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Article: The Essence of a great lunch
- Article from:
- Sunday Star-Times
- Article date:
- November 9, 1997
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 1997 Sunday Star-Times. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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AUCKLAND chef Michael James needs little encouragement to feed
people on his day off. Coming back to his restaurant, Essence, on a
Sunday to prepare lunch for a party of bon vivants is nothing
unusual.
The weekend prior to our luncheon, he had fed more than 700
people
at a vintner's weekend in the Hunter Valley. It's the first time a
non-Australian chef has attended this event.
Our Matua and Sunday Star-Times lunch at Essence started with a
superb smoked salmon and potato lasagne with shellfish vinaigrette
matched to an aged Ararimu Chardonnay.
This was followed by pepper-crusted lamb rack with Pacific gnocchi
and mint gremolata, matched with Ararimu Merlot Cabernet Franc 1994
and finished ...