Bacon

Barossa's Table: Pizza-Making with Damon Deruiter

3/21/2011 10:23:00 PM


That, my friends, is "The Smokey".  Created by chef Damon Deruiter of the Roaring 40's Cafe, and winner of the best pizza in Australia, The Smokey is a decadent pizza topped with tomato sauce, cheese, mettwurst, lachsschinken, shallots, Schulz Butcher’s mallee gum smoked pork belly and smoked chicken. Wowza!

After my buttery morning with Carême Pastry, I was whisked away to Angaston for a pizza-making workshop with Damon.  (And now I guess you're all starting to appreciate why I gained 2.8kg in one week!) We met Damon at the Roaring 40's Cafe, and buzzed around town to get the ingredients, before returning for some pizza making and eating!

There are loads of photos in this post, so I'll try and keep it light on text.  First stop was the Barossa Valley Cheese Company.


The Barossa Valley Cheese Company
67b Murray Street
Angaston South, SA 5353
(08) 8564-3636
Website
Twitter

Established by Victoria McClurg in 2003, Barossa Valley Cheese Co. is a small, artisan producer who sources milk from local dairies.  We stopped by her shop to pick up some fresh tomatoes from the idyllic veggie garden...


...to check out the production area (it's really small, literally out the back of the shop!)...

... and, of course, to pick up some cheese for our pizzas!


I love the pretty packaging for the Petite Prince (washed rind) and Petite Princess (goat camembert) cheeses!

Couldn't leave without a taste test!


Next stop was the famous Shulz butchers, renowned for their smoked meat products. (Swoon!)

Schulz Butchers Angaston
42 Murray Street
Angaston SA 5353
(08) 8564-2145


Schulz does sell all your standard meat products (chops, sausages, steak etc.), but I was immediately drawn to the smallgoods section.

Picture Source: Tourism Barossa's Barossa's Table Competition - Winner's Journey! Facebook Album

Oh yum!

Jaegerbraten, Lachsschinken, Bacon
We then went out the back to look at their smokehouse, although you definitely smell it before you see it!

The thick black layer covering the inside of the door is the result of years and years of smoking. 

On the day we visited, there was only one rack in the smoker, but at peak periods the entire smoker is filled with rows and rows of hanging meat.


Gully Gardens

We then headed off to Gully Gardens to pick up some fresh peaches for a sweet pizza.  Gully Gardens grows and dries a wide range of fruit, including peaches, plums, pears and apples.  They sell their dried fruit wholesale, and at their "cellar door".

The fruits are still all prepared by hand.



I went on a ride on a two-wheeler around the farm as well, to look around and grab some fresh peaches straight from the tree.


No farm in the Barossa is complete without a vineyard!

The pear trees were incredibly abundant this year; on some trees the branches could barely support the weight of the fruit!

Some "Million dollar" peaches, a variety named for its beauty and size.  How beautiful!  

We picked a good dozen of these to take for pizza (and general snacking).

And, loaded down with goodies, it was to head back to the cafe for pizza making!

Roaring 40's Cafe
30 Murray Street
Angaston SA 5353
Ph: (08) 8564 2901




Damon made two pizzas.  The first was an improvised combo of goat's curd, lemon zest and thyme, topped with tomato slices.

And the second one was the famous Smokey!  One of the secrets is this imported Italian tomato sauce.


Damon made the Smokey in the fridge itself.  Due to the size of the kitchen, and the volume of customers, the pizzas are usually made in the fridge, and all the ingredients were already prepped and ready in there.



The recipe is here if you'd like to give it a go at home!  (Although the recipe doesn't state it, I'm pretty sure I saw some smoked feta sprinkled on as well!) 

And in total contrast to the meat-filled intensity of the Smokey, the goat's cheese/tomato pizza was topped with a refreshing rocket and red onion salad.

Picture Source: Tourism Barossa's Barossa's Table Competition - Winner's Journey! Facebook Album
We enjoyed both pizzas with a nice little riesling, from Damon's own wine label.  

Both pizzas were very different, but both delicious.  I'd love to try and recreate the goat's cheese one at home!  The Smokey looks incredibly rich, but is surprisingly easy to eat - full of crunchy, smoky, salty, porky goodness.

And while we were finishing off our pizzas, Damon whipped up a little sweet pizza: plain dough with roasted peach slices, a swirl of chocolate sauce and tiny boules of raspberry ripple ice-cream.  

On first sight, I thought there might be too much going on, but it was fantastic, with all the flavours complementing each other perfectly.  And unlike some of the OTT heavy dessert pizze/calzone we get here in Melbourne - think, sticky date pizza, nutella calzone etc. - this one was lovely and light.  A great way to finish the meal.  Big thanks to Damon DeRuiter for a fabulous afternoon and some delicious pizza!

40's Cafe on Urbanspoon

Sarah visited The Barossa Cheese Co., Schulz Butchers, Gully Gardens and The Roaring 40's Cafe as a guest of Tourism Barossa, as part of the prize for winning the Barossa's Table competition.

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3 comments

  1. oooh nice! LOL re regarding the taste test! I'm so with you one that. Pork!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I remember when we used to smoke our own meats... mmmm

    and what I wouldn't give for a pizza right now!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh, WOW! What an amazing experience! Everything looks fantastic.

    ReplyDelete

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