Profile: Emile Avramides, Head Chef and Restaurant Owner

“I currently work at a bistro called Little Jean in Sydney but also part own a local pub called The Montague in South Melbourne, and am about to open another restaurant in Sydney called Clove Lane.

My cooking is a mixture of modern and traditional European techniques. I have Lebanese heritage so my cooking has Middle Eastern influences. I love to cook seafood with olive oil, particularly fish.

I use a lot of light taste olive oil for sautéing, and EVOO for finishing. We would go through about 20 litres of olive oil a week. Olive oil is so interesting and complex, I love learning the different types of olive varieties. My favourite varietal is definitely Picual. One of the top cooking tips I teach my apprentices is so simple but quite often overlooked .

When you’re creating a dish, you need to be mindful about the olive oil you’re buying, actually taste the olive oil, and think about how it will match the flavours in your dish. Think about how does the olive oil feel in your mouth, what flavours are there and will it complement your dish? Then you can build on texture, aroma, presentation etc.

When I make popcorn at home with the kids I always use a generous amount of EVOO, it makes the best popcorn! (but of course I still add butter too!!)”

@themontague1869 @littlejean_doublebay @emileavro @clovelane2031 Keep an eye on Clove Lane which is set to open March next year. Keep up the great work Emile!