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Here’s an event to mark in your diary. On March 10, the inaugural Ascot Green Longest Dinner Under the Stars will be held at Eagle Farm Racecourse, and if the preview we enjoyed is anything to go by, patrons are in for a treat.
We were welcomed with glasses of Rogers & Rufus 2017 Rosé, a beautifully pale, dry, chilled Grenache Rosé from the Barossa Valley that really hit the spot on a hot, humid night. Executive chef Michael Fletcher prepared a sumptuous charcuterie station for starters, with an amazing spread of artisan salumi, cured meats, duck ‘n truffle paté, figs, relishes, chutneys and other accompaniments, along with stone oven baked breads.
Then we sat down to a beautifully dressed table for the main course and dessert, accompanied by a terrific solo singer/guitarist whose repertoire spanned a range of genres. With the way the weather has been misbehaving all week, the dinner was unfortunately moved indoors to the upstairs Society Lounge, just in case. But a table was set up outdoors so that we could see what the March 10 event would be like.
We couldn’t have faulted the main which had a beautifully cooked medallion of beef sitting on beetroot and cauliflower purees and a port wine jus, with sides of ricotta-filled zucchini flower, crispy quail and a green pawpaw salad. There was a lot going on on the plate but all the flavours and textures worked well, and the beef was very tender.
Dessert was an absolute triumph. A glass of vanilla bean panna cotta with an elderberry glaze and a sprinkling of pomegranate arils, it was quite possibly the best panna cotta we’ve tasted. We’re told it will be the same menu for the March 10 dinner, so take our word for it – this dinner is worth going to for the panna cotta alone!
There was hardly room for more but somehow we found room for a tiny taste of the cheese station, which again was an extraordinary spread, this time of farmhouses cheeses including aged cheddar, triple crème brie, and English stilton, lavosh, crackers and an array of fruit including figs, raspberries and blueberries.
Tickets to the Ascot Green Longest Dinner Under the Stars cost $150pp and include four hours of free-flowing bubbles, beer, wine and soft drinks. The meal includes a charcuterie station, roaming canapés, 2-course dinner and cheese station. There will be live entertainment and a barista station serving Grinders espresso coffee and artisan tea. $10 from every ticket purchased will be donated to The Smith Family.
The leafy surrounds of the heritage-listed Eagle Farm Racecourse provide a lovely setting for this special dinner and the superb food on offer makes it an event not to be missed. Tickets are available from the Brisbane Racing Club.
Christine and Maurie were guests at the Ascot Green Longest Dinner Under the Stars preview.
