Such subtle signage, such an awesome reputation. Claude’s fourth owner Chui Lee Luk, a former lawyer, is now at the helm of Claude’s. Counting down to the days, there was anticipation in the air but this was tempered by reading reviews prior to our visit. Reviews were mixed, with many diners complaining of over salting and other culinary crimes.

Its 7.30pm, the time of the first booking and we press the doorbell. Its like knocking on a friend’s house who has a function catered by staff. The room itself is small (there is another room upstairs) and rather like a blank canvas. Cream walls, dim lighting and Limoges plates with Napoleon’s crest line the two side walls. And aside from the chairs and tables that’s about it in the way of decor.

Service is friendly, deferential, polite and unpretentious. Soon after we’re sipping our very lightly carbonated imported Mineral water (Haddon from England) and perusing the menu. Its degustation only tonight so there isn’t much in the way of choosing which makes it all very easy. The menu is a tantalising sounding mix of French and Asian influences.

Amuse Bouche: walnut and mushroom tart

Our first morsel of the evening arrives, a small amuse bouche of walnut and mushroom tart. Petite and melt in the mouth buttery, its delicious and perfectly balanced.

Smoked Salmon consommé with chive and fennel pastry

Our first course surprising arrives very soon after, the Smoked Salmon consommé. I love smoked salmon and this frothy creamy consommé is very much like smoked salmon but its too heady in scent for me and I take a few sips and pass my espresso cup onto Blythe. It seems that they’ve taken the criticism of over-salting to heart as we need to add salt to the consommé. The light pastry with chive and fennel on top is delicious and paper thin.

Green Papaya salad with ocean trout

Our next course arrives, its simply described as Green Papaya Salad on the menu but its so much more than that. A slice of seared ocean trout sits next to pieces of Andoiue, which is a pork tripe sausage while the green papaya salad is sprinkled with finely chopped hazelnuts. Again this dish needs salt added to it and its interesting although the sausage is strong when compared to the subtle taste of the ocean trout perhaps overpowering it.

Deep fried soft shell crab, spannercrab custard with sago

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This has got to be one of my favourite cereals, not only for its gloriously nutty and crunchy taste but also for its nutritional benefits. Without meaning to bore you with the boring health details, the fact is that it is incredibly low in fat (the only fat being what is in the nuts and seeds), its also full of those fabulous seeds sunflower and sesame as well as being made up primarily of rolled oats which are also very good for your health. The most important part though, the taste, is more delicious than anything muesli you’ll ever buy (I always find the untoasted ones dry and the toasted ones are sprayed in oil). You can customise it to have the nuts and fruit of your desire (I sometimes add pepitas) or even make a chocolate and peanut version. It can also be made into breakfast muffins so there’s really no excuse not to try it.

NQN’s cranberry, macadamia and yogurt coated berry version

Nigella suggests using dried cherries but I would also recommend adding dried sweetened cranberries or craisins or even, for a real indulgence, some yogurt coated sultanas and macadamia nuts along with the dried cranberries. My husband loves this granola topped with thick yogurt and a drizzle of honey instead of milk. I couldn’t resist making this Christmas-ey looking granola for our big Christmas get together. Is there even such a thing as Christmas granola?

I find that buying the big 500g or 1kg bags of sesame or sunflower seeds makes it much easier to make this often. I also omit the oil completely, I don’t think it suffers from leaving it out at all and instead of using apple sauce, I use apple juice, just because we always have apple juice and it makes it crunchier whereas the apple sauce leaves it a little softer.

NQN’s cranberry, macadamia and yogurt coated berry version

Andy’s Fairfield Granola

This is an extraordinary bonus from my last book, in the sense that while I was on tour in the States to promote Forever Summer, I did a signing in a borders in Fairfield Connecticut and just behind the bookshop was a deli called The Pantry. Well I can never buy enough, don’t even know what that would mean: I always leave any food shop with about five shopping bags, even when I know I’m going on a transatlantic flight the next day. So I shlepped home with tags of good things to eat, including (and probably illegally, I’m afraid) several tons of their granola. I got so anxious about the prospect of finishing even that copious supply that I phone for the recipe-it happens to be only the best granola you’ll ever taste in your life-and Andy Rolleri supplied it, for which I am enormously grateful. Every time I’ve given this to people, they’ve asked for the recipe and have gone on to make it at home. That can only be a good sign.

You may think that making your own breakfast cereal is a strange way to go about life and certainly I’d never have thought I’d be the kind of person who does this, but the only big deal here is the shopping-the actual making is incredibly easy-and even there, don’t be daunted by the length of the ingredients list. It means one big sortie to a health food shop and then you’ve got the goods to make this again and again. I love having a big jar of it in the kitchen, to eat with milk for breakfast, over yogurt and frizzled with honey late at night, or as it is, by the grasped handful, any time I pass the jar.

Makes 2.5 litres

Ingredients

• 450g rolled oats
• 120g sunflower seeds
• 120g white sesame seeds
• 175ml apple sauce (I use apple juice)
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ginger
• 120g brown rice syrup or rice malt syrup or failing that golden syrup (I use golden syrup)
• 4 tablespoons runny honey
• 100g light brown sugar
• 250g whole natural almonds
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 2 tbsp. sunflower oil (I don’t bother adding this)
• 300grams raisins

1. Mix everything (except the raisins) together very well in a large mixing bowl. I use a couple of curved rigid spatulas; normally I’d be happy to use my hands but here it just leaves you covered with everything.
2. Spread this mixture on two baking tins (the sort that come with ovens and are about the width of a rack) and bake in a gas mark 3/170c oven turning over halfway through the baking and redistributing the granola evenly during the baking process. The object is to get it evenly golden without toasting too much in any one place. This should take anything from about 40 minutes. I use a gas oven, which doesn’t brown as fast as en electric one, so often leave it in up to an hour.4
3. Once its baked, allow to cool and mix together with the raisins. Store airtight

Note: I make a chocolate and peanut version of this, using 300g raw peanuts in place of the almonds, and adding 25g best quality cocoa powder along with the oats, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds, giving everything a good raking over with my hands so that the cocoa is evenly dispersed before I add the remaining ingredients. And I sometimes leave the raisins out of Andy’s granola, but I absolutely never include them in this version. You could however tinker with the idea of some dried cherries.

From Feast by Nigella Lawson

The lovely thing about Christmas, aside from Christmas itself, is that work tends to wind down and people get more relaxed and there is time made for leisurely lunches. Consulting work, although you forgo the work Christmas party, means that you will inevitably get invited out to a corporate lunch sometime before everyone goes on holidays. Bathers Pavilion was perfect for me as a) its literally down the road from where I live b)I had wrapped up all of my work for the year so I had nothing to do but enjoy and c) its one of the most fabulous restaurants in Sydney on one of the most gorgeous (if not particularly good for surfing) beaches.

Its less than a week until Christmas and the restaurant is full of diners, some business lunchers, some ladies who lunch and groups that are celebrating a pre Christmas get together. The cafe next to the restaurant is also incredibly busy drawing a steady stream of clientèle although the restaurant’s pace seems a little calmer than the cafe. The restaurant is full of cream and white and a lot of blue in fitting with the sandy beach outside and the stunning ocean view.

Cranberry and watermelon cocktail (non alcoholic)

Its a humid summer’s day and a round of sparkling mineral water and cranberry and watermelon cocktails are ordered to quench the thirst. A quick browse of the menu and I see instantly what I want for my entree, the Spring Bay abalone, seared scallop and prawn, 5 onion riso. M, N and A all order the Tuna Sashimi with crispy soft shell crab and wasabi flying fish roe . I’m having more trouble figuring out what to order for my main but I settle on the Assiette of Macleay Valley Rabbit crown, rillettes, loin and liver with potèe of confit leg. M orders the Casserole of Blue eye cod fillet, scampi and mussels, coconut shellfish bisque. N orders the Dry Aged Angus sirloin with braised Wagyu beef shin, endive, pomme puree, bone marrow sauce. A orders the Humpty Doo Barramundi with Baby octopus and calamari, saffron potato, Romesco sauce.

Sourdough bread with salted and unsalted butter

Our bread arrives shortly with salted (triangle) and unsalted (round) butter shapes. Its slightly warm diamond shaped sourdough is good but not as moreishly compelling as the sourdough at Bècasse which could make any bread hater into a lover.

Amuse Bouche-artichoke mousse with salmon and crab

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