The River Cottage Australia TV presenter and author Paul West shares his passion for sourcing wholesome, homegrown food and building a stronger connection to how we cook and dine.
Born in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, Paul West spent his formative years travelling around Australia, labouring on family run farms for board as a “Willing Worker on Organic Farms”. After working in orchards and wholesale markets, he decided to cast aside his wanderlust to train in some of Melbourne’s finest dining establishments including the renowned Vue de Monde. He later brought together his passion for rural Australia and haute cuisine with a stint as head chef of a notable Tasmania restaurant before being invited to man the River Cottage Australia in rural New South Wales.
The River Cottage Australia continues the experiment in down shifting that Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall developed in the UK fifteen years ago in the acclaimed British version of The River Cottage.
After settling down in what seemed like your dream job as a resident chef in Tasmania with a lifestyle to pair your passion for living on the land, what spurred you to apply for host of The River Cottage Australia?
My partner’s cousin let me know that the River Cottage would be shooting in Australia, and she thought I’d be an ideal candidate to be its host. I had been a huge fan of the UK version. As much as I enjoyed Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s program and related to its message, I admit I initially worried the Australian edition could be a failure. Aware of Hugh’s clout, his measured and quite English personality – he has a double barrelled name – I didn’t want the same level of scrutiny and comparison. I was initially more focused on how the Australian version might not stack up.
However, at the same time, I couldn’t wait to apply. Well, I did wait to the last minute to submit my application. I sat down at 6:45am on the day applications were due, scurried and submitted my file with a really grainy photo at 11:45am with fifteen minutes to spare. Shortly after, producers called and asked me to film a segment for them. I picked some freshly ripened cherries and other ingredients from my garden and filmed myself making a dish for Christmas dinner on my farm.
The producers called again and asked me to fly to Sydney to do a screen test. Landing in Sydney, I had a terrible flu, and I was in a bad state. To make matters worse it was the hottest day Sydney had recorded in history. I found myself in the Paddington Community Gardens and quickly learned to adapt to film crews, sets, cameras let alone being beaten down by illness and heat. I pictured the film crews as my kitchen staff and made myself comfortable with them by cracking jokes and getting the job done as I did in the restaurant. We shot a few segments, and I felt confident.
My favourite part of the audition process was spending time with an Italian green grocer. I developed a very comfortable rapport with him. We shared a mutual respect for produce. The Italians are passionate about food. They grow tomatoes, figs, eggplants and zucchini in their backyards, and we discussed countless examples of bringing home grown produce into our meals. Cooking with well-grown produce is an integral part of what Italian families share and a key to their happiness.
As much as I connect with the food with which I cook, I also connected with the show’s producers, its crew, community gardeners and even the green grocer. I returned to Tassie confident I couldn’t have done any better. I had no expectations.
The producers called. Holy shit – I got the role.
As an avid fan of The River Cottage Australia on television and now one who can’t stop flipping through the pages of its newly published cookbook, I ask Paul’s guidance on how a Sydney professional like me could toil in the earth and locally source produce to put together my next evening meal or weekend dinner party.
First, place effort on caring. Ask questions of grocers and purveyors of your weekly shopping to where and how food is prepared. Frequent those shops. Foster that intimate relationship with food and be that point of difference.
Featuring recipes from the first three television series of River Cottage Australia, the cookbook provides us insight into the dishes that Paul has been creating on the farm. The book includes more than 120 recipes, such as pumpkin scones, roasted octopus salad, baked salmon, spiced aubergine salad, pig on a spit, borlotti bean broth, raw courgette salad and warm curd cake with honey rhubarb.
Paul’s cookbook is not only a collection of recipes but also a reflection of his hours in the paddocks, relationships with his farming companions and most importantly the loved ones with whom he savours this experience.
What led you to put your recipes and story into print?
Again, I had no expectations and had a very open mind. My aim was to incorporate fresh produce and have readers build a connection to food. I wanted my recipes to be achievable and reflect the seasonality and freshness of food we grow locally.
I want the book to reflect the produce what we grow here in Australia. Our Australian culture is agrarian. Our grandparents were farmers and had a strong relationship with the land. The River Cottage easily translates to the quirks of the countryside. I think the book will fare well with an increased number of small farms in Australia and a young, creative generation eager to build ties to our Australian tradition.
I’m having a few friends over for dinner this weekend. What recipes do you recommend serving up at this time of year?
I’d definitely think about a braised terrine, my Coq au Vin and some good hearty soups. At this time of year during the Autumn, you want food that tacks on your lips, that cooks slowly and serves up warm.
In addition to providing collection of easy to follow and delicious, healthy recipes, The River Cottage Australia shares Paul’s advice on getting back to the basics. Paul recommends people stop, think and question where our food is sourced from, how we prepare our meals and the dining habits we form.
After reading his cookbook, I found myself more frequently shopping at our local farmers market, cooking more meals at home and sharing these experiences with friends.
The River Cottage Australia Cookbook is available to purchase here.
The River Cottage Australia returned to Foxtel’s Lifestyle Food on May 26th.
Paul West was interviewed by writer Gerald Lundgren.
Do you have a passion for homegrown food? Tell us below…