This week we were fortunate to have as our cooking team the high standing Ted Davis and Gareth Evans duo in the kitchen. Over the years they have produced some memorable meals and the number of members and guests on this occasion were high with these expectations.

Canapés. To start off the day. Ted and Gareth provided us with two canapés. The first was Ted’s home hickory-smoked Woy Woy sea mullet with a little crème fraiche topped with a little chilli infused salmon roe and a bit of decorative garlic chive on Pasteles Bakehouse pastry shells. They debated serving the roe as a separate item, but it was dynamite hot on its own. Responding to a comment on salt levels they agreed a little more salt may have been in order.

To follow was a ‘poultry haggis’, seasoned (allspice and a bit of nutmeg and black pepper) and chopped chicken hearts, liver, onion and steel-cut oats. This was a Gareth experiment and served in pastry cases from the same provider.

Both were well received for both their presentation, innovation and taste.

Aperitif wine. The main aperitif wine today was the Vasse Felix Chardonnay 2009. Although there was a sprinkling of the Mount Horrocks Riesling 09 and the Denmar Estate Chardonnay 2010, both of the latter wines having been enjoyed in recent weeks. The Vasse Felix under screwcap was impressive with good acid and a crisp dry finish. At 8 years of age it was drinking beautifully and is not about to fall off a cliff.

Main course. The presentation of the main course was magnificent and surprising. We have been told that were having duck, but we didn’t quite expect to have duck like this. I could not describe the meal as well as the chefs. So here is a direct quote:

The crepinettes (faggots to some!) were a labour of love, mostly for Ted. Slow cooked ducks, meat taken off and added back to mince, fat separated off and used for basting in the oven, and the carcases turned into the reduction sauce with a bit of red wine and brandy. The crepinette stuffing, meat and mince, had a bit of softened onion, and seasoned with a touch of allspice, rolled in pig caul fat and roasted.  Served with beetroots, using the whole plant – root segments, after poaching in red wine and red wine vinegar, they were basted in a bit of orange juice and butter, and was the chopped stalks and wilted leaves.  The spicy duck tongue (and beak) was obtained from a Chinese BBQ spot. Ted wanted to use as a canape but was finally persuaded to put on the main plate.

The beak had a number of thinking was a bit too big for a duck, some guessing it was sourced from a goose. Much praise for this meal indeed.

The Wines.

• Tyrrells Vat 6 Pinot Noir 2010
• Stefano Lubiana Pinot Noir (Tasmania) 2000
• Lowe Block 5 Shiraz 2009
• Yannick Amirault Bourgueil La Petite Cave (Loire) 2009
• Lupe Cholet Beaune Avaux (1er Cru) 2001
• Lupe Cholet Charmes Chambertin (Grand Cru) 2002

A quick glance at this list makes you wonder where our Winemaster was headed with the non-Pinot Noirs. In pairs, the Tyrrells Pinot from the Hunter looked insipid in the glass but like Nebbiolo, you cannot judge a Pinot by its colour. It was however a very elegant wine and more so than the Tasmanian Pinot Noir, which at 17 years of age had lost most of its fruit and was past its best. Except for one bottle of the latter wine being corked the remainder were in reasonable condition but just left too long before consuming.

The pairing of the Mudgee Shiraz from the premium Block 5 with the Bourgueil (predominately Cabernet franc) was interesting. The Lowe wine was surprisingly elegant and only of medium body. Many thought it went well with the duck based main. The Loire Valley wine on the other hand was just a little unbalanced and some felt it was carrying a number of faults although still drinkable. It just felt a little dumb in comparison to the fine Mudgee wine.

The final two were of course from the same Burgundian maker with one being a Premier Cru and the other a Grand Cru. On the day many thought that the Premier Cru was drinking the better of the two and seemed to have a little more body. The Grand Cru however, may have the legs, body and the subtlety to continue to improve for some time.

Cheese and coffee. Cheese today by James Healey was a Cropwell Bishop Shropshire blue. The untouched orange round looked inviting (see above). Lusting after the cheese can be as much fun as eating it. The cheese is made very similar way to Stilton with a creamy texture and a striking orange colour that comes from the addition of annatto, a natural food colouring

Coffee from Spencer Ferrier, in absentia, was a high-class offering from Rwanda. His notes explained that until recently coffee from this country was pretty ordinary, but it has entered the realm of high-class coffees. It was strong and some at the lunch felt that it was too strong and not their ‘is cup of tea’ is so to speak.

We were awash in wine gifts again today with Gareth donating 6 bottles of de Bortoli Deen Vat Series All Rounder Dry Botrytis Semillon 2002. This rose looking wine had a wonderful depth of flavour with differing views of the how it went with the cheese. It was quite an unusual wine and a real treat for many.

We also enjoyed some bottles of Andrew Buller Cannobie Tokay provided by our birthday member, Nigel Burton. This Tokay managed to brilliantly walk the gap between cloying and too dry and was much enjoyed with the coffee.

Ted Davis gave a very entertaining presentation on the food and its sourcing. He admitted to causing some grief for Gareth yesterday after he was lost for a few hours yesterday morning trying to source vegetables at Mangrove Mountain. This led to Gareth calling the police, seeking to find him. Apparently, this was all for the sake of having some fresh beetroots which we enjoyed with the main. We gather Gareth was not looking forward to cooking this lunch by himself.

Being a wine luncheon, our Winemaster, Paul Ferman closed lunch and thanked our chefs for their tremendous effort.