Richard Learmonth is an experienced chef and will be writing a food column for the Central Western Daily every second Saturday.
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The hospitality sector has been right at the top of the list of industries battered by COVID-19.
We still have a long way to go before we can be truly free of the virus and the economic ramifications will resonate for a long time to come.
Many food businesses have already hit the wall while imminent new ventures have been delayed or abandoned.
Some venues continue to limp along, propped up for now by government largesse.
Others, such as Orange's Charred Kitchen and Bar have been able to tweak their business and thrive due to their enduring excellence.
Adaptations are being made to seating plans, booking systems, staffing models and menu offerings that will come to define dining in the 2020s.
Food trends have forever come and gone and diners demands are always continually evolving.
Changes brought by COVID-19 will one day be just another chapter in our unfolding food story.
While we don't yet know exactly how the future dining landscape will look, one enduring truth remains: the younger generation will lead the way.
Youth has long been a vital feature of hospitality.
Improving skills and training is essential to ensuring Australia has a dynamic and profitable hospitality sector.
- Chef Richard Learmonth
As one of the few industries where a staff might look a lot like a family, it's common for teenagers to be working alongside and absorbing knowledge from their elders.
Mentoring junior staff and sharing in their development is typically a career highlight for veterans.
Alumni of the best venues will find doors opening to them around the world as the value of great training simply cannot be replaced.
The federal government's announcement last week that $1.2 billion would be invested in covering half the wages of up to 100,000 apprentices over the next year is some welcome news.
Hopefully hospitality and catering can capture a fair chunk of that 100,000.
Another budget initiative that has raised concerns is the $4 billion JobMaker Hiring Credit that looks to reduce the amount of unemployed and welfare-reliant young Australians.
Under the scheme employers will receive $200 a week if they hire an eligible young person aged 16 to 29 years or $100 if they hire someone aged 30 to 35.
It's undeniably important to lift employment rates of young people but the highly casualised nature of the hospitality workforce leaves many vulnerable.
I know first hand of employers who'd welcome the opportunity to cut loose experienced staff and pocket the hiring credit they receive for employing a cheaper replacement.
This is particularly relevant to those "zombie businesses" that will inevitably fold once government support dries up.
Improving skills and training is essential to ensuring Australia has a dynamic and profitable hospitality sector that maintains its status as one of the world's best dining destinations.
The teachers at Tafe NSW Orange are doing outstanding work educating and inspiring our next generation of chefs.
One terrific initiative driven by teacher Lindl Taylor has been a series of masterclasses where local chefs have been invited to demonstrate their skills, pass on knowledge and share their culinary experiences directly with the students.
Recent masterclass events have featured Dom Aboud of The Union Bank demonstrating handmade pasta and Chris Tudor of Made in Orange (and former TAFE NSW Orange pupil) preparing chicken liver parfait.
A short while ago I had the pleasure of showing students just how simple and delicious it is to make fresh ricotta with little more than good quality milk and a thermometer.
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Fresh Ricotta
INGREDIENTS
- 2L x full cream milk (not UHT)
- 150ml x pouring cream
- 60ml x white vinegar
- 1Tb x salt
METHOD
- Fill a large heavy bottomed pan with water about 1cm high. This stops the milk from catching on the bottom.
- Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and pour into the pan.
- Turn heat to very low and cook slowly without stirring.
- The solid creamy curds will begin to separate from the clear thin whey as they heat. Do not break up the curds as they become less creamy and lose volume when disrupted.
- Continue heating to 90 but not above 95 degrees, turn off the heat and leave to stand for 10 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon carefully scoop the fresh curds into a colander lined with cheesecloth.
- Enjoy warm on toast with plenty of flakey salt and good quality olive oil, there's nothing like it!
- The ricotta can be refrigerated for a week and used in a variety of ways. Spring salads, cheesecake, and filled pasta such as ravioli or cannelloni are great ways to use it.
- The leftover whey is also valuable. It makes a tasty nutritious substitute for water or stock in baking, soups or braises and will also keep for a week in the fridge or longer frozen.
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