Ray Garrad
Ray Garrad is Head Chef and co-owner of The Grayn Restaurant in Pakenham. Ray was born in Windsor, NSW. After completing his four-year apprenticeship he headed north to the Gold Coast working at Sea World Nara Resort. Upon moving to Melbourne he worked at The Old Melbourne Hotel, working in the fine dining restaurant where he also learnt the art of ice carving.
In 2004 Ray, his wife, and his in-laws opened The Grayn Restaurant in Pakenham. Wanting to use as much local produce as possible in the restaurant Ray has discovered nearby producers of asparagus, fruit and vegetables, fresh herbs and flowers e.g. zuchini and baby squash flowers, venison, barramundi, rare breed pigs and award winning wines and beers. Ray uses good base recipes that can be modified to use products when they are in season to ensure maximum flavour.
Ray loves the versatility of fresh asparagus. Ray likes to lightly steam green asparagus and toss it in a little butter. He also likes serving it with a dressing such as Honey Mustard Vinaigrette or Hollandaise Sauce. “Fresh asparagus is easy to store, no fuss to cook and looks good. It is great to eat at any time of the day. “We can get locally grown asparagus which means it is VERY FRESH.”
Try Ray’s asparagus recipes:
Smoked Salmon And Asparagus Risotto
Asparagus, Smoked Salmon & Bel Grande Quiche