Sean Connolly "GRILLED" Tour in Malaysia! @ Samplings on the Fourteenth, KL

Chef Sean Connolly walks into the room and greets us all with a big smile. Earlier today, we were at Samplings on the Fourteenth, located within Berjaya University College Hospitality for the media event with Chef Sean Connolly, one of Australia's and New Zealand's most well respected and recognised chefs. I regularly watch his shows on Asian Food Channel, so it was nice to be able to see him cook in person.

After migrating to Australia, Chef Connolly's career took off when he was given the opportunity to head one of Sydney’s top dining establishments, Astral Restaurant. From there, he decided to take the leap and open his own restaurant in Auckland, where the series “Under The Grill” was born.

The 6 x 30 minute series, “Under The Grill”, follows Chef Connolly’s exciting journey as hetakes on the challenge of opening his own restaurant in New Zealand in less than 100 days, just in time for the Rugby World Cup. His programme, “On The Grill” on the other hand features Chef Connolly dishing up valuable tips and tricks on how to cook flavourful dishes using his favourite method of cooking – grilling! Catch “Under The Grill” every Thursday at 9pm from 15 August onwards till 19 September 2013 and “On The Grill” every Thursday at 9pm from 26 September onwards till 31 October 2013 on Asian Food Channel.

Chef Sean Connolly adds a little Pernod to flambe the prawns. Host of the event, Fay Hokulani watches.

For his cooking demo, he prepared 3-courses, namely the grilled garlic prawns, grilled Australian rib eye with miso hollandaise and fondant potato, and fresh berries with strawberry jelly and raspberry lime sauce. Chef Connolly's cooking style focusses on simple, well-cooked food using the best produce. 

He tells us that he likes cooking food in its shell and on the bone. He also advises that when we cook prawns, that we do not wash it as it loses flavour. The prawn dish that he showcased is his signature dish and the simple cooking method brings out the natural sweetness of the prawns. 

Flipped it a few times, and it's ready to be served!

Delicious - one of the best ways to eat prawn!

Next, Chef Connolly shows us the massive ribeye he will be cooking as the main course. He tells us that the secret to cooking a nice piece of beef is to season it well before cooking to get a nice crust on it. He also cooks some fondant potato, which is caramelised on one side, before chicken stock is added in. The sauce is made using one of his favorite ingredients, miso, which he likes for the umami flavour it gives. The rib eye is sliced and it looks gloriously pink and beautifully cooked. We really loved the miso hollandaise, so Hubby has given me the task to try and recreate this at home since the recipe is also shared with us.

Seasoning the steak is important

From the demo

Grilled rib eye served to the media

Finally, Chef Connolly served us a gorgeous dessert of fresh berries with strawberry jelly, almond soil and raspberry coulis. Extremely pretty and well-presented, this was light, fresh and wonderful way to end the meal.

Chef Connolly will be in Malaysia for 2 days (23-24 Sept) cooking dinner at Samplings on the Fourteenth whereby he will be demonstrating the Grilled Australian Ribeye with Miso Hollandaise, Fondant Potato and Water Cress using Australian beef sponsored by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA). Guests will also dine on a 5-course meal including dishes such as King Salmon Gravlax with Raspberry and White Pepper, Slow-Cooked Rack of Australian Lamb with Chanterelle Mushroom Ragout and Wild Asparagus and for dessert, Wild Strawberry Sorbet, Strawberry Soup and Goats Milk Jelly. Vegetarian options are available upon request.

Chef Connolly have specially handpicked three varieties of Glenfiddich Scotch Whisky - Glenfiddich 12, 15 Solera and 18 to pair with his dishes. Each premium Scotch Whisky boasts a unique and luxurious flavour to match the night’s menu.

Glenfiddich representative, Matthew Fergusson-Stewart talking about the whisky pairing dinner

For more information and registration for “Sean Connolly GRILLED” dinner on Monday, 23 September 2013, please visit www.asianfoodchannel.com/seanconnolly.

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