There are not many Head Chefs out there who know how to ride a unicycle backwards – meet Sault restaurant’s man in charge of the kitchen Liam Scott.
Born in Perth and moving to Daylesford with his family at age five, Liam is a young gun on the rise at this Chef-hatted restaurant on Ballan Daylesford Road.
Offering up a taste of some of the region’s freshest produce combined with smooth sophistication and elegant style, Sault boasts abundant views which take in 180-degree vistas of the surrounding lake, lavender fields and forest.
Catering to each and every need, Sault will adjust the atmosphere to suit; romantic rendezvous, celebrations or a group getaway, to name just a few.
Creating seasonal dishes from the onsite garden, Liam’s love of fresh produce began as a young boy when the family had a vegetable patch his parents would cook from all the time.
"I even had my own garden bed to plant whatever I wanted,” he tells AGFG. "Although I planted boysenberries that took over the whole garden! That’s where my appreciation for seasonal good food came from.”
There is nothing Liam is prepared to stop him from achieving his goals…he once won a gold medal at the Fine Food Australia Apprentice Challenge for beef, lamb and veal by only using one hand; he broke the other two weeks prior while snowboarding.
Citing his Mum as his greatest culinary influence, Liam says she has always been passionate about locally-sourced food.
"She runs a local bakery and is always trying to learn and find different ways to use grains, flour and food in general. I don’t really have a style – although I have trained in French, Mediterranean and a bit of Japanese.
"I find myself putting anything that tastes good on the menu…as long as it is local and cohesive.”
Liam brings us the ideal Spring dish with his recipe for pork loin, sauerkraut and chard – a restaurant-quality meal that is also achievable for the home cook.
"This recipe is pretty cool for early Spring because you are using produce that you have saved over Winter and using early Spring crops. There are some great organic pork suppliers in the area, so it helps make the dish awesome.”
If you want to make the sauerkraut at home from scratch, you will need to allow 5-7 days for it to ferment, burping it every two days; otherwise, buy some from your local supermarket or grocery store.
"I am a young Head Chef, so when I started in this position I really wanted not to use the same ideas twice and learn lots of different ways to cook. When diners visit Sault, they can expect tasty food, delicious wine and amazing views – you can also walk around the kitchen garden.
"I don’t really have anything eyebrow-raising on the menu, but I do like hiding flavours in dishes to make people think about what they are eating.”
Liam is sure to be dishing up temptations for many years to come…where there’s a wheel, there’s a way!
