I attended the Grand Diploma Examination of Megan Swan on Monday 4 May at Hunters Country House, Knysna. Megan is a third year student at Silwood and has been based at Hunters since 2008, working fulltime at Zinzi’s restaurant.Â
Upon arrival guests were presented with a glass of bubbly, Villiera Tradition Brut. The canapes followed, beautiful steamed oysters in champagne foam and smoked lamb tartare. The theme for the examination dinner was autumn and the decor was tastefully done; each guest received a handcrafted gift of sour dough culture with an attached recipe. This culture had been cultivated for four months prior to the dinner and I for one look forward to baking my bread.
The menu was well constructed, offering a range in terms of skill preparation and taste sensations. The pan fried loin of Springbok was exceptional - tender and cooked to perfection, medium -rare. This was paired with Slaley Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 – hedonistic pleasure.  The Bucchu sorbet was a first for me and it worked well with the lemon martini, offering crisp freshness and palate revival.Â
The future is bright for this 21 year old and I will be watching with interest to see where Megan’s talents take her. Well done!
MENU
Amuse Bouchee
Seafood Bisque
Scallop Ravioli and Prawn Tian
Ginger Oil
Giorgio Dalla Cia Chardonnay Viognier 2007
Bucchu Sorbet
Served with a Lemon Martini
Pan Fried loin of Springbok
Butternut and sweet potato dauphoinse
Sauce Robert
Slaley Cabernet Sauvignon 2003
Assistee of Apple
Nederburg Noble Late Harvest 2008
Coffee
Port
Petit Fours
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