Following the success of Ovant’s virtual Night at Jordnær featuring Chef Eric Vildgaard’s two Michelin starred menu in Copenhagen, Ovant returns to its roots for its second virtual meal. To celebrate Christmas in 2021 Ovant joined local Western Australian hero, Chef Paul “Yoda” Iskov and the talented team at Fervor to create an Australian Christmas Feast on 23 December.


Chef Paul created a seven course menu providing a modern, Australian and fiercely local interpretation of Christmas flavours. As always, Fervor showcased the best Western Australian produce, with a focus on home grown and foraged local and native ingredients. Christopher Bothwell, Ovant’s Co-founder and Saporist, created a series of bespoke, alcohol free cocktails to match and enhance every dish.

Working with Fervor means working with locally sourced ingredients, grown by Yoda himself wherever possible. The Ovant Christmas feast starts in Yoda’s garden, sourcing native plants that deliver the distinct flavours that define his cooking. Ovant uses many of the same plants in its distillations, creating a beautiful synergy between drink and dish throughout the meal.




Ovant’s Oyster Shooter
paired with
Grace / Tomato Consomm
é

Every Australian Christmas starts with seafood. In this dish, Yoda captures the joy of the classic oyster shooter in a modern and precise interpretation. The sweetness of the home grown tomatoes at the heart of the consommé combines with the briny freshness of the magnificent Albany rock oyster, with both being lifted and balanced by the gentle bitterness and acidity of Ovant Grace.


INGREDIENTS

30 ml Ovant Grace
30 ml Fervor’s tomato consommé


GLASSWARE & TOOLS

Tall shot glass 


TECHNIQUE

Add Ovant Grace to a tall shot glass.
Top with chilled Fervor tomato consommé.
Serve with a freshly shucked oyster.




Margaret River Marron Cocktail
paired with
Verve / Rice / Rosemary 

Fervor’s twist on the prawn cocktail. This dish pays homage to the marron, one of Margaret River’s signature ingredients. The wonderful subtle sweetness of locally caught marron is contrasted with the savory notes of Ovant Verve. Delicate herbal components in both drink and dish provide a natural link between the two.



INGREDIENTS

60 ml Ovant Verve
60 ml Genmai-cha infusion
15 ml Salted rosemary syrup


GARNISH

Rosemary sprig
Clear ice block


GLASSWARE & TOOLS

Rocks glass
Mixing glass
Barspoon
Julep strainer


TECHNIQUE

Add Ovant Verve, salted rosemary syrup and Genmai-cha infusion to a mixing glass filled with cubed ice and stir for 5 seconds. Strain the contents into a rocks glass filled with a clear ice block. Garnish with a rosemary sprig.




Magpie Goose / Native Lemon Grass / Currants
paired with
Royal / Pineapple / Pink Pepper 

In the first of the main courses, Yoda has used Australian Magpie Goose from the Kimberley region of northern Western Australia in place of the traditional Christmas turkey. The Magpie Goose brings a bold gaminess leavened with the tartness of home grown native lemon grass and the sweetness of currants. Paired with Ovant Royal this course delivers an exotic blend of earthy flavours with an almost retro sweetness.


INGREDIENTS

60 ml Ovant Royal
60 ml Maple Syrup
15 ml Pineapple and pink peppercorn shrub


GARNISH

Charred pineapple or pineapple leaf
Clear ice block


GLASSWARE & TOOLS

Rocks glass
Mixing glass
Barspoon
Julep strainer


TECHNIQUE

Add Ovant Royal, maple syrup and pineapple and pink peppercorn shrub to a mixing glass and stir until consistent. Fill with cubed ice and stir for 5 seconds. Strain the contents into a rocks glass filled with a clear ice block. Garnish with charred pineapple.



Kangaroo / Stracciatella / Muntries / River Mint
paired with
Ovant’s Fervor Cocktail No.2 

For the second main course Yoda has replaced the traditional ham with kangaroo, the most revered of local Australian flavours. Here, the kangaroo is marinated for 18 hours before being slow cooked, echoing ancient cooking techniques. The process accentuates the kangaroo’s earthy and gamey characters, respecting the intrinsic flavours. The meat is paired with stracciatella to provide a creamy richness that is lifted and lightened by the native muntries (emu apples) and river mint from Yoda’s garden. 

To do justice to the dish requires a drink with deep savoury and spice characteristics, with intensity and power, yet at the same time nuance and complexity. Ovant’s Fervor Cocktail No.2 has been created exclusively to meet this need. Based on #OvantRoyal, an unorthodox blend of ingredients delivers a sublime alcohol free drink, able to enjoyed much like a fine red wine.



 INGREDIENTS

80 ml Ovant Royal
80 ml Cold brew coffee
40 ml Beetroot juice
15 ml Mint and basil syrup

 

GARNISH

Mint sprig


GLASSWARE & TOOLS

Highball


TECHNIQUE

Add Ovant Royal, cold brew coffee, beetroot juice and mint and basil syrup to a mixing glass and stir until consistent. Fill with cubed ice and stir for 5 seconds. Strain the contents into an aromatic red wine glass. Enjoy ungarnished with rich, intense foods.




Green Ant Pavlova / Bush Passion Fruit / Coals and Smoke paired with Verve / Citrus / Almond / Mint


For dessert, we combine the old and the new. Green tree ants are an ancient food for the Traditional Owners of the Kimberley region in northern Western Australia, imparting a subtle citrus flavour. In this dish, Fervor uses them in a modern Australian Christmas tradition – the pavlova. An adventurous, experimental, yet deeply historically interpretation of a classic. The citrus notes of #OvantVerve accentuate the green ants, providing a vital, vibrant and fresh counterpoint to the sweetness of meringue.


INGREDIENTS

60 ml Ovant Verve
30 ml Lemon juice
20 ml Orgeat syrup
1 btl Soda water


GLASSWARE & TOOLS

Aromatic red wine glass
Mixing glass
Barspoon
Julep strainer


TECHNIQUE

Pour Ovant Verve, orgeat syrup and lemon juice into a highball glass. Fill with cubed ice and top with soda water and stir. Garnish with a mint sprig.





Mum's Christmas Cake
paired with
Ovant's Classic Christmas Martini 


And finally…Christmas Cake! An unimproveable favourite to end the meal.
This recipe is Ovant Founder Tom Streitberg’s family recipe, stretching back to the 1800s.It is paired with Ovant’s signature Classic Christmas Martini, bringing all of the intrinsic flavours of Christmas together in the glass. The perfect pairing to bring the Australian Christmas feast to a close.


INGREDIENTS

60ml Ovant Royal
10ml Gingerbread syrup
20ml Lemon juice


GARNISH

Star anise
Cubed ice


GLASSWARE & TOOLS

Martini glass
Cocktail shaker
Hawthorne strainer


TECHNIQUE

Add Ovant Royal, gingerbread syrup, and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker filled with cubed ice and shake for 5 seconds. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with star anise.