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A gorgeous couple after saying "i do" in the Lindenderry Vineyard

Granted it is mid April, and the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival concluded at the end of March however it’s  been a busy season of events for us here at the Lancemore Group. With the wedding season in full swing we held  25 weddings across our properties in March, creating stunning garden ceremonies, intimate vineyard nuptials, stylish receptions and endless memorable moments.

Add to this a heavy Melbourne Food & Wine Festival event schedule and some amazing Victorian weather and we find ourselves in mid April wondering where the last few months have gone.

A perfect day for the Vintage High Tea Event

Our first highlight event took place as a follow up from our 19^th Century Degustation Dinner for the 2011 festival.  On a sunny Sunday in March on the balcony of the Historic Mansion at Werribee Park we hosted our Vintage High Tea afternoon. Views of the newly planted parterre garden and great lawn, helped to create the perfect setting for an indulgent  afternoon. Champagne to begin followed by colorful caddies filled with house made scones, madelines, strawberry macarons, chocolate sponge lamingtons, apple tarts, ribbon sandwiches, savory muffins, as well as mini pies and quiches, while we sipped on specialty teas chosen and supplied by T2 to match our afternoon delights. The only thing that would have completed the afternoon was watching traditional game of Cricket played out on the great lawn in front of us.  The event was such success, you never know we may even make it a regular occurrence….

Joseph’s Restaurant, Executive Chef Marcus Levy shares his Venison Osso Bucco recipe, just in time for the early Winter we seem to be having. He assures me it’s quite ‘home cook’ friendly. 

Let us know how it turns out.  

Venison Osso bucco with olive oil pomme puree, buttered sprouts & thyme gremolata                                                                           

serves 6

Venison osso bucco
 
1.5kg venison osso bucco
1 onion, peeled and diced (1/2cm)
1 carrot, peeled and diced (1/2cm)
½  leek, washed and diced
1 celery stick, diced (1/2cm)
1 garlic cloves, crushed
1 bouquet garni
200 ml red wine
1 ltr venison stock (veal stock if not available)
1 820g tin quality chopped tomato
zest of ½ an orange
1 lrg sprig rosemary
100ml extra virgin olive oil
Flour
Salt

Sauté vegetables and garlic in a large heavy based pot to brown lightly. Deglaze with red wine and reduce until wine is a syrupy consistency. Add the tomato, bouquet garni and stock, stir well to combine. Bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes. While the sauce is simmering season and dust the osso bucco with flour to coat each piece lightly. Shallow fry osso bucco pieces in a large pan in small batches until well coloured on all sides and remove from the pan. Place osso bucco in a deep baking dish and cover with the sauce. Cover the dish with a lid and braise for around 8 hours at 90 degrees or until the meat falls from the bone. Remove osso bucco with the bone intact from the sauce and set aside. Season the sauce as required and replace osso bucco. Return dish to the oven to keep warm

Olive oil pomme puree

3kg desiree potato
1kg rock salt
200g butter
200g thickened cream
5 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Salt

Spread rock salt over a large tray and place potatoes over the salt. Bake at 160 degrees for around 2 hours or until tender. Allow potatoes to cool slightly and peel. Pass through a fine sieve while warm and set aside. Heat the cream, butter and olive oil in a pot and whisk until combined. Add warm potato, mix until thoroughly combined and season with salt. Keep warm.

Brussel Sprouts 

18 brussel sprouts

5lt water
Butter
Salt

Trim outer leaves of brussel sprouts and place a small cross on the base of each with a paring knife, this will allow even cooking. Bring water to the boil, add 1 tsp of salt and brussel sprouts. Boil until slightly tender and cooked through but still bright green in colour. Remove from water and refresh in ice water. Remove from ice water and pat dry, remove some leaves from each and set aside.

Thyme Gremolata

6 sprigs thyme
¼ bunch continental parsley
Zest of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic

Remove the green stem from the garlic cloves and chop finely. Zest lemon and chop parsley and thyme finely. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

To Serve

To serve warm a pan and add butter, toss brussel sprouts in butter and season lightly.
Quenelle pomme puree onto plates, place osso bucco alongside pomme puree and spoon over sauce. Garnish plate with sprout leaves and 3 whole sprouts. Sprinkle each plate with a little gremolata and serve.

Lisa's 'Carnival' featuring mini toffee apples, maple jelly, caramel popcorn & persian fairy floss

Lisa McCabe joined the Joseph’s kitchen back in July last year, just after we took over the Mansion Hotel.  I was recently in a new menu tasting where Lisa put her dishes up for tasting and explained her inspiration behind her dessert menu. I hung on her every word, engaged and salivating, so here she is folks I introduce to you Lisa McCabe…. Adriano Zumbo who? I will hear you ask after trying her delicious and often fun, pastries & desserts.

A 5th generation baker/pastry chef, Lisa grew up in the grain belt of Victoria, where she mastered the art of baking with her grandmother, cooking for hordes of shearers and shed hands on their farm. Learning the basics by reading some of our iconic female cooks, like Margaret Fulton, Maggie Beer and Stephanie Alexander she decided to take on an apprenticeship at the 2 chef’s hatted, Merrijig Inn in Port Fairy, from there it was onto the Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld, not a bad training ground at all.

Lisa finally walked into our kitchen, via Voyages Ayres Rock, El Questro, Brampton Island and more recently the Sofitel Melbourne. Here she worked under the guidance of Scott O’Brien and Ian Burch, where she was inspired to look at pastry and desserts from a completely new perspective.

“I want pastry to be the pinnacle of the dining experience, it must be an unforgettable item to end the diners evening.  Pastry is about making people remember, delight and also leave with the feeling of happiness. While also exploring how to make an everyday item a thing for the guest to desire and yearn for at the conclusion of their meal”

You have succeeded Lisa, I am hooked and yearning.