A CONFERENCE DINNER

“Get to know the Chef and you will start to enjoy dining out even more.” - John Walters
 

I have been attending a conference for work at Crown Conference Centre here in Melbourne. It all went very well and was faultlessly organised with some interesting speakers and robust discussion after each of the sessions. Last night was the conference dinner, held in the Riverview Room with a stunning outlook onto the Yarra River and the city lights across the other bank. The dinner itself was excellent and served meticulously and relatively quickly given the large number of guests.

I had the following courses, which ran as follows:
•    Entrée – Pan-seared scallops wrapped with smoked salmon and served with a julienne of fresh celeriac with mayonnaise dressing
•    Main course – Beef steak on the bone with seasonal vegetables
•    Dessert – A trio of vanilla bean ice cream, mini date pudding and chocolate mousse slice dusted with cocoa
•    Coffee and hand-made chocolates.

Champagne, white and red wine were served and to cap it all off, a very good jazz trio played live. It was a delightful night, except for the after dinner speaker who unfortunately spoke interminably, told bad jokes and peppered everything he said with references to rugby, which his audience hardly appreciated. The evening was nevertheless an enjoyable one, given the high quality of the food and wine, as well as the excellent and prompt service.

Here is the recipe for the entrée:

Smoked Salmon Wrapped Scallops
Ingredients
6 large scallops (white part only)
6 strips of smoked salmon slices
1 celeriac rhizome
Mayonnaise
Olive oil
Toothpicks
Salt and pepper
Balsamic vinegar
Mustard sprouts for garnishing

Method
Peel the celeriac and grate it. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and mix in a good quantity of home made mayonnaise. Reserve.
Wash the scallops and pat dry.
Wrap a smoked salmon slice strip around each scallop and secure with a toothpick.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and sear the scallops, about two minutes on each side, being careful not to overcook.
Serve three scallops on a dish that has been brushed with a stripe of balsamic vinegar
Place a spoonful or two of celeriac on the side and garnish with some mustard seed sprouts.

This post is part of the Food Friday meme,

and also part of the Food Trip Friday meme.