By Callum Ludwig
Instagram foodie and creator Jessica Nguyen partnered up in July with Lilydale Free Range Chicken to champion the work of regional producers and promote the new ‘Cooking with Lily’ hub.
Jessica Nguyen visited Yarra Valley Truffles in Woori Yallock and made a delicious Gin Brined and Truffle Stuffed Whole Roasted Chicken with a Mushroom and Gin Gravy using a variety of local produce to a ‘Yarra Valley Taste Trail’ video.
Ms Nguyen said she loves exploring a region like the Yarra Valley, seeking out the producers in the area and learning about the what, how and why behind what they grow or make.
“I’m a big foodie and I love learning about the produce I’m cooking with and speaking with like-minded and equally as passionate people in the food industry,” she said.
“When you love food, not only are you obsessed with cooking and eating it but you also want to know where it came from, who and how it was made, the whole process. It gives you a much better appreciation of what you’re cooking with and in turn, means you’ll go the extra mile to cook something delicious.”
Ms Nguyen’s meal for four requires only 15 minutes of prep time and 20 minutes to cook.
Owner of Yarra Valley Truffles Stuart Dunbar said he started the farm after experiencing a truffle mashed potato at a restaurant and was so impressed by their flavour and aroma.
“In the orchard, our truffle dog Lani helps us find which ones are ready to harvest. Once she scents a truffle, she communicates with us in several ways as to its exact location and ripeness,” he said.
The 2022 truffle season at Yarra Valley Truffles started on 21 June and interested foodies can follow their blog and find out more at www.yarravalleytruffles.com.au.
Ms Nguyen said loved exploring the Yarra Valley Truffle Farm and learning about the process of growing truffles.
“Truffles are such a special delicacy and ingredient to cook with because they have a very short season, roughly 8 weeks in June to July and the process of growing them is quite difficult and there’s never a guarantee you’ll be able to cultivate truffles,” she said.
“You have to grow oak trees for years before there’s even a chance some truffle may grow from them. The hunting process is also quite exciting, where you get dogs or traditionally pigs to sniff them out for you. That’s why I love the truffle roast chicken recipe I shared for Lilydale as it’s the perfect winter recipe that does the truffles justice.”
The new ‘Cooking with Lily’ hub aims to encourage residents to continue to experiment with cooking especially as a Covid-19 Shopper Survey from IRI analysis in May 2020 found that 32 per cent of Australians found themselves reigniting their love for cooking, with two-thirds admitting they had a desire to continue creating meals from scratch more often.
Ms Nguyen said she comes from a Vietnamese Australian family whose love language is food and their way of life.
“While I learnt to cook as a kid through my parents, it was only once I moved out of home that I began to cook a lot more, experiment and start to host my own dinner parties and really love the whole process of making a meal out of it,” she said.
“Before this was my job, cooking was my way to unwind on weeknights when I had to cook dinner and then challenge myself with a new recipe on the weekend. It’s so surreal that it’s my full-time job now and I get to truly do what I love.”
Ms Nguyen’s recipe (and others) can be found here: www.cookingwithlily.com.au/recipes/truffle-roast-with-wild-mushrooms
