Christmas in May? If you know me, you know that I’m a believer in Christmas at any time (why limit yourself to once a year?) and the chance to dine at Restaurant Atelier in Glebe and eat Pork is pretty much like a trifecta when you combine it with Christmas. Restaurant Atelier is located in a brick cottage on busy Glebe Point Road and is run by the gorgeously personable couple Bernadette at the front of house and Darren Templeman as the chef who is protege of Bruno Loubet. Darren is the perfect choice to host the evening – as a Yorkshire boy certainly knows his way around a pig. Thanks to the amazing Mel from Fooderati and Stewart from Whiteworks, a gaggle of us bloggers are dining alongside other food industry notables.
Bernadette
We start off with Pork Neck Rillette, Cornichon, Green Beans served in a Witlof leaf. The rillette is deliciously soft and melt in the mouth, subtly perfumed and flavoured with cognac and wine and perfectly paired with witlof. Wines are provided by the Piggs Peake winery – no coincidence that with a name like that they caught the attention of the Australian Pork people but as Mitch from Australian Pork explains, they found that they loved the wine beyond merely the name which was a serendipitous occurrence.
The pink elephant in the room is of course the Swine Flu which tonight’s news report says is at a critical stage in Australia where we were warned that it was about to spreading very fast here with the number of reported patients at over 60. Of course what was clearly told to us from the very beginning (and to much relief) is that eating pork does not give you Swine Flu. In fact the current Swine Flu or H1N1 is passed from human to human rather than pig to human. *Phew* Bacon, ham and pork, come to mama!
Clockwise from left: Grilled pickled loin of pork with celeriac remoulade, Honey glazed pork hock with roasted apples and Pulled Pork Neck salad with Crystal Bay Prawns
The assiette plate features pork done in 3 distinctly different ways. The first I try is the loin which is pickled in a brine and then grilled and as a result it is very tender and easy to cut and well paired with the creamy celeriac remoulade. The deeply flavoured and unctuous honey glazed pork hock is perfection with a rich aroma courtesy of the cloves and marjoram and its caramelised sticky outer. It is deeply satisfying. The very slowly cooked pulled pork neck salad with Crystal Bay prawns has a distinct Asian feel and flavour and has William and Jennifer from Weight Watchers enraptured and we explain the process of slow cooking and pulling pork to them. Everyone is surprised that a cut of meat such as the neck that many wouldn’t think to cook, can end up so beautifully done. Each course is matched to a wine. From left to right, the wines matched were: the loin with 2008 Piggs Peake Amanda Love Viognier, the hock with 2008 Piggs Peake Peartree Riesling and the pulled neck with 2009 Piggs Peake Sow’s Ear Semillon.
Chef Darren Templeman
Darren at work
Before the mains come out Mel and I go into the kitchen to have a look at the inner workings. It’s calm, efficient and extremely clean and organised. For a man who is making dinner for 45 people, all of which need to be served at about the same time, he’s friendly and unflappable chatting easily. You’d think he was simply making fried eggs for his own dinner such is his friendly demeanour and composed manner.
Rack of pork ready to be sliced
Mel, having already partaken of the tasting session of tonight’s dinner last week, explains that the pork is rolled and wrapped prior to cooking to further help keep the juices in the meat as well as helping in easy demarcation when it comes to carving. It is then seared til it’s lightly golden on the outside and then pan roasted to perfection.
He also gives us a taste of the jus that goes with it. Mel also explains that the jus has celery added but no carrot added as the sweetness of the carrot would overwhelm the natural sweetness of the pork.
Carving of the pork
At the front of the restaurant and the thing that had all of us bloggers jumping up like paparazzi in a Brangelina moment is the carving of the pork.
Boned Shoulder of pork roasted with a Winter Herb Cure on Creamed Parsnip and Buttered Kale with Pot Roasted Murray Valley Moisture infused pork rack with broad beans, pomme cocotte and pine forest mushrooms
The presentation of this dish is gorgeous. The boned shoulder of pork is soft and moist and the buttered kale and creamy parsnip are delicious alongside it and has a delicately scented blend of juniper berries, cloves, thyme, cinnamon, fennel and bay leaf. The large piece of roasted pork rack is delicious. As it’s moisture infused, which is a pre-brining process where it is infused with a solution of water and salts to ensure that even if it is overcooked (and of course it isn’t here), it still remains moist. The meat is tender and juicy with a faint pink blush inside which is possible with a cut of meat this good. The pomme cocotte, like delicately small mashed potato balls and pine forest mushrooms are gorgeous alongside it and there’s the afore mentioned jus which has been reduced down that brings it all together. The shoulder is paired with 2008 Piggs Peake Hogshead Chardonnay and the pork rack is matched with the 2008 Piggs Peake Wolfie Zinfandel.
Poached winter fruits with Christmas pudding ice cream
After a break, we try the dessert. It’s a perfect deconstruction of a Christmas pudding. The sweet, poached winter fruits are delicious against the ice cream. And let me tell you about the ice cream. When they say it’s Christmas Pudding they absolutely mean it. Not just spices, but the dark brown sugar, the taste of the soused fruit and texture is all there. It is matched with the Piggs Peake Little Pig Verdelho Fortified wine.
And the delights don’t stop there. We’re given goodie bags which contains a fantastic 1.2kg moisture infused pork rack as well as a hand sanitizer (hehe, a very timely point!). I can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with and I already have evil plans for my little piggy.
Pea and Ham Ice Cream
Wile waiting for Mr NQN to pick me up (aren’t husbands lovely?), Bernadette and I are chatting and she mentions Darren’s Pea and Ham ice cream that they were going to serve as an hors d’oeuvre. I think my head must’ve swiveled like a cartoon double take. “Pea and ham ice cream?” I ask. I’d heard of bacon and egg ice cream but only in legend and never on my palate and she nods smiling broadly. Darren grabs some from the freezer and rechurns it briefly in their machine as it freezes quite hard. It’s made using French petitpois and speck he also uses stabiliser to give it the proper creamy texture. Digging a spoon into it, Mel, Stewart, Mitch and I try this amazing ice cream. Yes! It’s unashamedly pea and ham soup and at the same time it’s absolutely an ice cream too. Like they say, it’s Pea and Ham Ice Cream!
Big thanks to Mel, Stewart, Australian Pork and of course Restaurant Atelier for inviting us and for spreading the Christmas joy!
My fellow bloggers and pork lovers were: Melissa, Simon, Lili, Karen, Suze, Richard, Howard, Helen, Billy and Shez!
Restaurant Atelier
22 Glebe point Road, Glebe, NSW
Tel: +61(02) 9566 2112
www.restaurantatelier.com.au
Dinner: Tuesday – Saturday from 6pm
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33 Comments | Add your own
Swine flu, bah! These are too cute to even think of swine flu!
This looked like such an enjoyable night, I’m so envious! OMG pea and ham ice cream! That is so brilliant!
Oh my, look at that rack of pork! Mm.. I agree, Christmas can be celebrated any time!
So happy you had a good time..looking forward to more food adventures with you, lady!
xx fooderati
OOh Aah, everything looks divine !!Tell me Lorraine, how does one get invited to such lovely tastings?
here piggy piggy! I was releived when i heard that pork was ok too. And pea & ham ice cream sounds mental but in a genius way! =)
oh dude i want pea and ham icecream! that is so awesome!
Yes people need to understand that the Swine Flu is like the normal flu but in fact it has killed less people than the normal flu has.
What fitting timing for this story NQN!
The pork looks good – but the Christmas pudding icecream is what has won me over. Not so sure about the pea and ham version though …
What a feast-love it!!
Beautiful~ Pea and Ham ice cream~
Thanks for sharing!
and you can visit me if i can visit you:)
Welcome!
foodcreate
Ooh – love the photo of the assiette and rack.
I like the idea of pea and ham ice cream too… was it sweet?
Wow that looks AMAZING! I don’t eat pork, but I’d be so very tempted by those dishes!
Swine flu shmime flu!
Amazing pork dishes! I just got some Kurobuta pork chops, pondering on a creative way of preparing them.
ohh what a porky meal! delicious
I don’t eat pork much…but I recently heard that it’s great for the skin…so I might wanna add more of it to my diet! Pea and Ham ice cream is certainly different!! hehe..
It’s really cool the way they used the pork in so many different ways. The pea and ham icecream sounds really amazing too. In spite of that my eyes are still on the Christmas pudding icecream.
Lol the night would’ve been complete if we all got drunk on eggnog and sang godawful carols!
Looking forward to seeing your evil piggy plans! And can’t wait to catch up again soon
i think the astronauts might like to try that pea and ham ice cream. a complete meal in one. was good catching up with you again on the night. i’m keen to cook some serious pork crackling with my pork rack although i’ve never done it before.
s
It’s great how the pork went from rack to plate in such a lovely manner. And so the freebie pork was the one that everyone was talking about yesterday? Mystery solved!
The presentation of all the dishes was amazing! The taste lived up to the looks as well. Looking forward to your pork creation
Looks like fun! I love Christmas in July and always make it up to the mountains for some proper cold weather and Christmas festivities!
Great recount ^^! and OMG I want some pea and ham ice cream tooooo!
Hey, is the bacon and egg ice cream from Fat Duck?
Me concur with Howard – awaiting your porky creation
Goodness! So that’s how you do Christmas in May. Such a festive-looking meal; all that PORK! (I’m drooling; sorry.)
I must admit that the pea and ham ice cream sounds very intriguing.
Pea and ham ice cream…. wow… it’s the most out-there thing I’ve heard this week
. Love the presentations of those dishes, they look very tempting.
Hi Blond Duck-haha yes, swine schmine!
Hi Steph-It was a great night. I know! Why don’t we see that more?
Hi Betty-Yes I’d love Christmas every month if possible!
Hi Mel-Thanks so much for inviting us! Yep here’s to more foodie adventures with you! xxx
Hi Matilda-Thanks, it was delicious! I guess being lucky!
Hi Brianna-Haha yes! It was genius and mental at the same time I agree!
Hi chocolatesuze-It’s great stuff indeed and has to be tasted to be believed!
Hi Mike-Yes it’s the most well marketed flu there is out there now! Yes what brilliant timing
Hi cakelaw-Oh that ice cream was quite amazing. I’ve never made it like that before, it was so close in every way to christmas pudding!
Hi Sweta-It was fantastic!
Hi Tina-Oh they were so amazing!
It wasn’t sweet at all, it tasted just like a pea and ham soup but had the texture of ice cream! 
Hi Tiffany-Ahh really! hehe yes Swine shmime flu!
Hi 5 Star Foodie-Ooh Kurobuta pork, fabulous stuff! I’m sure you’ll do something wonderful with them
Hi Alexandra-Thankyou!
Is it? haha I never knew that! It is, well worth trying! 
Hi Arwen-I know, and it didn’t feel like we had too much pork too! Haha the ice cream was a wondrous thing indeed
Hi Karen-Haha yes why didn’t we I wonder!
yes I can’t wait to see what you get up to too! See you very soon in June! 
Hi Simon-Hehe perhaps if they freeze dried it! Now that would be a taste sensation
Oh really? It’s very easy and straightforward-there are recipes on NQN too!
Hi Belle-Yep it sure was! It’s not often that one gets free pork but it’s lovely when that happens!
Hi Howard-It was wasn’t it! I bet you do something great too!
Hi Forager-It was fantastic! I know, it’s a great trip isn’t it-makes the cold more bearable!
Hi FFichiban-Thanks! Good to see you again and I first read about the bacon and egg ice cream in “the Face” magazine but perhaps it was a Fat Duck creation! I can’t wait to see yours!
Hi Midge-hehe it seems the best, most fitting way!
It was fab-if you get the chance… 
Hi Anita-it’s a bit of a trip but a fun one!
So temptingly good 
i’d scream for pea and ham ice cream.
Pea and ham ice cream! Oh my.
Food always looks that much more appealing when its presented beautifully, doesn’t it?
Hi grace-Hehe I would too if it got me another scoop!
Hi Su-yin-It’s fabulous! If you ever get the opportunity I really recommend trying it
I agree, presentation is eating for the eyes! 
The pork looks amazing, as does the ice cream in all it glory!
Hi ArtemisIII-It was a very good food eating night that night indeed
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