Rick Stein

Calling Cornwall and Australia home, the seafood-loving, globe-trotting British TV-chef and fish maestro shares his favourite places in which to eat and retreat, both at home and away, with Renate Ruge

Australia has made me the happy man I am today

and it always lifts me up when I travel there. I love Mollymook, a small, sleepy, salty seaside place in New South Wales – a bit like Padstow but without the rain, wind and fog.

Nothing is better than fresh fish simply cooked.

When I first went to Sydney the fish market was just a bunch of sheds where the fishermen haggled. Now I’m like a kid in a sweet shop due to the excellent variety of fresh-off-the-boat catches such as garfish, blue eye cod and, my favourite, sand whiting.

Tasmania is charming, innocent and unspoilt

but it’s also the future of Australian cuisine. Its purity, clean air and clean water are the secrets of its success. There’s wild food everywhere and in this Garden of Eden you’ll even find signs directing you to the best apricots, blueberries and cherries.

I'm really attracted to New Zealand too.

Its natural beauty is astounding and I love the self-deprecating manner of the Kiwis. I was lucky enough to be invited to Cape Kidnappers in Hawke’s Bay, probably the most luxurious place I have ever stayed. Built by a US financier, it’s got an American ranch feel with out-of-this- world ocean views. I’m very fond of the South Island, especially Central Otago, which has fab pinot noir and awesome seafood.

My trip to Germany for the BBC was a personal one.

When I set out, I knew little of my German family – but I wouldn’t have the business I have today without them. In the early Seventies, I inherited money from a great uncle, which provided me with investment for my restaurant. On my trip to Hamburg I enjoyed raw herrings for breakfast – the contrast of the salty fish served with sweet onion is totally delicious. For a few weeks a year everybody is allowed to catch herrings – the silver darlings are best dusted in oats and fried in butter. A chef I like called Steffen Henssler serves his herring in a salad with ribbons of cucumber, mango, warm croutons, rocket and soy.

A country I keep going back to is Malaysia.

It’s fascinating for the diversity of its food. I go to Bon Ton Resort in Langkawi. It’s a stunning place to escape. Right on the beach, it’s low-key and relaxed with traditional Malay bungalows. Foodwise, at Siti Fatimah, people bring along different dishes – beef rendang, laksa, stuffed fish and endless curries – and serve them buffet- style. It’s a wonderful communal way to eat.

Indian and Indonesian cuisine inspire me and my son.

At our new restaurant in Fistral in Newquay, as well as traditional fish and chips, we’ve got Goan curries and flavours from the Far East such as lamb karahi and Pad Thai noodles. These were Jack’s idea, inspired from his time surfing in ‘Indo’, as he calls it.

Next on my list?

Buenos Aires. With all that steak and red wine, it sounds like paradise.

Rick Stein has eight restaurants in Cornwall, a restaurant in Winchester and one in Australia. rickstein.com