Electrolux & Peter Gilmore’s Christmas Masterclass @ Quay

Christmas is around the corner and there’s no better time to stock up on the stretchy pants, exercising our credit cards and stuffing ourselves silly. I had the pleasure of attending Peter Gilmore’s masterclass with him cooking up a storm for his Christmas lunch twist. Surprisingly it’s so impressive, yet secretly quite simple and adaptable.

Sourced from WA, marron works perfectly as it’s super fresh, so fresh, it was still jittering in Peter’s hand. The ultimate way is to source the marron live and place it in iced water to “coma-ize” the marron with a quick death by slicing the head off with a sharp knife between the eyes.

The marron is no fuss, cooked swiftly with luscious butter and freshly chopped herbs. The entree is served with a colourful assortment of edible flowers. Lobster also works wonders if you’re feeling particularly generous to your guests.

Steamed fresh water Marron w/ herb butter, aioli, young leaf and flower salad

Next up is Peter’s twist on the traditional lunch roast; a juicy roasted rack of Angus beef served with all the trimmings. The meat is seasoned and sealed on the stovetop before throwing it into the oven for just over 2 hours. It’s ready when the centre is at the perfect 60 degrees and don’t forget to rest!

Peter can barely contain his excitement over the steak and he drizzled a reduced beef jus over the rack before serving. Our trimmings are fresh steamed baby veggies alongside a bubbling potato and truffle gratin. Yes, the freshly shaved truffle and layers of potatoes are a self-indulgent, but hey, it’s Christmas after all!

If the beef jus isn’t enough, a béarnaise sauce nicely accompanies the roast meat. Béarnaise sauce is an incredible test of endurance and a labour of love; just remember to whisk, whisk, whisk! It helps to have a friendly hand to help slowly pour in the ingredients while you finish your arm workout.

To save a béarnaise sauce that has spilt, Peter suggests starting with some egg yolks (like you would with a fresh batch) and slowly add the split mixture back.

Roasted rib of prime angus beef served w/ young steamed vegetables, truffle and potato gratin and classic béarnaise sauce

With the finale, there’s nothing else but a Christmas pudding inspired dessert. Being an Aussie where our Christmases are filled with heat waves and sunshine, Peter twists the dessert into a Christmas pudding ice cream terrine topped with some delectable caramelised figs.

The room is filled with complete sweetness while Peter uses a dry caramelisation technique with the figs. Sugar goes straight into the pan with butter added shortly after. Keeping a keen eye is important to make sure it doesn’t cook for too long as caramalisation can turn awfully bitter.

The caramalised figs are removed onto a silcon mat while the terrine is sprinkled generously with raspberries and almonds and our version of snow, icing sugar!

The figs are added right before serving. Peter loves using figs as they are in season but also work amazingly well with the caramel as they hold their figure. Other stone fruits; peaches and nectarines could work too but the skin is recommended to be kept on.

Christmas pudding ice cream terrine w/ caramelised fresh figs

Tada! And to think that the night will end here at 3 courses… well, we’re greeted to a wonderfully lit Christmas treat of another 5 courses off the al-carte menu, cue the unbuttoning of jeans please!

Salad of preserved wild cherries, albino, chioggia beetroots, treviso, creme fraiche, black truffle, violets

Congee of northern Australian mud crab, fresh palm heart, egg yolk emulsion

Smoked and confit pig cheek, shiitake, scallop, jerusalem artichoke leaves, juniper, bay

Poached fillet of pasture raised veal, parsnip cream, roasted grains, mushrooms

Jersey cream, salted caramel, prunes, walnuts, ethereal sheets

If you wish to give this fantastic menu a go, don’t be shy to email me for the recipes!

Minibites attended the Electrolux masterclass at Quay courtesy of Open Haus.

Quay
Upper level, Overseas Passenger Terminal
The Rocks, Sydney
www.quay.com.au

MoVida Sydney

Stripped back bare to the bone, MoVida Sydney hides in the modern nook of Holt Street. MoVida brings to the table an unexpected twist on tapas styled dining without the need to pack your bags. Yes, Sydney brace yourselves as we finally get a little piece of MoVida love!

Sangria & Croqueta 

Eenie meenie mo, and off we go – there’s no hestiation to kick things off with a few glasses of refreshing sangria. Our first flavourstarter entree are the croquettes, and despite the spicy “sound” of horseradish on the menu, it is in fact a crispy bundle of joy, of smoked eel, potato and horseradish.

Caldo

Next up are two litle bowls of caldo, a savoury custard with almost a umami flavour of burnt onion and truffle consomme. Truffle doesn’t leave me weak at the knees but this one is dished up quite well.

Panfried Quail & Black Pudding Terrine

Slowly appreciating the world’s love affair of terrines, I slowly picked at the panfried terrine and taken by surprise. Panfrying definitely helps ease my texture issues of terrine and with an accompanying sweet blackcurrant sauce, it didn’t leave the dish feeling too black pudding-esque.

Carrillera

My foodie companion has been on a rave about Pedro Ximenez (I mean, who doesn’t love saying that name?!) so the slow cooked beef cheeks in Pedro were a no brainer. Served with a smooth, yet subtle cauliflower puree, the hearty beef cheek fell apart with the twist of the fork.

Rabbit w/ Spring Vegetables

Along with the extensive menu, there’s quite a few daily specials and since we were going outside of the box, we dived into a colourful dish of rabbit (it’s official dish name escapes me), served with young spring veggies and jus. Keeping the “Bugs Bunny” images out of my mind, I couldn’t help but love the simplicity but flavours in the dish. A fresh welcome to Spring and warmer afternoons (finally!).

Tarta Santiago

Rubbing our bellies, it was time for the dessert chamber to be opened. A almond fondant with a little oozing surprise definitely hit the spot with a scoop of not-too-sweet fig ice cream.

Upon first inspection of the menu, the unusual look of anchovies, black pudding, terrines and horseradish can look a little daunting, but lunch was absolutely delicious. Without having the pleasure of dining at the Melbourne MoVidas, this one definitely hits high on my hot-to-go list in Sydney at the moment.

MoVida Sydney
50 Holt St
Surry Hills, Sydney
www.movida.com.au/sydney

Xanthi Bar & Restaurant

Xanthi feels as though you have magically stepped into an oversized tent with beautifully draped curtains, glowing lanterns, Persian rugs… there’s a degree of royalty when you walk through with cosy booths, generously large sized chairs and full view of the flames and action of the kitchen. Immediately you know you will be well look after… (cue the stretchy pants).

It is a lunchtime affair, so we opt the express menu with plenty of dishes to share and a glass of your choice.

Tarama, Split Pea and Tzatziki

Greek Salad

With a click of your fingers, our trio of dips and glistening Greek salad arrive at our table. Our trio included tarama (or taramoalata; mix of roe and potato), a smoky spilt pea dip and good ol’ refreshing tzatziki; perfect company with some toasty warm Lebanese bread triangles.

BBQ Haloumi

Vine Dolmathes

The banquet menu proves worthy by offering up two delicious Greek favourites – grilled haloumi, which is perfect without being tough and stretchy and are topped with figs, tomatoes and a dash of lemon. The parcels of vine dolmathes take me back to an Asian version wrapped in bamboo leaves; where the Greek do it with a lot more herbs and wrapped in delicate, edible leaves.

Fried Calamari

Lamb Skaras

A tapas sized bowl of fried calamari arrives and the aroma of paprika and spices fill the table; they’re lightly battered and not overpowering the tender octopus. The main star are the lamb skaras; slow cooked with spices with the meat falling off the bone and matched with potatoes and beans – a Greek homage to a massaman curry.

Caramel Baklava Ice Cream

You can’t end a Greek feast without sweets, so Xanthi dishes up their version of deconstructed baklava with vanilla ice cream, pistachios and a pool of warm caramel.

Xanthi Bar & Restaurant
Corner Pitt Street Mall & Market Street
Level 6 Dining Precinct
Westfields’ Sydney
www.xanthi.com.au

The Blocks by Penfolds

The Blocks by Penfolds is pop-up wine bar by the water. Nestled along the pier, the sky high warehouse is filled with art installations, wooden totems and plenty, plenty of wines. The concept of The Blocks is to provide the full experience from smelling totems, eating tasty morsels, subtle music and exploring intriguing art installations.

A glass of vino is in order at the bar before we wander through the five wooden totems… and we do as we’re told; drinking and smelling each one. One smells woody, one smell sweet and fruity while one is complex and requires multiple sniffs to decipher. Luckily, there are sommeliers around who guide us through each totem explaining the story behind each one and its correlating art installation.

In true form, I’m naturally drawn towards the multi-layered oak totem with a wave of fresh and fruity flavours, symbolising the aromatic whites family; your rieslings, sauvignons and pinot gris.  The multi layers represent the high altitudes which these grapes are grown. Gosh, I’d wish all furniture would smell this great!

Five Australian artists were also invited to design pieces for the event, with #3 being one of the hot favourites by Kit Webster. Representing the varietal blends, the blending of the wines; the artist uses the ripples from underneath the pier moulded together by images of grapes. I love #5 so do check that one out, especially the awesome story behind the Russian styled, Kirlian photography and capture of “aura” from vineyards.

It’s not all art, as slowly, the temptation of food baits us towards the back of the warehouse where communal tables are set up and a exquisite menu with matching wines. The creative menu is created by Chef Jock Zonfrillo using locally sourced ingredients, and of course with his repertoire and numerous of awards including winner of Restaurant of the Year (Magill Estate Restaurant, Adelaide) – there’s no denying why the dishes are so delectable.

Without spoiling too much of what’s to come, there’s a sneak peak below…

Native Pepper Crab

Wagyu Beef w/ truffle 

Potato & Pork

The inside will be for you to discover! My absolute favourites is the native pepper crab, silky smooth wagyu beef and for dessert, the chocolate, current and myrtle; a perfect sweet end. Only nibble sized, so don’t be alarmed if you’re not satisfied by the end.

The installation has been organised by London based designers Studio Toogood and teamed up with Penfolds Bin & Luxury wines, great local artists and Chef Jock Zonfrilo. Get in quick before this closes as this is one amazing pop-up wine bar.

The Blocks by Penfolds is open 16th March till 5th April 2012. Reservations can be made at http://www.theblockslive.com or on 0407 412 640.

The Blocks by Penfolds
Pier 2/3, 13 Hickson Rd
Walsh Bay, Sydney
www.theblockslive.com

March into Merivale’s American Diner Degustation @ Mad Cow

 

Mad Cow was the perfect place to host March into Merivale’s American Diner Degustation; throw a mix of New York, plenty of white comfy booths and splatters of red and white stripes. March in Merivale kicks off filled with a month of exciting one-off dinners across Merivale’s family of restaurants. Also a perfect match for us to get excited about our upcoming trip of eating in the States (yay!).

Corn and Cheese Quesadillas

Most of the menus during March into Merivale are unannounced so it’s always a pleasant surprise on the day. To start us off, our amuse bouche were corn and cheese quesadilla triangles; pipping hot and filled with stretchy cheese and a revving mix of salsa and spices. Sadly it was only a triangle each…

Mad Cow Chopped Salad w/ Spencer Gulf Prawns

The amuse bouche really got us going, so we dug into this salad as though it was our final meal. Filled with red onions, yellow and red tomatoes, leaves and plenty of prawns sprawled on top.

Grilled Atlantic Salmon w/ crushed peas & mint

Our eyes sparkled when the salmon was dished; partly purely from hunger (there was a little too much wait in between courses) but also from the generous portions of fish. The salmon skin was as crispy as a potato chip with the flesh still medium rare. Not everyone was a fan of the mashed peas and mint, but I loved the combo of mushiness against crispy salmon.

Shoestring fries

Braised Beef Short Ribs

Seated near the kitchen, we smelt the naughtiness of the shoestring fries from a mile away. A must add to our main course of braised short ribs swimming in a jus with peas, baby carrots and thyme.

Key Lime Pie

After countless seasons and late nights of Dexter, our key lime pie itch was scratched and it was delicious! Even with the sweet tooth of mine, I loved the sourness of the lime contrasted by fluffy light meringue and a crunchy gingernut base. Traditionally this pie was cooked purely from the acidity of the lime with the eggs, but thankfully now it’s baked just a little.

American Diner’s Degustation is apart of March into Merivale 2012.

Mad Cow
Ivy, Level 1, 330 George St
Sydney
www.merivale.com.au/madco