

MEET Todd, he is a down-to-earth farmer with a wealth of 20 years plus cooking experience. His first job was on a game fishing charter boat during his later schooling years out of his home town Bermagui. Moving up the coast he eventually opened a highly regarded cafe “LV’s on Clarence”. Growing his family of 3 kids with his wife Lisa, got them thinking about the bigger picture. Together they started a regenerative farm to supply the restaurant with high-quality produce of beef, chicken, pork and eggs. In time, Todd’s obsession with food translated to being on the land with his animals and he decided to hang the knives up to focus wholeheartedly on improving his soil, building biodiversity into the landscape and producing the highest quality produce he could.


Regenerative Farming
His animals all cooperate, using their strengths to manage the land. His secret to success is the regular movements of his grazers to avoid extensive damage to the soil. I got to see this first-hand on the farm. What he showed me speaks for itself. The pigs have a reputation for being a destructive species. So Todd has capitalised on their bull dozer-like characteristics. He fences off lanata-infested sections of his property for them to clear. They are moved every 4-5 days and manage to turn the roots over on every lanata plant in the sectioned-off area that was previously too thick to walk or even see through.
A cover crop of a variety of different grasses is immediately sown to help hole the freshly turned soil. Within a few weeks, the cattle will have access to the freshly laid grasses and be happy amongst the shade of the spaced-out trees. Living harmoniously with the landscape. The herd of cattle that I saw were also moved everyday sometimes twice. The electric fence was turned off and they didn’t even want to leave their false enclosure because they knew that that was going to be their best opportunity for a good feed. The grass was largely thick and head high, they were very satisfied. No need for worming agents that also kill the worms in the soil. The worms in the soil were prolific on the property, aerating the soil and allowing ideal conditions for native grasses to flourish. He has seen a rise of over 5% in organic material in his soils since starting this methodology seven years ago.
All four species that were caught have a poor reputation on the plate. We wanted to challenge these preconceptions and put Todd’s chefing skills to the test.
The chooks then come through to fertilise the soil. They are moved every day. They don’t get the time to scratch any of the grasses out, but get access to a plethora of seeds, and insects and spread out the cow paddies. The trail of droppings is Todd’s fertiliser. The trail of green that follows his carts is a testament to their ability to improve the nutrients of the soil. Ready for the cows to divulge.
Todd’s love of fishing has also got him examining the local waterways. The creeks feeding his property enter muddy and leave clean. The roots of his grasses and trees hold the banks. The thick layer of topsoil is held and doesn’t run off into his creeks and our rivers and oceans. Even after rain, his damn takes up to a week to start filling because of the slow feed of the natural drainage system.
Chef 2 Farmer is the name of this special place. Their meat is more valuable at the market, tastes better and is conscious of the environment. Farmers with similar aspirations will help to change the mindset of produce in this country in the future.
This got me thinking about our fish. Where people purchase their fish from has a huge impact on the quality and impact on the environment. Just like Todd, there are commercial fishing operators that prioritise the animal and use the best practices out there to care for their catch. So choosing fish that have been line caught as opposed to netted and those that have been brain spike and chilled in a slurry makes a huge difference.
On top of that, knowing where your fish has come from is essential. Is the health of that system ideal? Catching recreationally obviously means the fish is going to be wild. But is that fish going to be healthy? The healthier the system, the better tasting and nutrient-rich the yield.
Todd is in the market for a food truck and plans on bringing his expertise back to its roots. Creating fantastic food that he has raised, cared and nurtured himself. Knowing the exact origins of each protein that he will proudly serve.

The Fishing
Todd and I caught up over a weekend in order to catch a feed and cook it. Chef 2 Frmer is located in Telegraph Point just north of Port Macquarie. I live in Coffs, so South West Rocks was a fair meeting point to head out of the bar.
Our goal was to aim for a larger species of fish on offer and make changes to our plan if it was unsuccessful throughout the day. This would ensure we had something to cook up. Right at the end of Summer is when the Spanish mackerel season is in full swing. We wanted to slow troll livies in for several hours to see if we could muster a big barie. The by-catch up here is often dismissed and labelled as pests. For an ex-Sydney sider, the thought of long-tail tuna still makes me excited. They can take a while to fight, taking time away from the marvelled Spaniards. However, their edibility is right up there. So this was also something we were keeping an eye out for.
I made a handful of single-strand wire rigs to be as prepared as possible. The sharks had been abundant throughout the season. Many anglers losing prized fish to the formidable tax man. I ran 58lb single strand with Gamakatsu treble 16 in lize 3/0 with an 8/0 live bait hook. I used the smallest Gamaktasu hyper swivel on offer to minimise a bubble trail and ran it to 60 lb flurocarbon. We were using popping rods to help spread out live baits when trolling. Samurai X-tracta 80’s with the 7500 PENN Slammer.
At the same time, we would be casting numerous lures from the bow of the boat. Using smaller lures such as Zipp Baits 130mm Monsoon breaker and Bass Day Bungy Casts for high-speed retrievals. Also casting larger hand-made timber lures with the Xtracta stick baiting rod for something more substantial.

A new lure I have been introduced to is a manufacturer called Wayward Fishing. They have 3 lures in the range that are all made up of recycled plastic destined for our waterways and lead alternative weights. A forward-thinking way of lure production. Perfect for this catch-and-cook series. The lures swim fantastically, the bottle rocket imitated a garfish and the Mac Nugget was used later on to high-speed troll in the hopes of a wahoo. Check out their selection, they are a cool company on the rise.
Unfortunately, we missed our chances. A live bait was returned severed in half with clear mackerel teeth marks. Another was eaten whilst sending the bait out, engulfing the entire trace and snipping the leader.
The BassDay bungy cast hooked a nice longtail that Todd fought for a while before it got eaten by the man in the grey suit. I know for a fact that that experience alone will get Todd, dusting off his boat and headed out to regain that feeling of bending!
We had spent most of the morning pursuing our quarrel. It was time to get some fish in the slurry. We decided to head to a little wreck and try to get some variety in our bag. We swung into a small shipwreck in which we spun up a few bonito and tailor that were immediately Ike Jimied, bled and chilled in the slurry. To be fair, particularly the Bonito, were the ideal Spanish Mackerel bait. However, time was of the essence. Most of the time when targeting apex predators like Spanish Mackrelel, you come home with close calls if not nothing at all. So this was the perfect scenario to highlight that bait can become the perfect meal.
We punched it south chasing bust up’s around the famous Fish Rock. Todd lost another good tuna. It was quite funny.
We ended up finding a nice-sized mac tuna, another species synonymous with its poor eating qualities. On the way home, Todd couldn’t resist and threw a Bungy Cast into the wash securing the consolation prize of an amberjack.

The cook up
All four species that were caught have a poor reputation on the plate. We wanted to challenge these preconceptions and put Todd’s chefing skills to the test. We planned to cut a slice of sashimi from each and do a blind tasting. Rating each out of 10 for the texture and flavour of the experience. The fish we brought home’s stereotype is based largely around the fishy flavour – fact or fishion?
Todd also had an idea to cook the 3 smaller Bonito using different techniques to highlight their repertoire.


Sashimi
Sashimi is all about the experience. If cut incorrectly, the purity of the sensations of melting fish on your palette will be tampered with. Think of cutting a fish like a tree. Cutting down the fillet as if dropping a tree to reveal the rings of the timber. The sashimi slices should have lines running down the slice in the shape of a rainbow. The slices can be around 3mm thick, it is not necessary to go as thin as possible. But too thick can quickly result in the need to chew the slice unnecessarily.
Todd explained one of the factors that impacts the sashiability of a fish, is its size. Larger fish tend to be more appropriate for sashimi. The smaller fish have less flesh in between their connective fascia (tissue). Myomeres is the term used to describe the flesh that allows for the nice flakes to fall off a cooked fish. The connective tissue is called mysoepta, myosepta divide the sections of myomeres. To the naked eye, they appear as lines through the flesh. These are the lines that give the rainbow aesthetic to properly cut sashimi. The lines of myosepta are fibrous connective tissue can detract from the texture of decadent myomere. In addition, the tales of fish have a convergence of myosepta lines which means they are really not ideal sections to use for sashimi.
In smaller fish or myospeta-rich sections of the fish can create a poor textural result. This can be counteracted with an angled cut to slice the sashimi. Starting at 45 degrees, make a slice and taste. Straighten the blade as necessary to find the balance where the over-texturisation through the mysosepta lines has less impact.


We sashimi each fish, tasting without any soy sauce that could mask the authenticity of each species. Todd cut each slice just below the shoulders in the section he regards as the most commonly utilised for sashimi.
The Tailor was one I couldn’t wait to try. The lone member of the Pomatomidae family. Tailor has incorrect parallels often drawn to it such as a Teragalin for itsappearance and Salmon for it’s fishy flavour. Tailor have a soft texture and light coloured meat. A first for both of us, that blew our socks off. This was the first fish we tried and I got it confused with the AJ, which I thought would be outstanding. 7/10.
Todd has a trick up his sleeve. He had been curing this small Tailor in a blend of sea salt, basil stalks and lime. He heaped the mix over the Tailor and let it sit for over an hour. We tried this slice next and it elevated the result to 8/10. The flavour was outstanding, but more so the flesh had firmed up slightly. I nearly fell off my seat. My whole life I had heard about how Tailor are only worthy of dog food. Every now and again you come across someone who loves them, but I had never heard of anyone tackling this species as sashimi. Amazing result, no fishy flavour… Just look after your catch!
Amberjack are part of the Seriola family including kingfish and Sampson fish. AJ’s are the ugly brother of the kingy. Kingfish are commonly featured in every sushi train that steams the country. Todd was excited to cut into an Amberjack, having never played with one in the kitchen before. Upon doing so, he immediately drew parallels in texture, smell and fat content to its ivory-coated sibling. It turned out that the AJ was an exceptional fish for sashimi. Light flavour, firm texture and is super smashable. Receiving 8/10’s all round.


The Mac Tuna was easier to pick due to the rich flavour. This was the biggest fish we caught. Todd wasn’t too impressed giving his slice 5/10 because it tip-toed into the realm of overpowering. We had to dig a little deeper into the tuna… We took a slice from the belly side of the fillet, not the belly flap. The colour was lighter and unrecognisable from the dark red shoulder we had previously tried. The flavour improved vastly. Perhaps, if a Mac Tuna was taken for food, the majority could be canned and the middle section above the belly could be used for sashimi? Zero waste is the key? Don’t take a Maccy T just to sample this small section. Think about how you will utilise the whole fish.
Lastly the Bonito. Anyone who throws shade at this species for its eating quality has rocks in their head. Straight away we both landed at 9/10. The way we treated our catch meant there was barely any bloodline running through the fillet. This ‘bait fish – only’ species is dynomite sashimi. The best sashimi I have ever tasted was a larger-sized bonito than what we tasted today. I could not wait to see what Todd came up with when he cooked them up.

The Sauces
Going to a restaurant is all about unique dining experiences. Sauces play an integral role in delivering flavours that last and last in the food bank of our memories. Todd came up with 2 sauces that are both easy to prepare, take minimal prep, are interchangeable with a variety of other dishes/proteins and can be made in bulk at home.
Blonde Gazpacho
Blonde refers to the light colouration of this sauce. Todd described it as having characteristics related to aioli. So, this could easily be chucked on your sandwiches for the next week to take to work.
First, cut the crust off a few slices of sourdough, it’s okay if the loaf has gone slightly stale. Soak the bread in water to soften. Meanwhile, throw a couple of handfuls of blanched whole almonds in the frying pan to toast. Simply add the sourdough, almonds with garlic, lemon juice, sherry vinegar, and mustard with some seasoning into the food processor and give it a blend. Adding elements slowly to get the desired taste. Once the flavour has hit the spot, add water until the consistency is just right.

Romesco Sauce
This was my pick of the sauces… Roast a capsicum and a few large tomatoes in the oven or over an open flame until the skin blackens but the flesh doesn’t dry. Peel the skin off and remove the capsicum seeds. Again, toast some almonds. An efficient opportunity to make multiple sauces simultaneously with the same ingredients. In a pan fry up some onion, and garlic, adding in the crust of sourdough, capsicum and tomatoes. Some chilli flakes will give this rich Italian flavour an extra kick. Into the blender, it goes with olive oil, sherry vinegar and some seasoning. Done.
Dishes
The Bonitto was showcased in two different dishes to highlight its uncredited potential. We had already agreed that sashimi was exceptional. Instead of using the two other fish separately, they were both filleted down. The top half from the poop shoot of both fish was for the romesco sauce and the bottom half was to be combined to make an Escabeche with the light Gazpacho.
Escabeche was specifically used for the tail end of the bonito. Sherry vinegar will help break down the influx of myosepta joining at the tail for these open-water speedster bonitoes.
Todd cooked both of the dishes over an open fire flame. He lightly coated each with flour and cooked it in a hot pan with oil. Thyme was added to the Escabeche with some grilled tomatoes, garlic and onion. It was removed from the heat and the sherry vinegar was drizzled over the top with parsley and seasoned. Leaving the Escabeche to do its thing overnight will result in improved flavour and texture with the curation of the fibrous fascia.

The dish was served with fresh fennel and the Blonde Gazpacho sauce. Unreal.
The upper fillet of the bonito was served with blanched green beans and basil. A drizzle of lemon. The smokey sauce coupled with the crispy skinned bonito perfectly.
Thank you to Todd and Lisa for having me out on their property for the day. If you are chasing a feed from Todd, the renewed chef, keep an eye out for the arrival of their food van. They aim to bring it back full circle with food from the farm serving their customers and being cooked over an open flame.
Living the dream!

Zac Panaretos catches up with chefs and fishos to chat about catching, cooking, and sustainable seafood.
Elliot Foote found himself isolated in the Indian Ocean hoping between Indonesia Islands with friends in August 2023.
This is his recount of a remarkable story of survival.
More atwww.fishingworld.com.au.
