Australo-French

Hill Court, Warranwood, Victoria, September 27, 2014—

HERE'S AN EARLY SHOT of tonight's first course, appetizers taken with, not a Martini this Saturday night, but a pastis, first of the spriing. A very nice paté de compagne; a delicious salmon mousse, some first-rate olives, stuffed little pimentos, and artichokes à la grecque. With them, after the photo was taken, bread and crackers and spicy potato chips, and then a little simple white wine.

Were dining downstairs, guests of my Australian niece and her Paris-born husband. Fred's French, John had explained, and misses the French-style dinners, and likes to put one on now and then; he'll))  have us down to a proper meal.

And he did, though Ana was clearly party to the affair. She'd been to the delicatessen, for example, and found these appetizers, and she's the one who chose the next item:

coquilles St..-Jaccques, local ((Melbourne Bay) sea scallops, beautifully cooked in butter with (I think) delicate leek leaves, accompanied by grilled asparagus with a perfect Hollandaise — Fred knows his sauces.

UNext, the plat principal: Barramundi, the locally popular cod-like fish, firm-textured and flaky and delicately flavored. Ana had grilled this over wood, taking advantage of branches from the dead tree we'd felled earlier, flavoiring it with herbs from the garden.  And with it, a delicous salad of lettuce and radicchio

and roasted vegetables: caramelized carrots and beetroot; puffy little potatoes

Dessert was pots de creme Fred had made, as expertly as his sauces, and I'm sorry that by then the iiPhone was enjoying company, conversation, and the dinner far too much to take a photo.

Sauvignon blanc, Queen Adelaide, 2013 (simple, clean, refreshing); Pinot grigio, Windy Peak, 2013 (nicely expressive, clean and crisp)