ANOTHER Winter Winery Wander has come and gone.
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And while I didn’t get the chance to wander among all the wineries, I did duck out to Vale Creek Wines last Sunday where Restaurant 9inety 2wo chef Brett Melhuish and manager Rob Salama (and team) were putting on a feast for Winter Winery Wanderers.
The first course was creamed cauliflower soup, crouton with roast free range egg yolk, Trunkey creek prosciutto and Oberon Truffle matched with Vale Creek’s Vermantino.
The second was a braised free range chicken leg, citrus, roast local garlic and potato puree served with a glass of Dolceto.
For those lucky enough to try course two the cumquats and the beetroot leaves used in the dish came directly from the chef’s garden to you.
Then came pot roast Cowra lamb shoulder, leek and potato, Jannei goat’s cheese and pan juice.
This dish was Brett’s favourite.
“I really love the slow cooking,” Brett said. “The lamb was cooked for eight hours.”
But the icing on the cake was surely dessert: lemon and “Vale Creek” olive oil cake, salt caramel, “Vale Creek” grappa anglaise, and roast almonds.
While the “Vale Creek” grappa anglaise was something new for Brett, I can guarantee you it was delicious. I snuck into the kitchen and had a taste, and it was like creme brulee melting in your mouth. I was so impressed with dessert – I asked Brett for the recipe, which you can read below.
I also spied another wonderful local product to look out for while out at Vale Creek; their wine jellies. They have three varieties, which they have had made in Mudgee by Michael & Kathlyn Luciano.
The Luciano’s are the owners of The Grape Alternative and are regulars at the Bathurst Farmers' markets.
The three jellies are: Aromi di Barbera (herbs & spices of Barbera); Vermentino con erbe aromatiche (Vermentino with bouquet garni); and a Moscato and Pear jelly.
Restaurant 9inetey 2wo lemon and olive oil cake
Ingredients:
300g Almond meal
200g Self raising flour
250g Sugar
6 eggs
200ml Vale Creek olive oil
4 lemons
Method:
1. Grease and line 1x 20cm spring form cake tin. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees.
2. Add whole eggs and sugar into electric mixer bowl, and beat on high for approx 5 minutes or until trippled in size and white and fluffy.
3. Meanwhile, grate the rind and juice the lemons into a bowl.
4. While the mixer is on high slowly add the olive oil, followed by the lemon juice and rind.
5. Turn the mixer to low, add the almond meal and self raising flour until combined.
6. Pour the mix into the lined tin and sprinkle evenly with castor sugar and bake until golden and firm to touch. Approx 30 mins.
Serve warm with ice cream and or a caramel sauce
Note from Brett:
Lemons at this time of year are great in Bathurst; mine come from my home garden. Ask about and I'm sure that friends of friends or neighbours will have lemons just wanting to go into a beautiful cake.
I used Vale creek olive oil, and free range eggs from Forrest Reaves via Scott at Al Dente.
