 For the past 20 years I have run restaurants in Byron and the far north coast of New South Wales. This is a unique area, created by the God of all things good. Extinct volcanoes watch over verdant hills; lush rainforests supply native produce; and aquamarine waters ensure a steady supply of fish, prawns, cuttlefish and crab. It is not surprising the area has attracted an eclectic mix of people. There are rich ones and poor ones; black ones and white ones; gay ones and straight ones. Throw in a few backpackers, movie stars and hippies and you have a hell of a mix of humanity, all bundled up in one magical place.
My restaurant Fins specialises in seafood and organic produce; my cuisine is influenced by fisherman, wine, surfing, meditation and yoga. As well as by the exotic locations I have travelled to along the way. I have met fascinating people; cooked fish with beach chefs in Bali; finessed with the Grand Chefs of France; and learnt tricks from Grandmas in small Portugese villages who gave freely of their time honoured secrets and showed me how to create new and distinct flavours from simple rustic traditions. Lisbon Paste (from roasted red capsicums) has become an essential in one of my signature dishes, Arroz de Marisco (Portuguese seafood risotto).
But restaurants are hot, stressful, intense and noisy places. My home at Possum Creek is not. It is a tranquil place, perched on a hill overlooking a babbling brook. A place where you drink rainwater and breathe clean air, and your nearest neighbours are possums, koalas, wallabies and a friendly python.
My perfect day at Possum Creek starts with Qui Kung breathing, green tea, meditation and yoga. But, most mornings my reverie is interrupted by a call from a fishermen at sea, who has just hooked pearl perch, snapper, mahi mahi or tuna; or from the captain of a trawler with a fresh load of prawns, octopus, crabs or squid. I still get excited by fresh fish!
The connection between my farm and Fins is inescapable. In the mornings I collect Australian bushfoods such as lemon myrtle and bay leaves, or pods of finger lime. And with a dash of alchemy they reappear on the Fins menu as a fragrant lemon myrtle pannacotta with finger lime “caviar”. In the heat of summer I collect bunyah nuts which are piped into local squid hoods, barbequed and served with a spicy Asian sauce … a Fins favourite. There are tub loads of lemons for preserving; and limes, grapefruits, blood oranges and an array of berries to add to cocktails in the Fins bar.
Bu enough of work. One of the ways to stay sane is to ride waves. I hit the surf whenever possible. It has been a constant in my life. I have surfed and cooked in Morocco, Portugal, Mexico, Indonesia and Mauritius. However, my local beaches boast some of the best waves in the world. Surfing is good cleanses the soul – and is good for the menu.
The second half of most of my days is jum- started with a long black coffee and a piece of flourless dark chocolate torte, which provides the necessary fuel to man the stoves until the small hours of the following morning.
Cooking with the best quality ingredients (especially if they are local and organic) improves any eating experience. The local produce we have on offer at Fins gives us an almost unfair advantage. You can order a Mauritian Seafood Sambal, Moroccan tagine of fish, or a “Snowys Fish” served on potatoes, beans and fennel puree with a Riesling and lemon reduction. Our signature dish is the Portuguese influenced Cataplana of seafood - a brass hot pot of local seafood swimming in a molten red broth flavoured with saffron and powered by wine and a hint of star anise.
Cooking is but one part of running a restaurant. I am also energised by interacting with the customers. After a meal, some come to the kitchen, lean over the counter and simply say “G’dday”. With others, I look forward to a late night discourse on solving the worlds ills fuelled by a Pinot Noir. Without happy diners there is no Fins.
For the time being I remain on the farm, in the surf, or in the kitchen at Fins. I cannot imagine a better place to live or run a restaurant. But travelling to far flung destinations and jumping behind the stoves is a fantastic way to learn. I have cooked with some of the world’s best chefs. There is always a lot to glean from others in the culinary world. My signature dishes are never safe and continue to evolve as a consequence of my travels.
You don’t have to travel to Australia to visit Fins. Steven’s new book, Byron, Cooking and Eating is out now and provides a condensation of 30 years of his cooking, travel and life lived to the full.
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