Chophouse, Sydney: Suckling Pig

20 August 2010, 05:01


I ♥ suckling pig. Seriously so much love. If I was stuck on an island with only 1 animal for a food source it would be the piggy. It’s a magical animal yo! We are a group of pork crazy food bloggers, invited by Chophouse (25 Bligh St, Sydney) to eat, drink and be merry at a Pig and Pinot dinner. The star of the night? An 11.4kg suckling pig to be carved at the table! A new carvery will be opening upstairs in about 2 months time and each night will be featuring either beef, goat, lamb or yes the absolutely delicious suckling pig.


But first we start off with Jamon and Italian buffalo mozzarella, with roasted fennel, spring onion and almonds. It is amazing. The mozzarella is smooth and creamy, instantly turning me into a ball of fuzzy happiness. The balsamic vinegar is sweetly acidic against the paper thin slices of jamon and soon the plate is scraped clean.


Ceviche of Hervey Bay sea scallops, with Mt Lowe truffle, avruga and apple. The scallops are perfect specimens. And I do mean perfect. The truffles are sourced from Oberon just the day before and are delicate in taste. The citrus cured scallops and the julienned apples give this dish a zing leaving my tastebuds buzzing for more.



The smell of roasting piggy has been wafting tantalizingly from the kitchen since we had arrived and finally the moment we had all been waiting for: Executive Chef David Clarke and his 11.4kg suckling pig!


Here piggy piggy piggy! It’s just SO BEAUTIFUL! I could weep! Tears of joy! Adam Heathcote, Operations Manager of Pacific Restaurant Group explains that the organic pig is sourced from the Macleay Valley near Coffs Harbour.


There is a stampede to the piggy and we snap away. Of course this was to be expected with our group of happy piggy lovers lol but soon we are joined by other patrons who are gazing at the piggy in envy


That’s not a knife! This is!


Dave gets to work carving up the piggy. He looks really happy here. I’m happy too.


Soon my precious, soon.


Huge platters piled high with juicy, tender meat and shards of crackling so crisp and delicious that the only sounds to be heard at the table were blissful sighs of happiness. After she had professed her love for the pork cheek earlier in the evening, Helen chortles with glee when the jowl is placed onto her plate. It was So. Freaking. Awesome. Sharing is caring!


The pigs ears, tail and even snout are carved up


To offset our pork overload there were also some sides, the cheesey cauliflower gratin was rich and comforting


Green beans glistening with herbed butter


Wedge salad topped with the oozily perfection of a slow cooked egg


Our starters are paired with a 2008 Ostler Pinot Gris from the Waitaki Valley, New Zealand which is light, fruity and refreshing. The pork is paired with a fabulous 2006 Ostler Pinot Noir from the Waitaki Valley in New Zealand and is very, very easy to drink :D


Caramelised banana cheesecake with butterscotch and peanut brittle ($8). Beautifully presented, the cheesecake was light, creamy with just the right amount of butterscotch to satisfy my sweet tooth.


XO Henessy Cognac and Berta Grappa Nebbiolo Tre Soli Tre are offered with our desserts and while I actually liked the smell of the Grappa I’m afraid all I could taste when I drank it was burrrrning. Um. Rain check?


But ooh there’s the famous Chophouse chocolate bar with caramelised hazelnuts! There is something so satisfying about hacking away at a block of chocolate with a cleaver…


OH HAI


People start departing so Richard and I gather the paddles with the remaining chocolate. Must. Not. Waste!


As Helen, John and I linger over our tea chatting with Adam and Dave, a chocolate tart with sugared salted macadamias and creme fraiche magically appears. Why hello! I was quite impressed with the tarts buttery base which melts in the mouth and the sugared salted macadamia nuts are so freaking addictive I think I could eat a kilo of the stuff! The smooth chocolatey filling just about pushes me over the edge and into a food coma of bliss and as we stumble out of the restaurant after saying our goodbyes my mind fills with dancing images of suckling pig…

Chocolatesuze dined as a guest of Chophouse

 

 

  1. There’s a high probability that members of this group were born in the year of the piggy?

    — :)    Aug 20, 08:51 AM    #

  2. lol. i love dave’s knife shot! that suckling pig was amazing.

    — Helen (grabyourfork)    Aug 20, 10:03 AM    #

  3. i think the star of the night was Dave the chef first and then the pig because without him we wouldn’t have had such a delicious meal :-) great recap of the night. you seem to have an obsession with sharp objects hehe. why does 2 smiley faces always create a cross lined in the comments : – (

    — Simon Food Favourites    Aug 20, 10:30 AM    #

  4. Already commented on Helen’s blog but omggggggg bacon! :D

    Food comas of the sweet kind are always nice. I really want that banana cheesecake – short of hallucinating tastes of it. Mmmm cheesecake..

    — Margaret | fangirlish    Aug 20, 10:33 AM    #

  5. Ooh here piggy piggy piggy they are magical animals indeed! that crackling looks so good and I love that little cleaver with the chocolate… I want!

    — Jacq    Aug 20, 10:50 AM    #

  6. Suckling piggy is sooo friggin’ awesomes! Hee hee u make us sound so fat collecting up all that chocolate… mmmmm so worth it

    — FFichiban    Aug 20, 11:11 AM    #

  7. So much piggy love…and knives! I want a large block of chocolate now, but only if it comes with a mini-cleaver to play with =)

    — mademoiselle delicieuse    Aug 20, 11:35 AM    #

  8. David does look happy while carving the piggy. But i love the first pic, so much piggy love. :)

    — billy@a table for two    Aug 20, 11:41 AM    #

  9. It burns, it burns…!

    There was so much to love that night: mozzarella, jamon, scallop, truffle, piggy, cheesecake – it’s like they trawled our blogs and picked out everything we <3

    — Tina    Aug 20, 12:18 PM    #

  10. looks like a good night :)
    Let’s just hope no vegetarians read this hehehehe :)

    — emma_G    Aug 20, 12:20 PM    #

  11. ohhh, suckling pig, there really is nothing better. it reminds me of bbq’s in Melbourne with the asian australian family association (AAFA).

    — yewenyi    Aug 20, 01:10 PM    #

  12. Yay for the Macleay Valley! That’s where we live :D I don’t know we had magical pigs though, I think they have been holding out on us, I might have to go a-hunting this weekend, hehe…

    — carly/fivesquaremeals    Aug 20, 01:11 PM    #

  13. Ohhh my the piggy is CUTE! =D And so is the little cleaver.

    — angie    Aug 20, 03:17 PM    #

  14. lol the piggy looks like its smiling “i am getting eaten yay”.. mm nomnoms piggy

    — Julie    Aug 20, 04:26 PM    #

  15. Lol love the pic of John with the pig’s snout! Looks like a fun dinner, I wish I could have made it now :(

    — Betty @ The Hungry Girl    Aug 20, 04:46 PM    #

  16. Yummy pork crackling! And the cheesecake looks great too.

    — Karen missklicious    Aug 20, 08:55 PM    #

  17. What a lot of piggy to go around. Dave looks a little too happy with that knife!

    But hacking chocolate for dessert soudns like a very, very, very good idea (plus I can defend my share) :) — shaz    Aug 20, 10:34 PM    #

  18. Awww pork <3 LOL
    I cant get over it, it was such a juicy and succulent piggy!

    — Yas @ hungry.digital.elf.    Aug 21, 12:50 PM    #

  19. OMG! I love that crazy picture of Dave and the knife. Insane look in his eyes much? That suckling pig is wonderful on so many levels

    — Phuoc'n Delicious    Aug 21, 04:58 PM    #

  20. Oh, the piggy-wiggy – glorious! And aggression relief chocolate, extra yummo :)

    — Katie&Wags    Aug 21, 11:46 PM    #

  21. Sniff sniff, what’s that I smell through my pig snout?

    — john@heneedsfood    Aug 24, 04:42 PM    #

  22. Awww…that piggy looks too cute to eat.

    — Elaine (Three Wise Pigs)    Aug 24, 09:15 PM    #

  23. Yummmm! You carnivore!!! :D I’m so jealous of this :( It’s 12.25AM currently and I’m sitting here craving some piggyyy! Dammit :( I really shouldn’t visit your blog at this time of the day..night(?) xD <3

    — Melody    Aug 25, 12:26 AM    #

  24. I love chocolate as always…

    — peter    Aug 25, 11:08 AM    #

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