Delgany

“Would you like a table in the sun, or away from the light?" It was the most beautiful Portsea morning last month with the sun shining through Delgany's windows overlooking the expanse of lavender beds in the garden.

But perhaps the light at breakfast was too bright for some of Melbourne's chefs after their Shared Tables dinner the night before. It was quite an historic gathering, 30 chefs and their partners all together over dinner. Pity Martin Norris, executive chef of Delgany's. A shy slight man he seemed suitably overawed by the occasion.

What does it take to get 30 of Melbourne's top chefs to take a night off from their restaurants and leave Melbourne and to sit together at table?

Meat and energy are the answers.

Gerard Doherty of Australian Meat and Livestock Corporation and Meredith Schier of Kinetik Energy came up with the idea 18 months ago to get their best “customers" together. What they wanted was to start a dialogue amongst colleagues in an industry which is notoriously unsociable. When you work nights and weekends, there's very little time or energy left to meet friends.

So Gerard and Meredith (both from cooking backgrounds) decided to start Shared Tables a series of lunches where the host chef would cook a meal (featuring meat of course) and share his/her recipes with other invited chefs Olimpia Bortolotto (Bortolottos) hosted the first lunch and explained why she did it, “1 thought about it for a while (because) the price the chefs are charged is pretty low, but it's a damned good idea. It was really good for me, (as a woman) to meet my peers and to find out what's happening around."

Olimpia then attended the other lunches at Chinois, Stella’s, O'Connells, Grossi Florentino and Stokehouse but due to illness could not make the trip to Delgany. “It was a shame because this was the first event when partners were invited."

It was a fun night, with an elaborate menu, wines and conversation flowing. Next day Delgany staff patiently kept the lavish breakfast on till late in the morning. Some of the guests had enjoyed walks in the morning sun whilst others had got their exercise in the hotel pool very late in the night, or rather, early in the morning.

Chef Martin Norris had kept his ten cooks very busy for days beforehand assembling an array of canapés, oyster and crayfish flan with Sevruga caviar, slow braised milk fed veal shin with risotto, twice cooked rack of lamb with coriander and cumin chamoula, sculpted sugar roses to accompany a rhubarb tart inspired by his grandmother and then, a presentation of cheeses and petits fours. He described it as “a warm and comfortable menu for the middle of winter" and after running through the dishes, said “that's it really". Martin's straightforward and simple speech won over a critical audience.

He seems to have always had this quiet determination and persistence in his chosen craft. Martin's father tried to dissuade his son from cooking but after a work experience with Mogens Bay Esbensen at Sydney's Pavillion on the Park, there was no other career for Martin. "It just blew my mind. He (Mogens) is an amazing man. I learnt so much from him."

Then when the opportunity came later in his career to work with Hermann Schneider (now at Aurthurs) Martin grabbed it and came to Delgany. “But it was only for about 5 months before they (Hermann and Faye Schneider) left. “I learnt a great deal from Hermann and could have learnt a great deal more. His principles and philosophies and the discipline ... his quest for perfection.” Martin admires the kitchen which Hermann created at Delgany and still finds that it works well for the variety of functions required there, in one weekend there could be 13 different menus. He also remembers Hermann’s constant changes to the menu - “with each market shop" and being in touch with what is growing. Martin is carrying on the tradition of seasonality inspired by Hermann, with regular visits to the Melbourne market.

Then there is locally grown produce some of it very close to hand. “Here 1 have marvellous mushrooms, right on the property. They are in abundance from late May." Then there is the herb garden and quince trees, kumquats, olives, four varieties of pear, kiwi fruits.

Lots of reasons to make Delgany a great excursion for Melbourne chefs. To quote Ian Curley (of The Point) “it's a good idea to get the boys out of town. It’s worth taking the time to get to know each other." Ian would like to “share" his kitchen for Shared Tables at The Point and invite fellow British chefs, Donovan Cooke (est est est) Michael Lambie (The Stokehouse) and Jeremy Strode (waiting to open his own) to do a joint meal. A delicious idea as long as he includes Melbourne born Philippa Sibley-Cooke (est est est) to do the dessert course.

Before the next Shared Tables there is another gathering of chefs and serious meat users today and tomorrow in Melbourne. The Inaugural Lamb Industry Convention brings together experts from around Australia, the USA, Asia and the UK at the Dallas Brooks Hall.

Next month I will be returning to the Mornington Peninsula to look at local produce. the Red Hill Market and to talk to Hermann Schneider at Arthurs Seat.