From spicy Margaritas with roasted pineapple and lemon granitas to take the edge off the summer heat to ripe summer tomatoes tossed with mustard oil and shallots and avocado with scallop crudo, these are the hot hospo hacks for summer living from some of the country’s top chefs, bartenders, baristas, and restaurateurs.
From glass to plate and beach to barbecue, these summer hacks will help you beat the heat.
Americano Perfecto
Lachlan Bentley, head bartender, Apollo Inn
Ever wondered what bartenders make at home? Like chefs, they keep it simple. In summer, Lachlan Bentley drinks a variation on an Americano. “I really enjoy them topped with beer instead of soda,” he says. “It’s called an Americano Perfecto.” The choice of beer is up to you. “Just as you’d switch up a gin in a Martini, you can switch up what beer you use. I stick with Campari and sweet vermouth, but sometimes I like a fruity sour beer, a lager or even an IPA.”
Avocado cups with scallop crudo
Dean Romeo, brand director, Felons Brewing Co.
When Dean Romeo found himself with avocados and Hervey Bay scallops on a boat, he got creative. “I thinly sliced the scallops, shook up some olive oil and lemon juice in a jar, and used that to cure the scallops,” he says. “Then I halved the avocados, took the pits out, stuffed them, and hit them with salt, pepper and dill. Delicious.” For ease, he suggests pre-curing the scallops before heading out, so all that’s left is filling the avocados. His ideal pairing on a hot day? “A really ice-cold European-style lager.”
Spicy grilled pineapple Margarita
Kane Pollard, executive chef and co-owner, Topiary and Ondeen
Returning to Cairns recently after living there for three years, Kane Pollard and his wife tried a spicy pineapple Margarita. “It was a time and place moment,” he says. “They taste so much better after you’ve walked through the markets and seen the bright pineapples.” At home, they recreate it by roasting whole pineapples over charcoal. For a simpler option, he suggests barbequing the pineapple, steeping it in agave syrup, and then filtering it. “If you do that, you can put a slice of the soaked pineapple in the drink, too,” he adds.
Thai-style passionfruit and pineapple shakes
Adam Muscat, chef and co-owner, Samila Gaeng
Icy fruit shakes were Adam Muscat’s cool-down method of choice when he lived in Thailand. “In Ao Nang, Koh Samui, and any of the popular beaches in Phuket, there are ladies with fruit carts and you can ask them to blend [the fruit] up,” he says. His favourites were pineapple and passionfruit shakes, sometimes with a little coconut milk added. The recipe is simple enough to make at home: “It’s basically a cup of ice, a cup of fruit, a touch of sugar syrup and salt. I like mine not super blended, so it has some thickness.”
Jamu
Dewa Wahyu Bintara, managing director, Mei Mei Bali
This traditional herbal concoction is made from natural ingredients such as turmeric, ginger, galangal, pepper, lemongrass, lemon and lime. “Imagine a wellness shot, but rooted in ancient recipes and packed with all these earthy, vibrant flavours,” says Dewa Wahyu Bintara. Growing up drinking it every day, he’s seen it blow up recently. “Jamu was the go-to for something both flavourful and good for you. Nowadays, you’ll find it in everything from cocktails to kombucha,” he adds. Packed with ingredients that are available year-round in Southeast Asia, it’s super refreshing, especially in the heat. “You can drink it cold, or even mix it with soda to make it more tropical,” Bintara says. “In the heat, jamu just balances you out; it’s energising but also soothing. Perfect for beach days.”
Granita
Kieran Tosolini, Rivareno Gelato
While it’s gelato that underpins Tosolini’s business, there’s another Italian iced treat that brings back joyful memories of research trips to Italy. “The absolute best granita that we had was on the Amalfi Coast, which is famous for growing the best lemons in the world,” says Tosolini. After trying plenty of different granitas all across Italy, Tosolini has perfected Rivereno’s recipe at home. “All of our granita is made with real fruit, water and just a little sugar.” Tosolini’s tip for a perfect granita is that it should have a great mouthfeel and never be too icy. “It [should be] like an explosion of fruit in your mouth. Just super refreshing.”
Tomatoes and burrata
Karena Armstrong, executive chef and co-owner, The Salopian Inn
Before summer, Karena Armstrong and her team plant tomatoes in The Salopian Inn kitchen garden. Once ripe, she likes to dice and toss them with mustard oil and shallots, pairing them with burrata and garlic-rubbed toasted sourdough. “The tomato has to be a summer, sun-ripened variety,” she says. “Oxhearts, Black Russians, Tommy Toes, any variety – it just needs to be super ripe.” It’s a dish she brings to a friend’s place to enjoy outside. “I still love that moment of cutting burrata and seeing the oozy cream come out. It never gets old.”
Iced chrysanthemum tea
Narin ‘Jack’ Kulasai, co-owner and chef, Porkfat
When in Thailand, Narin ‘Jack’ Kulasai enjoys Nam Gek Huey (chrysanthemum tea), a refreshing golden-yellow drink introduced by Chinese migrants and cherished for its cooling properties. “It makes you feel calm and relaxes your mind,” says Kulasai. To make it, steep dried chrysanthemum flowers in hot water, strain, sweeten with honey or sugar, cool, and serve over ice. Pair with something spicy, or drink on its own after working up a sweat. “After walking in the city, you feel thirsty, so you buy a glass of this drink to refresh you,” he says. “It’s my favourite.”
Fresh oysters with Shucked Byron Bay dressing
Reina Patrick, co-owner, Harrisons
With summer temperatures in Port Douglas averaging around 32 degrees, Reina Patrick has mastered staying cool. “We’ve got an amazing seafood supplier here so we’ll pop in, grab some oysters and head to the creeks near Silky Oaks Lodge,” she says. “They’ve got amazing sandy banks, ice-cold water and it’s surrounded by green rainforest.” Patrick brings along the oyster dressing dropper bottles by Shucked Byron Bay. “They are so mobile, so we pack them up with some chairs and set up a little spot.”
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