A celebration of all things that fly...

A year ago we went to Sydney for a degustation dinner with Clare and Leigh. At least that was our intent, but the restaurant neglected to mention that they had been shut down. Clare still hadn't had a degustation, so we made up for it this weekend.

Leigh provided the original inspiration for the menu, with a freezer full of pheasant from his last trip to Victoria. Whilst the original concept was a 'duckestation', we decided to expand it to include all things that fly.

Leigh and Clare were always to be the guests of honour, and we had thought to round out the table with our architect and another friend of Jane's from Circus. As luck would have it, Jenny had to fly to Adelaide, and Kate's kids were sick. We did have Dave and Elise - neighbours who came to Janes rescue a couple of weeks ago when the battery in the car died.

The menu we planned is as follows (and I even got photographs of most of it this time!):

• Quail breast 'Kilpatrick'

• Sourdough, duck prosciutto, chicken liver pate, pheasant pate

• Cauliflower veloute, with prosciutto crisp

• Saute quail maryland, endive, smoked cheddar, roast walnuts and apple and pear crisps

• Roast duck in orange sauce, pickled beetroot jelly, carrot jam, parsnip chips and crisp duck skin

• Wild shot pheasant, braised with tomato, prunes and olives, with Kipfler potatoes roasted in duck fat

• Pulled pigs head, scotched quail egg, salsa verde

• Peppered Maffra cheddar, wrapped in prosciutto and baked

• White chocolate and passion fruit mousse charlotte with minted pineapple salad

We also planned a tenth course; a delicate choux pastry fried in hot oil, and rolled in sugar called Pets de Nones, or 'Nun's farts'. It is supposed to be delicate - a frivolity to finish a meal with. Last night it provided a show instead. Our Nun didn't fart - I think there were some more serious intestinal issues! The pastry exploded and popped, spraying hot oil and pieces of pastry all over the kitchen. That is one recipe that doesn't need to come out again - if only because the clean up is just ridiculous.

The quail 'kilpatrick' was fabulous - and so simple. It was a late inclusion on the menu, as I only needed the legs for the salad. In fact, there were no complaints about the balance of the menu either. We had a great night, only serving dessert just before midnight.

Leigh and Clare stayed over, and we had a rather decadent day today after last night's feast. We had scotched quail eggs with tomato relish, chocolate prune and espresso sourdough and fresh squeezed orange juice for breakfast. We went to Beechworth Berries to pick strawberries, and had crepes with strawberries, glace figs and icecream for lunch. Still being hungry, we followed with bread with the two pates and salsa verde. At that point we stopped eating!

We had great fun, and planned the menu for the next dinner over lunch. We are thinking about making a standing rib roast the hero... Stay tuned!