19 May 2021
Stokehouse, St Kilda
The 2021 President Dinner was held at the Stokehouse and it didn’t disappoint. There were 14 members who enjoyed a three-course meal where everyone was able to select from the menu. Looking across the bay we could see the lights of Williamstown and down the bay. The Cellar Room was cosy and warm decked out in natural timber and copper.
Our Wine Master Janne did an amazing job in selecting wine from the cellar. The complications came with a selection menu, but the wines met expectations and complemented the food brilliantly.
The Starter
Corner Inlet Calamari, wild mushroom, bone broth and black barley
The calamari was wafer thin and presented like noodles and placed upon the black barley and the mushrooms sliced on top. A trick of the trade was to clean the tubes, slightly freeze the calamari and the slice.
Somerset Farms assorted beetroot, house made whipped feta, rhubarb and pistachio.
The Stokehouse employs their own cheese maker and the level of perfection on the feta was amazing. Beautifully presented assorted baby beets nestled on the feta.
Wanderer beef tartar, winter greens, fermented cabbage & seaweed dressing.
My first beef tartar and I was not disappointed. Incredibly thin slices of beef placed over the fermented cabbage, delicious.
The Mains
The members who chose the Bass Strait grass-fed sirloin with bone marrow, crème fraiche, roast onion & salsa verde were divided. The beef was pan seared, some members thought it lacked flavour and the texture was wrong. Others thoroughly enjoyed it. In discussion with the Chef, he did mention that they had a new supplier and the beef was not cooked using the sous vous method. Aquna sustainable Murray cod, mussel escabeche & lovage was beautifully cooked fish with a tasty escabeche of mussels. Delicious. The Salt baked celeriac, apple & candied walnut with watercress dressing sounded delicious however no member selected this from the menu. The mains were accompanied by hot chips with citrus salt and Ramarro Farm autumn leaves, mint & radish. The chips were a high light.
The dessert
Toasted chocolate mousse, fig, salter caramel & coffee ice cream.
A beautifully presented chocolate cone encasing the mousse with a quenelle of ice cream.
The Bombe – white chocolate parfait, strawberry sorbet, toasted meringue – OMG I don’t think I have tasted anything like it. Sublime.
Selection of two cheeses, quince paste & lavosh.
L'Artisan Marcel Organic Soft Cow's Milk cheese from Mortlake, and Berry's Creek Riverine Blue, Buffalo Milk from Fish Creek.
The Chef – Jason provided an insight to the working of the kitchen, from the cheese maker to the pastry chef. The Team won the Master Chef challenge screened on TV the following night.
Thank you to everyone for making this a wonderful 2021 President Dinner.
Julee Andersen, Food Master
Wine Report
Selecting wines for this function replicated a position I imagine many members have experienced. Diners choosing different dishes from a limited choice menu with the wine list coming to you to choose THE wine because you know about wines being in a Wine and Food Society! So it was decided to use it as an opportunity to enjoy some of our older Victorian wines, and one white and one red with each course.
It was the President’s dinner so we start traditionally with champagne, but on this occasion we used a newer style in the cellar, Founry & Fils Rose Champagne 1er Cru Brut NV. Fuller on the palate, good length and a crisp finish, rated very well by many members present who enjoyed the opportunity to taste a different style.
The entrée was paired with two Bindi wines, Bindi Wine Growers Composition Chardonnay 2012 and Bindi Block 5 Pinot Noir 2008. Each had their matches to the dishes served, but the standout wine of the pair was the pinot noir for most members. Simply described as balanced, delicious and with lingering length.
The Main course saw the chardonnay carried over, and the Mount Mary Quintet 2006 added. Most found a match in these with their fish or steak-based dishes.
As a special treat to members present, a bottle of Yeringberg from 1991 was opened, decanted and served. It looked like a 5-10 year old wine, its nose was inviting and the palate experience was of a beautifully balanced wine, still with mid-palate fruit that was a delight to drink. No-one guessed its age, 30 years. Victorian wines stand proud in our cellar. Janne Williams, Wine Master
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