WHAT IS MOD OZ, EXACTLY?
Modern Australian cooking represents the happy confluence of two key factors:
1) Pristine Ingredients. Hard to believe that some of the original settlers, oblivious to the bounty around them, starved while waiting for rations ships to arrive from Europe. Aussies now take full advantage of their stellar climate, with dishes that focus on a stunning array of produce, from passion fruit to Chinese cabbage, as well as on top-quality local lamb and seafood.
2) Multicultural Flavors. While fish 'n' chips shacks still dot the Sydney shoreline, inspiration is no longer confined to the, ahem, limited culinary heritage of the colonial past. Successive waves of immigration have produced a melting pot of Italian, Greek, Middle Eastern, and Asian influences, and many top chefs hail from or train in nearby Thailand, Vietnam, China, Korea, or Japan. Take David Thompson, whose meticulously researched food at Sydney's Sailors Thai is so authentic that the government of Thailand has asked him to train native chefs.
BUT CAN I COOK IT AT HOME?
You can now. We asked Neil Perry, the undisputed king of Mod Oz cooking, to share his favorite recipes and cooking tips.
— Sarah Kagan