Classic French food, Cronulla NSW. May 2021

One of the best things about working closely with clients is they often challenge, which is something that I really love. From interesting and often crazy locations and interesting and challenging menus. This brief began as one of our regular clients wanted a food themed evening, a once a year event where friends come together, for no other reason than to enjoy a wonderful night of food and wine. Initially thoughts centred on a Japanese inspired menu however ended with a nod to all the classics of French cookery, duck confit to creme brulee and pate de campagne. In total seven courses, with matching wines in a beautiful home over looking Port Hacking. There was even a wonderful accordion player who stole the show!

London dinner party September 2019

I like nothing better than a challenge, as as a private chef you never know where your going to end up, who you might be cooking for or what it is you can be cooking. Everywhere from private houses to villa in rural Italy and France to ultra modern apartments in Singapore. I’ve cooked the simple and the complex for all manner of clients, from poached eggs on toast to a banquet based around the book “A hundred foot journey” I have become pretty good at arriving, usually flying in a few days in advance and instantly having to cook. Below is a menu and a few photos from a dinner party in London

A French inspired lunch in the Southern Highlands.

Some jobs I just can’t say no too, and this was one of them. The brief was a birthday party for a Darling point couple at their Southern Highlands property outside of Robertson, NSW. The part that was so exciting was the very French inspired menu that they had chosen….some French classics. All dishes that had been enjoyed over the years and still much loved. Snapper Quenelles, Bouillabaisse and chocolate tart. The Snapper quenelles was, for me, a dish from my past. A dish that I hadn’t cooked in onwards of 25 years, but thats the challenge, to cook memories and provide the client with exactly the food they want.

Wine Degustation, Queenscliff, NSW

The offer of this private dinner came though an a rather simple email asking if I was interested in cooking a birthday dinner for around sixteen people all of whom loved wine. Attached was an outline of the flights of wines to be served and the vintages. Latour, Petrus, Grange, DRC the list was incredible and far to tantalising not to say yes too. So armed with this list I set about trying to create a series of dishes that may work with the differing flights. A menu, not too far off what was eventually served, was sent to the client. Then the process of “tweeking” was undertaken. A fish dish added and a pork croquette replaced, a lamb course dropped and the foie gras ice cream added as requested. The order of dishes was changed to reflect the wines and the oysters and sashimi added a a shared starter rather than a course. Waitstaff, crockery and food was ordered, organised and prepared.

Truffle hunting in Robertson

It was beautiful early winters day, fingers of sunlight, lush green paddocks and the late tint of autumn leaves. Robertson in the southern highlands just outside of Sydney, is a neat little country town with a rather up market looking restaurant just next to the local Massey tractor dealer. That’s the duplicity of the area. Across the rail line we descended into the eastern valley, the road sanguine to the bottom of the valley, across a waterway and into the picture-perfect Robertson truffles. Pulling up into the drive way we were greeted by Sam (the owner) and a much welcoming open fire, a few nice cheeses and some conversation with our fellow hunters.