Foodie event Taste Great Southern bringing more than 20 of Australia’s best chefs to WA

It doesn’t feel that long ago when MasterChef fan favourite Derek Lau was booted off the show from the top eight. Adoringly known as “the gun show” on the 2019 season, the Mt Pleasant resident succumbed to the pressures of the TV kitchen after some questionable decision-making. And while he’s kept a fairly low profile since his departure — he’s done a pop-up at The Hatter & The Hare in Melbourne and abandoned the idea for an Asian tapas restaurant in South Perth — Lau hasn’t stopped thinking up new recipes, underpinned by a fervour viewers came to love him for. “One day I’m cooking some Asian-inspired dishes and the next day I’m looking forward to baking my next layered cake,” he says. His meticulous energy and strive for perfection actually came to a head before he even appeared on TV, when he was preparing for his MasterChef audition and found himself cooking his now-famous pot stickers umpteen times. “This is the level that I go to — when I knew I was auditioning for the show, I found out what kind of pans they used and then I bought the same pan,” he says. “And then I went and measured out plates to see what size plate fit the pan so when I inverted the pot stickers, they would come out perfectly. “I even measured out exactly how much oil I would need and everything.” Lau will also bring his pursuit of the perfect dish to this year’s IGA Taste Great Southern, where he will feature in three events. Lau will collaborate with Due South’s Nic Lancaster — head chef at Albany’s postcard-perfect waterfront dining room on the Princess Royal Harbour — on Beef It Up on April 3, for a long-table lunch showcasing Stirling Ranges Beef. “So we’ll see how we go…maybe we’ll use the bone marrow.” Lau will also join River Cottage Australia favourite Paul West on the mic as they are interviewed about all things food, beef and Great Southern produce. The day before, Lau will take charge of the canapes as guests are schooled in the wines of the Great Southern where they will compare and contrast riesling and shiraz from Albany, Denmark, Frankland River, Mount Barker and Porongorup. Finally, fans can also catch Lau on April 4 at the Albany Wine & Food Festival’s Harvey Norman Cooking Theatre, an arena Laufeels much more at home in. “These other chefs are at the stove every day, in the industry every day and I’m kind of like a rookie,” he says. “I’m actually a lot better being watched while I cook. On MasterChef, there are cameras and people asking questions about the cook and so the quicker you can articulate what you’re doing, the better.” The 27-year-old is recognised by fans for several signature dishes and plans to share some of the secrets behind them. “For the demo, I’ll do my fried chicken or a pork and cabbage dumpling,” Lau says. “It’s the small tips and tricks, like salting the cabbage to draw out the water before you put it in, that I want to share. “For the fried chicken I am hoping to use some of the cheese from the Dellendale Creamery down there to make a bit of a sauce; that would be awesome.” Lau will joins more than 20 chefs for this year’s Taste Great Southern festival, which kicks off on March 26 and celebrates award-winning wines and produce from the region. “It’s just really cool to be mixing with these chefs, like Julie Goodwin, Russell Blaikie, Paul Iskov, Melissa Palinkas and Kenny McHardy,” Lau says. “(And) I think we all inadvertently use a lot of produce from the region without thinking of it. “For me, when I cook, I use Jingilli EVOO quite frequently, Linley Valley pork or Mount Barker chicken. I think my rack is full of wines from the region but there are just too many to list.” See tastegreatsouthern.com.au.