Шеф-повар Сэм Сандолл рассказывает о важности профессионального оборудования на кухне

In 1995, Simon Sandall had immigrated to Australia and taken on a job at the Sydney Opera House. Not long after he began, at just 23 years old, a twist of fate saw him take on the role of sous chef at the iconic venue. During this period, he catered for significant events at the Sydney Opera House, including a sunrise event that had 3,500 attendees on the forecourt. “Having that responsibility when I was 23, it was a massive learning curve for volume. I had a team of 45 chefs, and they were looking at me thinking, ‘Who’s this little whippersnapper?’. I looked young, but I knew my craft. I could cook because of who I had worked with.” Up until that point, Sandall had worked with the likes of the late John King at The Ritz Hotel Green Park and Les Ambassadeurs in London before living in the Greek Islands, travelling through the Middle East, and then spending a year in South Africa, Central Africa, and near Tanzanian border in a hut on Lake Malawi. “I honed my career with some really talented chefs and came up through the ranks quite quickly through doing the hard yards.” Working at the Sydney Opera House was a pivotal moment in his career. The self-professed “ratbag” had dropped out of school and had moments struggling with college. But this new sense of responsibility grounded him and gave him purpose (although he admits that his cheekiness remains to this day). Sandall worked his way up through the ranks, moving from The Concourse to Bennelong, where he worked with Michael Moore as acting head chef alongside Andy Turner. One Sunday night while working with Turner, Sandall got a call in the middle of service. After hurrying to finish the call, Turner asked Sandall who it was. “I go, ‘Some guy called Matt Moran’, and his face paused for a minute. I went, ‘Oh, I should have taken that phone call, shouldn’t I?’ And he goes, ‘Yeah, probably’.” Sandall went on to work with Moran as head chef at Aria in 1999 and eventually became the group’s executive chef. He credits Moran as a huge inspiration, noting that the chef taught him to achieve quality and consistency to an impeccable standard. In 2018, Sandall went out on his own for the first time to open Boronia Kitchen. The Gladesville restaurant quickly became a neighbourhood favourite, recognised for its generous main courses, seasonal local produce, and its short but well-selected wine by-the-glass list. Over the years, the importance of good equipment has become tantamount to his operations. “There’s no point in having a Ferrari if you can’t afford the petrol to put in it,” says Sandall. “It’s all well and good having amazing restaurants but if you haven’t got the right tools and equipment, what’s the point?” “Whether it’s a fantastic stainless steel Microplane or a quality Japanese knife, having good tools in your kitchen is paramount. You still need great skilled labour – the mechanics, so to speak – who know how to make them work, but quality is everything.” Sandall points to the Professional Microplane range, which have photo-etched, long-lasting, ultra-sharp, stainless-steel blades. They cut foods precisely without ripping or tearing, ensuring both beautiful presentation and ergonomic ease of use. The sharp blades also mean less pressure is needed, allowing grating to be safe and enjoyable without the risk of slips and cuts. “Microplanes are bloody amazing,” says Sandall. “We’ve all had the black-handled ones at home, which are great if you use them every now and then. But in the kitchen when you’re using them in a heavy-duty way, these are so sturdy and user-friendly.” In his Boronia Kitchen cookbook, Sandall has a dish of pan-fried ricotta gnocchi, brussels sprouts, and Charleston Pastoral black truffles. It’s a dish for which the Microplane has been a game changer. “It’s this beautiful, soft ricotta gnocchi. We use the Microplane to get that fine parmesan that’s folded through it. Once we’ve rolled back and cut the gnocchi and poached it in some boiling salted water, we drain it and pan-fry it to get this lovely crispy crust. Then we put some nut-brown butter over the top and grate over some parmesan. “Microplane has a few grades that you can shave with. They’ve got this cracking fine one which is really delicate and it finishes it nicely. Then we add some beautiful little steamed brussels sprouts leaves and finish it with some shaved – or you can even grate the truffle. “Conventional truffle slicers only shave them once, back and forth. But there’s a Microplane with five little blades on it, meaning you can go all the way down and have five slices at once. So not only is it a sharp, great finish, it also saves time on the service side of things.” Looking forward, Sandall has some big projects in the works, and says to watch this space. Boronia Kitchen is open Tuesday to Saturday, 8am – 10pm, and Sundays 8am – 9pm. Read more about Simon Sandall and Boronia Kitchen, or find out more about Microplanes here. This story was produced in collaboration with DKSH and Microplane. Visit Boronia Kitchen 152 Pittwater Rd, Gladesville NSW 2111 Open Tuesday to Saturday, 8am to 10pm and Sunday, 8am to 9pm Microplane Distributor DKSH Australia [email protected]; Phone: (02) 9425 5000; W: cg.dksh.com.au/microplane/ Kerwin Beresford, Key Account Manager [email protected]