Martini Masterclass at Der Raum

Der Raum
438 Church Street, Richmond (map)
9428 0055


This week I went along to the Martini Masterclass at everyone's favourite molecular cocktail bar, Der Raum. To accompany me I requested the presence of the charming J and his camera: many thanks to J for allowing me to use his photos in this post. As you can see, his lens is far, far, FAR superior to mine (I've learnt from bitter past experience that my camera and Der Raum just don't like each other)... I'm thinking that from now on I'll have to ask J to join me each time I'm dining in a dimly-lit restaurant. Either that or I'll just steal his camera.

The masterclass was conducted by Tanqueray brand ambassador Greg Sanderson (looking very suave in the photo below), with the Der Raum team assisting. We learned about the evolution of the martini, and tasted four variations (plus a taste of a fifth that Greg snuck into us). The class was excellent value at $60 a head ($45 for MTS members).


We arrived at 8pm, after a stomach-lining, booze-free dinner around the corner. Upon arrival we were given a palate-cleansing Chamomile Chroming: a sous vide infusion of French vermouth and chamomile, with delicate wisps of dry ice vapour sighing their way out of the little bottle (marked 'Poison') in which it is served.


The first cocktail, prepared by Luke from Der Raum, was the Chuncho Martini (named after the Peruvian Amargo Chuncho bitters included in its ingredients). The Chuncho Martini also used Tanqueray, Lillet Blanc and Marlborough syrup (a simple syrup made using Sauvignon Blanc instead of water). The grape used as a garnish had been carbonated (J dubbed it the 'Han Solo Grape', har har) using Lillet Blanc, so biting into it produced a crazy fizzy sensation on the tongue. We both LOVED this martini.


Then Greg took the reins and talked to us about the origins of the martini, generally regarded to be the Martinez cocktail. Various legends have sprung up regarding the Martinez origin story, most involving the Bay Area mining town of the same name.

Thank you to Greg for allowing me to reprint his Martinez recipe:
- 30ml Tanqueray
- 60ml Sweet Vermouth
- Dash Sugar Syrup
- Dash of Maraschino Liqueur
- Dash of Boker's Bitters (Angostura as a substitute)
- Stirred, into a chilled martini glass, large lemon twist garnish

It was at this point in the evening that the class got interactive: audience members were invited to come behind the Der Raum bar to mix up cocktails ourselves (with helpful tips from the staff). Nice! Here's the Martinez that J prepared.


For the third martini - the vodka martini - it was my turn to go behind the Der Raum bar and play bartender. After explaining (for the benefit of those who didn't know) what a dry martini is, Greg discussed various methods of getting the vermouth into a martini.

For my Vodka Martini (made with Ciroc Vodka), we coated the pitcher with vermouth, stirred it, then poured it out and added the vodka. Very dry. The olives as a garnish were skewered on a pipette filled with vermouth, so that the drinker could make the martini less dry by adding more vermouth if he or she chose to do so. Ay caramba, this martini was strong.


We also learned about the key botanicals used in gin: juniper berries, coriander seeds, chamomile flowers, licorice root, angelica root and citrus fruits such as grapefruit and bitter orange.


The extra martini we sampled was a Montgomery Martini made with Tanqueray 10 in a 15:1 ratio of gin to vermouth.


The final cocktail was a James Bond Vesper Martini. Greg read aloud the Ian Fleming passage from 'Casino Royale' in which the recipe is revealed:
"A dry martini," he said. "One. In a deep champagne goblet."
"Oui, monsieur."
"Just a moment. Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?"
"Certainly, monsieur." The barman seemed pleased with the idea.

Kina Lillet has been unavailable since the 1960s (alas, when Daniel Craig orders it in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, it's an anachronism), so we had Lillet Blanc instead. The vodka was Smirnoff Black.


Greg brought along a number of martini accoutrements, including this curious little martini scale.


The class ended, but we stuck around chatting to fellow class participants. The Der Raum boys started making regular cocktails for those who (unfathomably) were still up for more alcohol. I spotted Josh making Der Raum favourite, the El Moroccan Blazer: a Hennessey, Cognac and sweet port concoction that involves flamed lime and pineapple, caramelised with a blowtorch in a miniature skillet.



Luke presented a Tanqueray 10 martini the way they are prepared at Der Raum: chilled with clouds of witch's-brew liquid nitrogen. The theatre of the Nitro Martini is always a crowd-pleaser!


Eeeeevil. But delicious.


My favourite line of the night was Greg's praise of the Der Raum team: "Coming to Der Raum and just ordering a vodka, lime and soda would be like going to Vue de Monde and just ordering a cheeseburger." :-)

North Fitzroy's Supermaxi worth the taxi fare

It was on this stretch of Nicholson Street, North Carlton, where I twisted my ankle on Saturday night.


But it would've taken more than a badly twisted ankle to keep me from checking out Supermaxi on Sunday night! Besides, I was suffering cabin fever from being housebound. J chivalrously phoned me from the restaurant when I was en route in a taxi and asked if I needed a shoulder to lean on, but I managed to limp in under my own steam. :)



Supermaxi
305 St Georges Road, North Fitzroy (map)
9482 2828

So, the name. It turns out Supermaxi is many things: the name of a chain of Spanish supermarkets, a type of NZ racing yacht and a series of late 1980s compilation albums featuring Kool & The Gang, Yello and Wang Chung. Owners Rita Macali and Giovanni Patane told Espresso that the name is intentionally un-Italian, a portmanteau word made up of English superlatives Italians like to use. Fair enough. But me, I can't help thinking of products like these when I hear the name. At least it's memorable!


The atmosphere is bustling and the interior is all unadorned walls and moody lighting. Upon arrival at Supermaxi, guests are given a serve of lupini to munch on while they peruse the menu. You eat the beans by making a small tear in the skin with your teeth and then popping the seed directly into your mouth. A bit like Italian edamame.


We shared some excellent primi piatti: stuffed olives with fontina ($8) and the Salumi Maxi platter ($15) with prosciutto, pancetta and salame flecked with truffle oil and pepper.


J as forearm and elbow model, posing with his margherita ($15). I ordered the funghi ($19) which in addition to two type of mushroom (field mushrooms and porcini) had two types of cheese (bocconcini and mozzarella). Both very good pizza specimens (Rita used to be a co-owner in and chef at Ladro), with a slight chewiness to the dough that I love. We also polished off an excellent, well priced Chianti Classico DOCG.


Our amiable waitress came back to us three or four times to ask if we wanted to order anything from the dessert menus before us: eventually we just asked for another drink. J ordered Glenlivet (which, rather curiously, came in a wine glass) and I, being my Nonno's granddaughter, ordered a nip of Nonino grappa. All in all a very enjoyable meal!

Brunching East of Brunswick at El Mirage

El Mirage
349 Lygon Street, East Brunswick (map)
9388 0966


One sunny morning on a recent weekend the charming J invited me to join a group of his friends for brunch up in Brunswick East/East Brunswick. The venue of choice was El Mirage, a former factory turned rather lovely cafe with elegantly curved wood panels linking the southern wall to the ceiling.

Our dining companions ordered dishes such as the Slim Jim (poached eggs, ricotta, fig chutney and avocado, $12.50) and the eggs Florentine ($12.50).


I'm a sucker for lemon curd, so I ordered the pancakes with lemon curd, mascarpone and maple syrup ($12). The pancakes were nicely fluffy, but a huge dollop of curd, a huge dollop of mascarpone AND lashings of maple syrup sprinkled with sugar? Just too much, in my opinion. I ended up scraping off half the curd and most of the mascarpone. Maybe with fewer toppings the dish would be a bit more manageable.

I teased J because of his boring boring brunch choice: poached eggs on toast, no sides ($8). To be fair, he had a heavy cold at the time, so he probably wasn't thinking straight. Anyway, as poached free range eggs on toast go, they looked pretty tasty (and we did our best to make them look vaguely interesting for the blog).


After we finished brunch a group of us decided to stroll in the glorious sunshine up north for more coffee.

The Brunswick East Project
438 Lygon Street, Brunswick East (map)
9939 8422


The East Brunswick Project is the home of Padre Coffee (also available at a stall at South Melbourne Market). Blends are roasted on site and the Slayer Synesso machine is manipulated with aplomb. I enjoyed the cafe latte I had, although I was already regretting the fact that I'd had two coffees with brunch. Three coffees kept my heart beating fast for the next few hours.


Sigh. It seems that fixies are becoming increasingly de rigeur interior decorating items for inner-suburban specialty coffee havens.

Hipster power!


But seriously: enjoyable brunch, enjoyable coffees. :-)

MFWF: Pierre Roelofs and Raul Moreno Yague's brilliant dessert and wine matching

When I wrote up my Melbourne Food & Wine Festival round-up last week, I mentioned that my festival highlight was an event called Dessert and Wine Matches, and Beyond, and that I'd dedicate a separate post to it. The other guests, my lovely dining companion Miss F and I were safe in the very capable hands of desserts guru Pierre Roelofs and sommelier Raúl Moreno Yagüe (former sommelier at Vue de Monde and now co-owner of Entre Tapas y Vinos in St Kilda). Quite frankly, the tickets were a steal at only $50 each. The great thing about the event was that the focus was not on the food nor on the wines, but more specifically on the symbiotic relationship between the two. Some of the courses were a little experimental, but they were approached in such a fun way by Pierre and Raúl that it never felt academic.


I double-checked the address of the venue as I approached. It was being held in the showrooms of Arteveneta, a furniture manufacturer and restorer. The most unusual setting I've been to yet for MFWF. It was a gorgeous space though - nice and intimate.


I love how it looks like the African courtier from Tiepolo's Banquet of Cleopatra is operating the Gaggia coffee machine. :)


Upon arrival, we were given a tasty little palate cleanser of vodka, cucumber, elderflower and a little lime zest and juice.


The introduction to food and wine pairing began with "three sweet mouthfuls", giving us three different flavours, textures and wines. 1st: vanilla ice cream with a 2006 Domaine de Durban Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise (Rhône Valley, France). 2nd: honey foam with an NV Chambers Muscadelle (Rutherglen). 3rd: chocolate mousse with a 2005 Monmousseau Blanc de Blancs "Cuvée J.M." (Touraine, France).


The vanilla ice cream was simple and subtle, made with dextrose to make it less sweet, and with a hint of salt. When Raúl was deciding what to match it with, he felt a botrytised wine (such as a spicy Sauternes) would overwhelm the subtlety of the ice cream. He decided on the Muscat de B-d-V as it is a fortified wine that could cut through the ice cream as it coated our taste buds.

The muscadelle was served at 14 degrees rather than at room temperature, to bring down a bit of the "heat" of the wine but to keep the lovely tangerine, mandarin, Christmas cakey characters. The honey foam was EXQUISITE, my favourite single flavour of the night. Pierre told us he chose to make it with Victorian leatherwood honey rather than, say, manuka which he'd found in the past to be too strong. The fluffy wet foam was topped with a few sprinkles of freeze dried honey. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

The chocolate mousse was made to a Pierre Hermé recipe, using 54% chocolate ("not Valhrona, but a good middle-of-the-road chocolate"). The matching of chocolate with a dry sparkling wine was surprising to say the least! But I thought they worked brilliantly well together: the sparkling wine, at first lemony then slightly more tropical fruity, kept the palate refreshed and had just the right amount of yeastiness to enhance the nuttiness of the mousse.


The three sweet mouthfuls were followed by a "classic dessert" course of warm apple tart with a glass of NV Trabanco Sidra 'Lagar de Camin' (Asturias, Spain). Raúl flashed us a smile and announced that it was time to get into "cheeky, funky, naughty things". :)

He explained to us that rather than trying to match the apples in the apple tart, he'd decided to go with something yeasty to enhance the buttery, savoury, salty flavours of the dough. Much as I love clean ciders (I've been practically living on Coldstream Cider from the Cherry Tree this summer), there's nothing like a really good sidra that's all barnyard stink and mustard and blue cheese. And I mean all that in the best possible sense. Its matching with the apple tart was possibly my favourite matching of the night.


Raúl and Pierre, eloquently charming the pair of them. I was really impressed with the way they immediately put everybody at ease, and fostered discussion and audience participation within the room, rather than just lecturing to us. The atmosphere in the room was warm and relaxed and enthusiastic.


The next course was titled "Textures come into play" and this is where the Roelofs touch became really evident with the "Pierre's Style" dish of mandarin, corn, coconut and chocolate. It was matched with a NV Sauci Naranja (Condado de Huelva, Spain), a wine whose citrus explosion on the palate is explained by the fact that the wine is aged on dried orange rinds for six months. Some really lovely secondary characters such as zabaglione, orange blossom and sandalwood still came through though.


But let's break down "Pierre's Style". Pierre told me that he originally wanted to include 14 elements to this dish but then worked it down to nine. I *think* this is all of them: corn bread (made according to Johnny Cash's recipe!), puffed corn roasted in honey, dehydrated corn, semi-dessicated coconut, tiny sheets of polenta baked and then crumbled, mandarin marmalade, fresh mandarin segments, crème pâtissière, crumbs of pure cocoa. Wow wow wow wow wow. I LOVE THIS MAN. I split my dish in half and explored the first half by just tasting and savouring one element at a time, then for the second half combining elements to see how they all tasted together, both in terms of flavour and of texture.


The maestro at work. Having the demonstration mirror above the bench allowed us to watch him construct each course, element by element. At the end of the night we were chatting and I realised that I knew his girlfriend, as she used to teach me yoga! Lovely people.


The final course was somewhat intriguingly titled "Reverse Matching", and Raúl explained to us that they'd decided to experiment with something a little different: rather than using the dessert as a starting point and finding a wine to match, Raúl had selected a wine he wanted to serve, described to Pierre what he could smell and taste and then had Pierre create a dish around that!

The wine in question (deliberately not a dessert wine) was the 2006 Sutton Grange Estate Syrah (Central Victoria). Some of the flavours that Raúl picked up in the wine included blueberries, medicinal sasparilla or Coca-Cola, cabbage, tea, almond meal and (uncharacteristically for shiraz) spearmint. Can you imagine making a dessert from those ingredients?!


Well, this is what Pierre did: a black smoked tea (Russian Caravan) and semi fermented cocoa nibs cake, a sasparilla jelly, spearmint essence gel, dried apricots, mulderberries (freeze dried and then rehydrated with shiraz), shiraz sauce thickened with xantham gum, cabbage (boiled slowly so as to retain crunch, then cooked with maple syrup), dehydrated almond skins (Pierre very cutely thanked his housemates for putting up with the smell as he'd boiled the almond skins off and then dehydrated them for four or five days).

I felt this pairing best exemplified the philosophy that Raúl had articulated at the start of the night: any flavour can be matched with anything as long as you break it down. The ingredient list above may sound like a total nightmare recipe, but I was genuinely surprised to find how well it all worked. Fascinating.


The good news for those of you that missed out on the evening is that Pierre Roelofs is making his return to Collingwood/Fitzroy with dessert only evenings every Thursday night from 22 April. They'll be held at Rosamond, Rear 191 Smith Street Fitzroy (cnr Charles St), 94192270. I for one can't wait!