BlackFire in Braddon brings a world of flavours to Mort Street. While most people will be amazed by the visual presence of meat cooking slowly on the open fire near the kitchen, in reality the style of Black Fire is much more complex.
Certainly, there is a desire by owners Carolina Sanchez and Paolo Milanesi to make you feel as though you are walking into their living room as a result of their friendly and personal service.
However, through the fascinating wine list that offers the best of the Mediterranean, and with a menu that dances through a collection of classic flavours from the same region, Black Fire aims to amaze you with some of the best of Spanish cooking you are likely to experience in Canberra.
A perfect example of this inspiration comes through the Shaved Radish and Smoked Fennel with [preserved oranges, black olives and served with goat’s cheese beetroot vinaigrette. The plate is alive with colour – all the elements working together in as swirl or aromatic energy.
You just know there is fennel in the dish, but it isn’t until you combine the orange, fennel and radish with the goat’s cheese that the true range of flavours becomes apparent.
The oranges are a delight against the goat’s cheese, and the vinaigrette takes on a complexity as the other elements move through it, and it’s hard not to smile as the flavours duck and weave in and out of prominence.
Suckling Pig has always been one for the serious carnivore, but then again, in the presence of Black Fire’s version (roasted for eight hours on a fire) some vegetarians might find their philosophy called into question.
Served by the portion and resting in a deep, black ceramic bowl that collects all the delicious juices from the succulent meat, the tenderness of the pork shows why the best way to cook is ‘low and slow’. Almost falling off the bone, the only way the meat can get any better is by adding a gentle amount of the scented apple and manzanilla sauce that accompanies the dish. It offers a hint of acid without overpowering the gentle sweetness of the meat, creating a lovely balance.
Grab some of the crackling and try not to crack a smile while you do it. Herein lies perfection.
A Ritolo of Fresh Ricotta Cheese and Charcoal Pumpkin is a tasty alternative if the whole thing isn’t your… thing. It’s filled with zingy flavour, due largely to the basil pesto and burnet butter sauce – two elements that play the perfect support roll to the pumpkin and ricotta.
The pasta itself is fresh and delicate, holding together beautifully in the sea of rich sauce and maintaining structure as a vehicle for the rotolo’s delicious contents.
Another tasty vegetarian option is the Rice Mantecato. The wood-fired oven gets another workout here, this time playing host to fresh Swiss and Brown mushrooms that are stirred through the rice and sauce. Topped with parmesan cheese, diners are presented with a heady, earthy aroma that is too good too resist.
Be sure you don’t resist – the flavour is incredibly rich and complex, offering the level of satisfaction from its heartiness as any beef dish could hope to offer. It’s revelation, and a stunning example of how to highlight the depth of flavour that mushrooms can provide.
After all that it’s time for dessert, and to the table arrives Banana Cake and Dulce de Leche served with pomegranate maple syrup and some tempranillo poached pear. Topped with chocolate flakes, this is another explosion of complex flavours from all shores of the Med.
Delicately presented, the mini-cake sits off to the side of the poached pear in a sea of Dolce de Leche. It’s a fun and playful combination of sour and sweet with the warmth of the tempranillo sherry coming through in the aftertaste to add gentle warmth. It’s perfect on a cooler night, but not too heavy as a summer treat.
Dining at Black Fire is a demonstration of the power of flavours from the Mediterranean region. Be it from the northern shores of Africa, over to the Iberian Peninsula or across to the Middle East, there are brilliant aspects on display from some of the world’s most ancient cuisines.
For meat lovers and vegetarians alike it’s everything you could ever want. Black Fire simply has it all: delicious food, a warm smile and a sense you’ll just have to come back.
