Foraged with Darren Robertson & Tim Philips

During World Cocktail Week (May 6th – 13th), World Class Australia is presenting a series of events curated by Alex Adams of Secret Foodies that celebrate cocktail culture.

Tanqueray and Tonic

Foraged, with Darren Robertson & Tim Philips was held at Bronte’s renowned Three Blue Ducks. The brief for the event was to forage for local ingredients from the restaurant’s kitchen garden and local producers, with Tim Philips of Bulletin Place, World Class global winner for 2012 preparing garden-to-glass style cocktails.

Tanqueray and Tonic with a lime leaf was served on arrival before guests were seated for a four course dinner with matching cocktails. The dishes were reflective of what Three Blue Ducks offer on their regular menu.

Oysters with Lemongrass and Ginger

A cold and hot appetiser were served, starting with freshly-shucked Sydney Rock Oysters from Batemans Bay with lemongrass and ginger foraged from the garden,

Brisket in Potato Skins

followed by a tasty amuse of Beef Brisket in Potato Skin.

Leather Jacket Brandade, Horseradish, Fermented Carrots and Weeds

The first course was Leather Jacket Brandade, Horseradish, Fermented Carrots and Weeds including purslane foraged from around the local area.

Don Julio Blanco with Beetroot, Rhubarb and Sourdough Tea

matched with Don Julio Blanco with Beetroot, Rhubarb and Sourdough Tea. The saltiness of the brandade paired well with the citrus and the tarragon garnish from the kitchen made for an earthy refreshing and palate cleansing drink with a hint of aniseed. The sourdough tea component of the cocktail was made using Sonoma sourdough which was steeped in boiling water for an hour, strained, then carbonated adding a sour element to the cocktail.

Pine Mushrooms, Buckwheat, Almond Cream and Goats Curd

Next came the most foraged dish of the night. Earthy and meaty, the Pine Mushrooms, Buckwheat, Almond Cream and Goats Curd was matched with Tanqueray with Almond, Lemon and Myrtle. The dry style of cocktail has citrus and zesty elements and include Tim’s homemade orgeat that matches the almond in the dish.

Flank Steak, Sea Lettuce butter, Shaved Zucchini and Sorrel

The Flank Steak, Sea Lettuce butter, Shaved Zucchini and Sorrel was the highlight of the menu. The meat is cooked pink, tender and full of flavour with an umami character from the butter. Generously portioned, the steak was cut into thin strips that melted in the mouth.

Talisker 10yo with Sea Water, Mandarin, Backyard Honey and Umami

To match the seaweed character in the dish, Tim prepared the cocktail of the night, Talisker 10yo with Sea Water, Mandarin, Backyard Honey and Umami. Using local and filtered seawater from Bondi, honey from the Three Blue Ducks’ backyard was was salted and stirred down with the smoky and briny Talisker 10 yo single malt with umami, dehydrated konbu and and cumquat as aromatic.

This was a food cocktail pairing that you did not wish to end.

Smoked Potato Ice cream, Chocolate Cookies, Lemon Verbena Granita

To finish, a creative dessert of Smoked Potato Ice cream, Chocolate Cookies and Lemon Verbena was served. The ice cream was made from left over potato skins that were smoked and salted. The lemon granita cut through the richness of the dish and the dry chocolate cookies.

Ketel One Citroen with Aromatic Cold Press, Lemon Verbena was the cocktail match, a lighter style of Espresso Martini made with Ethiopian single origin cold pressed coffee which has a citrus character with no bitterness. The cocktail had a delicate coffee and citrus aroma with a citrus finish that matched the granita.

L-R: Tim Philips, Alex Adams, Darren Robertson

World Class World Cocktail Week runs from May 6 to May 13, 2014.

Three Blue Ducks
143 Macpherson Street
Bronte NSW
www.threeblueducks.com