Black food now in Australian restaurants

While the use of squid ink has been around for some time, smearing plates from MasterChef to My Kitchen Rules , black food is increasingly to be found on both restaurant menus and supermarket shelves.

In Sydney, black garlic was a feature on chef and Paddock To Plate host Matt Moran's hot chips at his Chiswick restaurant while Sean Connolly will soon serve a burger called the Black Widow, on a black bun at his new burger joint at The Morrison in Sydney city.

Black garlic is whole-bulb garlic that has been carefully fermented and dried to develop a fantastic flavour which comes from the natural sugars and amino acids in the garlic.

Black is back ... Chef and Bistro Dom owner Duncan Welgemoed with roasted cricket kimchi and fake kombu.

The cloves soften to a chewy consistency and taste caramelised making for a much sweeter, smoother and milder taste than raw garlic. Connolly's black bun is made using food-grade charcoal.

In Adelaide, South Australian chef of the year Duncan Welgemoed of Bistro Dom likes to shock patrons with his charred Holler Patch peppers with squid.

"People think it will be acrid and bitter and metallic. They think something that is blackened is not going to be something enjoyed which is totally the opposite of what we do," he said.

Welgemoed also makes fake kombu, an edible kelp which turns black when dried. His version is made from brik pastry, painted with squid ink and sprinkled with kombu salt. Welgemoed also features a black "shiny and viscous" squid ink hollandaise, served with roasted snapper and braised cockles.

"People automatically think black is dangerous or poisonous or inedible. It's something burnt on the barbecue," he said. "It's how we are programmed."

James Metcalfe from The Bourbon, in Sydney's Kings Cross likes the drama that a black dish brings.

"We use Cajun spice in three ways, first we roll tuna in it then quickly sear and serve raw as a carpaccio, second we coat barramundi in it then blacken on the char grill, and third we marinate the chicken in the spice, which helps it caramelise nicely on the rotisserie," he said.

Shiny black turtle beans, as served in the national Mad Mex chain, are ubiquitous in Caribbean and South American cooking.

A variety of kidney bean, black turtle beans have a mealy texture but a big, meaty flavour. Mad Mex sells six tonnes a week across its 37 stores.

"Black beans have a unique and distinctive flavour and are more nutritious and exotic than the ubiquitous refried brown beans of old fashioned Mexican food," Clovis Young, head of the Mad Mex group of restaurants said.

"At first many of our customers were genuinely afraid to try them, but with a spoon sized sample nearly everyone digs in, they are that delicious."

And Michael Lambie's popular soft shelled crab tortilla with avocado, black beans and jalapeno salad from The Smith in Prahran, is a feature of Taste of Melbourne, which finishes Sunday.

Back in black

Black cherries grown by Pickworth Orchards in Tatura, Victoria, available in Coles in two weeks.

Black sesame or Vegemite macarons from Australia's very own Willy Wonka, Adriano Zumbo.

Black carrots, coloured by anthocyanins which is also found in blueberries, available at Coles.

Perigord Truffles of Tasmania produce French black truffles which is also in Pepe Saya butter.

Woolworths own Gold label black truffle salami will be one of their hot new Christmas items.

Food writer Siu Ling Hui new book, In Praise Of Prunes, features this dried black fruit.

Black chia seeds are rich in Omega 3, dietary fibre, protein and antioxidants.

Black lentils hold their shape well when cooked, but lose some of the ebony colour.

Black rice, also known as Forbidden rice, once treasured by ancient Chinese dynasties.

Black tahini, from Mayvers, which is made from the slightly sweeter black sesame seed.

Black salt, either Himalayan crystal salt or from Cyprus which contains activated charcoal

Source:  Herald Sun - 17 November 2013