A cold winter's day for Tuesday 14 July: Bastille Day! Vive la République!

Who better to prepare a hearty meal with a Francophile focus tham Steve Sparkes? It is well-known that Steve attracts a large turnout, and today was no exception; we had a full house and a wonderful, lively lunch, including  a marvellous rendition of the first verse of La Marseillaise from Keith Steele: 

"Allons enfant de la patrie
Le jour de gloire est arrivé
Contre nous de la tyrannie
L'étendard sanglant est levé
L'étendard sanglant est levé....."

Steve noted the high-level theme was rustic farmyard/country French fare — no truffles, no foie gras, no frills; just a celebration of Bastille Day. James Hill assisted with a canapé, and recent member Gary Doherty did a sterling job assisting Steve by jumping in with the canapés and main course service.

Food report by Mark Bradford

Canapés

Steve turned out some delightful rabbit rillettes. This canapé was a slow braise of wild Australian rabbit, pork belly and some aromatics. The meats were left to cool with the addition of some cooking liquid and fresh tarragon, thyme and parsley. It was left to rest for a couple of days and then served on crackers. Steve thought a simple slice of baguette would have been a better choice.

James presented a country terrine, based on pork and chicken and the usual goodies, topped with cornichon and red pepper sitting on toasts.

Steve also gave us onion tarts — a simple rendition of onions (filling and base) with apples, fresh herbs and a touch of red wine vinegar.

Great rustic French pass-arounds from two chefs of renown.

Main

Chicken chasseur — hunters' chicken! Steve told his butcher "off with their heads!"

This is a traditional dish based on the hunter's bounty: a fresh bird with wild-gathered mushrooms slowly braised in a tomato-based broth. Today's main was an interpretation of the famous Marco Pierre White chicken chasseur recipe. Steve told us that, as with most of these traditional recipes — boeuf bourguignon, coq au vin, bouillabaisse etc. — there are nearly as many variations as there are cooks preparing them. This was yet another, but true to the basics, with chicken, mushrooms, a tomato base and plenty of fresh herbs.

The dressed chicken Maryland was roasted in a very hot oven, with the drumstick parted for service. The sauce was based on shallots, tomato and chicken stock, with vast quantities of Swiss brown and button mushrooms as well as fresh herbs. The garnish was pan-fried oyster mushrooms. A simple mash, perfumed with spring onions, cream and plenty of butter, was served alongside basic petits pois which included bacon and shredded lettuce.

A "rustic" dish perhaps, but worthy of any fine dining establishment in town.

Cheese

The Cheese Master selected a farmhouse cheese — a traditional-style French brie — produced on the farm and presented in a wooden box.

Ferme de la Tremblaye is located south-west of Paris and produces a range of goat's and cow's milk cheeses. Today's was a cow's milk cheese. With a focus on environmental responsibility, the B Corp–approved farm has adopted the agroecology model of sustainable farming that works with nature.

A traditional-style brie with a soft, buttery paste and complex savoury flavours, contained within a delicate, thin rind.

The brie was served with a salad dressed with olive oil and red wine vinegar, roasted spiced almonds and morello cherries.

The bread was a baguette from Taste Providores in Woollahra, served with the main and cheese.

Wine Report by Stephen O'Halloran

A splendid crowd of 50+ gathered to enjoy the 237th anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on this day in 1789. The room had great energy and a very positive atmosphere in anticipation of a wonderful afternoon that awaited us. Our theme of French food, wine and cheese was a natural choice, delivered to us in fine style by our excellent Chef du Jour Steve Sparkes, whose Chicken Chasseur was outstanding. See food report for full details.

The canapé wine was a white Côtes du Rhône 2022 @ 14%. A blend of Viognier 60%, Roussanne 15% and Marsanne 10%, with a few other bits and pieces thrown in.

Those familiar with this column will be aware that I have written harsh words about this Rhône white wine, as basically I just do not like the style. Heavy, unctuous and oily — it does just not appeal to my taste. Give me a crisp Riesling as a canapé wine any day. Being a harsh but fair marker, I must say that today's wine was not too bad! Certainly not my cup of tea for an aperitif, but nonetheless a reasonably enjoyable wine for the delicious canapés. I found the wine rich and full-bodied with powerful flavours of apricot and peach. Just too heavy for me, but it was clear that many in the room enjoyed it. Vive la différence!

Wine 1 was totally different — a Moreau Chablis 2018 @ 13%. Lovely light gold colour, flinty and restrained, dry but with flavours of stone fruit obvious. Great balance between acid and fruit, a crisp delightful finish. A top wine from a leading producer in a good 7/9 year.

Wine 2 was the Bouland Morgon 2023 @ 14%. This is a Beaujolais wine, but very much at the upper spectrum of the Beaujolais clan. Whilst many Beaujolais are designed to be glugged down without too much thought, this is a serious wine and deserves respect. Made from the Gamay grape, this is a mid-weight, strongly flavoured wine redolent with fruit flavours of cherry, plum and raspberry. Vibrant acid mixed with silky tannins and quality fruit make this wine a delight to drink. Great balance and a lingering fruit-driven finish made this wine the perfect partner for our Chicken Chasseur main. Mid-weight, never heavy on the palate, but powerful flavours lift this wine to its deserved status as a much sought-after luncheon wine.

Wine 3, the Ch. Rochemorin 2019 @ 13.5%, was a Bordeaux blend, 50/50 Cabernet and Merlot, from the Graves district. A lightish, quite elegant wine showing all the usual aspects of both grapes. Crimson red in colour with a noticeable plummy flavour from the hefty proportion of Merlot; dark cherry and blackcurrant from the Cabernet. Velvety and plush, it was an easy-drinking Bordeaux from a reasonable 6/8 year.

Final wine for the day was a Ch. Cruzeau 2019 @ 14%. Another Graves Cabernet/Merlot blend, 55%/45%. Medium body, very typical Bordeaux aroma and taste. Some stewed fruit aromas from the Cabernet balanced by the plummy Merlot. Strong, grippy tannin and a firm, lively finish with good acid. Another enjoyable, easy-drinking Bordeaux from a good 7/9 year.

Our member Tony Scott has once again, like last week, been very kind in donating these last two reds. Thank you, Tony — you are a very generous man.

My star of the day: the Morgon.