My French Vue Nicoise Salad
Shannon Bennett’s Vue de monde named Australia’s restaurant of the year.
Melbourne restaurant Vue de monde won a number of awards including Australia’s restaurant of the year at the Savour Australia Restaurant and Catering Awards for Excellence in Adelaide on Monday night.
Celebrated Melbourne chef Shannon Bennett and his restaurant have also been named restaurant of the year by Australian Gourmet Traveller three years running.
Bennett’s latest cookbook, My French Vue, which pays homage to French bistro food, will be published tomorrow by Simon and Schuster Australia.
"We are all thrilled to be recognised by such a highly regarded industry award. It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the whole team, and the loyalty of our customers," said Bennett.
"I am personally delighted to see such a response on the eve of the release of my new book, which is all about making French cooking accessible in the home environment."
About Shannon Bennett
Shannon began his extraordinary career at the age of fifteen and has developed into one of Australia’s top chefs under the tutelage of some of the great culinary masters including Roger Leinhard, Albert Roux, John Burton-Race and Marco Pierre White. He opened Vue de monde in May 2000 and within six weeks it was awarded its first chef’s hat by The Age Good Food Guide. His vision is to provide one of Melbourne’s finest dining experiences, equalling the quality of the best of French restaurants at digestible Melbourne prices.
My French Vue
Author: Shannon Bennett
ISBN: 978-0-7318-1322-3
RRP: $34.95
Nicoise Salad
Serves 4
1 small baguette (1-2 days old preferably)
2 tablespoons, extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 large eggs
20 green beans, trimmed and tailed
4 small tomatoes (fresh, semi-dried or confit)
4 small kipfler potatoes, boiled and sliced into discs
4 teaspoons lilliput capers
1 red onion, cut into 5 mm (¼ in) rings
50 g (2 oz) olives
200 ml (7 fl oz) olive oil
40 ml (1½ fl oz) sherry vinegar
4 x 100g (3½ oz) fish fillets (tuna, red mullet or kingfish)
4 tablespoons baby rocket
1 lemon, halved
1 Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF). Slice the baguette into 1 cm (½ in) thick slices and lay on a flat baking tray. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 5-6 minutes, then remove from oven and rub slices with the garlic clove.
2 Put the eggs in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Take out after 6 minutes, when the yolks will still be soft. Set aside and keep warm.
3 Place another pan on the stove, fill with 2 litres (5 pints) of salted water and bring to the boil. Add the beans and blanch for 2 minutes. Remove beans and refresh by placing in iced water for 2 minutes, until cold.
4 In a stainless steel bowl combine the croutons, tomatoes, beans, potatoes, capers, onion and olives, season well.
5 In a separate bowl or jar, mix 200 ml olive oil and sherry vinegar well.
6 Preheat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Season the fish and brush with more olive oil. Reduce heat to low, place the fish skin side down in the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes. Turn fish over and cook for a further minute.
7 Toss the salad together with the dressing.
8 To serve, set out 4 flat bowls or plates and place a fillet in the centre of each. Arrange the salad neatly around the fish. Peel the eggs carefully, cut in half, season them and arrange on top of the salad. Scatter baby rocket over and serve with a wedge of lemon on the side.
Extracted from My French Vue: Bistro Cooking At Home by Shannon Bennett ©2007. Reprinted by permission of Simon and Schuster Australia.
