This month, you’ll meet Jason Staudt, executive chef at Stokehouse in St Kilda Beach in Melbourne, Victoria.
In the following Q&A interview, you’ll learn more about what drives Jason, who’s understated cooking style has won him wide acclaim and an interest in sustainable seafood lead him to Aquna Murray Cod.
Photo credit: Peter Dillon
A. Recently, we were just approved for the first 5 Star Green Star hospitality business in the Southern Hemisphere, which for me is MASSIVE! When I was approached for the job at Stokehouse, this was one of the main reasons I accepted it. Even though we hadn’t had the final approval yet, I knew it’s what I wanted to be a part of.
Sustainability has always been a major factor in what I do as a human and a chef. From banning cling film at all the venues, using e-water to clean and generally living in a green way, it’s super important.
My passion for seafood stemmed from a stint on a yacht in Alaska as a private chef. Catching wild salmon, Dungeness crab, huge halibuts, and everything in between, utilising those precious ingredients with no waste — something sparked. I then moved to Australia in 2012 and was taken even further down a seafood passion. Australian seafood is very special, and some of the best in the world.
A. Consistency, quality, shelf life and the core values of the Aquna business around sustainability.
A. What gets me going is the clean flavour. I think there’s a stigma around Murray cod in Australia of being muddy. Aquna is breaking that. It is very clean with a firm flesh. Great versatility – from cooking over wood, to poaching, to steaming. All mediums bring out a different natural flavour.
A. Waste is a failure of creativity. Personally, at Stokehouse, we did a steamed Aquna Murray Cod with the loins, served with a mussel escabeche, cod fat and lovage dressing. The bellies were cured, then hot smoked and served on crumpets with our seafood platter. The heads were poached, and picked – then seasoned, pressed and crumbed, and turned into our Aquna Murray Cod head croquettes served in pontoon, which is a staple on our menu. I guess that’s more than one recipe – but utilising the whole fish is the best recipe.
We’ve just launched a new How to Cook section on the Aquna website, where you can learn about the different cuts and cooking techniques to perfect your Aquna Murray Cook experience.
Lockdown has reminded us all to appreciate simple food experiences like never before. With a succulent and clean flavour, Aquna Murray Cod’s versatility makes it the go-to white-fleshed fish if you’re entertaining at home and the star attraction at any venue.
Josh Niland’s newest eatery Charcoal Fish launches in Sydney this week, featuring Aquna Murray Cod.
Murray cod is often referred to as the icon of the Murray-Darling Basin — big, lazy and opportunistic, with a certain aura. Its small eyes and a short snout gives Murray cod a distinct concave profile.
This winter, try these Aquna Murray Cod recipes for a little bit of luxury at home. They’re bursting with flavour and will bring back memories of what it’s like to eat a truly great-tasting, white-fleshed fish.
Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod has today been announced as a national Gold Medallist in the From the Sea category at the 2021 delicious. Harvey Norman Produce Awards.
Murray Cod Reel of Fortune participant, Corowa’s Mark Williams, has snapped up the competition’s Goodwill Fish, donating $5000 to OzFish.
Australian chef and fish legend Josh Niland makes one Aquna Murray Cod “disappear” on MasterChef Australia 2021.
Understandably, more of us want to know where our seafood comes from, and whether it’s been produced responsibly. Here’s what we’re doing.
Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod has been selected as a State Winner at this year’s delicious. Harvey Norman Produce Awards.
What are your plans for the Easter 2021 long weekend? If you’re hosting a feast with family and friends, why not wow them with healthy Murray cod?
We’ve released 10 legal-size, tagged Murray cod into the Murrumbidgee River between Wagga Wagga and Hay – with $30,000 in cash prizes up for grabs!
Where there’s smoke there’s flavour. If you are looking for a knock-your-socks-off Sunday brunch recipe – we have you covered!
Where there’s smoke there’s flavour. If you are looking for a knock-your-socks-off Sunday brunch recipe – we have you covered!
Aquna Murray Cod Rillette is similar to a confit and partners perfectly with a lightly toasted sourdough.
Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod announces that Heston Blumenthal and the Fat Duck Group have developed a series of 10 Aquna recipes.
Aquna Sustainable Murray cod secures position as worlds largest Murray Cod producer through acquiring a fully operational and staffed Murray cod hatchery.
MasterChef’s Steph de Sousa takes a deep dive into Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod with Business Development Executive, Ian Charles.
Aquna Hot Smoked Murray Cod is now available! Just in time for Christmas, our award-winning Aquna Hot Smoked Murray Cod has officially hit the market.
Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod have taken out the top prize at the NSW Business Chamber annual awards, being named NSW business of the Year.
Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod has today cut the ribbon on its flagship retail store, right here in our hometown of Griffith, NSW. The new chapter for Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod means we can now offer a wider range of delicious products.
Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod has been recognised for our commitment to sustainability, winning the Excellence in Sustainability Award – one of 14 categories at the NSW Business Chamber Murray-Riverina Awards.
Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod is now available in the US exclusively through San Francisco-based sustainable seafood company CleanFish. Enthusiastic first adopters of the fish include Chef Cedric Vongerichten at his Indonesian inspired restaurant Wayan in New York City.
At Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod, a commitment to sustainability is embedded in our corporate identity, business practices and culture. We want to have a positive impact on people’s plates and the planet.
The appointment of worlding-leading chef, Heston Blumenthal, as a shareholder and key advocate at Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod created quite a stir last week. The story, which made international headlines, has sparked a surge of new interest in our luxury product.
Our pond to plate video is a tale of how innovation, technology and hard work has combined to create Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod, a fine-dining fish sought-after by chefs in restaurants throughout Australia and around the world.
Traditionally, the Australian agricultural industry has been heavily dependent on women’s off-farm work. At Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod, we’re proactively providing opportunities for women to join our team.
With reports of more than a million fish dying along a 40-kilometre stretch of the Darling River in far north west New South Wales, Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod has joined forces with the community to try and prevent further deaths.
Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod (Aquna) is set to release more than 200,000 native fingerlings into the Murray-Darling Basin in January 2019. For hatchery manager, Ian Charles, Aquna’s restocking program represents the core of who we are as a business.
Farmed Murray cod has been listed as a ‘better choice’ in the updated Sustainable Seafood Guide – marking a significant win for Aqua Sustainable Murray Cod.
Our innovative farming system has improved on what nature has provided us. We have created a luxury aquaculture product that has improved the flavour of our Murray cod.
A low-energy source of protein (26g protein in one 150g serve), Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod is a versatile white-fleshed fish best known for being a good source of omega-3 fatty acids.
“Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod is interesting to me because it has a cool balance between being nice and fleshy, and delicate and moist,” – Luke Piccolo, award-winning chef, Limone Dining.
Launched in July 2018, Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod is the new brand identity for Murray Cod Australia (MCA). It is an exciting evolution that better positions the thriving aquaculture business as the producer of premium Murray cod.
Award-winning chef and restauranteur, Luke Piccolo, shares our connection with the Riverina. We’re thrilled to have him on board as our ambassador. A Griffith local with Italian heritage, Luke grew up surrounded by food and culture.
A delicious protein alternative, Murray cod is a great addition to your family meal repertoire. Mild in taste and firm in texture, cod is versatile and easy to cook. Plus, it’s packed with a wonderful and wide range of vitamins and minerals.
