Parcs is a small bar and restaurant in the CBD of Melbourne with a minimal waste and ferment focus. They serve food that’s from a little bit of everywhere, bound not by cuisine but an ethos: to rescue off-cuts from restaurants and not-perfect fruits and vegetables from markets. Rescued, washed then fermented, these find a second life in their dishes and paired together with drinks following the same principles.

In order with Dennis's ethos within Parcs and his own project Furrmien (a similarly placed fermentation focussed food waste addressor) he decided to head to the Footscray market with his favourite market bag, the F52 Miami Vice by Freitag to gather some ideas on what to cook for us and to collect ingredients – particularly those heavily discounted and nearing their fate to end up in landfill. 

With quick sell chicken hearts, wilted snake beans and fish roe all making their way into the shopping bag, we headed back to the kitchen to see what Dennis could do. 

First up using Parcs’ Orange Kosho:

Kosho Summer Salad

Ingredients:

1 Tomato

1 Nectarine

1 Tsp Parcs Orange Kosho

1 Tbsp vinegar

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp agave syrup

For Garnish: 

Shiso & Chinese celery

Method:

1. Cut tomato & nectarine into large wedges
2. Mix kosho, vinegar, olive oil, and agave in a small bowl. 
3. Heat a wok or frypan over high heat, add a small amount of oil and lightly char tomato and nectarine wedges.
4. Toss in dressing and plate
5. Garnish with torn herbs. 

 

Crispy Salmon Roe

Ingredients:

200g Fish roe (still in sacks)
Corn starch for batter 

Mayonaise:

1 Tbsp Parcs Orange Kosho

1 Egg yolk

50ml Lemon juice or vinegar

1 Tbsp  Mustard

1 Pinch five spice

200ml Oil

Method:

1. To make mayonnaise: In a mixing bowl, whisk together egg yolk, lemon juice or vinegar, mustard, and five spice, then, slowly pour in oil while continuously whisking to emulsify. Set aside. 
2. Heat enough oil in a heavy-based pot or wok for deep frying.
3. Gently toss fish roe in cornstarch to coat.
4. Fry roe in small batches until golden and crispy before draining on a paper towel and seasoning with salt.
5. Serve alongside mayonnaise. 

Old Beans and Chicken Hearts

Ingredients:

1 Bunch Snake Beans
200g Chicken hearts

50g Parcs Bread Miso

200g Okara
2 Red chillis

2 Garlic cloves

1 Thumb ginger

100ml Oil

Method:

1. Cut beans into 2-inch batons.
   2. In a food processor or blender, blitz garlic, ginger, chilli, oil, bread miso and okara into a rough paste.
2. In a wok, fry the chicken hearts until golden brown.
3. Add beans and paste and toss to combine and cook until beans slightly soften. 
4. Serve with rice.