Our News Years Eve movie title would be "As Good As It Gets" - I would probably be Jack!!!
For the past twelve years, the same four couple have gathered for a night of good food and fine wine.
This year was no different - late afternoon champagne on the lawn whilst playing petanque: Lanson Black Label Brut NV; Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle 'La Cuvée' and Krug Grande Cuvée MV (magnum) all disappeared without too much effort.
First course was my own creation, derived from several dining experiences in France.
When there in September, I purchased, in Argentat (under the direction of Mme Hoare), a couple containers of foie gras de canard entier, and proceeded to present to my friends a "stack"; pommes de terre rissolée pineaux dressed with a light serving of caramelised shallots and forest mushrooms; topped with a thick slice of apple (braeburn) which had been poached in sauterne (Cordier) atopped with the lightly seared foie gras (I used the reduced sauterne as a sauce).
I was quite delighted with the result - OK; by necessity, the servings of the foie gras were small, but quite adequately "bulked up" by the accompaniments.
However, my hard work was somewhat upstaged by my friends choice of wine - he produced a 1976 Ch. d'Yquem.
On New Years Eve 1999/2000, the same assembled had bloc de foie gras d'oie with 1990 Yquem and this was a marriage made in heaven.
The 1976 was a stunning wine, apricot marmalade and honey - I simply cannot think of any dish which I could prepare that would have done justice to this wine.
For the main course, our host had acquired a leg of organic lamb (farm killed); boned it was cooked on the bar-b-que; served with home grown beans, carrots and new potatoes it was melt-in-the-mouth tender.
To accompany the lamb, our host presented a 1988 Ch. Lynch Bages (Pauillac), while I supplied a 1997 Ch. Léoville-Barton (St.Julien) which I surprisingly found in October at Dubai Airport for a reasonable $US40.
The former was quite delightful, prominent cassis/mint - tannins a little dry; the second was more forward; a softer cherryish claret; ripe sweet tannins - very elegant against the somewhat bigger Lynch Bages. Both really worked with the lamb.
By now, much more relaxed after having feverishly slaved to prepare my dish, my memory of proceeding begins to get a little fuzzy; save to say that we did another glass of the obligatory champagne at midnight and demolished a
1960 Grahams port with stilton at 1am.
His Lordship crashed, mumbling incoherently, at 2am.
Next year, we're hosting the "I'll Bet, Quartet" - so named because every year, one or more comments at some stage of the evening "I'll bet that no-one else in NZ has dined quite like this on this night" - a statement which is probably correct.
Next years theme will be Champagne - for every course.
I am thinking rock lobster; salmon and a cherry clafoutis (yes, the season is right, but I will have to prise a recipe from Mme Hoare)
Oh yes, my annual weigh-in on New Years Day revealed a weight loss of 4.5kg for 2005.
I shall just have to return to France again - it is very good for the waistline!