Second time lucky with Frank Camorra of MoVida @ Chadstone 4 Day Food Festival: Eat

(The lucky draw prize for the day)

After the crazy post from yesterday... the Boy reckon I should have split it up into 2 separate posts... could have, should have, would have... meh


Here's looking at you kid... I guess it's compulsory to take a candid shot of a photographer :P


Me! Front ROW!... Dangling feet, with a slight chance of flying oil and other condiments when Frank cooks and waves his hands and spatulas' around.


When we first entered the scene (The second time round), Frank was heating up some coal over the stove and chucking them back into a big metal tin to ignite each other.


This dish, is called Hongos A La Parrilla (Grilled Mushrooms)


For this you need to use 6 Media Racion, 6 large king brown mushrooms (or boletus), 6 garlic cloves (thinly sliced), 2 tablespoon thyme leaves, extra virgin olive oil (to drizzle), Fino sherry (to drizzle) and 2 tablespoons finely chopped curly leaf parsley


Slice the mushrooms in half, then make 3 incisions in the stalks. Push a slice of garlic and some thyme leaves into each incision.

Skewere the mushrooms, gripp cap side down, drizzle with a little oil, easeon to taste and splash with a little sherry.



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Next up, Sopa de Lentejas (Lentil soup with chorizo and black pudding).

600g brown lentils, 1-150g chorizo, 300g Japanese pumpkin, 1 brown onion, 1 head of garlic whole, 4 tomatoes. 1 tablespoon of sweet paprika, 1 red capsicum, 1 green capsicum, 2-150g morcilla (Spanish Black pudding), sea salt, sherry vinegar.


As the previous style of cooking, Frank's way, he chucked all the ingredients into a large pressure cooker (for the real recipe, he reccommends a cooking pot), add 3.5 litres of tap water and all ingredients except for salt, vinegar and black pudding (which he didn't use when showing us)


After 55 minutes, add the morcilla and cook for a further 5 minutes.


Frank and his assistant taking turns at blending.


To serve, remove the sausages (slice them), and remove all other whole vegetables, remove from skin and blend them together. Add them back into the soup and mix around.


Ladle into a bowl, drizzle with a few drops of sherry vinegar and arrange the sausages on the top of the soup.



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Empanadillas (Little shrry pastries filled with tuna and piquillo peppers), pastry is made by mixing 1 cup of plain flour, 1 cup of self raising flour, pinch of salt, 120ml olive oil,and 150ml dry fino sherry. Briefly knewd for a minute or so being careful to not overwork the pastry.


Cut into circles...


For the filling, use 150g Spanish canned tuna (the belly tuna!), 150g piquillo peppers, 100ml aioli garlic mayo, salt, black pepper (freshly cracked).

In the middle of each round place a tablespoon of filling, brush each edge lightly with eggwash, fold over pastry and using a fork crimple the edge of each emapanadilla to secure the seal


I didn't get to take a picture of the finished Empanadillas as we ran out of time, and everyone was grabbing them as they were coming out of the deep fryer. But I can tell you that the pastry was the fluffiest flaky pastry I've ever had and the tuna was just melt in the mouth fantastic!

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The main hearty meal of the day, Pollo En Peppitoria (Saffron braised chicken thickened with almonds and egg yolk)


Lightly coat the chicken pieces (1.6kg whole chicken, cut into 12 pieces) in plain, seasoned flour.

Heat olive oil in a large heavy-based pan and add chicken, season with salt, and cook until lightly brown.


Add the onions (3 finely diced), bay leaves (4) and 5 sliced garlic cloves and saute for until the onions are soften. Add the saffron and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add sherry (750ml) and wine (250ml dry white wine), and allow to boil for a few minutes. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

Add juniper berries (6) and cover with enough stock to just cover the chicken peices).


Cover and cook for 1 hour covered in the oven at 180degrees. Season with salt if necessary.


Meanwhile, make the picada by pounding (mortar and pestle) 4 hard-boiled egg yolks and 100g of almonds (toasted).


Serve with the Almond picada and roughly chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley



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The last dish, a dessert and the Boy's favourite dish (he took 3 separate handfuls and was extremely delighted with it!)

Garapinyades (Sugared almonds)



Put 1 cup of almonds and sugar together with a cup of water and cook over a medium high heat until the mixture begins to thicken and caramelize. Stir continuously uuntil the sugar begins to crystalise.


Remove from heat and spread on a lightly oiled tray. Allow to cool completely and then break up with your hands or rolling pin if neccesary.

Serve with tea, coffee, fortified wine or sweet sherry.



And that was it. I asked Frank how often does MoVida change their menu, and he replied, "Very rarely". "The new MoVida at Bourke Street (the old NAB building's courtyard) has a bigger menu", was what he added further when I asked what was to be expected from the new venue =)