Chef René Redzepi - search for flavour [HD] First Bite, ABC RN

When Danish chef René Redzepi first came to Australia five years ago he wanted to play with local ingredients so he asked for kangaroo milk.

"It's a mammal, so I thought, why not?" he laughs.

Redzepi is the co-owner and 'food conductor' of Noma, a forty seat restaurant in Copenhagen where in seven short years he and his clan of chefs went from being derided as geeks and 'seal f*@kers' to the artisans of Nordic Cuisine, using local plants, trees, insects and meats to stunning effect on the plate.

The result is Noma was voted Best Restaurant in the world three years running and currently sits at Number 2 behind El Celler de Can Roca in Spain.

But success is a double edged sword, as Redzepi ruefully acknowledges. It guarantees customers and exposure but it can inhibit creativity and risk taking, which is at the heart of Redzepi's approach to food.

In this interview recorded following his stints in Melbourne and Sydney for Good Food Month and the Opera House 40th anniversary, René talks enthusiastically about his discovery of Australia's indigenous food seasons, his relationship with WA cultural guide Josh Whiteland and his fears for what deprivations a crushing Danish winter could bring.

You'll also hear an excerpt from Redzepi's publication of three tomes - a 12 month journal, a recipe book and a collection of photographs.

Visit the First bite website for the full interview where René talks of his Macedonian childhood, food influences, and his responsibilities as chef and father.