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Chargrilled Whole John Dory with seasonal accompaniments
Xavier Tocco , Half Acre
Serves 4
About Chef
Chef Xavier Tocco arrived in Australia from his native France in 2013. He had worked at high-end venues such as Carre des Feuillants in his hometown of Paris as well as two stints at the much-lauded Waterside Inn in Bray, UK.
After working at Acqua Viva on Swan in Perth as head chef for two years, he moved to Melbourne to head up the catering company Palate as head chef. Xavier took on the role as head chef of Half Acre in South Melbourne when it opened in 2018.
Working with Ocean Made is a pleasure, he says. “They are so helpful at Ocean Made, we have big functions here sometimes, and a busy a la carte menu and nothing is ever an issue for them. The quality of the seafood is always good too, they are great to work with.”
Why this recipe?
“I love John Dory,” says Xavier Tocco, head chef of Half Acre in South Melbourne. “The John Dory or Saint Pierre as it called in France is a delicately textured fish with subtle flavour. I love cooking it whole, in fact, I think many fish can be cooked and enjoyed whole.”