Blue Cheese and Hazelnut Spread

May 25, 2004

The Spouse recently celebrated a birthday and as he was going to be in Auckland that week on business, he suggested I join him there and we have a night or two out on the town, catching up with friends and family.

He'd booked into one of the hotels looking over the Viaduct harbour, home to the America's Cup challenge. Fortunately, for May, we had surprisingly good weather during our four days there and I'd no sooner been dropped off from the airport than we were down in a harbourside restaurant settling in for a leisurely late lunch. And what better way to celebrate a birthday than with a dozen Bluff oysters each, a basket of Turkish bread and a nice bottle of sauvignon blanc. Beats work any day. We lingered over each oyster, enjoying their saltiness, their flavour heightened by a soft sea breeze that barely liften the edges of the umbrellas over the outdoor tables.

We recalled how five years ago we were sitting in another seaside spot for the celebration - that time in Whitby, Yorkshire.

The oyster lunch was just a preliminary. That night we met a friend for dinner at another fine Viaduct restaurant. We stopped off for a nightcap to set us up for the slow saunter along the quay back to our hotel. No shortage of bars here so the owners have to get inventive.There's one bar which has set its temperature to sub zero and you have to dress up Antarctic style to go inside and sip your poison in the chiller. We were happy to sit in the warm bar adjoining and watch them through a large glass window.

We realised we'd never been up the 328-metre Sky Tower, so we took in the Auckland panorama from the observation lounge- and managed to catch a couple of brave bungee jumpers flashing past the window from above - http://www.skyjump.co.nz/ if you're after a thrill.

More fine dining with friends in Parnell, followed the next night by a dinner at their home watching a game of rugby on TV.

During a wander along the harbour, we noticed the Waiheke Island ferry coming in and that made us decide to visit the island - about 45 minutes' boat ride away - the following day.

The weather man said widespread rain and thunder but it looked pretty sunny in the morning so we decided to take the risk. A couple of people had recommended Mud Brick vineyard restaurant so we phone ahead from the ferry and made a booking. The occasional cloud bank loomed over the diminishing city but promised meteorological mayhem didn't happen. A taxi whisked us up to the restaurant, about five minutes away and we had a table on the terrace, looking out across the lavender bushes at the city way down the harbour. That's The Spouse contemplating the view.

We went into the tasting room to check out the wines and choose one for lunch, and to buy a couple of bottles for friends. A couple of drowsy bees loitered on the late lavender stalks while we enjoyed the view, the wine and the excellent food.

Next day we called on my sister and were treated to a lunch of duck before we caught the plane home. A long weekend of indulgence but one we won't forget for a while. We didn't encounter one disappointing dish and that really is saying something these days.

During our Waiheke meal, The Spouse chose their trio of crostini which featured homemade sourdough toasted with garlic butter topped with chicken liver pateh azelnut and gorgonzola puree and tuna salad (pictured below).

Here is my take on the gorgonzola puree.

Blue Cheese and Hazelnut Spread

100g strong blue cheese - Stilton, Gorgonzola or your choice
1/2 cup roasted hazelnuts
3 tablespoons sour cream
pinch cayenne pepper
pinch nutmeg
2 tablespoons port

Mash the cheeses. Grind the hazelnuts in a coffee grinder until almost powdery.

Mix all the ingredients together with a fork until smooth and place in a small ramekin. Set aside to mature for three or four hours.

Brush sliced ciabatta bread with a little walnut oil or olive oil and toast under a griller or in a sandwich press. Serve with the spread and fresh pear slices.