Rosemary & River Mint Red Snapper
We had the pleasure of meeting renowned indigenous chef Clayton Donovan and owner of Jaaning Tree Restaurant, when he was in Perth as a mentor for the Kartagup Djinda Ngadark – an event which showcases the talents of Aboriginal Youth from throughout Western Australia.
Clayton took us on a culinary experience, cooking with beautiful WA Red Snapper from Dampier, combining fresh, WA native ingredients. A simple, elegant dish, limited only to the imagination, it will take you minutes to cook and will be loved (devoured) by all.
For Clayton it was the Jaaning tree, a source of food for local Indigenous Australians for centuries, that got him interested in cooking with native bush foods. He said he had fond memories collecting golden sap, or a bush lolly, off the Jaaning tree and like most young children spent a lot of time up it, hiding from his parents when he got in trouble!
He always had a passion and interest for food and became a chef through trial and error. His home provided him with the perfect upbringing for inspiration through his Aunty’s knowledge shared from generations of indigenous people to his mum who cooked with a strong European influence.
It was that combination of cuisines that left a mark on him which now define his career as a celebrated chef, cooking for the likes of Elle Mcpherson, Manchester United, Minogue sisters (just to name a few) and as a champion of bush foods.
This beautiful dish will take minutes to perfect – really is only limited to the imagination.