Silversea’s S.A.L.T. goes Aussie for local sailings – here’s a recipe you can try at home

• Silversea is bringing its unique food offering S.A.L.T. to Australia as it ramps up its presence here.
• Adam Sachs, the line’s culinary mastermind, is visiting Australia to oversee the Aussie ingredients.
• Two Aussie chefs are taking part – and we present a free recipe from Adam for you to try at home.

Adam Sachs, the mastermind behind Silversea’s S.A.L.T. food program paid a flying visit to Australia this week to oversee what ingredients are being offered Down Under.

He will be taste-testing the local ingredients being used and suggest menu changes to reflect the local region’s vibrant culinary traditions onboard Silver Nova’s maiden journey Down Under.

This year is the first time S.A.L.T. – Sea And Land Taste – is being made available here as the line steps up its presence. Australian and overseas guests can immerse themselves in destination-inspired flavours both onboard and ashore.

Cruise Passenger was in the S.A.L.T Lab on the Silver Nova recently to make some fish ceviche. It was a full house of eager students keen to pick up the tricks from a team or professional chefs.

Onboard, there’s dining in S.A.L.T. kitchen for a taste of a plethora of international dishes inspired by the destination. Then there’s S.A.L.T. Bar where guests can sip cocktails made with locally produced quality spirits.

In the S.A.L.T. Lab, travellers will get hands-on with local ingredients, preparing regional dishes under the guidance of a culinary expert. By night, the S.A.L.T. Lab transforms into the S.A.L.T. Chef’s Table, an intimate, interactive dining experience that explores the landscapes and flavours of the visited region, in which the creative process comes to life in front of up to 18 diners.

When Silver Nova arrives in Hobart next Friday, (December 6) guests will be able to go on a special excursion to learn how to forage and cook at a masterclass with Analiese Gregory, one of the most exciting chefs of her generation.

Gregory swapped the dazzling glamour of Paris Le Maurice and Sydney Quay for rugged Tasmania where she learned how to hunt, fish, and develop a new rhythm to her cooking.

She now runs Franklin restaurant on the Huon River. Here guests will be able to taste some canapes made by Gregory, then learn how to cook over an open fire before sitting down to a tasty lunch.

Gregory will show guests how to cook with local ingredients and how the ingredients are used. She will demonstrate her unique and well-honed cooking expertise.

This unusual cooking class is what S.A.L.T. excursions are all about.

S.A.L.T is only available on four of its Nova class ships – Silver Nova, Silver Moon, Silver Dawn and Silver Ray.

Gregory now grows her own vegetables, raises animals rather than spend 16 hours a day in a commercial kitchen.

She adores jumping into the cold waters in her wet suit to collect abalone and sea urchins.

She has produced inspirational recipes – green garlic oil flatbread; brown sugar cured hot smoked trout; Chinese breakfast eggs and brown rice; sea urchin farinata and salt-baked beetroot with macadamia and mulberry.

Her tree change included dealing with spiders all over the century-old cottage which she now calls home. This tree change has also been documented in an SBS series a Girl’s Guide to Hunting, Fishing, and Wild Cooking.

Gregory’s collection of knives is her most cherished possession – her collection of 60 knives is from all over the world. Besides knives, she admits that coffee is her biggest vice and weakness.

When Silver Nova called at Melbourne recently, guests were able to go on an excursion to learn about native ingredients and cooking traditions with chef Nornie Bero, culminating in a five-course tasty lunch.

Bero is from the Torres Strait Islands and has been a professional chef for more than 25 years. She is the owner and CEO of Mabu Mabu which means “Help Yourself” – it’s what you say to your friends and family to kick off a feast.

Her cooking makes use of native ingredients which are sourced from indigenous-owned and from women-led producers. Bero uses native ingredients from the kitchen to the bar which serves some unusual and tasty cocktails.

Here’s a sample of what Bero has produced – from native spiced Quandong Xmas cake to chilly paste, jams, sauces, spices, wattleseed pavlova, teas, green tomato hot sauce and damper kit.

We asked Adam Sachs about his plans for Australia. “We’re really excited about our cooking classes developed for S.A.L.T. Lab by local experts like chef-author Analiese Gregory from Tasmania and Ross Dobson, author of Australia: The Cookbook. 

“His classes cover native ingredients like warrigal greens, emu, and saltbush, as well as sweet classics like lamingtons and pumpkin scones. The pumpkin scone is an easy and rewarding one for guests to recreate at home, bringing a taste of Australia into their kitchens.”

He added: “Silversea tailors its S.A.L.T. program to each destination we visit. This includes ever-evolving menus highlighting local, seasonal ingredients, regionally inspired cocktails, and local wines and spirits,” he said.

“Guests can also enjoy immersive cooking classes crafted with local authors, chefs, and culinary experts. On shore, we’ve curated unique dining experiences that delve into the rich culinary traditions of Australia, offering a taste of the country’s diverse and vibrant food culture.”

Next summer, Silversea will expand her S.A.L.T. offerings with the arrival of both Silver Nova and Silver Moon giving Australians an even wider choice and ability to connect with the region’s diverse food culture.

Pumpkin Scones

Aussies love roast pumpkin, and pumpkin soup may well be the national soup. But there may be nothing quite so special or unique as pumpkin scones baked golden and served warm with jam and cream, as you would with any scone.        

Ingredient/Serves 4

• Plain (all-purpose) flour, for dusting
• 125g /4¼ oz. mashed pumpkin
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter, plus extra to serve
• 1 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 125ml / ½ cup (4¼ fl. oz.) whole milk, plus 1 tbsp for brushing
• 335g / 2¾ cups (11¾ oz.) self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F / Gas Mark 6. Lightly dust a baking sheet with plain (all-purpose) flour.
2. Put the pumpkin, butter and sugar into a small saucepan and heat over a low heat and stir for just a minute or two until the butter has melted and is well combined with the pumpkin. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and leave to cool.
3. Add the egg, milk, flour, baking powder and salt to the cooled pumpkin mixture and stir with a fork until the mixture just starts to come together to make a wet dough.
4. Tip the dough onto a well-floured work counter and gently press the dough until it is 2cm / ¾ inch thick all over.
5. Lightly dust all over with plain (all-purpose) flour. Use a cookie cutter or an inverted bowl to cut out eight 7-cm / 3-inch circles from the dough and arrange them next to each other on the prepared baking sheet.
6. Lightly brush with the extra milk, then bake for 15 minutes, or until risen and golden.
7. Transfer to a plate and cover with a clean dish towel. Serve warm with butter.

Recipe adapted from Ross Dobson, author of Australia: The Cookbook