Dinner in Bilgola

Dinner in Bilgola

Friday 6 April, 2007

Tonight my beach buddy cooked up a storm & it was sensational. I love receiving invites to stay down at the beach - it really feels like you are a world away from the city and the dress code is far more casual. The smell of salt off the ocean, the deep green colour of the ocean and the orange tinge to the sand were incredibly calming.

The only hint I had been given about dinner tonight was that the entree would be seafood and the main would be pork. I drove to my local Vintage Cellars in Ben Boyd Rd for advice on wine selection. These guys are legends and deliver every time. For the seafood they suggested a Blind River sauvignon blanc from the Malborough in New Zealand and for the pork they highly recommended a Fox Gordon shiraz from the Barossa. Both were perfect.

My beach buddy followed three recipes from noted chefs for our feast:

- Bill Granger scallops served in the shell with herb butter and bread crumbs

- Jamie Oliver pork belly with roasted fennel

- Peter Doyle passionfruit souffle

The scallops were large, plump and coated with a generous dollop of herb butter and toasted bread crumbs, They only needed a short while under the grill and were succulent and delicious.

The pork belly was unbelievable - it fell off the bone and was so tender. The crackle was mildly salty and gave the jaws a good work out. The roasted fennel was divine - it offered a sweetness to the pork that was incredibly more-ish.

The passionfruit souffle's were delightful - they rose beautifully and were so soft and fluffy. The passionfruit flavour was sweet but not overpowering.

Overall, this was a magnificent feast and now I'm really worried about how I can return the favour!