Neil Perry magic for launch of epiQure

Airline food is not known for its sophistication.  Qantas has worked hard to change this perception, engaging the delightful Neil Perry to chart a course towards gourmet nirvana in the skies and, clearly, something is going well with Rene Redzepi last night rating the duck salad as the best airline meal he's eaten (and it is very good).


Venue: Rockpool Bar and Grill
Event: inaugural epiQure dinner 
Special Guest: Rene Redzepi @reneredzepinoma, food hero from Noma (on the first day of the 3 week holiday vacation in Denmark

The event kicks off with goats cheese tortellini with pine nuts and raisins, the creamy zing of the goats cheese buffeted by comforting pasta.  Wonderfully smokey anchovies (similar texture to Ortiz but much smokier) crown a biteful of smoked tomato on toast.  The 2000 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne is flowing and the chill of the torrential rain slowly dissipates.

The roasted baby beetroot salad, jelly, raw with barrel aged feta dressing is my favourite.  It's served with a 2010 Penfolds Autumn Riesling (proudly retro) and an amazing 2005 Penfolds Bin Aged Release Reisling which is slightly toasty although youthful in colour (and which Penfold's senior winemaker Steve Lienert advises will continue to age well in the bottle).


The flavours intensify with a blue fin tuna tartare, unctuous moroccan spiced eggplant, bound with cumin mayonnaise and harissa. The 2010 Penfolds Bin 311 Chardonnay from Tumbarumba is fruit driven, and light but the stand out, particularly as a food match is the 2007 Penfolds Reserve Bin A Chardonnay with its wild yeast fermentation and the richness that comes from being on oak for 9 months.  "If Penfold has improved in one area, it's definitely been in Chardonnay," says Lienert - and he's right!  This is a ripper wine.

One of my "last meal" requests would definitely be congee.  the "rich and noble prawn congee" (so called because congee is traditionally more of a gruel so the fact that this is almost all rice is for the rich nobles or noble rich ;) ) is a cheeky interpretation of traditional congee including little croutons of traditional Chinese fried bread, star anise scented peanuts and chilli oil.

Never in a million years would I have paired a Pinot Noir or Tempranillo (who knew Penfolds made 1!) with a dish like this but the end result is spectacular, particularly with the 2008 Penfolds Cellar Release Tempranillo with the spice of the wine dancing happily with the richness of the congee and fried bread and the heat of the oil.


Neil Perry speaks lovingly of the next course.  wood fire roasted burrawong chicken with baby carrots and a dainty pea sauce - and rightly so!  Slivers of tasty chicken, crunch of carrots and that pea puree is heavenly.

It's simple, allowing the flavours to sing. It's served with 3 classic Penfold Reds: the 2008 Penfolds Bin 389 Shiraz Cabernet (the most cellared wine in Australia - this blend is 48% Shiraz, and 52% Cab and is very drinkable); the deep plummy 2007 Penfolds Henri Shiraz (Australia's second oldest shiraz having been first produced in 1953); and the newer style 2008 Penfolds RWT Shiraz (matured on 100% French oak).  

The glasses are piling up but our table continues to rise to the challenge.   I barely made a dint in my slow cooked David Blackmore wagyu short rib, charred with red braised shiitake mushrooms, served with an elegant yam and ginger puree.

It was way back in 1951 when winemaker Max Schubert first produced an experimental red wine to match the quality and technique of the wines he'd experienced in Bordeaux.  He made just 3 barrels of Grange - and bottles of the 1951 vintage are now worth $40-$50k a bottle.  Tonight we are graced with the 2001 Penfolds Grange, sourced 100% from the Barossa (1% Cabernet, 99% Shiraz) and a 2004 Grange (Barossa and McLaren Vale).  Homer Simpson la-la-la moment.  seriously. amazing.

And the very lucky Miss M. is fortunate enough to be one of the 3 guests to score a signed 2001 Grange!!


The mood is definitely kick back and exhale.  So the lightness of the Sharpe family strawberry mascarpone cake cradled with the honey tones of the NV Penfolds Grandfather Tawny has us all loosening our belts.... 

It's been an absolute joy - Neil Perry was a wonderful host and very very generous in sitting and chatting with our table.  Amazing venue, great food, wine to die for, and sensational company.  Think that qualifies us all as very happy EpiQureans !