All throughout the month of August, the most northerly bearing of Gods' Country comes alive when two locally renowned festivals become one, thus creating one of our region's biggest and most popular events of the year. Love Seafood Taste Port Stephens.
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The waters, parks and streets of Nelson Bay and beyond will come alive with the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the bay as chefs, winemakers, and brewers join forces in celebration of the natural beauty and outstanding seafood of this remarkable region.
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"There's plenty of water and plenty of fish," says chef Michael Jenkins from The Wild Herring and The Galley restaurants at The Anchorage Port Stephens.
"I can't seem to catch any, but they tell me they're there. This is such a lovely place to come and explore, eat, drink, stay, and just relax, even if you don't catch anything yourself."
Jenkins, along with a cohort of other extremely talented chefs will be manning the pans together, tonight, at the Love Sea Food Gala Dinner at Broughtons at the Bay to kick off the month-long celebration.
Diners will be treated to six seafood themed courses, matched to outstanding Hunter Valley wines, with almost all of the fresh produce from these aquatically derived and inspired dishes coming from local fishmongers, like Ian "Frog" Mitchell from Nelson Bay Fish Markets.
"The quality of seafood from around here is second to none," Mitchell says. "We've got local catches coming in every day, like red gurnard, john dory, bream, squid, snapper, and black drummer, which is a beautiful eating fish at the moment."
Mitchell has a book full of recipes - "all tried and tested" - for almost every fish he sells in store. Every Friday in August his shop will be running seafood specials and cooking demos to show people how they can enjoy fresh seafood without the hefty, fancy restaurant price tag.
Of course, if you'd prefer to leave it to chefs, like Dan James from The Little Nel, or Allan Perry from The Point, then you should. James' $49 four-course Signature Series Seafood Lunch, including a plate of local blue swimmers and bugs, on August 16 is not to be missed.
Perry will be participating in the truly movable feast about the bay, Munch & Move on Sunday, August 11. Guests will be treated to a free-wheeling seafood, wine and beer-based adventure by coach to some top venues: Coconut and macadamia crumbed prawns at Mavericks at the Bay, followed by a seafood tasting plate and glass of semillon by Andrew Thomas wines from The Point, then a half-pint of Whale Ale at Murray's, and an epic seafood mezze featuring sashimi, squid, oysters, and prawns from The Anchorage, ending with delicious dessert and sticky wine at the Seabreeze Hotel.
"We're so lucky to have such wonderful access to some of the best seafood in Australia," James says.
- portstephens.org.au/loveseafood
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