Association Mondiale de la Gastronomie
Lunch Harry's On Buderim
On Sunday 29th August, Harry’s On Buderim teamed with Brockenchack Wineries to provide our chapter of the Chaine de Rôtisseurs with an outstanding dining experience. The restaurant is housed in a 141 year old Heritage-style homestead, set on the edge of Buderim Forest Park. Our tables were beautifully arranged on the deck to take full advantage of the location.
On arrival, guests were presented with a welcoming glass of NV Edmond Thery Blanc de Blanc, a light and refreshing French sparkling wine which was accompanied by two interesting and tasty appetisers: prawn meat served in brik pastry, along with a lemon myrtle emulsion (fyi, brik is a North African pastry similar to filo though a little heavier) and rosemary/parmesan shortbread with confit Noosa Red tomatoes and goat feta from a local business called Little White Goats.
Before the next course, Darren from Brockenchack Winery gave us a potted history of this strangely-named, award-winning boutique winery. Located in Eden Valley in the Barossa, it has been a working vineyard for over a century. Brockenchack is a combination of the names of the family grandchildren - Bronte, Mackenzie, Charli and Jack and some of the wines are named for them too. Being a cool climate location, Brockenchack grapes ripen quite slowly which produces lower alcohol and gives a finesse and elegance to the wines while allowing the fruit flavours to be better expressed.
For the first course, we enjoyed perfectly cooked Bolton Coral Trout, an ocean fish caught off Cairns by Chris Bolton. Being caught, not farmed, met with the approval of Raymond (our French chef) and the pairing with fennel puree and salad along with a classic French velouté was an inspired choice. The 2018 Brockenchack “Charli Jay” Chardonnay, light and fruity, was the ideal partner.
In keeping with the local produce theme, the second course was Brisbane Valley Quail. Perfectly cooked and beautifully presented, the quail maintained its distinctive flavour amid almond puree, celeriac fondant, blueberry vinaigrette and quail jus. A 2018 Brockenchack Pinot Noir was the choice for this course and tbh, it was a match made in heaven!
Darren explained the fascinating background of table wines in the Barossa and how the industry grew from its origins of Prussian Lutheran immigrants who brought their European stock and skills to the valley and how over the years, family winemakers gradually improved their produce simply by learning from each vintage and tweaking the blends accordingly.
The lamb course came next, accompanied by the ‘king of reds” - the Cabernet Sauvignon. Darren told us that the Brockenchack Cab Sav grapes are the last to be picked and that the climate, the breezes through the trees and the distinctive soils all contribute to the final product which is, in his words, “like carnation milk on a laminex top.” In other words, smooth as silk and the exact match for a heavier food course like the Herb Crusted Lamb Rack. The lamb was served with iconic Noosa Red tomatoes, pea puree, Little White Goats cheese and lamb jus and the 2018 “Miss Bronte” Cab Sav slid down very easily alongside the delicious lamb.
The dessert course of chocolate crémeux, marmalade parfait, poached rhubarb and pecan cake was served alongside a surprising choice of a sparkling Shiraz which Darren accurately described as, “Christmas Day in the Barossa.” It invoked a celebratory feeling which complemented the scrumptious dessert and also was a fine match with the cheese alternative.
At the end of our meal, Chef Stuart Bell appeared from the kitchen to relate his culinary journey from Melbourne apprentice to hatted chef - a fact we could well appreciate after tasting his wares. The owner of the restaurant, Lisa, also came to chat to us and reiterated Harry’s aim of using high-quality, fresh local produce wherever possible and informed us of regular foodie events at the restaurant.
I have no doubt, the Sunshine Coast Chaine de Rôtisseurs will return to this lovely restaurant in the future. Thank you to our Bailli, Leon, for organising this visit and Raymond for your menu input. It was a wonderful outing.
