Chloe’s Club newsletter three November 2008

Welcome to our third newsletter. A whirlwind trip to visit my mother in Crete to celebrate the consecration of a church in memory of my father was a step back in time. The ceremony overseen by the Greek Orthodox archbishop of Boston, USA took in all of the traditions, from the magnificence of the robes to the blessing of the bread. The tiny church built under the direction of my mother, who at 84, whilst frail is still in full control of everything around her and the site she chose has the most spectacular view over Heraklion, our home city.
Mum, Koula, still loves to cook and it seemed we had one feast after the other. Very few of you would know that for the past 35 years I have made weekly trips to the South Australian wholesale markets, first at the now destroyed East End Markets and most recently the Pooraka Wholesale Markets. Quality produce has always been a personal passion, one that I grew up with in a family that grew and caught things, then cooked them and ate them. In 35 years it has been possible to see the tragic change that has taken place in our food production in South Australia and be fearful for the future of food in South Australia as these small growers, too old to keep working have sold their lands or succumbed to the understandable temptation of high profit and selling their inner city market gardens for urban development. Once packed with small growers who brought treasure to our restaurant tables the growers shed at Pooraka has all but been vanquished by the large global marketers. The markets of Heraklion remain traditional and are so wonderful and so different to ours with meat and seafood open to the air. Organically grown produce is not a fashion in Crete it is just the way they have always done it. Fantastic well–fed meat that is properly hung Crete is something of a chefs’ paradise. We had to laugh watching people smoking in the food shops and stalls and wonder if Greece will ever adopt a non–smoking policy.
Our first dinner went very well and everyone loved the wines. The 91 Orlando Steingarten Riesling was a stand out but everyone enjoyed the comparisons of the same wine, but ten years apart. Always fascinating to watch the progression of the life of a wine - see the menu and matched wines of our first dinner.
We are planning to ask our old friend Alan Weiss of the famous and still remembered Magic Flute restaurant to work with our team and have many other dinner events in the pipeline for 2009. The 25th birthday events will culminate in a unique and exclusive black tie dinner that will fully explore the depth and breadth of the Chloe’s cellar. The menu items will all be carefully matched with food after close collaboration with our chefs.

Please invite your friends to join our Chloe’s Club by forwarding our newsletter to them so that they can also receive advance notice for our events before they are made available to the general public.

Don’t forget our second Chloe’s Club dinner Monday December 8 — all details immediately below.

Owner and Sommelier 

News & Events
Chloe’s Club second dinner Monday December 8, 2008

Our first dinner was a great success and whilst there were many great wines the 91 Steingarten Riesling rather stole the show. Enjoy a five–course degustation menu chosen from our current menu with two especially matched wines accompanying each course. House baked bread, petit fours and coffee $140 gst inclusive wine and food. Book an individual table in the main dining room or join our long table in the private dining room.

View the menu and wines
Download the booking form

email the office with your enquiry

From our new menu that starts December 08, Grilled scallops, smoked speck and green pea sauce, just one of the many new dishes. We love the duck with loquats and ginger and duck confit with leek.

One of the most popular dishes at our first Chloe’s Club Dinner was this beautiful coddled salmon dish. It does take a little skill but follow the instructions and it is a synch. Add some rocklobster and salmon caviar and you would have the most wonderful entrée for Christmas day. With or without the rocklobster it is a beautiful dish that pleases everyone.
Johnny Triscari executive chef

Coddled salmon with a fennel and orange salad and caviar dressing
serves 10

salmon
10 X 100g shoulder pieces of salmon
2L olive oil light
1 strip lemon zest
1strip lime zest
15 peppercorns, toasted

fennel and orange salad
2 fennel bulbs
2 oranges
half punnet beetroot sprouts
half a bunch chervil
half bunch dill

dressing
100ml chardonnay vinegar
0.5g saffron
20g shallot, diced
100ml olive oil
100ml grape seed oil
10g sugar
1g salt
100g salmon caviar

to finish
1 packet sea salt flakes
50g ripe Roma tomato fine dice
half punnet snow pea sprouts
100g caviar of your choice

method
salmon
Place the salmon in a dish so that they have a space of 1 cm between them to promote an even coddle. Add zest and peppercorns then add oil ensuring the salmon is covered.
Cook in and oven set at 70c for 1 hour the fish will feel like an egg that is soft boiled, this will be ready and take it out of the oven. Remember the fish will cook for further 10 min.