DINKUM DINING
Meels on eels
It's a very special art to cook on an open fire just like the old-timers used to do
Story: Brian Kennedy
Photos: Reg Ryan
The
skeletons of giant, ghostly tree trunks rise 30 metres from the mist-shrouded
lake. Occasionally the surface is broken by silent ripples, signalling the
morning patrols of the resident platypuses.
This idyllic scene is Lake Elizabeth in the Otway Ranges of south western Victoria.
Looking out of the inky waters, is a bush tucker chef named Adrian Millman, who is planning to prepare a first class meal from ingredients gathered mainly from the area around the lake.
It is all a far cry from the top restaurants of Melbourne - Fannys, Jean Jacques, GloGo's - where Adrian was trained.
But Adrian is a country boy , who grew up in the foothills of the Otway Ranges. "The bush is in my blood and so is campfire cookery," says Adrian. "As a trained chef, I've had to spend a lot of time studying cooking techniques. But there are plenty of professional chefs who find it hard to cope when it comes to camp cooking. It's a very special art to cook on an open fire just like the old-timers used to do."
Adrian is based in Geelong but these days he describes himself as a "nomadic chef" and for the last couple of years has been travelling around Australia cooking for various companies.
He is currently doing some work to promote the mussel, squid and seaweed
industries of Victoria. But today he is singing the praises of a non-commercial
creature - the humble eel, which he says has a unique flavor but can be best
described to someone who has never tasted it as reminiscent of the taste
and texture of gummy shark. 
Full story Issue 3, February-March 1999
