A welcome return to the kitchen by Gary Linnane, assisted by the omnipresent James Hill.

Canapés. Two quite different styles of canape, both delicious. A wonderfully rare slice of meat on sourdough, accompanied by a home made relish, fooled everyone: it was pork fillet, not beef as most felt. As well, Gary served a dab of a Swedish tarama paste, spicy and fishy, on a slice of cucumber to provide snap. 

Aperitif wine. In a generous gesture which we hope other members will emulate, James Healey provided  two wines which were top of the line as food wines, let alone aperitifs: a 2005 Tyrrells Stevens semillon and a 2006 Grosset Polish Hill riesling. Opinions differed on which was better, but with wines this good, comparisons are odious.

Main Course.  As his party trick, Gary had sourced some fish sausages from the fish outlet at Paddington associated with top restaurant Saint Peters. The ordered number failed to materialise, resulting in one and a half snags per person, but they were so rich and flavoursome that, when added to the accompaniments, no one went hungry.
The sausages themselves were hand made with a mix of kingfish, ling, barramundi, ocean trout and leatherjacket, all merged with various unidentified herbs and spices, and the texture and flavour were great. They were served on a bed of potato and cauliflower puree with simple steamed broccolini rounding out an unusual dish of distinction.

The Wines.

• 2010 Yabby Lake Single Vineyard Pinot Noir from Mornington Peninsula
• 2010 Yabby Lake Chardonnay

An interesting contrast between the two principal burgundy grapes from the same vineyard. The pinot showed good fruit but is starting to tire, whilst the chardonnay was still fresh, with plenty of fruit to balance the evident wood, although short on the finish. Opinion was divided on whether it will improve further.

Two quite different reds were served with the cheese:, a 2009 Coudoulet de Beaucastel,  the second label of Ch Beaucastel from Chateauneuf du Papes; and the 2006 St Hugo cabernet from Coonawarra. The French wine was fresh and fruity with fine tannins, the St Hugo big and intense with dark ripe fruit and lots of mint on the palate. Both were good, your preference a choice between styles. 
 
Cheese and coffee. As was the case last week, no one had any  difficulty in picking the cheese as a cheddar, and most identified Pyengana, probably Australia's best cheddar, with at least 12 months ageing. Good to see it back to form after recent difficulties. It was simply served with predictably terrific Iggys sourdough bread, and some fresh dates.
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The absent Spencer Ferrier  provided us with a Papua New Guinea pearl coffee with rich chocolate notes and a comforting mouthfeel.