Three Blue Ducks

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In the lazy, hazy days post-Christmas but before New Year, I have ample time to not be productive, yet here I am, writing up the Christmas lunch which wrapped up a full and busy work year. 


Venison tartare

Venison is not a meat I see served often - Three Blue Ducks did a wonderful job of ensuring it is not gamey by serving it with beetroot, horseradish and crispy beetroot brik pastry. The beetroot is treated so that it is sweet and sour, thereby balancing the meatiness of the dish. 

Kingfish 

The raw kingfish is tossed through a curry spice and serve with grapefruit, fried curry leaves and toasted peanuts. A delicious twist on the usually lime-heavy kingfish dishes seen elsewhere. 

Burnt leeks

Leeks is usually not my vegetable of choice, but even I cannot deny that it is gorgeously sweet when cooked right, and here, the vegan treatment of it with macadamia cheese, capers and smoked macadamias, it is soft and flavourful. 

Lamb

This dramatic-looking dish is a Moroccan spiced lamb shoulder with burnt eggplant labneh, tomato, dates, olives, chermoula and hazelnut dukkah. The meat is cooked so well that it literally fell apart with the most gentle prodding of the tongs (the knife was barely necessary, just here for flair). The spices, chermoula and tomato gave the meat a freshness I very much appreciated. 

Lemon Sole

I love, love, love this dish. Charred whole lemon sole with a healthy serving of kelp and anchovy butter, a generous smattering of herbs and capers which transformed this mild, soft white fish into a flavour bomb. 

Broccoli 

I have always loved broccoli since childhood, because I thought they looked like little trees. If I took a step back and really think about it, however, I'm not so sure I like this vegetable nearly as much as I think I do - it's not always easy to get flavour into its woody stems. That is not a concern at Three Blue Ducks, of course, where charred broccoli is served with punchy green romesco, ras el hanout, butter beans and almonds (both the natural and the preserved kinds). 

Lettuce

The baby cos lettuce with shaved eschalot and  green goddess dressing is a welcome break to the richness of the menu - refreshing, sweet, palate-cleansing. 

Chat potatoes

These golden nuggets were so good! Crispy on the outside, creamy inside, the herb garlic, sour cream and charred onion ensured this is a moreish yet satisfying and filling treat. 

Meringue

What's an Australian Christmas without a pavlova, or a version thereof? These sea salt meringue with lemon curd, Chantilly cream, passionfruit, mango and basil was tart and refreshing. The basil, in particular, was an inspired touch, 

Chocolate mousse

Rich, velvety chocolate mousse is served with avocado for extra creaminess and a collop of zesty lime sorbet to cut through the sweetness. 

Score: 4.5 / 5 
Cost: $80pp (there are several packages available for the festive season)
Address: there are several locations across Australia, the one we attended was at 1/85 Dunning Ave, Rosebery

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