Today on the pans was our Foodmaster, Nick Reynolds. Nick had gone for a Sicilian meal in Australian style, as you will see below.

Canapés. Canapés of which there were two started with Arancini risotto balls, followed by polenta deep-fried with truffled pecorino and aioli. Both were appealingly presented and just as pleasant to consume.

Aperitif wine. Pikes Riesling 2010 was the starter for this lunch. This wine under screwcap was in excellent condition with stunning fruit and well-matched acid. The crisp finish was well matched with the canapés.

Main course. The main course was Spada (Swordfish) Sicilian style with agrodolce caponata (in essence sweet and sour ratatouille) underneath and cherry tomatoes, olives stuffed with capers in vinegar, sliced almonds and some micro-herb (preferably oregano) garnish on top. The caponata had eggplant deep-fried in olive oil, celery, onion, garlic and chili. The sweet-and-sour taste came from vinegar, capers and pine nuts. The swordfish had been sous vide and then quickly warmed to prevent the flesh becoming too firm. Comments around the swordfish were mixed with acknowledgement that swordfish is a particularly difficult fish to prepare. However, the pieces that were left over were snapped up immediately after lunch by some appreciative members.

Comment was made about the butter served with the lunch which had been handmade by Nick in the salted manner.

The Wines.

• Domaine de la Pepiere Muscadet (cork, 12%)
• Pala Cannonau (Grenache from Sardinia) (glass cap, 14%)
• Chateau Musar Jeune (Cinsault from Lebanon) (cork, 14%)
• Salomon Syrah (Fluereiu) 2012 (screwcap, 14.5%)

Nick had requested wines with noticeable acid to accompany the main course, particularly in relation to the caponata. The Muscadet from the Loire Valley had sufficient acid and a beautiful crisp fruit, finishing long. It had some development at the expense of some freshness, but the development added another dimension to a very enjoyable wine. The Sardinian Grenache was soft, flavoursome with some interesting tannins. Of those who spoke most preferred the red in balance with the acid in the food.

The two cheese wines were enjoyed. The Lebanese wine was the second label of the famous Château Musar winery, which is intended to be consumed in its youth to enjoy the floral drinking now elegance. The Salomon (family of the ancient Austrian wine makers) had only 4% Viognier but the floral presence on the nose and palate was very evident. It was also of larger body. An interesting comparison.

Cheese and coffee. The cheese selected by James Healey this week was from Piedmont and was a cow’s milk Fontina. Fontina is one of Italy’s most well-known cheeses and is imported here by a small number of producers. It is a semi hard, cooked curd cheese with a beige interior. Very earthy herbaceous and lightly perfumed. With the cheese, Nick provided some salted nuts to match the style of the cheese

Spencer Ferrier in absentia today took us to an espresso roast with notes indicating that espresso first arose in 1907 in Milan and it literally meant ‘is expressly made for you’. As expected, there was a stronger extraction from the beans and is more unusual to have this served by way of a plunger. There was a touch of bitterness as would be expected. There was no milk offered for those who preferred a cappuccino or flat white style. To me it was a perfect end to the meal.