Page 67 - Tropic Magazine Issue 15

LIFESTYLE • FOOD

Tropic Food

Challenge

There’s a new food offering
in the Cairns CBD, and it’s
fans are flocking there like
seagulls to chips at the beach.
Appropriately, this new
restaurant inside Gilligans
is called Fat Seagulls, and it’s
open to one and all for lunch
and dinner seven days a week.
With a relaxed atmosphere,
this buffet style rotisserie
restaurant serves up tasty What are the main challenges facing
burgers, snacks and loaded local chefs trying to use local produce?
fries. We sit down with chef Generally, the cost factors come into
Michael Nielsen to find out play when choosing produce as chefs
are always facing budgetary constraints
more. and pressure to perform financially.
Are you using Tropical North We’re working with suppliers to find
Queensland produce in your menu? ways to use more local produce so
Our roast meats are sourced locally, watch this space.
and also our vegetables when in season
are generally found locally as well. We Are there any items of produce you
are also undergoing a few adjustments were surprised to discover are grown
with our menus to add more local here in Tropical North Queensland?
businesses and suppliers into our There are quite a few amazing products
production process. The kitchen has that are made right here in Cairns that
undergone a lot of changes in the last I love, such as Fang’s Chilli Sauce which local markets in the area is fantastic,
few weeks with more to come. we use a lot because it has a sensational especially used on steak. That’s my
taste. favorite so far, followed closely by a
Why is it important for you as a chef to chilli sauerkraut I tried recently made
use local produce? Do you have a favourite local food by the team from the Fermented
It supports our locals and allows the product or item? Kitchen. It’s a must try.
availability of even more great produce, Well Loved Worcestershire Sauce made
promoting growth in our region. in Gordonvale and is available at a few

Spicy Chicken Wings - Serves 1 HOT TIP
Coat in
Korean chilli
Ingredients: Method: sauce
• 500g Chicken wings • Heat oven to 180c
• 50g Wing rub • Combine wing rub ingredients
• Shake and store in air tight container
Wing Rub • Trim the chicken wings into drumettes
• 10g Chilli Powder and wings; remove the tips as they will
• 10g Smokey Paprika burn
• 10g Garlic Powder • Rub the ‘wing rub’ vigorously into the
• 10g Onion Powder trimmed chicken pieces MORE:
• 5g Yellow Mustard Powder • Place wings onto an oven tray and bake facebook.com/fatseagullscairns
• 5g Salt & Pepper in the oven for 15 minutes until crispy

67 • tropicnow.com.au