Crab salad, cucumber jelly

Chicken liver paté, raspberries, caramelised onion, toast

Barramundi, asparagus, lemon butter, candied lemon and lime zest

Grilled chicken, glutinous rice, kale, Indonesian-style jus

Lamb fillet, pumpkin mash, candied eggplant/aubergine, grilled pepper/capsicum, griddled spring onion, Kalamata olives, balsamic jus

Perfect with Pierre Gaillard Saint Joseph 2011.

Crottin de Chavignol, Comté, croutons, cinnamon sugared almonds, Christmas relish

Lavender and orange blossom honey icecream, pomegranate seeds, toffee pistachios, pomegranate molasses

(Photo ©Cam Wheeler)

Plain and Vegemite gougère

Surf, Turf ‘n’ Garden

(Photo ©Cam Wheeler)

Barramundi, bacon, peas, asparagus, lemon butter

“Steak”

(Photo ©Cam Wheeler)

Watermelon steak, feta, mint

Braised pork belly, galangal-scented salad, Szechuan pepper toffee

(Photo ©Cam Wheeler)

Braised pork belly, galangal-scented salad, Szechuan pepper toffee

Lamb fillet, eggplant purée, mint salad, rosemary lamb jus

(Photo ©Cam Wheeler)

Lamb fillet, eggplant purée, mint salad, rosemary lamb jus

Manchego, Comté/St Agur, poached pear, croutons, spiced walnut

(Photo ©Cam Wheeler)

Manchego, Comté/St Agur, poached pear, croutons, spiced walnuts

Lavender icecream, Manuka honey, scorched almonds

(Photo ©Cam Wheeler)

Lavender icecream, Manuka honey, scorched almonds

Salted Caramel and Peanut Truffles

Rainbow trout, gnocchi, wilted baby spinach, roast garlic cream

Rainbow trout: baked en papillote with a little white wine, a treatment most suitable to trout IMO.
Roast garlic cream: fish stock, roast garlic, cream.

A simple but delicious combination, and paired well with the Tapanappa Tiers Chardonnay 2005. It is a good wine, even if perhaps a little pricey, with lifted fruit – honeydew melon skin, baked lemon, and a hint of pink grapefruit and musky-wood. The palate is well balanced, showing acidity that doesn’t dominate, with suitable medium weight, and a reasonably long finish of butter, cream and a kind of nut kernel character. The oak is well pitched, being noticeable yet well integrated.
This isn’t a modern styled Aussie Chard – it isn’t high in acidity, insipid in character, or oak dominant – but rather more like a combination of the old and the new style that meet in the middle ground that I think is most suitable for Aussie Chard: fruit that’s edging on tropical but not pushed too far that way, present acidity that’s not too sharp (and full malo/MLF), some pleasant malo- and sur lie-derived character, and obvious yet well integrated oak. It’s actually one of the best Aussie Chard’s I’ve had for quite a while.

Peppered beef ribeye (Scotch fillet), roast radish, parsnip cream, jus

Beef: What to do with flavourless Australian ribeye (called Scotch fillet in Australia and New Zealand)? Pepper the flavour into it. Finished in the oven.
Radish: European radish and (freshly plucked from the ground) daikon/Japanese radish, roasted in a little butter and olive oil. The European radishes paired better than the daikon… perhaps unsurprisingly.
The parsnip cream offered a nice sweet and cooling contrast to the heat of the pepper and the radish.

Scallops, cauliflower purée, Sherry-butter foam

Scallops: pan fried Tasmanian.
Purée: Cauliflower florets poached in milk and cream, then puréed and seasoned (white pepper, sea salt).
Sherry-butter foam: PX and Manzanilla Sherries, chicken stock, butter, a little thyme and lecithin.

It’s hard to beat the classics: scallops and cauliflower. When it comes to haute cuisine prep for cauliflower, a milk-cream purée has got to be amongst the best, if not the best. The foam adds some contrast in flavour, and works surprisingly well (though I have always been a fan of the scallop-Sherry fusion, and I think chicken is the best meat for scallop too).

Sea perch, parsnip purée, leek, parsley-lemon-butter sauce

Sea perch: pan fried Tasmanian. There are so many “sea perch” species on the Australian eastern seaboard that the term is a bit meaningless (like so many other common fish names), but essentially all the commercial species (of the genus Lutjanus) are delicate flavoured firm and flaky, white fleshed saltwater (estuarine) fish with low oil content.
Purée: as above, with parsnip in place of cauliflower.
Leek: blanched.
Sauce: sweated shallot, deglazed with Chardonnay and reduced; butter, parsley and lemon juice.

A combination on a hunch and whim, but it works very well (better than the scallop dish). The sweetness of the parnsip works well with the sauce, the leek flavours blend seamlessly, the lemon gives a little acidity to contrast the purée’s creaminess and sweetness, and all these flavours work with the sea perch. I will have to return to these flavour combos.

A Claude Cazals Champagne Cuvée Vive Grand Cru NV had a very fine bead, gentle aromas of flowers (heather) and chalk, and a lovely, well balanced, silky-textured palate with good progression. It did not clash with the above dishes, but niether the dishes nor the wine raised the sensations of each other. Then again, this Champagne was not so friendly with oysters either, so perhaps something altogether different would be best with it.

Salmon and prawn wantons, prawn bisque
Certainly not to the standard of this execution, but nevertheless enjoyable. This wonton filling was tighter, due to being blitzed. Unfortunately, I think the touch of added Australian cream let this bisque down.

Australian cream just isn’t up to it’s European counterparts – for a start it’s relatively harder to find cream around 18% fat (Australian “light cream”/British “single cream”/high fat American “half and half”/French “crème légère”) that doesn’t have vegetable gums added, and the cream at >40% fat (Australian “double cream”, French “crème double”, American “double cream”/”extra heavy cream”, British “double cream”) has a texture more like British “clotted cream” (at 85% fat).
Note the appearance of the fat globules in this bisque (emulsified with natural Australian “double cream”), and compare to the equivalent globules in the previous execution noted above (that uses British “single/double cream”).

Salmon and prawn wantons, prawn bisque

Mi cuit salmon, pea soup, lemon oil
A last minute dish, using left over salmon from the wonton filling, and not the best flavour combos as a result (a mint oil would be a better match – even before getting to the pea-salmon combo – but I didn’t have enough mint).

It seems to have become standard to refer to fish cooked to between 40°C and 50°C (104°F and 122°F, respectively) as mi cuit (half/semi cooked), though the proteins have certainly denatured at these temperatures.

Mi cuit salmon, pea soup, lemon oil

The above two dishes were served with Bollinger Special Cuvée NV, with which they went pretty well. But then, “Champagne goes well with everything, and everything goes well with Champagne”. The wine itself had a great autolytic nose of lemon curd and toast, but was let down a little by a palate with very slightly disjointed acidity (that’s just how I feel about Bollie though), bruised apple (I tend to prefer cleaner fruit flavours in Champagne) and dilute pear flavours, and a mid-palate and finish that didn’t quite last or feel in balance. Picking hairs though, as this was good, and went well with the above dishes.

Bollinger Special Cuvée NV

Lamb, Puy lentils, baked aubergine, blanched leek and brocollini, lavender jus
Puy lentils sit inside a blanched leek leaf. The eggplant/aubergine was baked with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame seed oil, red wine vinegar and tarragon – a good combo and the tarragon added an intrigue. The lavender provided a twist that worked well with the lamb.

BBQed lamb, Puy lentils, baked aubergine, blanched leek and brocollini, lavender jus

Server with Chateau Musar red 2001. My first bottle of the 2001 vintage, and it (unfortunately) seems to be moving in the same direction since the 1998, with less VA/Brett influence. Still, lovely warm cedary, gently spiced, ripe plummy fruit (whilst still being savoury), and a smooth palate with soft acidity and great balance (without falling into the dull/sickly-smooth trap). It’s a shame not to see some goat shit here, but then Musar is subject to bottle variation and perhaps this would see a nice Brett bloom in bottle with a few more years.

Chateau Musar red 2001

Chocolate Chantilly, white chocolate-yoghurt icecream
Hervé This thought to develop a foam from a chocolate emulsion, working air into the emulsion as it cools (as with a Chantilly cream). It works very well, essentially creating an eggless chocolate mousse. Here, the chocolate was piped (tricky to work with as the temperature drops and the chocolate firms).

Some chocolate (mousse) eggs were coated in powdered vanilla sugar for variety. Served with Kamozawa’s/Talbot’s white chocolate-yoghurt icecream and (not shown) roasted hazelnuts. The Greek yoghurt’s tang provides freshness, the nuts texture and flavour contrast.

Chocolate Chantilly, white chocolate-yoghurt icecream

I am increasingly thinking this is an excellent treatment for warm water Australian fish with less flavour. (Flathead aren’t bad flavour-wise, but they’re not great either.) I also find that Asian preparations tend to work well.

The dish below is BBQed spiced flathead, with a spice mix including plenty of sumac (which gives a citrus lift that works with seafood), plus perhaps some cumin, coriander and black pepper. This is served with three salads: nashi pear with soy sauce and a light vinegar; orange, carrot, parsley and cumin (a great combo); and a French-dressed green leaf. It’s a nice summer dish.

BBQed spiced flathead with three salads

Goat cheese and chive ravioli, tomato and basil vinaigrette
A classic flavour combo that just works so well. The “vinaigrette” is more like a light tomato based sauce with sharp acidity.

Goat cheese and chive ravioli, tomato and basil vinaigrette

Celeriac soup, beetroot and red wine emulsion
Rob Feenie’s combo concept-wise. It works pretty well.

Celeriac soup, beetroot and red wine emulsion

Lemon sole, Australian mountain pepper spice, carrot, parsley butter, garlic chips
Halibut, quatre épices rub, poached figs
Essentially two dishes in one, because I just love packing the flavour combos in.
Lemon sole remains a popular N. European fish, particularly in the UK. It’s a delicate fish with a great flavour, and it’s also cheaper than Dover Sole. It doesn’t (or “shouldn’t”) require much treatment, so here I served it with carrot in a parsley butter (coz carrot and parsley work well together, and parsley and butter work well with sole). The garlic crisp and mountain pepper were small touches to just provide some fun (the pepper is a native pepper berry from Tasmania that has quite a hot peppery flavour).
Halibut is amongst my favourite fish, quite unlike many fish due to its firm, almost meaty texture. This fish is great fried, and can take a bit of spice. The figs were essentially poached in port. These components worked surprisingly well together.

The above dishes were served with Bonneau du Martray‘s Corton-Charlemagne 2001. I not think this worked particularly well, but I am not a fan of BdM’s CC (the flavours just aren’t what I look for in white Burgundy) and I may also have been a little tired of it at the time too, since a friend had coincidentally served me blind a different vintage of the same wine a day or two prior. Perhaps I was biased because of this, though really I wouldn’t expect this wine to work with the above dishes particularly well anyway (this wine was opened for what it was, not for the match it might provide).

Lemon sole, Aussie mountain pepper spice, carrot, parsley butter, garlic chips; Halibut, quatre épices rub, poached figs

“Pepper, pita, feta”: stuffed peppers, feta sorbet, spiced fried pita
A wanted to play around with stuffed peppers. I tend to pack them with rice, herbs, tomato sauce and onion. I find they can work fantastically well with red wine if the acidity is kept high (add plenty of vinegar) and they contain Greek quantities of olive oil.

Paired with Château Lagrange St Julien 2003, with which it worked pretty well.

“Pepper, pita, feta”: stuffed peppers, feta sorbet, spiced fried pita

Roquefort cheese, poached pear, spiced toasted walnuts, sweet-wine-poaching reduction
I feel I’ve refined this composed cheese course dish pretty much to the point of perfection. The flavours just work so well together. The pear is poached in a syrup containing white wine and lemon juice, and the nuts are roasted with a little salt, cardamom, cinnamon (perhaps some black pepper or cumin).

I feel this dish pairs very well with a sweet Loire Chenin Blanc. In this case, IIRC, it was Baumard’s 1992 Quarts de Chaumes.

Roquefort cheese, poached pear, spiced toasted walnuts, sweet-wine-poaching reduction

Chocolate dèlice, salted caramel, peanut icecream
Evidently, presentation went a bit wayward.. the diners even joined me in the kitchen at the dish composition phase for some pretty funny cuts and constructions (not shown)… but it tasted pretty good if I do say so myself. Certainly a rich dessert.

Chocolate dèlice, salted caramel, peanut icecream

Apple soup, curried white chocolate foam

I was playing around with different ideas for soup and came up with this. I think the combination of apple, curry and white chocolate works well together.

Wine syrup poached apple with some acidity, creamy foam of vanilla white choc with Garam Masala style spicing.

Apple soup, curried white, chocolate foam

Tobacco Smoked Scallop and Chicken Liver Paté Wonton
PX truffle glaze, porcini foam, tarragon purée

This was inspired by Shola Olunloyo (Studio Kitchen) who has some absolutely amazing ideas. IIRC, he combined scallops, porcini and PX Sherry somehow.

I went my own way with a pan seared scallop, PX Sherry and truffle oil, porcini foam (extract of the mushrooms plus herbs and stock), and a tarragon/spinach/butter purée.

Tobacco Smoked Scallop and Chicken Liver Paté Wonton PX truffle glaze, porcini foam, tarragon purée

Fried John Dory
braised red cabbage, mustard sauce

Based on The French Laundry’s skate wing dish. This is floured (not battered) and shallow fried John Dory (a great fish!). The sauce is butter based and includes mire poix and grian mustard.

Fried John Dory, braised red cabbage, mustard sauce

Chinese-Style Braised Pork Belly
apple purée, braised fennel, caramel-soy sauce

As previously worked on, the pork belly is the traditional soy sauce/ginger/stock/rice wine/hoisin/spring onion style braise. Fennel braised in vinegar. Wine braised apple purée.

Chinese-Style Braised Pork Belly, apple purée, braised fennel, caramel-soy sauce

Slow Cooked Rib Eye
date miso, melted leeks, Stilton-horseradish sauce

Leeks slow cooked in butter, cider and stock. The miso works as a nice base note with the dates giving a sweetness. Old school British food lovers loved this one.

Slow Cooked Rib Eye, date miso, melted leeks, Stilton-horseradish sauce

Cheese
whipped Brie & croutons, poached apple encased St Agur & mustard

With the alcohol flowing I forgot to photograph this one. I like combining cheese and fruit and thought presenting a cheese that was “hidden” inside fruit would be interesting – the St Agur is encase in very thin rounds of wine syrup poached apple (a lot like a ravioli).

Chocolate peanut semifreddo
peanut tuile, dark caramel ice cream, chocolate paint

I am near obsessed with the flavours of dark chocolate, nuts and caramel, and am constantly look for ways to combine them.

The semifreddo sits on top of a brownie disc, and at mid-height has a layer of nuts and caramel.

Chocolate peanut semifreddo, peanut tuile, dark caramel ice cream, chocolate paint

Chocolate peanut semifreddo, peanut tuile, dark caramel ice cream, chocolate paint