Celebrity chef sniffs out some of the best lamb dishes on the Border

The celebrity chef and fourth-generation farmer runs sheep, cattle and pigs on his property in the Central Tablelands of NSW.

Visiting the Border this week as part of Your Local Club Perfect Plate Awards for which he was an ambassador, Moran found tasty lamb dishes at SS&A Albury and Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort.

He enjoyed a succulent lamb shank rogan josh at SS&A Albury and hearty open lamb souvlaki at Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club.

"The SS&A lamb curry was nicely balanced," he said.

"They use Holbrook lamb by Tom Bull; it was so tender the meat was falling off the bone."

Later Moran was served a chocolate hazelnut meringue at Club Corowa, which had also entered a Jillamatong Lamb Noisette in the NSW competition.

Moran, who runs Hampshire sheep and Black Angus cattle, said he expected lamb and beef dishes to dominate club menus in regional NSW.

He himself was dedicated to supporting local and regional producers and growers at his myriad culinary establishments including ARIA Sydney, Chiswick, Chophouse, Barangaroo House, North Bondi Fish and Opera Bar.

"I don't expect to see too much seafood in clubs in this part of the region," Moran said.

"This is lamb country but I'd like to try Murray cod and I haven't seen any on this trip.

"I'd like to catch one too but I'd still release it."

Every year Moran fishes in Iceland with mates including English celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay.

They catch and release Atlantic salmon.

"I like a challenge in fishing!" he said.

Growing up in western Sydney after his family went out of farming, Moran's first foray into clubs was at the Parramatta RSL Club.

He was charged with lugging the steaks from the cool room to the kitchen.

"I'd think one day if only I could be on the deep fryer," Moran said.

"The guy on the deep fryer was thinking, one day if only I could be on the grill!"

Moran got his first break when he got an apprenticeship at La Belle Helene Restaurant in Roseville.

From age 15, he discovered the art of classical French cooking.

"I knew I wanted to do this for a career after my three-day trial," he said.

"I have an obsessive-compulsive disorder and it all just appealed to me.

"I'd never seen things in food done like this before."

Moran opened his first restaurant at 22 before expanding his portfolio of venues ever since.

He recently opened The Rockley Pub near his farm and &Sando in Canberra on April 4; the latter was already selling 2000 sandwiches a week.

He also bought a restaurant at Bathurst, which he planned to turn into a bakery.

Having hosted prime time shows including Masterchef, The Chopping Block, My Restaurant Rules and The Great Australian Bake Off, Moran had plenty on his plate year-round.

He admitted that he didn't get much sleep.

"But I wake up every morning wondering about what I'm going to eat!" Moran said.

The Perfect Plate Awards are decided by the public.

Voting started on Tuesday, April 30, and closes at 11.59pm on Sunday, June 16.

SS&A Albury took out the award for the Riverina and South West Region with a punchy Pad Thai dish in 2023.

For more details visit perfectplate.com.au.