12 March 2024 Matthew Holmes

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Food review by James Hill and wine review by Stephen O'Hallaron

Food

Matt was in the kitchen for our third ‘cook off’ for Chef of the Year 2023

The theme was ‘surf and turf’, perfect for this warm autumn day. Matt was assisted by Mark Bradford who was assisted by Denys Moore.

Canapés

First up were Narooma oysters freshly shucked by our team in the kitchen. Beautiful and salty up front with a long sweet finish. What a treat!

Mark made some chicken liver pâte with VSOP brandy, thyme, orange zest, nutmeg, shallots, butter and cream topped with pomegranate seeds served on top crostini from Italy.

Loved the pâte a good texture, moist flavourful and brandy and you could taste the brandy.

Main

Our main was oven-baked pancetta (Barossa Fine Foods) wrapped Norwegian Atlantic salmon. It sat on a bed of fried brussels sprouts and potato pennies, with asparagus in dill sauce garnished with fried capers.

The sauce was made with lemon, chicken stock, cream, butter, garlic and cayenne pepper, very tasty.

Great robust flavours and perfectly presented. The sprouts were rendered in fat from the pancetta and served under the penny potatoes garnished with lemon zest. Matt pointed out that the pancetta was cured with black pepper, garlic, bay leaf and pink salt.

The asparagus was perfectly cooked, blanched then charred.

The salmon was pink and moist in the middle, where it counts.

A great combination of flavours and texture, perfectly executed as fitting a coty nomination.

Many comments on the quality of food presented today.

Bread Bourke Street bakery bread today, soy and linseed served with the main and semi-sourdough baguette with cheese.

Cheese

Mark Bradford, our Cheesemaster, presented Comté La Couronne a hard cheese from France.

Made from unpasteurised milk, this hard-cooked raw milk cheese is made at small dairies or fruitieres using the milk from several herds of Montbeliard cows. This cheese was matured in the damp underground cellars of Marcel Petite at Fort Saint Antoine high in the mountains that border France and Switzerland in the Franche-Comte. It’s specially selected for Will to wear the prestigious red ‘crown’ of quality based on its rich concentrated nutty texture, elegant caramel sweetness, and lingering kaleidoscope of flavours rather than on how long it was aged.

Mark thought last week’s cheese the Jaarlsberg was a better offering, the Comte was nutty and sweet, showing a little calcium lactate crystal.

Matt served the cheese with seasonal green pears nice and crispy, walnuts and dates.

Wine

The prolonged spell of warm sunny conditions in Sydney over the past few weeks continued with a very warm, indeed hot day for our lunch, the 3rd in the series of our Chef of The Year for 2024. Today the spotlight was on Matt Holmes.  Matt produced a fine lunch with fresh oysters and a delicious pate topped with Pomegranate. The main was Norwegian Salmon baked in Pancetta. See the food review for more details.  In short, a first-rate effort.

The first wine of the day was a most agreeable Pinot Gris from Scorpo in the Mornington P 2023 13.5% The crispness of the wine, showing excellent quality fruit, balanced by firm acid produced an enjoyable wine, blending so well with the two entrees. Picking up comments from around the room, it did seem to me that the wine won universal approval, a rare accolade indeed! Not the world’s greatest wine for a pre-dinner drink, but a solid, if not spectacular wine to kick things along. Well done, Winemaster!

The next two offerings were both Chardonnays, a logical selection for a salmon main. First was the 2018 Bannockburn, a Geelong Chardy at 13.5%. Deep yellow, a big wine with very developed flavours, plenty of oak evident. Lots of citrus flavours are evident with high-quality fruit. A very impressive wine.

The second Chardonnay was a Fraser Gallop, the Parterre from Margaret River 2014 vintage at 12.5%. A good comparison to the previous wine. Much lighter in colour and texture. A delicate wine I really enjoyed. Lovely enduring finish. Superb fruit/acid balance. A great wine, drinking perfectly, at the apex of its development. I hope we have some more in the cellar.

The last two wines did for me present a challenge, two extremes, one a huge Australian red wine, the other a thin, acidic dry white from Italy, with no lingering fruit flavour on the palate at the finish. I was perplexed that these two totally different wines were in the same room, let alone competing for our attention with the cheese.

The red wine would need no introduction, a Hardy’s Clare and Mc Laren Vale Shiraz|HRB D646 2008 at 14%. This is the wine you bring along to an International wine show and in true Bazza McKenzie style demand that all you “purse carrying, Nancy boys, clear the table of your limp-wristed delicate Pinots and get a taste of what a real red wine tastes like”!  Stewed fruit compote, they may reply.

I am not saying the wine was unpleasant, but that it was a throwback to that style of wine popular in the ’60s and '70s where massive fruit, tannin and oak were the drivers of a style of red wine that many still love and good luck to them. Who am I to cast a censorious glance in their direction? But for me, something a little lighter please Garcon. Do you have a Mt Langhi Shiraz back there?

The final wine of the day was a Vernaccia di San Gimignano 2021 at 13%. I am really puzzled as to why this wine was served with the cheese.  Very dry, acidic and has a sharp aftertaste. The Vernaccia grape comes from a complicated and obscure background dating back to the 1200s. The wine is from the town of San Gimignano in Tuscany. My research indicates that the good folk in Italy regard this wine as a simple everyday drink and I can understand why. Unlike Roussanne, a Rhone white we had with the cheese last week which was a great match. Sadly, this wine with its thinness and puckering acidity was not in my view a wine to enjoy with the Compte cheese served.

Irrespective of my comments about some of the wines, I thought Matt Holmes put on a great lunch today for which we should all be grateful.

5 March 2024 Paul Irwin

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Food review by Frank Liebeskind and wine review by Stephen O'Halloran

Food

A fantastic lunch, full of taste and of generous portions. No one went home hungry, I for one didn’t have dinner.

Paul Irwin (with Steve Liebeskind doing a canape and assisting Paul in the kitchen and plating) recreated his Hainanese chicken dish.

We started with three excellent canapes.

First, we had ceviche snapper with a vinaigrette of orange and lemon juice served on spoons, a beautiful white fish with a delightful kick and challenge to the taste buds. Loved it.

This was followed by Steve’s gravlax of ocean trout with sour cream and dill sauce, served on bread rounds, Steve has done his gravlax often, and certainly, this one didn’t let us down.

The third canape was the chicken tenderloins from the breast that Paul cooked for the main. Paul crumbed the chicken tenders in panko crumbs and served them with a dipping sauce of siracha mayo, finger-licking good.

The main was a huge success again. Paul’s Hainanese Chicken was outstanding, one member claimed it was the best they have ever had, and I would agree.

Paul’s attention to detail was highlighted in this dish. Big succulent chicken breasts were marinated in Paul’s own master stock (for 48 hours I believe), the breasts then sous vide at 63 degrees.

Beautifully sliced and presented and topped with Kecap Manis. Paul cooked the rice “risotto style” again using Paul’s Master stock and giving the rice a complex but delicate taste and beautiful colour.

To complement the chicken, Paul served some finely grated/ground ginger and a magnificent, fermented capsicum puree. The heat from the ginger gave the dish a kick to the taste buds.

Having said that, some members wanted chopped chilli too, next time Paul said he would put chopped chilli (in soy?) on the table for members to enjoy as they might.

The plating was completed with braised bok choy in oyster sauce, garnished with sliced cucumber and tomato.

Paul’s master stock was also served in a cup, for each member to pour over the rice, or chicken or drink, as they saw fit. Beautiful master stock with a coriander leaf.

The bread was sourdough from Harris Farm, tasty, fresh, and generous.

Paul also provided a salad (with the cheese) of mixed leaf greens, sliced pear on the side, and a dressing of EVOO, mustard and balsamic vinegar.

An outstanding lunch, with every element well executed. My only regret, no leftovers, for $10 a container.

Mark Bradford our Cheese Master presented us with an excellent and tasty cheese, and Josef C stood up and identified it immediately as a Swiss Gruyere (well he is Swiss).

This 45% fat unpasteurised cow’s milk Gruyere AOP cheese was well received.

The supplier’s description is:

The methods used to make this cooked cheese are strictly controlled by the Swiss authorities. Once made only from alpine milk high in the mountain pastures in the summer, but now made throughout the year. The production of cheese in the region can be traced back to 1115. It continues nowadays according to a well-tried recipe in the village cheese dairies of its native land – the district of La Gruyère in the Canton of Fribourg (Switzerland) – but also in the cantons of Vaud, Neuchâtel, and Jura, as well as in a few municipalities of Bern. The brown natural pebbled rind encases a dense smooth interior with the occasional small pea sized hole formed by propionic bacteria and small horizontal fissures known as ‘lenures’.

It has a slightly condensed sweet, nutty flavour that lingers on the palate.

Wine

The pre-lunch wine was very enjoyable, Muscadet Sevre et Main Sur Lie 2021 12%. This wine was a good partner for the delicious raw snapper and ocean trout entrée that was provided.

There were some grumbles around the room about the wine not being up to standard for a good Muscadet, too sweet and so on. I did not detect any undue sweetness and thought that the wine finished with a nice clean acidic finish, perfect with the fish. Picking up on comments around the room, it seemed to me that most there were quite happy.  I have had good quality Muscadet in France on a few occasions with some Bay of Biscay oysters, a superb combo.  The exact same wine here weeks later tastes quite different. Must be the holiday effect!

We were then treated to three excellent reds with our chicken main. First was the Freycinet Tasmanian Pinot 2020 14%. Very nice indeed, in fact, I preferred it to the following wine, a Burgundy. The Freycinet was a wine in great balance, with plenty of flavour, nice velvety smoothness with a firm finish. An excellent Australian Pinot. The second wine was the Christian Clerget Bourgogne Rouge from 2015 12.5%, an acclaimed vintage in Burgundy. Perhaps it was a poor bottle or perhaps it was just me in a fickle mood, but I just did not connect with this wine. To me, it simply lacked flavour.  Perhaps a second bottle might cause me to review my assessment more generously.

We then moved on to the cheese wines. First was a Society favourite and also one of my go-to wines, the Seppelt St Peters Shiraz 2010 14%. This wine from the Grampians in Vic comes from a vineyard at Seppelt where the main business is making sparkling wine. The vineyard adjacent to the winery is where St Peters comes from, formerly known as Seppelt Great Western Shiraz, a wonderful wine, full or ripe fruit, spicy with gentle tannins and a subtle oak finish. Wine of the day.

The final wine of the day was a 2018 Yves Cuilleron Rousanne Les Vignes d’a Cote.  Readers of my articles from previous occasions will be aware that I do not have high regard for Rhone whites, Roussanne, Viognier or Marsanne. I find them unctuous and fat with a blowsy finish. Today, however, much against my anticipated reaction, this Roussanne grew upon me as the day wore on. A very good cheese wine, mouth-filling, but well-balanced. I think the trick was to serve it with a strongly flavoured cheese, not with a delicate entrée.

27 February 2024 Peter Kelso

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Food review by James Hill and wine review by Stephen O'Halloran

Food

A full house today for our first wine tasting lunch of the year. Peter Kelso Past President of our society and Chef of the Year on a number of occasions was in the kitchen for today’s lunch. Peter’s known for economy and keeping it simple. In dollar terms our lunch today the value of wines alone at lunch was $130 per person.

Canapes

‘Less is more’ said Mies van de Rohe and there was more.

First up, two types of fried fritters one pumpkin and the other ‘tromboncini’ served with Ajvar condiment.

The ingredients for the fritters came from Peter’s community garden. Tromboncino also known as zucchetta.

Long zucchini-like fruit with a bulbous end. A climbing vine that produces long pale green zucchini-like fruit with a bulbous end. Fruit is used like a zucchini and has a comparable flavour and is tender.

Ajvar is a condiment made principally from capsicum and eggplants.

Good robust flavours in the fritters and condiments.

Peter served some herring sour cream on garlic-roasted bruschetta garnished with paprika. The sauce was made with dill, red onion, garlic, and vodka.

This herring canapé had good texture, integrated flavours, very moreish.

Main

Peter presented ‘turkey tonnato’, a twist on the Italian dish normally made with veal.

Peter had brined ‘skin on’ turkey breast for 48 hours and then roasted and served with a traditional tonnâto sauce on top. It was decorated with parsley, pickled cucumbers, olives, and pickled beetroot.

Served at room temperature the turkey flavour stood through.

It looked simple but a lot of thought and effort was evident in our lunch today.

Accompanying the dish was a salad of endive, radicchio and cos lettuce dressed with a light vinaigrette. A good match for our brace of burgundies on taste today.

Good comments on the food today many thought ‘chef of the year’ worthy.

Thank you, Peter.

Bread a very good sourdough.

Cheese

Cheese master Mark Bradford selected cheese from Gippsland Victoria, Berry’s Creek Riverine Buffalo Blue. It had everyone guessing, no one correctly. Many thought it was a French cheese.

Made with high quality, Gippsland sourced buffalo milk, this innovative cheese is super smooth and creamy. It has a delicate texture and highlights the great understanding of milk and mould types by award winning Berrys Creek Cheese.

I believe it is the first time it’s been presented to a lunch.

A complication with the cheese today, it hadn’t arrived by noon! MB was on the case ensuring it was delivered in time for service.

Peter accompanied the cheese with sliced fresh figs, dried figs and dry roasted walnuts.

We welcomed two new members to our Society today, John McKenzie and Dr Geoff Riiesfeld.

Our new member Society ties are in the post gents.

Wine

Our Wine Master turned it on for us today a veritable cornucopia of excellent Burgundies and some not so well known entrée whites.

We kicked off with an Aligote 2021 from Bichot. 12%. This grape popular in France is a first cousin of Chardonnay, being part of the Pinot family. Very dry with high acidity.

I found the wine somewhat lacking in flavour. A little thin to my taste. My research indicates that this wine is extremely popular in Bulgaria and Romania. They must like this style.

The second entrée wine was a Pinot Bianco 13% 2020. An Italian wine from Erste & Neue. Again, very dry but with a bit more fruit on show compared to the first wine. Clean and fresh with crisp acid. Enjoyable.

First of the lunch wines was the Bichot 2020 Meursault at 13.5%. I really liked this wine. Smooth with buttery overtones and a long satisfying finish. Well balanced. Excellent.

Next was the Colin Morey 2018 Cotes due Beaune Au Bout du Monde at 13% . Delicate with some obvious citrus flavours of peach, pear and lemon. Restrained acid.

We then moved on to what I was thinking would be the star of the show, the Les Clos Grand Cru Chablis 2018. 13%. I was expecting some of that classic steely flinty, taste, but it was not there, at least for me. Perhaps the very rich sauce accompanying the main drowned it out. I always think of a Chablis with delicate seafood dishes, not with a heavy main course, which incidentally was terrific, but for me the coupling was just not right. The wine itself was fine, but perhaps the acid was beginning to fall away a little.

The first red was Leroux Gevrey Chambertin, 2013 at 13%. Deep ruby colour with some strawberry aroma. The acid was falling off a bit, but still a nice finish with faint tannins. Excellent.

The second red was the Domaine de Bellene Beaune Les Greves 1st Cru 2012 at 13%. This wine to my taste was a bit flat, with low acidity, starting to show some premature ageing at 12 yo. Still very drinkable with mellow tannin. Not one for keeping.

Our final wine was a beauty, the Grand Cru Echezeaux En Orveaux 2015, 13.5% An excellent year for red Burgundy. and the wine soon showed its class. Medium to firm mouthfeel, great balance with hints of cherry and strawberry. Great finish suggesting that this wine still has many years ahead. An excellent long term proposition for those special occasions.

20 February 2024 Bill Alexiou

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Food review by James Hill and wine review by Richard Gibson

Food

Our president Bill Alexiou-Hucker was in the kitchen today cooking for our first mixed lunch of the year. You never go hungry when Bill in the kitchen and today was no exception.

Canapés

Guacamole topped with tomato and a slice of chilli on mission corn chips. Bill loves this recipe, I agree it’s fresh and flavourful.

Tuna marinated in orange juice and dill topped with dill served on spoons, balanced and luscious.

Baked Greek-style meatballs (Keftedes) served cold with a dipping sauce of yoghurt, lemon salt and mint (Tzatziki). The meatballs were a combination of pork and beef however 90% beef for fat to add to the flavour as well also some grated tomatoes, salt and egg for binding.

Main

A seafood and tomato-based orzo dish. Orzo is a rice-shaped pasta also known as risoni. It was baked with chorizo, tomato and onion.

Great presentation with the seafood sitting on top of the orzo with the chorizo imparting a smoky taste to the dish.

The seafood was perfectly cooked with scallops and prawns seared on the hibachi and served with baby octopus and mussels in their shells.

It’s no easy feat to serve different types of seafood and have them come to the table with the integrity of the flesh preserved. Bill achieved that today. A great dish with fulsome flavours although most agreed it did need a little seasoning.

Thanks Bill.

Cheese

Our cheese master Mark Bradford organised a 3.6kg tub of barrel-aged feta as requested by our chef. It was baked with truffle-infused evoo and served with sprigs of thyme then drizzled with Greek thyme-infused honey over the cheese before serving with warmed olives.

Perfect with lunch today the baking enhanced the flavour and texture of the cheese with olives rounding off a great dish.

Surely a worthy contender for the Ross MacDonald cheese trophy.

Aphrodite Greek Barrel-Aged Feta is a rare example of a traditional feta. The authentic milky flavours, crumbly and slightly open texture, and yeasty finish are a revelation.

Greek feta is one of the oldest and most popular of all European PDO cheeses with origins that date back to a time when nomadic shepherds roamed the hills of northern Greece. Today, most examples are produced on a commodity scale and are predictable in texture and flavour, but Aphrodite Feta is remarkably different and deliciously superior. It is authentic, ‘real’ feta at its finest and most authentic.

Cheesemaking for Aphrodite Greek Barrel-Aged Feta begins with only the best-quality mountain ewe’s milk and a small amount of goat’s milk, depending on the season. This milk is beautifully and naturally infused with the aromatic flavours of wild herbs, flowers, and grasses ingested by free-ranging flocks.

The fresh curds are drained in special triangular wedges and sprinkled with sea salt from Missolonghi before being left to drain overnight. They are then hand-salted again and layered in beechwood barrels.

The inside of these barrels contains a unique microflora, introduced by smearing the staves with ourda, a mizithra whey cheese. After topping up with whey, the barrels are left at ambient temperature to encourage secondary fermentation, while wooden staves allow the cheese to breathe. Finally, the barrels are transferred to cooler, humid cellars to mature for at least three months, resulting in a different and far superior texture and flavour compared to industrial feta, which is matured in tins or plastic.

Bill generously provided a half bottle of dessert wine for each table. It was "Samos Vin Doux" a white muscat from Samos, Greece. A good match for the cheese presented today.

Jennifer Darin proposed a toast to our recently departed member Roger Prior who was well known to Dennis Cooper and Jennifer. He introduced Dennis to our Society.

Bread today a good sourdough from Fiore at McMahons Point.

Wine

Nick served a diverse range of wines well suited to an equally diverse number of appetizers and Bill’s Mediterranean mixed seafood risoni main.  We started with a fresh and fruity Jansz rose and a quintessential Hunter Semillon, Gundog Estate’s The Chase Semillon.

The rose is a Pinot Noir/Chardonnay blend  (Pinot dominant)) which showed fresh floral and strawberry notes on the nose, a textural and balanced palate displaying some complexity and a fairly dry and long finish – an excellent match with the Guacamole and tuna tartare.  The Chase Semillon is made from grapes grown on the historic Somerset Vineyard, now a grower's vineyard committed to sustainable farming and organic principles. It showed lovely floral and apple characters on the nose with a citrus and lemongrass palate (with some classic hunter hay/straw notes).  The wine was balanced and elegant with a fine acid line and length which well matched the appetizers and the meatballs in particular.

The main course was served with a modern Adelaide Hills Orlando Lynvale Chardonnay and a Trott Vineyard McLaren Vale Grenache. Both wines complemented the main very well (both displaying high acid lines) and the room was evenly split as to which wine was the better match. Personally, I thought the leanness and acidity of the Grenache was the better fit.

The Chardonnay displayed a citrus/peachy nose and a real depth of flavoursome ripe stone fruit on the palate (together with some flinty-struck match characters) balanced with a light touch of oak. This is a wine showing considerable elegance and balance – finishing with a fine minerally acid line.  A very fine example of a modern cool climate Chardonnay.

The Grenache, produced by Willunga 100, is grown from old vines in Blewitt Springs, McLaren Vale. The wine shows a very pretty cherry/red berry and spicy nose followed by a depth of savoury red fruit and spice on the palate with well-integrated (fruit) tannins and a long acid-driven finish.  A very good example of a modern South Australian Grenache style – highlighted by its fruit purity, freshness and fine tannin structure.

The cheese was also served with a white and a red wine - a Soave made from 100% Garganega grapes produced by Monte Tondo in the hills near Verona and a Barbera from Paolo Scavini in Alba, Piemonte.

The Soave was intensely floral perfumed (one member described it as a candy “bubblegum” character).  It displayed a bone-dry peachy palate with citrus tinges and was medium-bodied.  The finish was a little short and dominated by high acidity.  Our table did not have the best example of this wine, but it was better received on other tables.

The Barbera showed a spicy rich blackberry and cherry nose. The palate displayed rich, savoury, tart black fruit with a medium body with some herbaceous characters and spice.  The finish was long and accentuated by high acidity. To my palate, the tannins were perhaps a little aggressive (reflecting a very difficult 2017 vintage) and the wine was not completely in balance. 

Both wines matched the cheese and again the room was divided on the better match – again both wines displayed high acidity which well matched the cheese.

13 February 2024 Nigel Burton

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Food review by Nick Reynolds and wine review by Stephen O'Halloran

Food

Nigel Burton was the first contender for Chef of the Year to present his dish for consideration. Ambitiously, he presented this dish to an almost full house of 47 attendees.

As usual, Nigel encouraged members who do not normally cook to each present an appetiser. Today we had dishes from Greg Brunner, Frank Liebeskind, and Greg Chugg.
Greg Brunner served smoked Mackerel on toasted sourdough. This was made up of cold-smoked mackerel with yuzu kosho, mirin, light soy, sesame oil and chopped chives served on toasted sourdough with Kewpie mayonnaise, Nori, and Yarra Valley salmon caviar. As can be seen from the picture, it was a panoply of colour, texture, and flavour.

Frank Liebeskind’s canapé was Eggplant roasted with S&B Japanese Curry. He blended this into a paté, folded in finely chopped shallots and served this on organic brown rice crackers. This was topped with Japanese pickled radish, pickled ginger and a sliver of nori.

Greg Chugg served a Bloody Mary inspired canapé with the traditional celery swizzle stick replaced with pickled daikon, and Worcestershire sauce largely replaced with ponzu citrus sauce. Rather than standard black pepper he used native bush pepper as well as 6 limes off his own tree.

Greg asked me to assist in adding Tabasco to the mixture and an appropriate level was achieved. Some members thought it was too hot but, as you will find out in the next paragraph, the chilli heat was augmented by something of an alcohol burn.

Economics, maths, and mixology combined to give the following calculation (provided by Greg). 37.5% of the liquid was made up of alcoholic beverage. Of this, roughly 40% was Japanese Shochu (which is made from sweet potato and is 25% alcohol), 10% 42 Below Feijoa Vodka (42%), 25% Suntory Plum Liqueur Whisky Blend (20%) and 25% San Baltazar Alipus Mezcal (47.5%). All together an average 31% alcohol by volume mixed spirit. Together with the tomato juice, Greg calculated, this yielded an 11.65% beverage. The perfect level for a wine lunch!

Now onto Nigel’s main course.

He gave us a reprise of his version of Nobu Matsuhisa’s miso-marinated cod.

Marinating in saké lees has been an age-old tradition in Japan, but it was top Japanese-Peruvian chef Nobu who added Mirin and Miso to the sake for the marinade.

The fish used this time was Arctic cod, also known as sablefish, from Alaskan waters.

The cod was marinated in the fridge for two days with the above ingredients and a little additional sugar.

The fish was fried on the skin side and finished off in the oven. It was served sprinkled with dried seaweed and accompanied by black rice, pickled ginger, bok choi, edamame and drizzled with Indonesian sweet soy sauce (Kecap Manis). The dish was topped with a sauce around the side of the fish made up from the same ingredients used for the marinade but without the sugar.

Japanese cooking is as much about presentation as anything else. The dish showed an array of colours and was well presented.

Cooking fish for 47 people is a difficult task compounded by the number of elements that needed to be carefully plated. Nigel and the kitchen team achieved this very well, although there was some variance in thickness of the fish which led to a few individuals not having as flaky and oily fish as others in the room. As a whole, the dish was very well received by members with the dish showing a good mixture of different textures and flavours.

Nigel showed great skill in taking what is typically a shared appetiser and converting it into a satisfying and well-presented main course.

Today’s bread was cut from the large ring from Raffaels’ Bakery in Haberfield.

Our cheese today was sourced by Mark Bradford. It was a Le Conquérant Artisan Grand Camembert cheese from Normandy imported by Will Studd.
Regional milk and the natural ripening process ensure the distinctive flavour and aroma development of real Camembert.
This traditional surface ripened cheese is handmade to an authentic Camembert recipe in Normandy, France. The unique milk of the Normande cows of the Pays d’Auge region and the natural ripening process of the surface moulds ensure the distinctive flavour and aroma development of real Camembert.
The popular box and wax paper wrap create a microclimate that encourages the chalky heart of a young cheese to slowly break down over three to four weeks to a soft and fudgy texture. As the cheese matures, it develops the distinct rounded grassy flavours and famous brassica aroma that make this original cheese so distinct.
While today’s cheese was soft and fudgy, it unfortunately also had the ammoniated smell that we’ve seen several times over the past few years in imported camemberts. As with all strong aromas, including on wine, there was variability in response to the cheese.
Nigel served the cheese with a plate of blanched spinach dressed in a savoury nutty sesame sauce (Gomaae), in line with the Japanese theme of today’s lunch.

Wine

I walked through the door at 12.45 pm and paid the price of not being on the starting grid at 12.30 pm. As a consequence, I was not able to taste any of the Fraser Gallop wine and had to contend myself with a small glass of the Montgomery Hill Chardonnay 2010 12%. I enjoyed the wine very much even though my sample was small. For a 14yo Chardy, the wine was drinking very well. No sign of ageing, well balanced, great fruit and just enough acid left to carry it through. An excellent choice, hope we have some left.

The first wine for the luncheon was a Yalumba Viognier, the “Virgilius” from 2021 at 13%. I noticed on the label that Yalumba had now promoted this wine to the rank of their Premier White Wine, a position I would have thought, had been occupied by their Pewsey Vale Contours Riesling. Louise Rose is an outstanding winemaker and one must respect her judgement, but still, I am a little surprised as for me, I would much prefer a glass of the Contours to a glass of the Virgilius. The Viognier was a big, mouth-filling wine with lashings of stone fruit taste. A grape that hails from the Northern Rhone district along with Roussanne and Marsanne. These wines have a distinctly similar mouthfeel, rich and voluptuous, indeed a little too full-bodied and viscous. You have a glass and that’s enough thank you, please pass the Riesling! As you may infer I am not a fan of Viognier, either locally grown or from the Rhone.

The next wine was a Sake, the Junmai Daiginjo 15% which we enjoyed last year also with a fish dish by Nigel Burton. This wine again proved to be an excellent match with the cod we enjoyed. Clean with a crisp finish. It is a wine so removed from what we are used to drink I find it hard to describe. Whatever wine tasting terminology one may use, the sake was a winner with the strongly flavoured fish we had. A good choice, inspired.

The third luncheon wine was a Dolcetto d’Alba 13% from vintage 2020. The “Sweet little one“ as it is known in Italy. Made from the Dolcetto grape, the wine is light in texture, quite tannic, yet unobtrusive, a good food wine. Nothing too serious, a wine just made for consumption with a Pizza with extra anchovy. Enjoyable, without demanding attention.

The final wine was a wine which in my view did demand attention, the Hewitson l’Oizeau Shiraz from 1998 14%. Note that this wine is now 26 yo and naturally showing some signs of age, but that said drinking beautifully. Made from some very old vines around Tanunda SA, The winemaker Dean Hewitson has crafted together a great example of Barossa Shiraz which has stood the test of time. Spicy and peppery, great fruit with some residual tannin, and a little browning around the rim, but still the wine was in great shape. I hope we have a few left.

6 February 2024 James Hill

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Food review by James Hill and wine review by Stephen O'Halloran

Food

A nearly full house for our first lunch of 2024 with a British-themed lunch cooked by yours truly with Jonathan Casson and Mark Bradford assisting on canapés.

Canapés

First up potted prawns on toasts prepared by Jonathan.

Prawns were cooked with clarified butter, mace, nutmeg, cayenne and lemon. Good prawn flavour on the toast.

Cucumber sandwiches with a twist … a Neil Perry recipe ..white bread with lashings of butter a smear of hot English mustard and salted fresh cucumber layered with pickled cucumber.

Mark finished the canapés service with corn fritters in a tribute to Bill Grainger. The main ingredients are corn, eggs, flour, coriander and onion. Warmed in the oven served with a spicy mayo.

Bountiful canapés well received by members today.

Main course

This was a riff on a Richard Corrigan recipe ‘smoked haddock’.

The hero of the dish was the creamy well well-seasoned mash made with 800 gms of butter and 500ml of cream.

The fish was frozen smoked cape cod fillets from South Africa defrosted overnight and poached in a butter and fish stock emulsion.

The fish sat on a mound of the mash and was topped with grated hard-boiled egg, chives and a teaspoon of salsa tartufo. On the side were blanched leeks, finished in fish stock.

The butter and fish stock emulsion was poured over the dish once plated.

A rich, flavoursome and textured dish.

Big bread love from Iggys.

Cheese

Cheesmaster Mark Bradford, in theme, presented a vintage clothbound cheddar from Devon England.

Mature, clothbound Farmhouse Cheddar made the old-fashioned way is hard to find, and demand outstrips supply. This rare Cheddar has been carefully graded from a young age and matured for 18 to 24 months. The result is a classic Cheddar bursting with evocative flavours, with a firm, open and moist texture, an aging earthy aroma, and a lingering tang.

Served with new season ‘jazz’ apples and pickled onions.

Wine

A near-full house saw us begin our 2024 season and let's hope we maintain that spirit during the long season ahead. The theme for today was a creation of the talented James Hill, a delightful smoked haddock with superb mash and leek served with a butter sauce. Forget the calories, just enjoy and fast tomorrow!

With regard to the wines, we kicked off with a 2023 Brokenwood Hunter Semillon 11%, which to me was quite a surprise. Initially, I had prejudged the wine as being far too young, “A year-old Sem“, what’s going on? But a taste revealed a fresh, clean wine with plenty of balanced flavours. A different proposition from a 10 yo Sem, but that said, the wine today presented well, with perhaps hints of future excellence. All the components seemed to be there for a promising future. Let’s review in say 7 years.  The first of the luncheon wines was a Pikes The Merle Riesling 2017. 12%.  In my view a great wine. I always say that my favourite Oz wine is a good, aged Riesling and this wine fits that goal perfectly.

The second wine served was a Brokenwood Indigo Vineyard Chardonnay 12.5% from Beechworth 2014. This wine asked me several questions, which I could not answer.

A great region for chardonnay eg Giaconda, but this wine left me puzzled. Was it excellent or was it frumpy? Maybe at 10 yo it had run out of fruit and acid, I really do not know. My initial comment about the wine on the list of wines was “unsure“.  Sorry to be so wishy-washy.               

Next wine was the Corcelette Beaujolais Morgon 2021 13%. Now here was a wine I had no mixed emotions about. Terrific, ever since we had some Morgon’s a few months ago, I have become a fully paid-up member of the Morgon Fan Club. These wines are the Rolls Royce of Beaujolais, strong flavour, meaty, serious wine. The Gamay grape in this region produces some of the most drinkable of French wines. No wonder they are internationally some of the most sought-after French wines. Today, there were some comments around the room not in favour of the wine. But equally, there were plenty in favour. For my part, keep the Morgon coming Garcon!!

The final wine of the day was a Wynns Coonawarra Shiraz 13.5% from 2009. Now 15 yo, but still drinking well and throwing a big crust. Certainly, a sound investment by the Society in an affordable FAQ wine that has repaid extended cellaring. Fruit and acid still holding up, a well-made wine, rewarding patience.

 

12 December 2023 Steve Sparkes and Bill Alexiou-Hucker

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Food review by James Hill

Food

We wrapped 2023 in style with a Christmas-themed lunch with our Foodmaster Steve Sparkes and President Bill Alexiou-Hucker on the hobs.

Steve and Bill advised lunch was a way of thanking all those who cooked through the year and our kitchen brigade.

Canapes - Bill Alexiou-Hucker

Guacamole and corn chips, topped with chilli and coriander, a ‘NQN’ recipe. Bill says hard to beat, I agree, a great version.

Hummus topped with caramelised onion on wafers.

Taramasalata on toast decorated with parsley.

Loved the canapés plentiful, and great flavours although one member did comment he thought the taramasalata was Pecks Paste. There’s an idea for next time.

Entrée - Bill Alexiou-Hucker

Squid stuffed pine nuts, sultanas and lemon zest served with a rich cherry tomato sauce. Perfectly cooked squid, tender and delicious.  

A great entree. Our resident Italophile said the recipe was very similar to one they found in Pompéi, a variation with the use of tomato sauce as tomatoes weren’t introduced to Italy till the 16th century.

Main - Steve Sparkes

Turkey breast, initially cooked sous vide, then finished in the kitchen, and accompanied by Kipfer potato, peas, corn, carrot, stuffing, crisp turkey skin gravy and cranberry sauce. The turkey was cooked perfectly, moist and tender, topped with some turkey skin that had been baked in the oven.

Vibrant colours on the plate, presentation, use of flavours and texture with a rich unctuous gravy eagerly mopped up with Iggy's bread.

Cheese - Mark Bradford

Bay of Fires cheddar

This cheese has just won the best Cheddar Cheese in Australia in the Australian Grand Dairy Competition and is Tasmania's only finalist in this class. The cheddar is made using traditional methods the family has used for generations. The cloth-bound cheddar is not released before 12 months of age, with some cheese needing 14 months. Whilst maturing on pine boards, it is hand turned and rubbed about every 3 weeks, this gives the cheese its distinctive flavour.

To go with cheese Mark made a date, fig and walnut loaf. I detected some aniseed. Mark added some fennel, a good combination.

Dessert - Steve Sparkes

Christmas cake, mixed berries, homemade vanilla pod and ice cream topped with red currents served with a butterscotch sauce.

All the dishes were of a high standard showcasing the use of flavour, texture and quality ingredients.

No one went home hungry.

Steve treated members with a bottle of topaque.

This Rare Topaque is from the solera of David Gregory, located in Oberon NSW. The base material was sourced from Seppeltsfield as well as Stanton and Killen and is over 50 years old.

The solera is topped off annually with base material aged at least 5 years. The result is dark, rich, unctuous and absolutely delicious.

Despondent about missing our lunches, don't worry it’s only six Tuesdays till we meet again on February 6.

It was good to see Spencer Ferrier back in the fold.

5 December 2023 Keith Steele

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Food review by Frank Liebeskind and wine review by Stephen O'Halloran

Food

Canapes

We had three great canapes by three members.

Greg Chugg was again on canapes, again serving his excellent pate (chicken livers I believe he said), this version to fit Keith’s Latino theme, had pate with peppercorns, Tabasco and Mezcal (no worm found in the pate).

Greg’s pate wasn’t hot, but complex in taste, Greg catered for everyone’s taste for heat. Some pate was served on “flavoured” corn chips and his second version was his pate on plain corn chips with a slice of pickled jalapeno on top.

I preferred the latter, great taste in the mouth with the jalapeno kicking in after a few seconds. Well done Greg, you are showing to be a pate master. And a reminder, Steve Sparkes wants you to take another step forward and be the COTD in 2024 ????.

Then came the second canape, a Paul Thorne brilliant duck consommé served in little paper cups. To add complexity and as Paul says, duck and orange is a marriage made in heaven, Paul created an orange and cognac concentrate with orange zest for added flavour, then sprayed the concentrate into each duck cconsommé cup. Brilliant, and no one doubts Paul is the duck king with his consumes and jus and everything duck. Thank you Paul, loved it.

The final canape was something totally different, another favourite in the room, I loved its complexity and combination of tastes.

James Tinslay did Medjool dates with a stuffing of 2/3 goat and 1/3 cream cheese with paprika, Kashmiri chilli and finely chopped chorizo,

and just before oven warming, James pushed roasted pecan nuts into the stuffing, topped it with mozzarella cheese, and then warmed at about 180C until the cheese browns. Very well received and enjoyed by all Members.

Main

Then came the main, by the COTD Keith Steele.

I love “street food” and Keith’s pulled pork “Latino” style certainly didn’t disappoint me. I thought it had the correct balance of flavour and heat, I know some members found it a little too hot.

We had soft and juicy slow cooked pulled pork with chipotle and butter beans, Mexican red rice and smashed avocado.

Keith slow cooked pork shoulder and the heat and flavour came from a small (100g) can of La Morena Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce, about 1 can per 8 servings. So if you liked it, but it was too hot, try it and use less Chipotle.

There was also onion, garlic, tomato paste and several herbs and spices. Keith served his dish with Mexican red rice which was cooked in stock then blended with tomato paste and sautéed onions and garlic.

The garnish was a bit of chopped avocado.

Bread

Bread today was a real favourite, and many members asked for details and “where d’ya get it”. So Keith said the bread was a light rye sourdough from Cornucopia Bakery in Naremburn, and they have another outlet in Castle Cove.

Cheese

Today we had an excellent blue that no one picked its origin. Many said Gippsland, but we had Cantorel Bleu d'Auvergne AOP from Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France.

From the notes provided by the Cheese Master, this AOP cow’s milk cheese has been made in the Auvergne region for several centuries, traditionally matured in mountain caves where the unique blue mould flora flourished.

Although no longer cave ripened, AOP regulations still stipulate that cheese must be produced at a minimum 500m altitude, in specific geographical regions and using milk only from cows born in the region.

Each whole cheese is foil wrapped to prevent the rind forming and after three months maturation, an even spread of steely blue veins spreads through the body of the cheese.

Mature cheeses have a moist and slightly crumbly texture with a tart and salty flavour. The cheese served was in excellent condition, and enjoyed by all.

Wine

Those avid followers of my column will remember that last week after a tremendous lunch, I travelled to Manderley again in my velvet smoking Jacket and wearing my baby seal slippers. Sadly that trip seems to have exhausted me and today I am feeling very flat. Sorry about that. Overall the wines today did do not much to lift my spirits, except for the two excellent Rieslings. and the last red. So it goes.

The first Riesling was a Crawford River from Victoria 13.5% year 2015.  This wine deserves its high reputation. Terrific acid/fruit combo holding well together for a 7yo. Some slight residual sugar, but still finishing clean and crisp. Would seem to have many years ahead for further development. I wish we saw this wine more often. Some apple/grapefruit overtones. Lovely wine, high price is a deterrent.

The second wine was again one of my favourites the Seppelt Drumborg 2016 at 11%. A wine from the Henty region of Victoria. An excellent wine, with great fruit and perfect balance. A delight to drink. Mouth filling flavours of apple and citrus, crisp finish. Very hard to have a favourite as both are high quality wines. Perhaps the Crawford River by just a nose.

Next cab off the rank was a Hugel Gewurztraminer from 2018. 13.5%  This wine was clearly designed to accompany the rather hot and spicy main course. Very floral and full-bodied with strong aromas of lychee and other exotic fruits. A bit too sweet on the finish to my taste, but none the less a quality well made wine, perfect for those who favour that style.  

First Red was a 2012 Gibson Dirtman Shiraz, 14.5% from the Barossa. Big wine by any description and expensive. Huge flavours of ripe fruits,  plumbs, spice and cedar. Restrained tannin with high alcohol was slightly noticed. Rich and developed mouthfeel.  Still drinking well for an 11yo.

The next wine was Erste + Neue Pinot Bianco from 2020 at 13%, from Northern Italy. A popular dry white in Europe, producing a full bodied wine with some acidity. The wine had no instant appeal to me, without food, but when accompanied by the cheese, it really came to life. Bit hard to define its flavours having just had a very spicy pulled pork, but with the cheese it worked well.

The last wine for the day was a very attractive Franklin River Shiraz 2016, 14%. As stated before, I am not generally a fan of WA Shiraz unlike their Cabernets, but giving credit to where it is due, I really liked this wine. Very good balance between quality fruit, acid and tannin. Mouthfeel ranged from intense ripe fruit, pepper and spice. Overall a very impressive Shiraz with a lingering finish.

28 November 2023 James Tinslay

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Food review by James Hill and wine review by Stephen O'Halloran

Food

A full house for our last wine tasting lunch of 2023 with James Tinslay as Chef of the Day assisted Keith Steele, Gary Linanne and yours truly on canapés.

Canapés

Keith Steele was first up with some prawn cocktail lettuce cups,

New season prawns served in a cos lettuce cup with Rose Marie sauce made with whole egg mayonnaise, chives, lemon zest and juice then seasoned. Crunchy lettuce, a good dollop of sauce and prawns in perfect condition. Delicious.

Gary followed up with a tuna spread on buttery Ritz crackers. It was made from chilli tuna, anchovies, eschallots, parsley and unsalted butter, smooth and flavoursome with a hint of heat on the back palate. This is one of my favourite canapés.

Chicken liver parfait followed served with sliced gherkins and radish sitting on toasted white bread crostini.

As with most recipes equal amounts of liver to butter and a good slug of cognac. The difference is that crème fraîche is added at the end of processing to lighten the mix and it is then passed through a fine sieve for a silky texture.

Plentiful canapés and commended by members today

Main 

James produced duck confit served with duck fat potatoes and asparagus.

The duck was moist and tender with a crisp skin and obvious lashings of duck fat used to cook the baby chat potatoes.

Then we had the jus, four litres of duck stock slowly reduced for six hours. A host of Asian ingredients went into the sauce however they didn’t dominate the overall flavour of the jus. Ingredients included Shaoxing wine, soy, oyster sauce, sesame oil, ginger garlic, spring onion and star anise.

Lip smacking good. A meal of quality, flavour and texture.

Well done James, as Richard Gibson said you’d be happy to have a meal of this quality at any Parisian bistro.

Bread today was from Cornucopia bakery in Naremburn.

Cheese

Cheesemaster Mark Bradford presented a French cow’s milk cheese today at the request of our chef, a hard cheese made from unpasteurised cow’s milk “Beaufort”

Famous since Roman times, this huge 40kg cheese is often referred to as the Prince of Gruyere. Only cheeses made from late spring or summer milk are selected, called Beaufort, as this is when the best milk comes from cows that have ascended into the rich mountain pastures.

A cooked curd cheese made from raw milk, the close, concentrated creamy texture and nutty, slightly sweet lingering flavours are typical of this rare cheese which also has excellent melting qualities.

It came to the table in perfect condition, you could smell the wonderful aroma of the cheese as it was presented to the table.

Our Food Master Steve Sparkes had the last word “we look forward to seeing this dish again, James”.

Wine

One of the best events I have attended at the WFS. A wonderful effort by JT producing 50 duck confit, perfectly cooked and delivered to the tables at the right temperature. Massive effort. Our Wine Master excelled himself in providing us with a mix of superb Pinot, Sangiovese and Nebbiolo, heaven! After lunch, I arrived back home to an unusually empty house, whereupon I kicked off my shoes, donned my velvet smoking jacket, slipped into my baby seal skin slippers and retired to my Chaise Lounge, clutching in one hand a snifter of Cognac and a fine Cuban in the other and thereupon reflected upon the good things that have occurred in my life. Soon I fell into a post-lunch haze “dreaming that last night I went to Manderley again” +. My dream was shattered by my mobile ringing and I returned to the present. The first thought that came to mind was how fortunate I was to join the WFS all those years ago. Becoming a member is right up there with some of the best decisions I have made in life.

With regard to the wines, the white for the excellent pass arounds was a Tapanappa Chardy from Brian Croser from the Piccadilly region in 2010 13.5%. From comments around the room, there was some bottle variation. The few glasses I had were enjoyable, but beginning to show some ageing, others in the room were not impressed. That is the sort of result you can get with a 13yo Chardy. Any remaining stocks of this wine should in my view be drunk soon.

We then moved right into the red wines for our main. First was the Tolpuddle PN 2015 13.5% from the Coal River region of Tasmania. A creation of Shaw and Smith with the backing of Yalumba and a top wine-making team working with fruit from one of the best vineyards in Tasmania. The result? In a word outstanding. This wine along with their Chardy must rate amongst our finest. This wine had great PN structures, a superb nose and a soft clean finish. In my view the wine is now fully developed, hard to see it getting any better. A comparison with the following wine is informative.

The next wine was the masterful Cheron Gevrey Chambertin also 2015, at 14%. I now see why PN lovers are obsessed with this grape. A wonderful wine, everything in perfect harmony, producing an elegant, deeply flavoursome wine with a soft velvet-like taste and lingering finish inviting one back for more. As I alluded to above, these two PN illustrated the difference between our locally grown PN and the French. In my view, this wine was still developing with time ahead for further improvement whereas the Tolpuddle had reached full maturity. The Gevrey would handle easily another 5 years or more in the bottle before it reached its glorious best. This is no adverse reflection on the Tolpuddle a superb wine, just a comment on how the same grape develops in different countries. In any event, the Gevrey was my pick of the day, narrowly edging out the following wine.

We then moved onto a Fontodi Chianti Classico Gran Selezione from 2015 14%, ah, Sangiovese at its best. Mouthfilling and fleshy but with a perfect balance of tannin and fruit flavours. Rich, earthy sensual, I’m beginning to run out of superlatives! Without a doubt the quintessential high quality unmistakable Italian wine. Like the aftertaste, the memory lingers. Wine no 2 by just a whisker.

The following wine was also a Sangiovese by another name the Brunello di Montalcino 2007 14.5% from the Tuscan region, produced under the highly regarded Argiano label. A direct comparison between this wine and the other Sangiovese led to disappointment. Perhaps any wine after the Fontodi would be a let down! Again there appears to have been some bottle variation from comments around the room as you might expect from a 16 yo wine. I felt that my wine was showing some age with a fall off in acid and fruit. Others were impressed. For me still very drinkable but lacking vibrancy, not really sure what was the problem, perhaps just getting old. A definite step down from the previous wine.

The final bracket was the match-up I was keenly anticipating between a Nebbiolo from the home of that grape, the Piedmont in Italy and the locally grown product from the Adelaide Hills from one of our most respected producers Stephen Pannell. The Italian wine was a Nervi Conterno from 2017 at 14.5%. The Pannell wine was from 2013 at 14%. What I noticed at the outset was that both wines in the glass were lighter in colour than I expected. Upon tasting both were medium body with plenty of tannin and high acidity.

2017 was by all accounts a tricky year in Piedmont, and perhaps this was reflected in the texture and structure of the wine. The Nervi was an elegant wine with excellent fruit, probably needing more time as Nebbiolo tends to do. Would be keen to see this wine again in 5 years when some of the tannins may have softened.

The Pannell wine now 10yo seemed to have reached full development. Again strong tannins so typical of the grape. Same texture as the Italian wine but lacking in complexity. A bit thinner in structure. An enjoyable wine but was short on flavour and finish. In the final analysis, the match-up was a bit of a letdown, as to me we were not seeing the famous Nebbiolo at its best.

Once again, thanks to James and Nick for a magnificent afternoon.

+ The opening line of Daphne Du Maurier’s classic novel, Rebecca.

21 November 2023 Steve Sparkes and Rob Guthrie

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Food review by Mark Bradford and wine information by Nick Reynolds

Food

The Society’s last Mixed Lunch (aka “Ladies’ Lunch”) for 2023 saw Steve Sparkes and Rob Guthrie in the kitchen, presenting an all-Italian affair.  A first-timer, Rob prepared the three canapes solo without the assistance of the very experienced Steve and did a sterling job indeed.  Convalescing from a broken foot, Steve was the Galloping Gourmet on crutches, and is to be thanked for the effort put into the meal with a significant handicap on the day.

Canapes 

We commenced with bruschetta, made with well drained tomatoes, finely sliced red onion, minced garlic, lemon zest, basil, oil, and seasoning.  Rob served this on sourdough that had been brushed with oil and rubbed with garlic prior to baking. 

Next to come was garlic and pea puree, made with blanched garden peas pureed with roasted garlic, garlic oil, mint leaves and chilli flakes.  It was served on crostini made from thinly sliced white sourdough and finished with finely chopped chilli and a little chilli oil. 

Finally, Rob presented roasted vegetable tarts, being puff pastry topped with a blend of ricotta and pesto, sliced zucchini and cherry tomatoes, then baked in the oven for 15 minutes. 

All offerings were enjoyed by the mixed lunch attendees with highly favourable comments, a triumph of colour and taste. 

Main 

Steve presented us with pork belly porchetta, using Kurobuta Berkshire Pork from Vic’s Meats in Mascot.   The cut was free-range pork belly, hand tied, and stuffed with white pepper, garlic oregano and fennel.  Steve air dried it in the fridge for three days, rubbed with a little Kosher salt and left uncovered.  On the day, it was brought to room temperature, lightly rubbed and then put in a very hot oven for about 1.5 to 2 hours.  There were three pieces, each just under 3 kg, and all was eaten by the 30 odd attendees! 

Accompanying the pork was peperonata, a very old Northern Italian dish that was cooked by Steve’s wife Marina.  It had lots of capsicum, onion and tomato, with a touch of chilli.  Some of the capsicum were blackened to add to the depth of flavour, and then all was cooked with a lot of olive oil very slowly for a few hours.  The dish was topped with a small pickled fennel, green apple and rocket salad with just a touch of olive oil.  And, in the Italian way, a fresh green salad with celery, tomato and red onion followed the main. The bread was a Country White Loaf from Burke Street Bakery. 

The main was an absolute delight.  The pork crackling was incredibly delicious with bubbly, puffy and crispy skin which shattered in the mouth, while the fat was soft and the meat tender, but still able to be carved in the fashion of a true roast.  The comments – aplenty from the ladies – were highly favourable. 

Cheese 

Steve requested a hard Tuscan cheese, and a Pecorino Toscano DOP Stagionato was provided by the Cheese master. It is an artisan cow and sheep milk cheese that is produced by Il Forteto (the fort), northeast of Florence.  A great example of a Tuscan pecorino, it is aged for over four months, while the rind develops a burnt golden colour and the nutty texture gradually becomes dense and flaky with a slightly sweet finish. Complex flavours of sweet and savoury highlight the quality of this classic cheese, which was appreciated on the day. 

The cheese was accompanied by brandied cumquats (brandy, sugar and vanilla pod, left for approximately one year) with nuts spiced with rosemary, sage, a touch of fresh chilli and cayenne pepper. 

Wines

Appetisers were served with a fresh NV Jansz Premium Cuvée Sparkling from Tasmania.

The main was accompanied by a 2010 Yabby Lake Single Vineyard Chardonnay and, in line with the Tuscan theme, a 2010 Poggio al Tesoro Mediterra, which was a Super-Tuscan made from a blend of 40% Syrah, 30% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Tuscan theme was continued with the wine accompanying the cheese, which was a 2015 Podere Poggio Scalette Chianti Classico Sangiovese. The cellarmaster also provided a bottle of Chardonnay to each table from surplus stock in the wine fridge. 

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