Food review by Bill Alexiou-Hucker and wine review by Stephen O'Halloran

Food

Today we were treated to a trip to Thailand with Mark Bradford’s deconstructed Thai Chicken Burger, which displayed plenty of flavour and the right balance of heat between the pattie and Kewpie mayonnaise, as one member described it, today’s lunch was a frolic of flavours.

We welcomed a canape newbie into the kitchen, Denys Moore. Mark commented that this time last year, Denys could not boil water, so it is a credit to Denys that he stood up to assist Mark with the canapes; in fact Denys did all the canapes.

We started with smoked mussels on mini toasts buttered with ricotta and topped with cracked pepper. A sprinkle of salt may have lifted more flavour of what was already a tasty starter. It was then followed by a pepper-infused pate and a slice of cucumber on toast. The cucumber gave a refreshing balance to the pate and toast squares. Denys’ last offering was a pintxos-style canape of cucumber, fresh basil, stuffed olives and a slice of salami. An explosion of flavours when consumed.

A great first-time effort by Denys.

We then moved to the main of the day. A Thai chicken burger, packing plenty of flavour, with a great balance of spice from the sriracha-flavoured Kewpie mayonnaise. To please the chili lovers, Mark arranged for small bowls of chilli to accompany the meal for those who wanted the extra heat. The patty was a mixture of free-range chicken mince, red curry paste, turmeric powder, kaffir lime leaves, coriander stems, spring onion, peanuts, dark soy, tamarind paste, lemon grass. Seared in olive oil 4 minutes each side, baked 15 mins at 200C, and to please the carb lovers, Mark served the burger with toasted brioche buns and smashed avocado to balance the flavours.

Mark always tries to provide a meal that is a little different to our usual fare and he didn’t disappoint, along with Nick Reynolds’ matching of the wines to finish off a flavoursome lunch.

The cheese was a Cantoral Blu d’ Auvergne, a cow’s milk cheese made in the Auvergne region for several centuries. It was traditionally matured in mountain caves. Although no longer cave-ripened, PDO regulations still stipulate that cheese must be produced at a minimum 500m altitude, using milk only from cows born in the region.

Mark surprised us with another interesting innovation, serving dark chocolate buttons along with dried apricots, creamed honey on a baguette with the cheese.

All in all, a very enjoyable lunch with wines to match.

Wine

A modest but high-quality turn out for Mark Bradford's rendition of a spicy Thai chicken dish, which was very flavoursome. See the food report for more details. 

The wines were very enjoyable across the full spectrum of flavours. The room all tasted the first four wines, with cellar drops completing the tasting of six wines in all. I will comment only on the first four, which everybody had. 

First of these was the ever popular Gavi from Nicola Bergaglio, 2021,13 %. We have enjoyed this Cortese based wine on a few occasions over the last year or so and I really like it. A wine which can be drunk on its own, or with food, either way it is delightful. Fresh and crisp, well balanced with plenty of flavour. The first bottles out of the fridge needed a little time to warm up in the glass, but once this happened, the wine showed its class. No wonder the Italians love it. 

Wine two was the Dr Loosen Kabinett Riesling 2022 @ a very modest 8%. This well known producer of fine German wines rarely fails to deliver. This wine was truly delicious, very typical of a high-class German Kabinett Riesling. A wonderful mix of quality fruit, an alluring taste of gentle residual sugar countered by firm acid all blending together to produce a wine that was a joy to drink, a clean but lingering finish. A perfect partner for a summer lunch with strawberry flan as dessert. 

Wine three was the Larry Cherubino Caves Rd Chardonnay from WA 2022 @12 %. This was a perfect demonstration of a modern Australian style of this grape variety. No massive oak, no excessive sweetness, just let the quality fruit do the talking.  This wine was crafted by one of our finest winemakers, showing some gentle stone fruit flavours, peach and grapefruit come to mind, with firm acid to generate a balanced finish. A nice wine. 

Wine four was my pick of the first four wines.  This was a Isole e Olena Chianti Classico 2009 @ 13.5 %. What a great example of a high-quality Sangiovese blend from Tuscany. Terrific food wine, plummy and rich, but not dominating other food flavours. Smooth and velvety with a hint of spice and a lovely finish. Elegant. Now drinking at its peak as a 16 yo wine and still in great shape.  By far my choice of wine of the day.