Locals haven’t had to travel as far as France or even Melbourne for a true gourmet experience, or pay city prices.
Café Rossi in Sale is running a series of five-course degustation dinners on Tuesday evenings until September 11, featuring unique dishes with matching local wines with each course.
The final year commercial cookery students from Advance TAFE have taken it in turns each week to develop the menu, select, cost and order the ingredients and run the team on the night.
The ingredients must be sourced locally where possible, and local diners have been appreciative.
Cookery teacher Polly Stevenson said it was an ideal opportunity for students to be more creative and innovative with their menus.
“It also allows them to experience the responsibility of being head chef in your own kitchen, and to understand how important it is to have your team working with you,” she said.
The students have been challenged to include specialist foods, while still sourcing from within the Gippsland region.
Some of the dishes have included duck, kangaroo, tuna and venison.
Menus have included dishes such as vodka-cured ocean trout with Abbotsford stout bread and horseradish vinaigrette, hazelnut-crusted venison with parsnip puree, watercress and black cherry glaze, herb-infused ravioli with a roasted pumpkin and nutmeg centre in a creamy pumpkin puree, chargrilled and roasted lemon and garlic half-poussin on celery and capsicum couscous and seared kangaroo fillet with balsamic onion jam on blanched greens with grilled fig and horseradish crème fraiche.
The desserts have included cinnamon-coated churros with a dark chocolate ganache and steamed pear, crystallised ginger and cider sabayon with praline dust
People interested in food are being encouraged to book now to support the Advance TAFE final year students, and enjoy a unique dining experience and drinks for $65 (or $55 without wine) at Café Rossi.
For bookings phone 5152 0741.
