan Hong is having a gathering of family and friends to celebrate his daughter's first birthday. Included in their sensational menu are tasty Grilled Pork Skewers, Rice Paper Rolls and BBQed Bananas and Sago.
The barbecue is not all about big backyards in the suburbs. Darren shows us how cooking with charcoal and fire can be just as successful in even the smallest of inner-city outdoor spaces.
The BBQ is synonymous with casual dining. Darren and fellow chef Matt Wilkinson use a rustic outdoor kitchen t cook elegant dishes like BBQ Sardines, Cumquat and Couscous Salad, Wild Rabbit Hotpot and Chocolate Pots with Burnt Citrus.
The Three Blue Ducks Empire has expanded to a seasonal restaurant the boys operate at the snow fields of Falls Creek in Victoria's alpine region.