Episode 10

Rick travels north along his favourite coastline as he recalls the catastrophic bushfires of the Black Summer of 2019 which ravaged this area of the South Coast and came dangerously close to his Mollymook restaurant. For Rick, it was a potent reminder of our vulnerability to climate change and the urgent need for sustainable practices in land and sea.

Against this backdrop, Rick joins commercial fisherman Chris Theodore, who, with his brother, has pivoted from diving for abalone, traditionally a sought-after shellfish, to diving for sea urchins. As the seas here have warmed, urchin populations have exploded, threatening to destroy the region’s marine ecosystems. Chris exports the urchin roe he harvests across the world, where it is a great delicacy, thus helping protect his environment.

Returning to where his road trip began, in Sydney, Rick meets young culinary innovator Josh Niland, an acclaimed chef who is redefining how chefs use seafood with his revolutionary no-waste approach. At his fish butchery, Josh shows Rick how he uses every part of the fish, creating charcuterie and even ice cream, to ensure the most sustainable use of this precious ocean resource.

Rick’s journey ends at his home away from home in the South Coast town of Mollymook. Here, in the beach house where he creates many of his recipes, and back in his own kitchen, he prepares a simple dinner of Pambula rock oysters with sea urchin and an Australian version of his signature dish, fish pie. As he serves up a welcome home dinner with friends and fellow foodies, including Jimmy Barnes, lead singer of the legendary Australian rock band Cold Chisel, they reflect on how far Australian food has come. As Rick says, he’s confident of what the future holds and he can’t wait to see what lies ahead.