DARIUS SARKIS’ interest in food flavours and technique began at a young age, with his first years of training taking place in Queenscliff at the famed Mietta’s. Now Darius is a well-known local chef who’s been cooking for 16 years.
PHOTO: TOMMY RITCHIE
Originally trained in French cuisine, Darius enjoys the lighter side of Asian cuisine and tries to combine a blend of both in his cooking.
After training at Mietta’s, Darius also worked at Harry’s, Finnigans Place, Riviera on Yarra and Lotus Living before starting at Baveras Brasserie earlier this year. Darius brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Baveras Brasserie kitchen and the waterfront restaurant’s menu is now modern Australian.
“I enjoy cooking and always try to learn new techniques and new trends to constantly improve my dishes”, Darius said. Passion drives Darius to continually evolve in the craft of cooking, and inspire his team and customers at Baveras Brasserie.
Spiced Chorizo and Cauliflower with Hummus and Goats Cheese
2 x Chorizo, skinned and sliced
Hummus
Spiced Cauliflower
Goats Cheese
2 Spring Onions sliced
Paprika Oil (50ml oil and 1/8th tsp Smokey paprika)
Olive Oil
Heat a pan with a splash of olive oil and lightly fry off chorizo. When you start to get a little colour on the chorizo add in your spiced cauliflowers and toss the pan until it is heated through. Season with a pinch of salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Once everything is hot, toss through the spring onions. When they start to wilt a little take it off the heat.
To make the paprika oil, combine the oil and paprika in a bowl. Allow oil to infuse with the paprika. This can be done in advance.
To assemble the dish place a smear of hummus on the plate, place the chorizo and cauliflower on top, then lightly sprinkle some goat’s cheese over the top and finish by drizzling some paprika oil over the dish. This dish can be served on its own or is delicious served with Turkish breads.
Hummus
500g dried chick peas
1 clove garlic
Juice of 2 lemons
300ml Tahini paste
2 tsp sodium bicarbonate
Good quality olive oil
Method
Soak chick peas overnight with the sodium bicarbonate. Rinse chick peas under cold running water for about four minutes, add to a saucepan of boiling water and cook until chickpeas are soft enough to turn to mush between your fingers. Strain the chickpeas and keep the liquid.
Place the chickpeas in a blender and blend (use a little of the reserved liquid to get it going). Continue to blend until it’s very smooth, then add garlic and lemon juice and season with a little salt and blend again. Add tahini and a splash of olive oil and blend once more, season to taste.
Alternatively, purchase hummus from your local provedore or supermarket.
Spiced Cauliflower
1 Tsp coriander seeds
½ Tsp Cumin seeds
½ Tsp Fennel seeds
8 White peppercorns
¼ Tsp Paprika
2 Tbs Olive oil
1 Medium size Cauliflower
Toast seeds and peppercorns until aromatic, allow to cool and then grind. Add paprika, then mix oil and spices together. Break down cauliflower into small flowerettes, toss through mixture and bake in moderate oven (180˚C) until just tender. Make sure the tray or container is covered while cooking. Cauliflowers should take around 15-20 minutes depending on its size.
