Christmas Ham

Had something pretty special for Christmas dinner - it was a test drive of a product we hope to be able to offer next year.

It was a brandy soaked, hot smoked and roasted over redgum free range berkshire ham on the bone. The pig was sourced from a local grower and the entire process was done by hand

Given this year our major food retailers plumbed new lows in their abuse of the Australian consumer it was good to see how great a ham can be.

Worst ham product of 2007 would have to go to KR Castlemaine's gut turning recreated bone in ham - in response to educated consumer avoiding boneless ham as most of it was imported. The "smart" people at KR Castlemaine decided to wrap imported pork around an Australian bone thereby circumventing the consumer backlash against the imports.

I can hear some people saying surely you can tell the difference as the imported product would be labelled as such - no fear - the imports are labelled "Made in Australia" so the consumer has to be doubly aware as the dinkum stuff is labelled "Product of Australia" A subtle but important difference when "complying" with Australia's weak as water food labelling laws.

Why does this matter? - our local industry is suffering through some of the hardest times with drought and a high Australian dollar - it's the final straw for many to see our shops awash with tonnes of subsidised ham and bacon.

Chefs Table at Claudes 29/11/07

Wow what a dinner

8 meaty courses featuring Coorong Angus beef and Pure Suffolk Lamb. 14 guests ranging the gamut of Sydneys restaurant scene and a great set of matching wines and spirits from Pernod Ricard.

Entrée - Accompanied by Mumm NV Champagne

Kibbeh Nayeh of Coorong Angus Beef Fillet

This dish was amazing light as air yet still with a real beefy zing to it. Basically a paste with subtle herbs and seasonings and served on crunchy flatbread

Spiced Pure Suffolk Lamb Sausage & Rock Oyster

The lamb sausage was made from some of the meat from the leg and shoulder and was presented as quite large chunks. The sausage was topped by a single pickled Sydney Rock Oyster which the vinegary richness contrasted with the rich spicy sausage

Braised Coorong Angus Beef Brisket in Suet Pastry

The pastry for this was amazing - they were tiny little brisket pies with the fully on beefy flavour wrapped up in a suet pastry which was light and rich and just awesome - couldn't have just one!

Deep-Fried Coorong Angus Beef Short Ribs

Close to the highlight for me yet a more simple dish than some. The rib meat had been diced into approx 1.5cm cubes and the ribs had been cooked through and had a sticky sweet sauce coating each little morsel which it really was impossible to stop eating until the whole lot was gone!

Pot-Sticker Dumplings of Pure Suffolk Lamb Leg Filling - accompanied by a Pinot Grigio

The first of the mains was a chinese style dumpling filled with shredded Pure Suffolk Lamb meat

Beef Consommé, Jellied Shin and Sirloin - Morris of Rutherglen - Amontillado

The jellied shin was a thin sliced of shredded shin set in a jelly made from the shin itself was accompanied by 2 thin sliced of raw Coorong Angus Beef sirloin completely denuded of fat. The two cuts of meat then had a beef consomme poured over them which ever so slightly cooked the raw sirloin and melted the jelly around the shin setting slivers of slow cooked beef shin loose to float throughout the consomme.

Roast Rack of Lamb, Jalapeno Dressing - accompanied by 18YO Chivas Regal Scotch

This was amazing a single cutlet of Pure suffolk lamb along with a denuded slice of the Pure Suffolk striploin. The jalepeno dressing also contained some roasted lamb round meat was cleansing with the well flavoured lamb the Chivas Regal was an intriging match

Poached Sirloin of Coorong Dry Aged Angus - accompanied by Orlando Centenary Hill Shiraz

Wow - the beef was tender and succulent served wrapped around some sensational baby vegetables and with a rich beefy sauce - went so well with the full bodied red

Avocado Pear Blancmange

Who would of though Avacado for desert - simply said this was a triumph - an amazing desert - blowing up preconceptions and doing a great job to boot a great end to a great night