By Laura Rancie.
Executive Chef Jack Cassidy is no stranger to the hospitality industry, having a stellar lineup of experience from kitchens across Australia.
The Melbourne-born Chef has honed his culinary expertise and developed strong relationships through a philosophy rooted in local Australian produce. He returns to classic Australian fare at KIN, a modern destination dining restaurant at All Saints Estate in Victoria’s historic Rutherglen, where family recipes and childhood memories inspire the menu.
As we celebrate the leadup to Father’s Day, we spend some time with this Chef Dad.
You’ve come from a French restaurant training background, where obviously things like kangaroo weren’t on the menu. How do you learn to cook with that, acquire a taste for it and finesse the final dish?
Trial and error mostly! Research and speaking with other Chefs that have worked with the meat before is always helpful.
Chocolate flourless cake, raspberries, muscat coffee custard. Credit: Kate Shanasy
What are some of the Australian ingredients you’re using in the kitchen and introducing to your team?
It’s a lot of fun and great to see the other Chefs discover these ingredients. We use all types of myrtles, lemon verbena, wattleseed, bush tomatoes, Warrigal greens and a few types of indigenous herbs as well. Seeing the team make their own links to flavours they know from their background and using native ingredients instead is a lot of fun and helps me learn as well, which is very helpful.
Chef Jack Cassidy
You grew up wanting to be a basketballer? What team do you follow?
Still do!! I don’t actually follow a team anymore, with the amount of players moving around these days to different teams. But, if I had to pick, at the moment I always want to watch the Golden State and the Memphis Grizzlies.
How did you get into Cheffing?
It was sort of by accident, I had a friend who was a Chef and I needed a job, so I asked him if he knew of any jobs going, he called his mate and they got me a job at Bistro, I started my apprenticeship after about three months and never looked back.
What inspires you to create a new dish?
Definitely the ingredients and always trying to hero them and not hide them behind anything.
What is a compressed strawberry and carrot jam?
Compressed strawberries are made in a vacuum bag with cherry balsamic and then essentially the bag takes all the air out and forces the balsamic flavour into the strawberries. Carrot jam is carrots cooked down almost like a chutney but with some glucose and pectin.
How old are your kids?
I have a little girl named Marlee who is 15 months old and another one on the way who is due at the end of January!
What can you see them doing when they grow up?
Marlee is very active so I can't really see her in an office job. She is also super curious about how things work in the world. Ultimately, I’d love for her to enjoy whatever she ends up choosing to do - at this stage who knows what that could be!
Rainbow Trout with smoked chilli and dill. Credit: Kate Shanasy
How do you balance being a Chef and a father?
It's definitely tough at times. I'm pretty lucky that All Saints is mainly lunch service so I’m able to be home at night to help with dinner and bedtime. And I also have an amazing partner, Hannah, who has everything organised, which makes our life so much easier.
What do you love to do when you have a few days off?
At the moment, we're renovating our house which keeps me pretty occupied!
What’s a dish you think every Aussie should know how to cook?
Definitely a roast.
You’ve travelled because of work, throughout Australia. What’s your favourite part of the country?
I absolutely loved Bedarra Island and even Cairns in general, I had so much fun living up that way.
Is there a food you don’t like?
Avocado.
To follow more of Jack and see the food at KIN, head to their INSTA.
