🥂 A Night of Culinary Excellence: Celebrating the 2024 Chef of the Year Awards 🍾

A packed house of members and guests gathered in our club rooms for our prestigious 2024 Chef of the Year Awards evening. The culinary journey was guided by 2023 Chef of the Year (yours truly) and the celebrated Seafood Chef of the Year, Matthew Holmes, alongside the talented Royal Exchange kitchen brigade.

Before the feasting began, President Stephen O’Halloran paused to honor a cornerstone of our Society. He announced that our dedicated Cellarmaster, past President, and Food Master, Nick Reynolds, had been recognized for distinguished service by The Federation of Wine and Food Societies of Australia, presenting him with a certificate and Award of Merit medal.

Canapés & Champagne Reception

The evening commenced with Champagne and an exquisite trio of canapés, setting a high bar for the night ahead:
Prawn Cups: Crisp iceberg lettuce cradling succulent prawns, finished with a classic Marie Rose sauce.
Chicken Liver Parfait Crostini: Smooth, rich chicken liver parfait crowning a toasted crostini, topped with the bright, tangy fruit flavour of Pimento Biquinho (Brazilian peppers).
Celeriac Rémoulade Spoons: A vibrant rémoulade—a sharp mix of cornichon, capers, whole-grain mustard, and mayo—served elegantly on a spoon and finished with a black olive.

🌊 The Entrée: A Riff on a Winning Dish 🐟

Chef Matthew Holmes presented a stunning entrée that was a refined iteration of his award-winning creation: Pancetta-Wrapped Atlantic Salmon with Lemony Beurre Blanc. A truly great dish, it showcased quality ingredients, texture, flavour, and presentation. The expertly cooked salmon, wrapped in savoury pancetta, was perched upon a vivid pea purée and capers, surrounded by a delicate, lemony beurre blanc sauce, whimsically garnished with a pastry fish tail.

🔪 The Main Event: The Gourmet Rotolo 🧀

The main course delivered bold, comforting flavours, showcasing complex preparation: Chicken, Smoked Cheese, and Bacon Rotolo

The rotolo itself was a masterful composition: minced chicken breast, diced salami, onion, garlic, mustard, parmesan, parsley, and breadcrumbs, patted into an even rectangle. A layer of mint leaves was pressed over the surface, followed by thin slices of ham and a generous sprinkling of grated smoked Dutch cheese. It was then expertly rolled, encased in crispy bacon rashers, baked, rested, sliced, and served with rich accompaniments of Accoutrements: A creamy sauce of sherry, chicken stock, shallots, and caramelised button mushrooms; classic potato gratin; and bright, butter-sautéed sugar snap peas.

The rotolo offered a wealth of flavour that was perfectly complemented by the deeply savoury cream sauce.

🧀 The Cheese Course: Challerhocker, The Cellar-Sitter 🕰️

Cheesemaster Mark Bradford introduced us to an exceptional selection: Challerhocker, an unpasteurized hard cow’s milk cheese from the renowned region of St Gallen, Switzerland.

A Modern Masterpiece: This 21st-century Swiss creation—whose name means ‘sitting in a cellar’—was pioneered by Master Cheesemaker Walter Räss. Using rich Jersey milk and a secret blend of wine, herbs, and spices, he ages the cheese for eight long months, washing the rind during maturation. This process creates a robust, tacky rind and contributes to the nutty aroma of the dense, white paste.

Flavour Profile: Malty and sweet with a spicy finish, Challerhocker offers a truly distinctive flavour profile.

Serving: Mark paired this modern cheese expertly with a selection of dried fruit and chocolate drops.

🍋 Dessert: A Perfect Finish 🍰

Executive Chef at the Royal Exchange, Amosh KC, provided the elegant and refreshing finale:

Classic Lemon Tart with Mascarpone Cream

Conclusion

Our ‘night of nights’ was a resounding success, truly celebrating what we stand for as a Society: high-quality food, fine dining standards, and masterful execution.